JP7601150B1 - MOBILE BODY CONTROL SYSTEM, COOPERATION MANAGEMENT DEVICE, MOBILE BODY CONTROL ... METHOD, AND MOBILE BODY CONTROL PROGRAM - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a mobile object control system, a coordination management device, a mobile object control device, a mobile object control method, and a mobile object control program that manage the coordination between an autonomous mobile object and equipment installed in a facility so that the autonomous mobile object can operate more efficiently.
[Solution] A mobile body control system 1 includes a cooperation management device 6 having a management unit 16 and a judgment unit 17, and a mobile body control device having a route search unit 11. The management unit 16 manages and updates facility operation information based on information acquired from a facility management device 4. The facility operation information represents information on the current operation of facility 3 installed in a facility through which an autonomous mobile body 2 moves. The judgment unit 17 creates facility availability information based on the facility operation information. The facility availability information represents the availability of each facility 3 at a time when the autonomous mobile body 2 can use it. The route search unit 11 searches for a route for the autonomous mobile body 2 to move through the facility based on the facility availability information.
[Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to a mobile object control system, a cooperation management device, a mobile object control device, a mobile object control method, and a mobile object control program.

Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a mobile object control system. In the mobile object control system, an autonomous mobile object is controlled to move along a movement route that is generated in advance in a facility.

JP 2015-1810 A

In the mobile object control system of Patent Document 1, the movement path of the autonomous mobile object is generated in advance based on input by an operator using a pointing device. For this reason, when the autonomous mobile object uses equipment installed in a facility, if the operational status of the equipment changes, the operator may need to correct the movement path. In this case, there is a possibility that the autonomous mobile object will not be able to operate efficiently in the facility.

The present disclosure is directed to solving such problems. The present disclosure provides a mobile object control system, a coordination management device, a mobile object control device, a mobile object control method, and a mobile object control program that manage the coordination between an autonomous mobile object and equipment installed in a facility so that the autonomous mobile object can operate more efficiently.

The mobile body control system according to the present disclosure includes a management unit that manages facility operation information representing information regarding the current operation of one or more facilities provided in a facility in which an autonomous mobile body moves, while updating the information based on information acquired from a facility management device that manages the one or more facilities; a determination unit that creates facility availability information representing the availability of the one or more facilities at the time a request is received from the autonomous mobile body, based on the facility operation information managed by the management unit; a route search unit that searches for a route along which the autonomous mobile body moves through the facility, based on the facility availability information created by the determination unit; and a calculation unit that calculates a recommendation level for use of the one or more facilities at the time a request is received from the autonomous mobile body, based on the facility operation information managed by the management unit, using the remaining time from a current time until the autonomous mobile body 's authority to use the one or more facilities expires, and the route search unit searches for a route along which the autonomous mobile body moves through the facility, using the recommendation level calculated by the calculation unit.

The coordination management device according to the present disclosure includes a management unit that manages facility operation information representing information regarding the current operation of one or more facilities provided in a facility in which an autonomous mobile body moves, while updating the information based on information acquired from a facility management device that manages the one or more facilities; a determination unit that creates facility availability information representing the availability of the one or more facilities at the time a request is received from the autonomous mobile body , based on the facility operation information managed by the management unit; an output unit that outputs the facility availability information created by the determination unit to a mobile body control device that searches for a route for the autonomous mobile body to move through the facility; and a calculation unit that calculates, based on the facility operation information managed by the management unit, a remaining time from a current time until the autonomous mobile body's authority to use the one or more facilities expires, a recommendation level for use of the one or more facilities at the time a request is received from the autonomous mobile body , so that the recommendation level can be used by the mobile body control device in searching for a route for the autonomous mobile body to move through the facility.

A mobile body control device according to the present disclosure includes a transmitter that requests facility availability information indicating availability of the one or more pieces of equipment at the time a request is received from the autonomous mobile body from a coordination management device that manages facility operation information representing information regarding the current operation of the one or more pieces of equipment installed in a facility in which an autonomous mobile body moves , while updating the facility operation information based on information acquired from a facility management device that manages the one or more pieces of equipment, a receiver that acquires from the coordination management device the facility availability information created in response to the request from the transmitter, and a route search unit that searches for a route for the autonomous mobile body to move through the facility based on the facility availability information acquired by the receiver, wherein the route search unit searches for a route for the autonomous mobile body to move through the facility using a recommendation level for use of the one or more pieces of equipment at the time a request is received from the autonomous mobile body , the recommendation level being calculated by the coordination management device using the remaining time, starting from a current time, until the autonomous mobile body's authority to use the one or more pieces of equipment expires based on the facility operation information.

