JP2026000042A - Autonomous driving and operation system and autonomous driving and operation method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides an autonomous traveling work system and an autonomous traveling work method that can be operated smoothly by inputting information indicating the usage status of a work area and creating a work plan that corresponds to that usage status.
[Solution]
In an autonomous driving work system 1 of an autonomous driving work device 2 that performs automatic driving work in accordance with a cleaning plan set for a cleaning area 100, a related party terminal 7 has a situation information input unit 86 that accepts input of situation information regarding the usage status of the cleaning area 100, and a management server 3 has an impact determination unit 55 that determines whether the usage status from the related party terminal 7 will affect the normal environmental map or normal cleaning plan of the cleaning area 100, a temporary map creation unit 56 that creates a temporary environmental map 101a that reflects the usage status in the normal environmental map when the usage status affects the normal environmental map 101 or the normal cleaning plan, and a temporary plan creation unit 57 that creates a temporary work plan that modifies the cleaning plan based on the temporary environmental map 101a.
[Selected Figure] Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to an autonomous mobile work system and an autonomous mobile work method for an autonomous mobile work device that performs autonomous mobile work in a specified work area according to a pre-set work plan.

Conventionally, autonomous mobile work devices are configured to perform automated mobile work (cleaning) in a specified work area, traveling and performing work (cleaning) according to a pre-set work plan. For example, when an autonomous mobile work device is operated in a work area such as a shopping mall, it often performs teaching runs in advance to create an environmental map and work plan for the work area, and then performs automated mobile work when no one is present, such as outside business hours.

When business is conducted as usual in a work area, autonomous driving work (cleaning) can be carried out according to a pre-registered work plan. However, in work areas such as shopping malls, the layout may suddenly change for a limited period of time to accommodate events or special events. Furthermore, in facilities with work areas, people associated with the facility (for example, store employees) may temporarily place goods, luggage, or other objects in the work area, which could become an obstacle to autonomous driving work. Information about such changes to the work area is often not communicated to cleaning management companies in advance, which can result in the autonomous driving device being unable to carry out autonomous driving work according to a pre-registered work plan, forcing cleaners to respond on the spot.

For example, in Patent Document 1, a system for cleaning a floor comprises at least one cleaning robot, a control means for controlling the cleaning robot, and a communication means for detecting at least one environmental event, where the environmental event is an event determined from a database, particularly a weather event, or an event determined by a sensor, and the control means adjusts the intensity of use of the cleaning robot for cleaning at least a portion of the floor in response to the environmental event.

Patent No. 6681360

However, while conventional technologies such as those described in Patent Document 1 can obtain weather information for the day and reflect it in the operation of the cleaning robot, they cannot perform autonomous driving work in response to various usage conditions, such as layout changes, on the day. Furthermore, in the case of events or special events where layout changes are suddenly made on the day, usage conditions such as layout changes may not be communicated to the cleaning management company or autonomous driving work system. Furthermore, in facilities with work areas, people associated with the facility (for example, store employees at the facility) may suddenly and temporarily place items such as goods or luggage in the work area on the day. This creates a problem in that the cleaning management company or autonomous driving work system is unable to grasp the usage conditions of the work area, preventing the autonomous driving work device from properly performing autonomous cleaning.

The present invention was developed in consideration of the problems described above, and aims to provide an autonomous mobile work system and method that can be operated smoothly by inputting information indicating the usage status of a work area and creating a work plan that corresponds to that usage status.

To solve the above problem, the first autonomous mobile work system of the present invention is an autonomous mobile work system for an autonomous mobile work device that performs autonomous mobile work in a specified work area according to a preset work plan, and includes a situation information input unit that accepts input of situation information regarding the usage status of the work area at a related party terminal used by a related party at a facility where the work area is located, an impact determination unit that determines whether the usage status affects the normal environmental map of the work area or the normal work plan, a temporary map creation unit that creates a temporary environmental map that reflects the usage status in the normal environmental map if the usage status affects the normal environmental map or the normal work plan, and a temporary plan creation unit that creates a temporary work plan that modifies the work plan based on the temporary environmental map.

The first autonomous mobile operation system of the present invention accepts input of the usage status of the restricted cleaning area or intensified cleaning area via the relevant party's terminal, even if a related party at a facility where a work area is located (for example, a store employee at the facility) suddenly temporarily places an object such as a product or baggage in the work area, creating a restricted cleaning area, or if the floor of the work area suddenly becomes dirty or wet, creating an intensified cleaning area. The autonomous mobile operation system can then use a management server or other device to create a temporary environmental map and temporary work plan corresponding to the usage status input to the relevant party's terminal, thereby enabling smooth operation by performing appropriate autonomous mobile operation in response to various usage situations, such as suddenly occurring restricted cleaning areas or intensified cleaning areas.

Furthermore, in order to solve the above problem, in the second autonomous mobile work system of the present invention, the situation information input unit inputs, as the usage status, an area image captured of a cleaning restriction area or cleaning intensive area that has occurred in the work area.

The second autonomous mobile work system of the present invention allows relevant parties to input situation information regarding restricted cleaning areas or intensive cleaning areas through simple operations, and allows appropriate temporary environmental maps and temporary work plans to be created based on area images of the restricted cleaning areas or intensive cleaning areas.

To solve the above problem, in the third autonomous mobile work system of the present invention, the temporary map creation unit creates the temporary environmental map that reflects the cleaning restricted area indicated by the usage status, and the temporary plan creation unit creates the temporary work plan so as to avoid the cleaning restricted area.

With the third autonomous mobile work system of the present invention, even if a cleaning-restricted area suddenly appears in the work area, the system can avoid this cleaning-restricted area and perform appropriate autonomous mobile work.

To solve the above problem, in the fourth autonomous mobile work system of the present invention, the temporary map creation unit creates the temporary environmental map that reflects the restricted cleaning area or intensive cleaning area indicated by the usage status, and the temporary plan creation unit creates the temporary work plan by adjusting the travel speed and/or work intensity according to the restricted cleaning area or the intensive cleaning area.

With the fourth autonomous mobile work system of the present invention, even if a restricted cleaning area or an intensive cleaning area suddenly appears in the work area, appropriate autonomous mobile work can be performed in accordance with this restricted cleaning area or intensive cleaning area.

To solve the above problem, the first autonomous mobile work method of the present invention is an autonomous mobile work method for an autonomous mobile work device that performs autonomous mobile work in a specified work area according to a preset work plan, and includes the following steps: a situation information input step for accepting input of situation information regarding the usage status of the work area at a related party terminal used by a related party of the facility where the work area is located; an impact determination step for determining whether the usage status affects the normal environmental map of the work area or the normal work plan; a temporary map creation step for creating a temporary environmental map that reflects the usage status in the normal environmental map if the usage status affects the normal environmental map or the normal work plan; and a temporary plan creation step for creating a temporary work plan that modifies the work plan based on the temporary environmental map.

This invention provides an autonomous mobile work system and method that can be operated smoothly by inputting information indicating the usage status of a work area and creating a work plan that corresponds to that usage status.

1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an autonomous navigation and operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an autonomous mobile work device in an autonomous mobile work system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the autonomous mobile work device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a management server according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of an operation terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a related party terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a cleaning area in an autonomous navigation and operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an environmental map in an autonomous navigation and operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a travel route in an autonomous navigation and operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a cleaning area in which obstacles are installed in an autonomous navigation and operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a plan view showing an example of a situation information input screen displayed on a related party terminal in the autonomous navigation and operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a temporary environmental map in an autonomous navigation and operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a travel route for a temporary cleaning plan in an autonomous mobile operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operation of the autonomous navigation and operation system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are preferred specific examples of the present invention and disclose various preferred technologies, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to these aspects.

[Autonomous Driving and Operation System]
An autonomous mobile work system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the autonomous mobile work system 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the autonomous mobile work system 1 comprises an autonomous mobile work device 2 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) that autonomously travels and automatically works (cleans) in a work area (cleaning area), a management server 3 (see FIG. 4) that manages the autonomous mobile work device 2, and an operation terminal 4 (see FIG. 5) that remotely operates the autonomous mobile work device 2. The autonomous mobile work device 2 and operation terminal 4 are communicatively connected to the management server 3 via a network 6 such as the Internet. The management server 3 is communicatively connected via the network 6 to a staff member terminal 7 (see FIG. 6) used by staff members of the facility where the work area is located.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the autonomous mobile work device 2, and Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the autonomous mobile work device 2. Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the management server 3, Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the operation terminal 4, and Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the involved party terminal 7.