The mobile body control method according to the present disclosure is a method in which a computer manages equipment operation information representing information regarding the current operation of one or more pieces of equipment installed in a facility in which an autonomous mobile body moves, while updating the information based on information obtained from an equipment management device that manages the one or more pieces of equipment; creates equipment availability information representing availability of the one or more pieces of equipment at the time a request is received from the autonomous mobile body based on the equipment operation information; outputs the created equipment availability information to a mobile body control device that searches for a route along which the autonomous mobile body will move through the facility; and calculates, based on the equipment operation information, a remaining time starting from a current time until the autonomous mobile body's authority to use the one or more pieces of equipment expires, a recommendation level for use of the one or more pieces of equipment at the time a request is received from the autonomous mobile body , so that the recommendation level can be used by the mobile body control device in searching for a route along which the autonomous mobile body will move through the facility.

A mobile body control program according to the present disclosure causes a computer to manage facility operation information representing information regarding the current operation of one or more pieces of equipment installed in a facility in which an autonomous mobile body moves, while updating the information based on information obtained from a facility management device that manages the one or more pieces of equipment; create facility availability information representing availability of the one or more pieces of equipment at the time a request is received from the autonomous mobile body based on the facility operation information; output the created facility availability information to a mobile body control device that searches for a route along which the autonomous mobile body will move through the facility; and calculate, based on the facility operation information, a remaining time starting from a current time until the autonomous mobile body's authority to use the one or more pieces of equipment expires, a recommendation level for use of the one or more pieces of equipment at the time a request is received from the autonomous mobile body , so that the recommendation level can be used by the mobile body control device in searching for a route along which the autonomous mobile body will move through the facility.

According to the mobile object control system, cooperation management device, mobile object control device, mobile object control method, or mobile object control program disclosed herein, cooperation between the autonomous mobile object and equipment installed in the facility is managed so that the autonomous mobile object can operate more efficiently.

1 is a configuration diagram of a mobile object control system according to a first embodiment. 4 is a table illustrating an example of moving object information stored in a first storage unit according to the first embodiment. 11 is a table showing an example of facility type information stored in a second storage unit according to the first embodiment. 11 is a table showing an example of facility operation information stored in a second storage unit according to the first embodiment; 11 is a table showing an example of facility operation information stored in a second storage unit according to the first embodiment; 11 is a table showing an example of facility operation information stored in a second storage unit according to the first embodiment; 11 is a table showing an example of facility authority information stored in a second storage unit according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a route search performed by a route search unit according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a route search performed by a route search unit according to the first embodiment; 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the mobile object control system according to the first embodiment. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the mobile object control system according to the first embodiment. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the mobile object control system according to the first embodiment. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the mobile object control system according to the first embodiment. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the mobile object control system according to the first embodiment. 1 is a hardware configuration diagram of a main part of a mobile object control system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram of a mobile object control system according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of calculation of a recommendation level by a calculation unit according to the second embodiment;

The embodiments for implementing the subject matter of this disclosure will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions are appropriately simplified or omitted. Note that the subject matter of this disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and any of the components of the embodiments may be modified or omitted without departing from the spirit of this disclosure.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a mobile object control system 1 according to the first embodiment.

The mobile object control system 1 is applied to a facility. The facility may be, for example, an indoor facility, an outdoor facility, or a facility that combines these. The facility may consist of, for example, one or more buildings. The facility may be, for example, a part of a building. An autonomous mobile object 2 operates in the facility. The autonomous mobile object 2 is a robot, drone, or other mobile device that moves autonomously in the facility. The mobile object control system 1 is a system that controls the movement of the autonomous mobile object 2 in the facility.

In a facility to which the mobile control system 1 is applied, one or more pieces of equipment 3 are provided. In the facility of this example, multiple pieces of equipment 3 are provided. The equipment 3 includes, for example, elevators, gates, doors, and illuminance sensors. The equipment 3 may include, for example, lighting equipment, air conditioning equipment, or other equipment. Each piece of equipment 3 in the facility is managed by an equipment management device 4. The equipment management device 4 is, for example, a device that controls the operation of each piece of equipment 3 and collects information acquired by each piece of equipment 3. The equipment management device 4 is, for example, configured with one or more server computers. Part or all of the equipment management device 4 may be provided in the facility or outside the facility. Part or all of the functions of the equipment management device 4 may be implemented by processing or storage resources on a cloud service.

The mobile control system 1 includes a mobile control device 5 and a cooperation management device 6. The mobile control device 5 is a device that performs information processing related to the control of the movement of the autonomous mobile body 2 in a facility. The mobile control device 5 is, for example, composed of one or more server computers. Some or all of the functions of the mobile control device 5 may be implemented by processing or storage resources on a cloud service. The cooperation management device 6 is a device that performs information processing related to the management of the cooperation between the autonomous mobile body 2 and the equipment 3 provided in the facility. The cooperation management device 6 is, for example, composed of one or more server computers. Some or all of the cooperation management device 6 may be provided in the facility or outside the facility. Some or all of the functions of the cooperation management device 6 may be implemented by processing or storage resources on a cloud service. The cooperation management device 6 serves as a relay device that mediates between the equipment management device 4 and the mobile control device 5 so that the equipment 3 and the autonomous mobile body 2 can cooperate with each other. The devices that make up the mobile control system 1, such as the mobile control device 5 and the cooperation management device 6, are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a communication network 7, such as the Internet or a telephone line network.

The mobile control device 5 includes a first memory unit 8, a first transmission unit 9, a first reception unit 10, a route search unit 11, and a mobile control unit 12.

The first storage unit 8 is a part that has a function of storing information. The first storage unit 8 may be configured by a single piece of hardware, or may be configured by multiple pieces of hardware. The first storage unit 8 configured by multiple pieces of hardware may store different types of information for each piece of hardware, for example. The first storage unit 8 stores, for example, map information, route information, and mobile body information. The map information includes, for example, information on the spatial arrangement of passages and other spaces through which the autonomous mobile body 2 can pass in the facility, and information on the arrangement of one or more pieces of equipment 3 provided in the facility. The route information includes, for example, information on the travel route along which the autonomous mobile body 2 will travel in the facility. When there are multiple autonomous mobile bodies 2 controlled by the mobile body control device 5 in the facility, the first storage unit 8 may store route information for each autonomous mobile body 2. The mobile body information represents information about each autonomous mobile body 2. The mobile body information includes, for example, at least one of the attributes or specifications of the autonomous mobile body 2.

The first transmitting unit 9 is a part that has a function of performing processes such as transmitting information to the outside of the mobile control device 5 through the communication network 7. The first receiving unit 10 is a part that has a function of performing processes such as receiving information from the outside of the mobile control device 5 through the communication network 7. The first transmitting unit 9 and the first receiving unit 10 may be separate parts that are independent of each other, or may be configured as an integrated unit.

The route search unit 11 is a part equipped with a function of searching for a route along which the autonomous moving body 2 moves through facilities. The route search unit 11 searches for a movement route of the autonomous moving body 2 using, for example, map information stored in the first storage unit 8. The route search unit 11 stores the searched route as route information in the first storage unit 8, for example. The route search unit 11 may perform route searches multiple times for the same autonomous moving body 2. At this time, the route search unit 11 updates and stores the most recent route among the searched routes as route information in the first storage unit 8. The route searched by the route search unit 11 includes information on which facility 3 the autonomous moving body 2 will use when moving.

The mobile body control unit 12 is a part equipped with a function to control the movement of the autonomous mobile body 2 so that the autonomous mobile body 2 moves along the route searched by the route search unit 11. The mobile body control unit 12, for example, directly acquires information on the route searched by the route search unit 11 from the route search unit 11, or reads it from the route information in the first storage unit 8, and outputs a command to move along the route to the autonomous mobile body 2. The command output by the mobile body control unit 12 to the autonomous mobile body 2 may be performed via the first transmission unit 9, or may be performed by another communication method.

The cooperation management device 6 includes a second memory unit 13, a second transmission unit 14, a second reception unit 15, a management unit 16, and a judgment unit 17.