[Autonomous mobile work device]
First, we will explain the autonomous mobile work device 2. Note that the directions indicated by arrows in Figure 2 are set relative to the operator operating the autonomous mobile work device 2, and "Fr" shown in the figure indicates "front,""Rr" indicates "rear,""L" indicates "left,""R" indicates "right,""U" indicates "up," and "D" indicates "down."

The autonomous mobile work device 2 is a vehicle capable of manual driving based on manual operation and autonomous driving (autonomous driving) based on automatic control, and operates in either manual driving mode or autonomous driving mode. In autonomous driving mode, the autonomous mobile work device 2 performs autonomous driving cleaning (autonomous driving work), autonomously driving and automatically cleaning (working) based on a cleaning plan (work plan) consisting of preset data and programs for the work area that is the target of the autonomous driving cleaning. Figure 7 shows an example of a cleaning area 100, which is the work area of a facility where the autonomous mobile work device 2 will perform autonomous driving cleaning.

The autonomous mobile work device 2 performs mobile cleaning by supplying cleaning water to clean the floor of a cleaning area 100 while traveling on its vehicle body 10, and may be configured as a ride-on, self-propelled device, or as an autonomously traveling, so-called robotic floor washer. The autonomous mobile work device 2 targets cleaning areas 100, such as all or part of a target facility, for example, a commercial facility such as a shopping mall, an office, a hotel, a hospital, a school, or a factory. At least one cleaning area 100, or two or more cleaning areas 100, may be set up for each floor of the target facility.

As shown in FIG. 2, the autonomous mobile work device 2 comprises a vehicle body 10 for housing each component, a travel unit 11 for propelling the vehicle body 10, and a cleaning unit 12 for cleaning the floor surface below the vehicle body 10. As described below, the cleaning unit 12 comprises a cleaning pad 23, a supply pump 24, a squeegee device 25, a cleaning tank 26, a recovery tank 27, a suction blower 28, and the like.

The autonomous mobile work device 2 performs floor cleaning work while driving the vehicle body 10. The floor cleaning work is performed by driving the supply pump 24 to supply cleaning water and other liquids from the cleaning tank 26 to the cleaning pad 23 while rotating the cleaning pad 23 on the floor. After cleaning, the dirty water is collected in a squeegee device 25 towed to the rear of the vehicle body 10, and is then sucked and collected from the squeegee device 25 into a collection tank 27 by driving the suction blower 28.

The autonomous mobile work device 2 also has a driving operation unit 13 and an operation display unit 14 for operating and displaying various functions of the autonomous mobile work device 2, and the driving operation unit 13 and the operation display unit 14 form the operation unit of the autonomous mobile work device 2. The autonomous mobile work device 2 also has a measurement unit 15 that measures the distance and angle (e.g., the angle relative to the forward direction of the vehicle body 10) between the vehicle body 10 and obstacles (objects) such as walls and ornaments surrounding the vehicle body 10, and an imaging unit 16 that captures images of the area around the vehicle body 10. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the autonomous mobile work device 2 also has a power supply unit 17 that controls charging of the battery (not shown) and supplies power to each unit, and a device-side control unit 18 that provides overall control of each unit and function of the autonomous mobile work device 2 (driving by the driving unit 11, cleaning by the cleaning unit 12, measurement by the measurement unit 15, etc.).

The vehicle body 10 has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped appearance. The bottom of the vehicle body 10 is provided with a running section 11, consisting of a pair of left and right wheels 21 and a pair of left and right casters 22.

The pair of left and right wheels 21 each have left and right drive motors (not shown), which are each equipped with left and right encoders (not shown) that detect the number of rotations. The vehicle body 10 can be moved forward or backward by simultaneously rotating each wheel 21 with each drive motor, while the vehicle body 10 can be turned left or right by stopping or slowing down the rotation of the left or right wheel 21 and simultaneously rotating the right or left wheel 21. The pair of left and right casters 22 are positioned behind each wheel 21 and are rotatably supported on the bottom of the vehicle body 10.

The cleaning unit 12 is provided below the vehicle body 10 and is configured to clean the floor surface below the vehicle body 10. The cleaning unit 12 cleans the floor surface according to initially set cleaning data, cleaning data set via the operation display unit 14, or cleaning data set by automatic control.

The cleaning unit 12 is composed of a wet cleaning mechanism that cleans the floor surface using, for example, cleaning water as a detergent, and includes a cleaning pad 23 that comes into contact with the floor surface to clean it, a supply pump 24 for supplying and spraying cleaning water onto the floor surface, and a squeegee device 25 for collecting the cleaning water used to clean the floor surface, i.e., wastewater. Inside the vehicle body 10, the cleaning unit 12 is equipped with a cleaning tank 26 that stores fresh water or cleaning water, and a recovery tank 27 that stores the cleaning water used to clean the floor surface, i.e., wastewater.

The cleaning unit 12 also has a suction blower 28 inside the vehicle body 10 that creates a negative pressure inside the collection tank 27. The suction blower 28 functions as a suction unit that sucks the wastewater collected by the squeegee device 25 into the collection tank 27. The cleaning unit 12 also has a cleaning motor 29 that rotates the cleaning pad 23 on the floor surface, a pad cylinder 30 that moves the cleaning pad 23 up and down relative to the floor surface, and a squeegee cylinder 31 that moves the squeegee device 25 up and down relative to the floor surface. Most of the top and side surfaces of the cleaning pad 23 are covered by a pad cover 32 (which also serves as a bumper) that is fixed to the underside of the front of the vehicle body 10. Note that a rotating brush may be used as a cleaning member instead of the cleaning pad 23.

The squeegee device 25 is located on the lower rear side of the vehicle body 10. The squeegee device 25 is towed to the rear of the vehicle body 10 and collects cleaning water (wastewater) after cleaning. The squeegee device 25 receives and collects the wastewater sent rearward from the cleaning pad 23, and the collected wastewater is sucked up by the suction hose 33 connected to the suction blower 28 using the suction force of the suction blower 28, and the sucked up wastewater is collected in the recovery tank 27 connected to the suction hose 33.

The cleaning data for the cleaning unit 12 as described above includes the start/stop of rotation of the cleaning pad 23, the start/stop of cleaning water supply by the supply pump 24, the start/stop of suction by the suction blower 28, the strength of the contact pressure of the cleaning pad 23 against the floor surface and the rotation speed, the amount of cleaning water supplied by the supply pump 24, and the suction strength by the suction blower 28.

The driving operation unit 13 is located at the rear of the vehicle body 10 and includes a handle 34 and a throttle (not shown) for operating manual driving. The handle 34 is a component that is held and operated by an operator who performs floor cleaning work with the self-propelled autonomously-driven work device 2 or who teaches driving with the autonomously-driven work device 2. The driving operation unit 13 converts the amount of steering of the handle 34 or the amount of throttle operation by the operator into an electrical signal, and outputs the electrical signal to the driving unit 11 to drive the drive motor, enabling manual driving and teaching driving.

The operation and display unit 14 is provided on the rear side of the vehicle body 10 and includes, for example, a main switch, a forced stop button, a microphone, a speaker, and a display, all of which are not shown. Each component of the operation and display unit 14 is connected to the device-side control unit 18. The operation and display unit 14 may be configured as an integral part of the vehicle body 10, or may be configured as a tablet-type terminal that can be attached to or detached from the vehicle body 10.

The main switch is configured to be switchable between "off," "manual," and "automatic." By switching the main switch to "manual," the device-side control unit 18 (mode switching unit 40) switches the operating mode of the autonomous mobile work device 2 to manual driving mode, while by switching the main switch to "automatic," the device-side control unit 18 (mode switching unit 40) switches the operating mode of the autonomous mobile work device 2 to automatic driving mode.

The forced stop button operates to forcibly stop the autonomous mobile work device 2, and outputs a forced stop signal to the device-side control unit 18 in response to operation. The speaker generates alarm sounds and the like in response to control from the device-side control unit 18. The display is composed of a touch panel or the like, and displays various screens in response to control signals from the device-side control unit 18, and sends operation signals based on touch operations on each screen to the device-side control unit 18.

The measurement unit 15 is equipped with an obstacle sensor 15a that measures the distance and angle between the vehicle body 10 and obstacles (objects) and walls around the vehicle body 10. The obstacle sensor 15a is provided, for example, on the front of the vehicle body 10 and is composed of a laser range finder (LRF) or the like. It detects obstacles that exist within a predetermined measurable height (e.g., 30 cm) from the floor and within a predetermined measurable range (e.g., a 20 m radius) from the obstacle sensor 15a. Note that multiple LRFs (two LRFs) that make up the obstacle sensor 15a are provided on the left and right. The measurement unit 15 is connected to the device-side control unit 18 and transmits measurement results to the device-side control unit 18.

The measurement unit 15 also includes a bumper sensor 15b attached to the pad cover 32, which doubles as a bumper, to detect contact with walls or obstacles; multiple ultrasonic sensors 15c to detect obstacles approaching the vehicle body 10; and a step sensor 15d to detect steps on the floor surface on which the traveling unit 11 travels. The ultrasonic sensor 15c can detect unknown obstacles approaching the vehicle body 10. The step sensor 15d is composed of an infrared sensor facing forward and downward from the front of the vehicle body 10, and is provided to detect stairs or grooves on the floor surface in the forward and downward direction, preventing the vehicle body 10 from falling into stairs or large grooves.

The imaging unit 16 includes a front camera 16a capable of capturing images of the area in front of the vehicle body 10, including the floor, and a rear camera 16b capable of capturing images of the area behind the vehicle body 10. The front camera 16a can detect unknown obstacles approaching the vehicle body 10.

The power supply unit 17 includes a battery (power source) mounted inside the vehicle body 10, is configured to be rechargeable by connecting to an external power source, and supplies power to each component of the autonomous mobile work device 2.

The device-side control unit 18 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and other components. As shown in FIG. 3, the device-side control unit 18 is connected to the device-side memory unit 36 via a bus 37, which is further connected to an interface 38. The device-side control unit 18 is also connected to the travel unit 11, cleaning unit 12, travel operation unit 13, operation display unit 14, measurement unit 15, imaging unit 16, and power supply unit 17 via the bus 37 and interface 38, and is further connected to a device-side communication unit 39. The device-side communication unit 39 wirelessly communicates with external devices such as the management server 3 using a wireless LAN such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or a short-range wireless communication method such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

The device-side memory unit 36 is composed of ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), a hard disk, flash memory, etc., and stores programs and data for controlling each part and various functions of the autonomous mobile work device 2. The device-side control unit 18 reads the programs and data stored in the device-side memory unit 36 and executes these programs to control each part and various functions. The functions of the device-side control unit 18 will be described in detail below.

The device-side control unit 18 receives cleaning plans and automatic driving instructions from the management server 3 via the device-side communication unit 39 and stores the cleaning plans in the device-side memory unit 36. When a work schedule for a cleaning plan is formulated by the management server 3 or when a cleaning plan is changed, the device-side control unit 18 also receives a cleaning plan from the management server 3 and stores and updates it in the device-side memory unit 36. While the autonomous mobile work device 2 is performing automatic driving and cleaning based on a cleaning plan in response to automatic driving instructions, the device-side control unit 18 also transmits information about the cleaning area 100 being worked on (e.g., area identification number), the driving status, cleaning status, notification information, and other work status to the management server 3 via the device-side communication unit 39.

A cleaning plan includes, for example, an environmental map 101 (see Figures 7 and 8, etc.), a floor identification number, a travel route 102 (see Figure 9, etc.), cleaning data, and a work start time for a cleaning area 100. A different plan identification number is assigned to each cleaning plan. The coordinates in the cleaning area 100 (environmental map 101) are recorded in the order of work in the travel route 102 of the cleaning plan. For example, a travel route 102 is set for the cleaning area 100 in Figure 7 as shown in Figure 9. In Figure 9, the start position of the travel route 102 is indicated by a white circle, and the end position of the travel route 102 is indicated by a black circle.

The device-side control unit 18 performs overall control of each unit and function by executing calculations based on the programs and data stored in the device-side memory unit 36. For example, a computer such as the device-side control unit 18 executes programs stored in the device-side memory unit 36 to operate as a mode switching unit 40, map creation unit 41, plan creation unit 42, and automatic driving control unit 43.

Next, we will explain each part executed by the device-side control unit 18.

The mode switching unit 40 switches the operating mode of the autonomous mobile work device 2 between manual driving mode and automatic driving mode in response to operation of the main switch or the like on the operation display unit 14. While the operating mode is set to manual driving mode by the mode switching unit 40, manual operation input to the driving operation unit 13 is possible, and while it is set to automatic driving mode, manual operation input to the driving operation unit 13 is disabled.

The map creation unit 41 uses technology such as SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) to estimate its own position and create an environmental map 101 in real time. For the vehicle body 10 in a predetermined position, the map creation unit 41 creates a local map of the area around the vehicle body 10 by coordinate conversion of the distance and angle from an obstacle (object) measured by the measurement unit 15, and estimates the vehicle body 10's own position on the local map based on the created local map and the amount of movement of the vehicle body 10 measured by the measurement unit 15. The obstacle sensor 15a of the measurement unit 15 acquires two-dimensional data of the distance and angle from the obstacle, and the map creation unit 41 creates the local map by piecing together the two-dimensional data acquired by the obstacle sensor 15a.

The plan creation unit 42 creates a cleaning plan for the cleaning area 100 where autonomous driving cleaning will be performed, including an environmental map 101 and a driving route 102, and stores the plan in the device-side memory unit 36. The plan creation unit 42 also transmits the created environmental map 101 and cleaning plan to the management server 3 via the device-side communication unit 39 for registration in the management server 3. For example, the plan creation unit 42 creates the environmental map 101 based on drawing data of the cleaning area 100 that was input in advance. Alternatively, the plan creation unit 42 creates the environmental map 101 by stitching together (combining) each local map created by the map creation unit 41 at each position in the cleaning area 100 from the start to the end of learning driving (teaching) in response to manual operation by the autonomous driving work device 2. The autonomous driving work device 2 also stores, in the device-side memory unit 36, driving images captured by the imaging unit 16 at predetermined time or distance intervals during learning driving and the coordinates of the autonomous driving work device 2 at the time of image capture, in association with the cleaning plan. If the target facility has multiple floors, the plan creation unit 42 inputs a floor identification number that identifies the floor on which the cleaning area 100 is located in response to an arbitrary operation using the autonomous mobile work device 2 or the operation terminal 4, and stores this as part of the cleaning plan.

The plan creation unit 42 also creates a travel path 102 that travels back and forth in a zigzag pattern to fill in the travelable area on the environmental map 101 (to ensure that no cleaning is missed) based on various set values, such as pre-entered start and end positions, safe distances from obstacles such as walls, travel data such as the travel speed of the travel unit 11 when cleaning and not cleaning, and the working width and cleaning data of the cleaning unit 12 (such as the ground pressure strength and rotation speed of the cleaning pad 23, the amount of cleaning water supplied by the supply pump 24, and the suction strength of the suction blower 28). The plan creation unit 42 creates the travel path 102 by associating position data (coordinates and angle), travel data of the travel unit 11, and cleaning data of the cleaning unit 12 for each step (position at a predetermined interval) of the travel path 102.

When the automatic driving control unit 43 receives an automatic driving instruction from the management server 3 in automatic driving mode, it reads the cleaning plan from the device-side memory unit 36 and controls the driving unit 11 and cleaning unit 12 so that the autonomous driving work device 2 performs automatic driving and cleaning in accordance with the cleaning plan. The autonomous driving work device 2 begins automatic driving and cleaning after being positioned at a start position preset in the cleaning plan. When a work schedule for the cleaning plan is formulated by the management server 3 or the cleaning plan is changed, the automatic driving control unit 43 reads the updated cleaning plan from the device-side memory unit 36 and controls the automatic driving and cleaning.