The second storage unit 13 is a part equipped with a function of storing information. The second storage unit 13 may be configured by a single piece of hardware, or may be configured by multiple pieces of hardware. The second storage unit 13 configured by multiple pieces of hardware may store different types of information for each piece of hardware, for example. The second storage unit 13 stores, for example, facility operation information, facility availability information, facility type information, and facility authority information. The facility operation information is information regarding the current operation of each piece of equipment 3. The facility availability information is information indicating the availability of the autonomous mobile body 2 for each piece of equipment 3. When multiple autonomous mobile bodies 2 are operating in a facility, the facility availability information may indicate information regarding the availability of each piece of equipment 2. The facility type information indicates information regarding the type of the facility 3. The type of the facility 3 includes, for example, a gate, a door, an elevator, or an illuminance sensor. The type of the facility 3 may include an access management device that manages the passage of facility users who are people or mobile bodies. The access management device includes a gate and a door. The facility authority information is information that indicates the authority to use each facility 3. The facility authority information includes information on whether each autonomous mobile body 2 has the authority to use each facility 3. The authority to use each facility 3 may vary depending on the nature of each day, such as the day of the week or whether it is a weekday or a holiday, or the time of day.

The second transmitting unit 14 is a part that has a function for performing processes such as transmitting information to the outside of the cooperation management device 6 via the communication network 7. The second receiving unit 15 is a part that has a function for performing processes such as receiving information from the outside of the cooperation management device 6 via the communication network 7. The second transmitting unit 14 and the second receiving unit 15 may be separate parts that are independent of each other, or may be configured as an integrated unit.

The management unit 16 is a part that has a function for managing facility operation information. The management unit 16 acquires the operation status of each facility 3 from the facility management device 4. The management unit 16 manages the facility operation information while updating it based on the information acquired from the facility management device 4. In this example, the management unit 16 manages the facility operation information while updating it so as to reflect the operation status of each facility 3 in real time. Here, when the management unit 16 reflects the operation status of the facility 3 in the facility operation information in real time, there may be a time lag that does not substantially affect the cooperation between the autonomous mobile body 2 and the facility 3. The management unit 16 stores the facility operation information that it manages in, for example, the second storage unit 13.

The information on the operation of the equipment 3 includes the operating status of the equipment 3, which may change over time in the facility. The information on the operation of the equipment 3 includes, for example, the usage status of the equipment 3 and the setting status of the equipment 3. The usage status of the equipment 3 represents information such as how the facility users use the equipment 3. The usage status of the equipment 3 includes, for example, the passage status of users at an access management device such as a gate or a door, and the boarding status of users in an elevator. The usage status of the equipment 3 may include historical information such as how the facility users have used the equipment 3 in the past. The usage status of the equipment 3 may include prediction information such as how the facility users will use the equipment 3 in the future. Here, the prediction information may be estimated, for example, based on historical information. The setting status of the equipment 3 represents setting information such as how the facility administrator or the like allows users to use the equipment 3. The setting status of the equipment 3 includes, for example, the setting of security-related authority such as whether or not the access management device can pass through, or whether or not the elevator can be boarded. The setting status of the equipment 3 may include, for example, information on whether the equipment 3 is in operation or not, or whether the equipment 3 is in an available operation mode or not. The operation information of the equipment 3 may include environmental information that represents the operating environment of the equipment 3. The environmental information of the equipment 3 may include, for example, the illuminance measurement value of an illuminance sensor.

The determination unit 17 is a part that has a function of creating facility availability information. The determination unit 17 creates the facility availability information based on the facility operation information managed by the management unit 16. For example, when the determination unit 17 receives a request from an autonomous mobile body 2, the determination unit 17 creates facility availability information in response to the request and returns it to the autonomous mobile body 2. A request for facility availability information from an autonomous mobile body 2 is transmitted from the autonomous mobile body 2 or the mobile body control device 5 that controls the autonomous mobile body 2. The determination unit 17 creates the facility availability information so as to indicate availability at the time when the autonomous mobile body 2 that received the request can use the facility. The determination unit 17 may create the facility availability information by setting the time when the request is received from the autonomous mobile body 2 as the time when the autonomous mobile body 2 can use each facility 3.

Next, examples of various data used in the mobile object control system 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 2A is a table illustrating an example of moving object information stored in the first storage unit 8 according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 2B is a table illustrating an example of facility type information stored in the second storage unit 13 according to the first embodiment.
2C to 2E are tables showing examples of facility operation information stored in the second storage unit 13 according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 2F is a table showing an example of facility authority information stored in the second storage unit 13 according to the first embodiment.