Specifically, the automatic driving control unit 43 automatically controls the driving unit 11 based on the cleaning plan read from the device-side memory unit 36, and controls the driving unit 11 so that the vehicle body 10 automatically drives in accordance with the driving route 102 of the cleaning plan and the driving data for each step. Furthermore, in automatic driving mode, while the driving unit 11 causes the vehicle body 10 to automatically drive in accordance with the driving route 102 of the cleaning plan, the automatic driving control unit 43 reads cleaning data corresponding to the position of the vehicle body 10 on the driving route 102 from the cleaning plan, and controls the cleaning unit 12 to perform cleaning work by automatic control in accordance with this cleaning data.

When autonomous driving cleaning begins, the autonomous driving control unit 43 matches the local map created by the map creation unit 41 with the environmental map 101 of the cleaning plan to determine the vehicle body 10's own position on the environmental map 101, and controls the autonomous driving cleaning so that the vehicle body 10's own position follows the driving route 102 of the cleaning plan. While autonomous driving cleaning is being performed, the autonomous driving control unit 43 detects the work status, such as information on the cleaning area 100 being worked on, the driving status at each driving position, the cleaning status, and notification information, and transmits this information to the management server 3. Note that the autonomous driving work device 2 may store driving images captured by the imaging unit 16 at predetermined time or distance intervals during autonomous driving, and the coordinates of the autonomous driving work device 2 at the time of image capture, in the device-side memory unit 36, in association with the cleaning plan.

When the autonomous driving control unit 43 completes the autonomous driving cleaning based on the cleaning plan, it controls the driving unit 11 so that the autonomous driving work device 2 automatically returns to the end position set in advance in the cleaning plan, and sends a notification of the completion of the autonomous driving cleaning to the management server 3.

[Stakeholder terminal]
Next, we will explain the related party terminal 7. As shown in Fig. 6, the related party terminal 7 comprises a related party control unit 80, a related party memory unit 81, a related party communication unit 82, a related party display unit 83 such as a liquid crystal display, a related party operation unit 84, and a photographing unit 85. The related party terminal 7 is composed of a personal computer, tablet terminal, etc. used by a related party of the facility (for example, an employee of a store in the facility).

The involved party control unit 80 controls all the parts and functions of the involved party terminal 7, and is composed of a computer such as a CPU, and is connected to the involved party memory unit 81, the involved party communication unit 82, the involved party display unit 83, the involved party operation unit 84, and the photographing unit 85.

The related party memory unit 81 is composed of ROM, RAM, a hard disk, flash memory, etc., and stores programs and data for controlling the various parts and functions of the related party terminal 7. The related party control unit 80 is also communicatively connected to external devices via the related party communication unit 82. The related party communication unit 82 is communicatively connected to external devices via the network 6, either wirelessly or via a wired connection; specifically, the related party terminal 7 logs in to the management server 3, thereby communicatively connecting to the management server 3.

The involved party control unit 80 performs overall control of each unit and function by executing calculations based on the programs and data stored in the involved party memory unit 81. For example, a computer such as the involved party control unit 80 operates as the situation information input unit 86 by executing the programs stored in the involved party memory unit 81.

The related party display unit 83 is composed of an LCD display or the like, and the related party operation unit 84 is composed of multiple operation keys or the like. The related party display unit 83 and the related party operation unit 84 may be composed of separate units, or may be composed of an integrated touch panel or the like. The photographing unit 85 is composed of a CCD camera or the like.

Next, we will explain each part executed by the related party control unit 80.

The status information input unit 86 accepts input of status information regarding the usage status of the cleaning area 100 via the related party operation unit 84 and the photographing unit 85, and transmits the input status information to the management server 3 to which the related party terminal 7 is logged in. For example, as shown in FIG. 10 , the status information input unit 86 inputs status information specifying a usage status as a cleaning-restricted area where automatic traveling and cleaning is restricted, such as an area where entry is prohibited due to the placement of an object 103 (obstacle) such as merchandise or luggage that is not normally placed in the cleaning area 100, or an area where the traveling speed or work intensity is reduced. Alternatively, the status information input unit 86 inputs status information specifying a cleaning-enhanced area where automatic traveling and cleaning is intensified, such as an area where the traveling speed is reduced or the work intensity or work frequency is increased due to the occurrence of floor dirt or water damage that does not normally occur in the cleaning area 100. Note that cleaning-restricted areas include not only areas where entry by the automatic traveling and cleaning device is prohibited, but also areas where the traveling speed and work intensity during automatic traveling and cleaning are reduced compared to normal.

For example, the situation information input unit 86 uses an application or the like installed on the related party terminal 7 to display a situation information input screen 90 on the related party display unit 83, as shown in FIG. 11, which can accept input of situation information. Through the situation information input screen 90, the situation information input unit 86 accepts input of situation information such as area information related to restricted cleaning areas and intensified cleaning areas, the floor identification number of the cleaning area 100 where the restricted cleaning areas and intensified cleaning areas are located, the location name of the location where the restricted cleaning areas and intensified cleaning areas are located, installation plans such as the installation period of objects 103 in the restricted cleaning areas, safety levels, types of objects 103, and comments on the placement of objects 103 and dirt or water damage to the floor surface.

The situation information input unit 86 inputs area images of the restricted cleaning area or intensive cleaning area photographed by the photographing unit 85 as area information, and displays the photographed area image so that it can be viewed on the situation information input screen 90. The situation information input unit 86 also inputs position information such as the coordinates of the photographed object 103 and/or area as area information, and displays the position information so that it can be viewed on the situation information input screen 90. Note that the position information includes not only the coordinates of a specific position in the object 103 and/or area (for example, the center position of the restricted cleaning area or intensive cleaning area), but also coordinates that allow the horizontal size of the object 103 and/or area (restricted cleaning area or intensive cleaning area) to be determined.

At this time, the situation information input unit 86 acquires the coordinates of the relevant party terminal 7 using a satellite positioning system such as GPS with a receiver installed in the relevant party terminal 7, or acquires the coordinates of the relevant party terminal 7 based on base station information received by the relevant party terminal 7 from a nearby base station. Alternatively, the situation information input unit 86 may acquire the distances between the relevant party terminal 7 and a predetermined number (e.g., three) of multiple beacon devices (not shown) installed in advance in various locations in the cleaning area 100 through short-range communication with a predetermined number of beacon devices near the relevant party terminal 7, and acquire the coordinates of the relevant party terminal 7 based on these distances. The situation information input unit 86 acquires the coordinates of the object 103 and/or area based on the coordinates of the relevant party terminal 7.

For example, the situation information input unit 86 compares the area image captured by the capture unit 85 with each driving image captured by the capture unit 16 when the autonomous mobile work apparatus 2 is engaged in learning driving or autonomous driving, detects a driving image corresponding to the area image (e.g., a driving image similar to the area image), i.e., a driving image captured at the same position as the area image, and acquires the coordinates of the autonomous mobile work apparatus 2 when the driving image was captured. The situation information input unit 86 then acquires the coordinates of the object 103 and/or area based on the coordinates when the driving image corresponding to the area image was captured and the coordinates of the involved party terminal 7. Note that the situation information input unit 86 may determine from the driving images corresponding to the surrounding area, based on the positional relationship between the driving image corresponding to the area image and each driving image corresponding to the surrounding area, a driving image captured when the autonomous mobile work apparatus 2 was located at the coordinates of the object 103 and/or area, and acquire the coordinates when the driving image was captured as the coordinates of the object 103 and/or area.

Alternatively, the situation information input unit 86 acquires the positional relationship between the object 103 and/or area photographed by the photographing unit 85 and the related party terminal 7, and acquires the coordinates of the object 103 and/or area based on this positional relationship and the coordinates of the related party terminal 7. For example, the situation information input unit 86 measures, as the positional relationship, the distance and direction from the related party terminal 7 to the object 103 and/or area photographed in the area image using the measurement function of the related party terminal 7 and the photographing unit 85, and acquires the coordinates of the object 103 and/or area based on the measured distance and direction and the coordinates of the related party terminal 7.

Furthermore, when the target facility consists of multiple floors and the layout of the cleaning area 100 on each floor is similar, the situation information input unit 86 determines which floor contains the object 103 and/or area whose area image was captured by the photographing unit 85, and inputs the floor identification number resulting from this determination as situation information, in order to present floor candidates that are the situation information. Target facilities such as shopping malls may have, for example, a food floor, an interior-related tenant floor, a fashion-related tenant floor, etc., and the air pressure data and odor data may differ for each floor.

For example, the situation information input unit 86 determines the floor identification number of the cleaning area 100 based on the atmospheric pressure data of that cleaning area 100. Specifically, the situation information input unit 86 acquires floor environment data such as atmospheric pressure data for each floor in advance by measuring or inputting it, and stores it in the relevant person's memory unit 81 or the management server 3. Furthermore, when inputting situation information, such as when capturing an area image using the photographing unit 85, the situation information input unit 86 measures the current atmospheric pressure data for the location of the cleaning restriction area or enhanced cleaning area using an atmospheric pressure sensor (not shown) provided on the relevant person's terminal 7 or an atmospheric pressure sensor (not shown) connected to the relevant person's terminal 7, or acquires the current atmospheric pressure data by inputting the current atmospheric pressure data in response to an optional operation. The situation information input unit 86 then compares the acquired current atmospheric pressure data with the atmospheric pressure data for each floor stored in advance to determine the floor (floor identification number) corresponding to the current atmospheric pressure data.

Alternatively, the situation information input unit 86 determines the floor identification number of the cleaning area 100 based on the odor data for that cleaning area 100. Specifically, the situation information input unit 86 acquires floor environment data such as odor data for each floor by measuring or inputting it in advance and stores it in the relevant person's memory unit 81 or the management server 3. Furthermore, when inputting situation information, such as when capturing an area image using the photographing unit 85, the situation information input unit 86 measures current odor data for the location of the restricted cleaning area or intensive cleaning area using an odor sensor (not shown) provided on the relevant person's terminal 7 or an odor sensor (not shown) connected to the relevant person's terminal 7, or acquires current odor data by inputting the current odor data in response to an optional operation. The situation information input unit 86 then compares the previously stored odor data for each floor with the acquired current odor data to determine the floor (floor identification number) corresponding to the current odor data.

In addition, the situation information input unit 86 may adjust the current odor data for locations where cleaning restriction areas or enhanced cleaning areas are located based on the air pressure data and weather outside the target facility, taking into account fluctuations in the air pressure data and odor data inside the target facility due to air pressure data and weather outside the target facility, etc.

The situation information input unit 86 displays the floor identification number of the above-mentioned determination result on the situation information input screen 90 so that it can be confirmed. The situation information input unit 86 may also display the floor identification number on the situation information input screen 90 as a drop-down list or the like, allowing it to be selected in response to any operation.

In addition, if the location of the restricted cleaning area or intensified cleaning area has specific air pressure data or odor data, the situation information input unit 86 may determine the location of the restricted cleaning area or intensified cleaning area by comparing the air pressure data and odor data of the cleaning area 100 with pre-stored data, as described above.

[Administration Server]
Next, a description will be given of the management server 3. The management server 3 includes a server-side control unit 50, a server-side storage unit 51, and a server-side communication unit 52, as shown in FIG.

The server-side control unit 50 controls all parts and functions of the management server 3, is composed of a computer such as a CPU, and is connected to the server-side memory unit 51 and the server-side communication unit 52.

The server-side memory unit 51 is composed of ROM, RAM, a hard disk, flash memory, etc., and stores programs and data for controlling the various parts and functions of the management server 3. The server-side control unit 50 is also connected to external devices via the server-side communication unit 52 so that it can communicate with them. The server-side communication unit 52 communicates wirelessly with external devices such as the autonomous mobile work device 2 using a wireless communication method such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or wireless LAN, and is also connected to the operation terminal 4 and related party terminal 7 so that it can communicate with them wirelessly or via a wired connection.

For example, when the server-side control unit 50 receives an instruction to select a cleaning plan from the operation terminal 4 via the server-side communication unit 52, it reads a cleaning plan from the server-side memory unit 51 in accordance with the received instruction to select a cleaning plan, and transmits it to the autonomous mobile work device 2 via the server-side communication unit 52. Furthermore, when the server-side control unit 50 receives an automatic driving instruction from the operation terminal 4 via the server-side communication unit 52, it transmits the received automatic driving instruction to the autonomous mobile work device 2 via the server-side communication unit 52.

Furthermore, the server-side control unit 50 receives work status information such as information on the cleaning area 100 being worked on, the driving status, cleaning status, and notification information from the autonomous mobile work device 2 via the server-side communication unit 52, and stores this information in the server-side memory unit 51. It also transmits the received work status information to the operation terminal 4 via the server-side communication unit 52. The server-side control unit 50 also receives status information on restricted cleaning areas and intensive cleaning areas in the cleaning area 100 from the related party terminal 7 via the server-side communication unit 52, and stores this information in the server-side memory unit 51. Note that if there are multiple target facilities, the server-side control unit 50 can identify the related party terminal 7 that sent the status information, thereby determining the target facility to which the related party terminal 7 is associated.

The server-side control unit 50 performs overall control of each unit and function by executing calculations based on the programs and data stored in the server-side memory unit 51. For example, a computer such as the server-side control unit 50 executes programs stored in the server-side memory unit 51 to operate as an impact assessment unit 55, temporary map creation unit 56, temporary plan creation unit 57, and notification unit 58.

The server-side storage unit 51 also has an environmental map DB (database) 58 and a cleaning plan DB (database) 59. Note that the environmental map DB 59 and cleaning plan DB 60 may be installed on the management server 3 or may be external databases.

The environmental map DB 59 is a database that stores map information for each cleaning area 100. As map information for each cleaning area 100, the environmental map DB 59 stores, in addition to the environmental map 101 created for the cleaning area 100, the facility name and facility identification number that can identify the target facility in which the cleaning area 100 is located, the area identification number that can identify the cleaning area 100, the area name assigned to the cleaning area 100, the floor number of the cleaning area 100, and image data captured while traveling through the cleaning area 100. The environmental map DB 59 stores map information for the target facility under normal usage conditions (normal usage conditions). The environmental map DB 59 also stores map information, including a temporary environmental map 101a (see FIG. 12) that has been changed in response to situation information different from normal conditions entered by relevant parties for the cleaning area 100, in association with the situation information.

The cleaning plan DB 60 is a database that stores cleaning plans for normal cleaning of each cleaning area 100. The cleaning plan DB 60 stores, as cleaning plans for each cleaning area 100, the facility name and facility identification number that can identify the facility where the cleaning area 100 is located, the plan identification number that can identify the cleaning plan, the plan name assigned to the cleaning plan, the environmental map 101, the travel route 102, cleaning data, etc. The cleaning plan DB 60 stores cleaning plans for normal usage conditions of the target facility. The cleaning plan DB 60 also stores special cleaning plans that have been changed in response to situation information that differs from normal conditions and that has been input by relevant parties for the cleaning area 100, in association with the situation information.

Next, we will explain each part executed by the server-side control unit 50.

The impact determination unit 55 determines whether the usage status indicated by the status information received from the related party terminal 7, relative to the normal usage status of the cleaning area 100 of the target facility, affects the normal cleaning plan for the cleaning area 100; specifically, it determines whether it affects the environmental map 101 and driving route 102 in the drivable area. At this time, the impact determination unit 55 determines the target facility related to the related party terminal 7 that sent the status information, and determines the environmental map 101 for the normal usage status of the cleaning area 100 registered in the environmental map DB 59 for the target facility, and the cleaning plan for the normal usage status of the cleaning area 100 registered in the cleaning plan DB 60.

The impact determination unit 55 also acquires, as status information received from the relevant party terminal 7, area information regarding the restricted cleaning area or intensified cleaning area, the floor identification number of the cleaning area 100 where the restricted cleaning area or intensified cleaning area is located, the location name of the location where the restricted cleaning area or intensified cleaning area is located, the installation schedule including the installation period of the object 103 in the restricted cleaning area, the safety level, the type of object 103, the placement of the object 103, and comments regarding dirt or water damage to the floor surface.