2A, the mobile body information includes information about each autonomous mobile body 2 controlled by the mobile body control device 5. The mobile body information is associated with a mobile body ID (IDentifier) that is unique identification information assigned to each autonomous mobile body 2. In this example, the mobile body information includes information on the purpose of the autonomous mobile body 2 as information on the attributes of the autonomous mobile body 2. The information on the purpose of the autonomous mobile body 2 is, for example, "security" or "cleaning". In this example, the mobile body information includes information on the size of the autonomous mobile body 2, such as the width, height, and depth, as well as weight information, as information on the specifications of the autonomous mobile body 2. The mobile body information may include information on the current floor where the autonomous mobile body 2 is currently located and the destination floor where the destination of the autonomous mobile body 2 is located. For example, when a destination is not set for the autonomous mobile body 2, a "null" value may be stored in the destination floor. The mobile body information may include information on the current coordinates representing the current location of the autonomous mobile body 2 and the destination coordinates representing the location of the destination of the autonomous mobile body 2. For example, when a destination is not set for the autonomous moving body 2, a "null" value may be stored in the destination coordinates.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the equipment type information includes information on the type of equipment 3 that may be installed in the facility. The equipment type information is associated with a type ID, which is unique identification information assigned to each type of equipment 3. The information on the type of equipment 3 is, for example, a "gate," a "door," an "elevator," or an "illuminance sensor."

Figure 2C shows an example of equipment operation information for equipment 3, which is an access management device such as a gate or door. The equipment operation information includes information on the current operation of each equipment 3 installed in the facility. The equipment operation information is associated with an equipment ID, which is unique identification information assigned to each equipment 3. The equipment operation information includes type ID information as information on the type of each equipment 3. In the mobile control system 1, for example, information on the type of each equipment 3 is obtained by referring to the equipment type information using the type ID as a key. In this example, the equipment operation information includes information on the installation floor and installation coordinates as information on the placement of each equipment 3. The equipment operation information includes information on whether or not each equipment 3 is accepted for use by an autonomous mobile body 2. When the use acceptance of the equipment 3 is "no," none of the autonomous mobile bodies 2 can use the equipment 3, regardless of the attributes, specifications, and authority of the autonomous mobile body 2. On the other hand, if the facility 3's usage acceptance is "Yes," the usage acceptance of each autonomous mobile body 2 is determined according to the attributes, specifications, and authority of the autonomous mobile body 2. Usage acceptance is set, for example, by the facility management device 4, according to the usage status or setting status of the facility 3.

The autonomous mobile body 2 uses the access management device as a facility 3, for example, by passing through a location where the access management device is installed. For the facility 3 that is an access management device, the facility operation information includes information on the size of the facility 3, such as the width, height, and depth, as information on the specifications of the facility 3. For the facility 3 that is an access management device, a "null" value may be stored in the depth of the facility 3, for example, when the autonomous mobile body 2 can pass through regardless of the depth. For the facility 3 that is an access management device, the facility operation information includes information on whether a request is required. The request requirement represents information on whether a request for passage is required when passing through a location where the facility 3 is installed. When the request requirement is "required," a user or a mobile body, etc. makes a request for passage to the facility 3, and when the request is approved by the facility 3, etc., the user or a mobile body, etc. can pass through the location where the facility 3 is installed. When the request requirement is "not required," a user or a mobile body, etc. can pass through the location where the facility 3 is installed without needing to request passage to the facility 3. Whether or not a request is required is set, for example, by the equipment management device 4, depending on the usage status or setting status of the equipment 3.

Figure 2D shows an example of equipment operation information for equipment 3, which is an elevator. The autonomous mobile body 2 uses the elevator as equipment 3, for example, by getting on the elevator and moving between multiple floors of the facility. For equipment 3, which is an elevator, the equipment operation information includes, as information on the specifications of equipment 3, size information such as the width, height, and depth of the elevator car, as well as load-bearing information. The size information may include information on the size of the car door through which the user passes when entering the inside of the car. For equipment 3, which is an elevator, the equipment operation information includes information on whether a request is required. For equipment 3, which is an elevator, the equipment operation information includes information on the installation floor, which is the floor on which the elevator is installed. For equipment 3, which is an elevator, the equipment operation information includes information on the stop floor. The stop floor information is, for example, information indicating a floor at which the elevator is scheduled to stop due to a call currently registered in the elevator car. The stop floor is set, for example, by the equipment management device 4, etc., depending on the usage status or setting status of equipment 3. For facility 3, which is an elevator, the facility operation information may include, for example, information on floors at which the elevator can stop, among the floors at which the elevator is installed.

Figure 2E shows an example of equipment operation information for equipment 3, which is an illuminance sensor. The autonomous moving body 2 uses the illuminance sensor as equipment 3, for example, by acquiring a measurement value by the illuminance sensor. For equipment 3, which is an illuminance sensor, the equipment operation information includes information on the measurement value of illuminance by the illuminance sensor.