The impact determination unit 55 obtains an environmental map 101 showing the cleaning area 100 from the environmental map DB 59 as the normal usage status of the target facility, and obtains a cleaning plan for the cleaning area 100 from the cleaning plan DB 59. If the target facility has multiple floors and has an environmental map 101 and cleaning plan for each floor, the impact determination unit 55 obtains the environmental map 101 and cleaning plan corresponding to the floor identification number in the status information. The impact determination unit 55 then determines whether the restricted cleaning area or enhanced cleaning area shown in the area information affects the environmental map 101 and driving route 102 within the drivable area.

The impact determination unit 55 compares the coordinates of the restricted cleaning area or intensified cleaning area indicated in the received area information with the normal environmental map 101 and driving route 102 to determine whether they affect the range of the drivable area. If the coordinates of the restricted cleaning area or intensified cleaning area overlap with the drivable area or driving route 102 of the environmental map 101, the impact determination unit 55 determines that the usage status will affect the normal usage status.

The impact determination unit 55 may set a margin for the coordinates of the restricted cleaning area or enhanced cleaning area according to the safety level of the situation information, and compare a range larger or smaller than the coordinates of the restricted cleaning area or enhanced cleaning area with the drivable area or driving route 102 on the environmental map 101. The impact determination unit 55 may also analyze comments in the situation information, set a margin for the coordinates of the restricted cleaning area or enhanced cleaning area according to the analysis results, and compare a range larger or smaller than the coordinates of the restricted cleaning area or enhanced cleaning area with the drivable area or driving route 102 on the environmental map 101.

When the impact determination unit 55 determines that the usage status indicated in the status information will affect the normal usage status of the cleaning area 100 of the target facility, the temporary map creation unit 56 reflects the restricted cleaning areas and intensified cleaning areas indicated in the usage status in the normal environmental map 101 of the cleaning area 100 to create a temporary environmental map 101a as shown in FIG. 12 and stores it in the environmental map DB 59. Note that the temporary map creation unit 56 may also create the temporary environmental map 101a by reflecting in the normal environmental map 101 the range in which the margins according to the safety level and margins according to the analysis results of the comments are applied to the restricted cleaning areas and intensified cleaning areas. The temporary map creation unit 56 associates the received status information with the map information of the temporary environmental map 101a and stores it in the environmental map DB 59.

Specifically, the temporary map creation unit 56 creates the temporary environmental map 101a by adding feature points corresponding to the restricted cleaning area and intensive cleaning area to the environmental map 101 based on the coordinates of the restricted cleaning area and intensive cleaning area. Note that the temporary map creation unit 56 may set only a no-entry area of the same range as the restricted cleaning area in the temporary environmental map 101a, or may set a speed limit area around the no-entry area in addition to the no-entry area.

When the impact determination unit 55 determines that the usage status indicated in the situation information will affect the normal usage status of the cleaning area 100 of the target facility, the temporary plan creation unit 57 creates a temporary cleaning plan by modifying the cleaning plan created for the cleaning area 100 based on the temporary environmental map 101a created by the temporary map creation unit 56, and stores the plan in the cleaning plan DB 60. The temporary plan creation unit 57 associates the received situation information with the temporary cleaning plan and stores it in the cleaning plan DB 60.

For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the temporary plan creation unit 57 creates a temporary cleaning plan by modifying the travel path 102 and cleaning data to avoid the cleaning-restricted area shown on the temporary environmental map 101a. The temporary plan creation unit 57 may create a temporary cleaning plan by increasing the safe distance from obstacles such as walls around the cleaning-restricted area compared to normal. Alternatively, if the temporary plan creation unit 57 determines that the cleaning-restricted area can be traveled based on the analysis of the comments, it may create a temporary cleaning plan by reducing the travel speed and work intensity on the travel path 102 in the cleaning-restricted area. The temporary plan creation unit 57 may reduce the travel speed and work intensity by a predetermined amount, or by an amount based on the analysis of the comments.

In addition, if no-entry areas and speed-limited areas are set as cleaning-restricted areas, the temporary plan creation unit 57 may change the cleaning plan by changing the travel route 102 and cleaning data to avoid the no-entry areas, and by changing the travel route 102 and cleaning data to reduce the travel speed and work intensity in speed-limited areas.

The temporary plan creation unit 57 also creates a temporary cleaning plan by changing the travel route 102 and cleaning data, such as by reducing the travel speed or increasing the work intensity on the travel route 102 in the intensive cleaning area shown on the temporary environmental map 101a. The temporary plan creation unit 57 may reduce the travel speed or increase the work intensity by a predetermined amount, or by an amount based on the analysis results of the comments.

Furthermore, the temporary plan creation unit 57 may create not only a temporary cleaning plan to be used during the planned installation period indicated in the status information, but also a post-processing cleaning plan specific to the subsequent post-processing period. Specifically, if a temporary cleaning plan is created during the installation period to avoid restricted cleaning areas, the temporary plan creation unit 57 may create a post-processing cleaning plan by modifying the cleaning plan after the installation period has elapsed, by increasing the work intensity in the restricted cleaning areas.

When the management server 3 receives a notification from the autonomous mobile work device 2 about an error related to the autonomous mobile cleaning operation or work, the notification unit 58 sends this notification to the operation terminal 4 via the server-side communication unit 52 to notify the administrator or other person.

The management server 3 may allow the administrator to view and modify the special cleaning plans registered in the cleaning plan DB 60. For example, the management server 3 may accept an extension of the operation period for a special cleaning plan after the usage period associated with the special cleaning plan has elapsed, or may accept a setting to use the special cleaning plan periodically, such as annually or monthly.

The management server 3 may also associate the type of object 103 installed in the restricted cleaning area with the work history of the automatic cleaning performed in the cleaning area 100 at the time the object 103 was installed and store this information in the server-side memory unit 51. Thereafter, if the type of object 103 indicated in the status information received from the relevant party terminal 7 is similar to the type of past object 103 associated with the work history, the management server 3 can refer to the work history and cleaning plan DB 60 to reflect the method of changing the travel route 102 and cleaning data in the cleaning plan used for the past object 103 in changes to the cleaning plan for the new status information.

[Operation terminal]
Next, the operation terminal 4 will be described. Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the operation terminal 4. As shown in Fig. 5, the operation terminal 4 includes an operation-side control unit 70, an operation-side storage unit 71, an operation-side communication unit 72, and an operation-side display unit 73 such as a liquid crystal display. The operation terminal 4 is configured as a personal computer or tablet terminal owned by a manager such as an external manager or a manager employee.

The operating-side control unit 70 controls all the parts and functions of the operating terminal 4, and is composed of a computer such as a CPU. It is connected to the operating-side memory unit 71, the operating-side communication unit 72, and the operating-side display unit 73.

The operating-side memory unit 71 is composed of ROM, RAM, a hard disk, flash memory, etc., and stores programs and data for controlling the various parts and functions of the operating terminal 4. The operating-side control unit 70 is also connected to external devices via the operating-side communication unit 72 so that it can communicate with them. The operating-side communication unit 72 is connected to external devices such as the management server 3 so that it can communicate with them wirelessly or via a wired connection.

The operating control unit 70 performs overall control of each unit and function by executing calculations based on the programs and data stored in the operating memory unit 71. For example, a computer such as the operating control unit 70 executes the programs stored in the operating memory unit 71 to function as a driving instruction unit 75 and a notification control unit 76.

Next, we will explain each part executed by the operating-side control unit 70.

The driving instruction unit 75 receives multiple cleaning plans registered in the cleaning plan DB 60 from the management server 3 via the operating-side communication unit 72 so that the administrator can select the autonomous mobile work device 2 to perform the automatic traveling and cleaning and the cleaning plan. The driving instruction unit 75 notifies the administrator by displaying a selectable list of the multiple cleaning plans received on the screen of the operating-side display unit 73. In response to the administrator's selection of a cleaning plan, the driving instruction unit 75 transmits an instruction to the management server 3 via the operating-side communication unit 72 to select a cleaning plan for the automatic traveling and cleaning.

When the autonomous mobile work device 2 performing automatic traveling and cleaning sends notifications to the management server 3 regarding the work status, such as the traveling status, cleaning status, and notification information, or errors, the notification control unit 76 receives the work status and notifications from the management server 3 via the operating-side communication unit 72 and displays them on the screen of the operating-side display unit 73 to notify the administrator.

[Example of operation of the autonomous driving and work system]
14 is a flowchart showing an example of operation according to a cleaning plan that corresponds to the usage status of the target facility in the autonomous mobile work system 1. Next, an example of operation of the autonomous mobile work system 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

First, when a person involved with the facility temporarily sets a portion of the cleaning area 100 as a restricted cleaning area or an intensive cleaning area, the person involved inputs area information related to the restricted cleaning area or the intensive cleaning area into the person involved terminal 7 as the usage status of the facility, regardless of whether the autonomous mobile work device 2 is currently performing automatic cleaning or not (step S1). The person involved terminal 7 inputs status information including the area information using the status information input unit 86 and transmits it to the management server 3 (step S2).

The management server 3 determines whether the usage status of the cleaning area 100 indicated in the status information received from the relevant party terminal 7 affects the normal usage status of the cleaning area 100 (step S3).

If the usage status of the cleaning area 100 does not affect the normal usage status (step S3: No), the management server 3 does not create a temporary environmental map 101a and a temporary cleaning plan according to the usage status of the cleaning area 100.

If the usage status of the cleaning area 100 affects the normal usage status (Step S3: Yes), the management server 3 uses the temporary map creation unit 56 to create a temporary environmental map 101a by reflecting the usage status in the normal environmental map 101 of the cleaning area 100 (Step S4). The management server 3 uses the temporary plan creation unit 57 to create a temporary cleaning plan that modifies the cleaning plan based on the temporary environmental map 101a (Step S5).

Furthermore, when the autonomous mobile work device 2 has not yet performed autonomous mobile cleaning, the management server 3 is in a state of waiting for an instruction from the operation terminal 4 to select a cleaning plan for the cleaning area 100 (step S6).

If the management server 3 does not receive an instruction from the operation terminal 4 to select a cleaning plan for the cleaning area 100 (step S6: No), it will end its operation in the flowchart, but will proceed to step S1 and repeat the input of area information on the relevant party terminal 7.

When the management server 3 receives an instruction to select a cleaning plan for the cleaning area 100 from the operation terminal 4 (Step S6: Yes), it determines whether the cleaning area 100 is currently in the installation period indicated in the usage status (Step S7).

If the installation period is in progress (Step S7: Yes), the management server 3 reads a temporary cleaning plan corresponding to the usage status from the cleaning plan DB 60 and transmits it to the autonomous mobile work device 2 (Step S8). If the installation period is not in progress (Step S7: No), the management server 3 reads a regular cleaning plan from the cleaning plan DB 60 and transmits it to the autonomous mobile work device 2 (Step S9).

The autonomous mobile work device 2 performs autonomous cleaning in accordance with the received special cleaning plan or normal cleaning plan (step S10). In other words, when the autonomous mobile work device 2 performs autonomous cleaning of the cleaning area 100, if a special cleaning plan for the cleaning area 100 has been registered in the cleaning plan DB 60 and if the time at which the autonomous cleaning is to be performed is within the installation period indicated in the usage status of the special cleaning plan, the autonomous mobile work device 2 automatically performs autonomous cleaning in accordance with the special cleaning plan.

When the autonomous mobile work device 2 performs automatic traveling and cleaning according to a temporary cleaning plan, for example, it will travel and clean in a way that avoids the cleaning-restricted area indicated by the usage status. However, if the measurement unit 15 or the imaging unit 16 does not detect any obstacles within the cleaning-restricted area, the autonomous mobile work device 2 may switch from the temporary cleaning plan to a normal cleaning plan, or may set the cleaning-restricted area and its surroundings as a semi-no-travel area. This allows the autonomous mobile work device 2 to perform automatic traveling and cleaning in cleaning-restricted areas where no obstacles were detected.

[Configuration and effects of autonomous driving and operation system]
As described above, according to this embodiment, the autonomous driving work system 1 of the autonomous driving work device 2 that performs autonomous driving work in accordance with a cleaning plan (work plan) set in advance for a specified cleaning area 100 (work area) comprises a management server 3 and a related party terminal 7, the related party terminal 7 is a terminal used by related parties of the target facility where the cleaning area 100 is located and comprises a situation information input unit 86 that accepts input of situation information regarding the usage status of the cleaning area 100, the management server 3 comprises an impact determination unit 55 that determines whether the usage status received from the related party terminal 7 will affect the normal environmental map 101 of the cleaning area 100 or the normal cleaning plan, a temporary map creation unit 56 that creates a temporary environmental map 101a that reflects the usage status in the normal environmental map 101 when the usage status affects the normal environmental map 101 or the normal cleaning plan, and a temporary plan creation unit 57 that creates a temporary work plan that modifies the cleaning plan based on the temporary environmental map 101a.

In other words, the autonomous mobile work method of the present invention is an autonomous mobile work method for an autonomous mobile work device 2 that performs autonomous mobile work in accordance with a predetermined cleaning plan (work plan) for a specified cleaning area 100 (work area), and includes the following steps: a situation information input step in which the situation information input unit 86 at the relevant party terminal 7 used by a relevant party of the facility where the cleaning area 100 is located accepts input of situation information regarding the usage status of the cleaning area 100; an impact determination step in which the impact determination unit 55 at the management server 3 determines whether the usage status affects the normal environmental map 101 of the cleaning area 100 or the normal cleaning plan; a temporary map creation step in which the temporary map creation unit 56 creates a temporary environmental map 101a that reflects the usage status in the normal environmental map 101 if the usage status affects the normal environmental map 101 or the normal cleaning plan; and a temporary plan creation step in which the temporary plan creation unit 57 creates a temporary work plan that modifies the cleaning plan based on the temporary environmental map 101a.

With this configuration, the autonomous mobile work system 1 according to this embodiment accepts input of the usage status of the restricted cleaning area or intensified cleaning area via the relevant party terminal 7 even when a related party at the facility where the cleaning area 100 is located (for example, a store employee at the facility) suddenly temporarily places an object 103 such as merchandise or luggage in the cleaning area 100, creating a restricted cleaning area, or when the floor of the cleaning area 100 suddenly becomes dirty or wet, creating an intensified cleaning area. The management server 3 can then create a temporary environmental map 101a and a temporary work plan corresponding to the usage status input to the relevant party terminal 7, thereby enabling smooth operation by performing appropriate autonomous mobile work in response to various usage situations, such as suddenly occurring restricted cleaning areas or intensified cleaning areas.

In addition, in the autonomous mobile work system 1 according to this embodiment, the situation information input unit 86 inputs, as the usage status, area images captured of restricted cleaning areas or intensive cleaning areas that have occurred in the cleaning area 100.

With this configuration, relevant parties can input status information about restricted cleaning areas or intensive cleaning areas with simple operations, and the management server 3 can create an appropriate temporary environmental map 101a and temporary work plan based on area images of the restricted cleaning areas or intensive cleaning areas.

Furthermore, in the autonomous mobile work system 1 according to this embodiment, the temporary map creation unit 56 creates a temporary environmental map 101a that reflects the cleaning-restricted areas indicated by the usage status, and the temporary plan creation unit 57 creates a temporary work plan that avoids the cleaning-restricted areas.

With this configuration, even if a cleaning restricted area suddenly appears in the cleaning area 100, the robot can avoid this cleaning restricted area and perform appropriate automatic driving operations.

Furthermore, in the autonomous mobile work system 1 according to this embodiment, the temporary map creation unit 56 creates a temporary environmental map 101a that reflects the restricted cleaning areas or intensive cleaning areas indicated by the usage status, and the temporary plan creation unit 57 creates a temporary work plan by adjusting the travel speed and/or work intensity according to the restricted cleaning areas or intensive cleaning areas.