As shown in FIG. 2F, the facility authority information includes information on whether each autonomous mobile body 2 has authority to use each facility 3. The facility authority information is associated with a pair of a facility ID and a mobile body ID. In this example, the facility authority information includes information on the available hours on weekdays and the available hours on holidays. The facility authority information may have information on the available hours for each day of the week. The facility authority information may include information such as conditional availability. For example, the facility authority information may be set so that the facility is available without a request during the daytime on weekdays, available under conditions that require a request during the daytime on holidays, and unavailable at night. The facility authority information is set, for example, for the facility 3, which is an access management device.

The determination unit 17 creates facility availability information using the data shown in each table in FIG. 2, for example, as follows. Here, an example is taken of creating facility availability information for an autonomous mobile unit 2 with a mobile unit ID of "0002" at 14:00 on a weekday. The determination unit 17 creates, for example, a list of available facilities 3 as facility availability information. The determination unit 17 excludes from the list the facilities 3 "s00003", "s00004", and "e00002" for which the availability is "not acceptable". The determination unit 17 refers to the facility authority information to determine whether the target autonomous mobile unit 2 can currently use each facility 3. The determination unit 17 determines whether the target autonomous mobile unit 2 can use each facility 3 by collating information such as the mobile unit information and the specifications of the facilities 3. In this example, the determination unit 17 adds the facilities 3 "s00001", "s00002", "s00005", "e00001", "b00001", and "b00002" to a list of facilities 3 available to the target autonomous moving body 2. The determination unit 17 outputs the created list of facilities 3 to the moving body control device 5, for example, via the second transmission unit 14.

The route search unit 11 of the mobile body control device 5 acquires the facility availability information output from the determination unit 17 of the cooperation management device 6, for example, via the first receiving unit 10. The route search unit 11 uses the facility availability information to search for a route for the autonomous mobile body 2 to move through the facility.

Next, an example of route search based on facility availability information will be described with reference to FIG.
3A and 3B are diagrams showing an example of a route search performed by the route search unit 11 according to the first embodiment.

3A, an example of route search when multiple doors are provided between the current location of the autonomous mobile body 2 and the destination is described. In this example, as routes from the current location of the autonomous mobile body 2 to the destination, there are a route that passes through door A, a route that passes through door B, and a route that passes through door C. The distance from the current location to door A is longer than the distance from the current location to door B and the distance from the current location to door C. The distance from the current location to door B is approximately the same as the distance from the current location to door C. Here, the route search unit 11 calculates the distance from the current location to each facility 3 based on, for example, map information. For example, the route search unit 11 acquires a list of available facilities 3 including the facility IDs of doors A and C as facility availability information. At this time, the route search unit 11 preferentially selects a route that is close to the current location of the autonomous mobile body 2 and uses a facility 3 that is available based on the facility availability information. In this example, the route search unit 11 searches for a route that uses door C as the route of the autonomous mobile body 2. The route search unit 11 may search for a route for the autonomous moving body 2 by preferentially selecting, from among the candidate facilities 3 to be used, a facility 3 that shortens the travel route along the route using the facility 3.

3B, an example of route search when multiple illuminance sensors are provided between the current location of the autonomous moving body 2 and the destination is described. In this example, as a route from the current location of the autonomous moving body 2 to the destination, there is a route that passes through a location where the illuminance sensor D is provided, or a route that passes through a location where the illuminance sensor E is provided. The distance from the current location to the illuminance sensor D is approximately the same as the distance from the current location to the illuminance sensor E. The route search unit 11 acquires, for example, a list of available facilities 3 including the facility IDs of the illuminance sensors D and E as facility availability information. In this example, the required illuminance is set to 60 lx for the autonomous moving body 2. The required illuminance is, for example, a value that is preset as the illuminance required for the movement of the autonomous moving body 2 or the operation for a specific purpose. The illuminance sensor D measures an illuminance of 150 lx. The illuminance sensor E measures an illuminance of 40 lx. At this time, the illuminance sensor preferentially selects a route that is close to the current location of the autonomous moving body 2 and passes through a location where an illuminance sensor measuring a higher illuminance value than the required illuminance is installed. In this example, the route search unit 11 searches for a route that passes through a location where an illuminance sensor D is installed as the route for the autonomous moving body 2. The illuminance sensor may preferentially select a route that is close to the current location of the autonomous moving