With this configuration, even if a restricted cleaning area or an intensive cleaning area suddenly appears in the cleaning area 100, appropriate automatic driving operations can be performed in accordance with this restricted cleaning area or intensive cleaning area.

[Another example of an autonomous mobile work system]
In the above embodiment, when the situation information input unit 86 of the relevant person terminal 7 acquires the coordinates of the cleaning restricted area or the cleaning intensified area based on the area image of the cleaning restricted area or the cleaning intensified area photographed by the photographing unit 85, the coordinates of the relevant person terminal 7 acquired using a satellite positioning system, or the coordinates of the relevant person terminal 7 acquired based on base station information received from the base station, or the coordinates of the relevant person terminal 7 acquired based on the distance from the beacon device, or the images captured during learning driving or automatic driving, or the atmospheric pressure data or odor data are used. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples.

In other examples, the situation information input unit 86 may use not just one of the data shown in these examples, but multiple related types of data, to obtain the coordinates of the restricted cleaning area or enhanced cleaning area based on the area image.

Furthermore, when acquiring the coordinates of the related party terminal 7, the situation information input unit 86 may use not only one of the above data but also multiple related types of data.

Furthermore, when the situation information input unit 86 uses atmospheric pressure data or odor data to determine the floor on which the cleaning area 100 is located or the location of the restricted cleaning area or intensive cleaning area, it may collect not just one piece of data but multiple related types of data, and satisfy the determination condition when the degree to which this data matches each condition reaches a threshold.

Furthermore, the situation information input unit 86 may use artificial intelligence (AI) to perform machine learning to generate and store a learning model of the data used to acquire the coordinates of the restricted cleaning area or intensified cleaning area and the acquired results, and when new situation information is input, this learning model may be used to determine the floor on which the cleaning area 100 is located or the location of the restricted cleaning area or intensified cleaning area.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which, when the autonomous mobile work device 2 performs autonomous mobile cleaning of the cleaning area 100, if a temporary cleaning plan has been registered for the cleaning area 100 and if the temporary cleaning plan is currently in use, the autonomous mobile work device 2 automatically performs autonomous mobile cleaning in accordance with the temporary cleaning plan, but the present invention is not limited to this example.

In another example, when the management server 3 receives an instruction to select a cleaning plan for the cleaning area 100 from the operation terminal 4, if a special cleaning plan has been registered for the cleaning area 100 and the special cleaning plan is currently in use, the management server 3 may confirm with an administrator or the like whether to use the special cleaning plan or the regular cleaning plan. Specifically, the management server 3 uses the notification unit 58 to send a confirmation notification to the operation terminal 4 via the server-side communication unit 52 asking whether to use the special cleaning plan or the regular cleaning plan. Note that if a special cleaning plan has not been registered for the cleaning area 100 or if the special cleaning plan is not currently in use, the management server 3 sends the regular cleaning plan to the autonomous mobile work device 2 via the server-side communication unit 52 without sending a confirmation notification.

In this case, when the operating-side communication unit 72 of the operating terminal 4 receives a confirmation notification from the management server 3, the notification control unit 76 notifies the manager by displaying a confirmation screen on the operating-side display unit 73 in response to the confirmation notification, prompting the manager to choose whether to use the special cleaning plan or the regular cleaning plan. When a cleaning plan selection operation is performed on this confirmation screen, the operating terminal 4 transmits the selection operation result to the management server 3 via the operating-side communication unit 72.

Then, when the server-side communication unit 52 of the management server 3 receives the result of the cleaning plan selection operation from the operation terminal 4, the management server 3 transmits the cleaning plan (either an emergency cleaning plan or a normal cleaning plan) corresponding to the result of the selection operation to the autonomous mobile work device 2 via the server-side communication unit 52.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the autonomous mobile work system 1 is equipped with a cleaning device as the autonomous mobile work device 2 that performs autonomous mobile cleaning according to a preset cleaning plan for a specified cleaning area 100, but the present invention is not limited to this example. In other examples, the autonomous mobile work system 1 may be configured to include, as the autonomous mobile work device 2, not only a cleaning device, but also other work devices such as an automatic guidance device (concierge robot), an automatic security robot, or an automatic food distribution device.

The present invention may be modified as appropriate within the scope of the claims and the spirit or concept of the invention as can be read from the entire specification, and autonomous mobile operation systems incorporating such modifications are also included within the technical concept of the present invention.

The present invention can be suitably used in autonomous mobile work systems for performing cleaning work at commercial facilities such as shopping malls and other facilities where temporary events and other special occasions may be held.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Autonomous mobile work system 2 Autonomous mobile work device 3 Management server 4 Operation terminal 6 Network 7 Personnel terminal 10 Vehicle body 11 Travel unit 12 Cleaning unit 13 Travel operation unit 14 Operation display unit 15 Measuring unit 15a Obstacle sensor 15b Bumper sensor 15c Ultrasonic sensor 15d Step sensor 16 Imaging unit 16a Front camera 16b Rear camera 17 Power supply unit 18 Device-side control unit 21 Wheels 22 Caster 23 Cleaning pad 24 Supply pump 25 Squeegee device 26 Cleaning tank 27 Recovery tank 28 Suction blower 29 Cleaning motor 30 Pad cylinder 31 Squeegee cylinder 32 Pad cover 33 Suction hose 34 Handle 36 Device-side memory unit 37 Bus 38 Interface 39 Device-side communication unit 40 Mode switching unit 41 Map creation unit 42 Plan creation unit 43 Automatic driving control unit 50 Server side control unit 51 Server side storage unit 52 Server side communication unit 55 Influence determination unit 56 Temporary map creation unit 57 Temporary plan creation unit 58 Notification unit 59 Environmental map DB
60 Cleaning Plan DB
70 Operating side control unit 71 Operating side memory unit 72 Operating side communication unit 73 Operating side display unit 75 Travel instruction unit 76 Notification control unit 80 Related party side control unit 81 Related party side memory unit 82 Related party side communication unit 83 Related party side display unit 84 Related party side operation unit 85 Photography unit 86 Situation information input unit 100 Cleaning area 101 Environmental map 101a Temporary environmental map 102 Travel route 103 Object (obstacle)

Claims (5)

An autonomous mobile work system for an autonomous mobile work device that performs autonomous mobile work in accordance with a preset work plan for a predetermined work area,
a situation information input unit that receives input of situation information related to the usage status of the work area in a related party terminal used by a related party of the target facility where the work area is located;
an influence determination unit that determines whether the usage status affects the normal environmental map of the work area or the normal work plan;
a temporary map creation unit that creates a temporary environmental map that reflects the usage status in the normal environmental map when the usage status affects the normal environmental map or the normal work plan;
a temporary plan creation unit that creates a temporary work plan by modifying the work plan based on the temporary environmental map;
An autonomous driving operation system comprising: The autonomous mobile work system described in claim 1, characterized in that the situation information input unit inputs, as the usage status, area images captured of restricted cleaning areas or intensive cleaning areas that have occurred in the work area. the temporary map creation unit creates the temporary environmental map that reflects the cleaning restricted area indicated by the usage status,
The autonomous navigation and work system according to claim 1 , wherein the temporary plan creation unit creates the temporary work plan so as to avoid the restricted cleaning area. the temporary map creation unit creates the temporary environmental map that reflects the cleaning restriction area or the cleaning enhancement area indicated by the usage status,
The autonomous navigation and work system according to claim 1, characterized in that the temporary plan creation unit creates the temporary work plan by adjusting the traveling speed and/or work intensity according to the restricted cleaning area or the enhanced cleaning area. An autonomous navigation and work method for an autonomous navigation and work device that performs autonomous navigation and work in accordance with a preset work plan for a predetermined work area, comprising:
a situation information input step of receiving input of situation information regarding the usage status of the work area at a related party terminal used by a related party of the target facility where the work area is located;
an influence determination step of determining whether the usage status affects the normal environmental map of the work area or the normal work plan;
a temporary map creation step of creating a temporary environmental map that reflects the usage status in the normal environmental map when the usage status affects the normal environmental map or the normal work plan;
a temporary plan creation step of creating a temporary work plan by modifying the work plan based on the temporary environmental map;
An autonomous navigation operation method comprising: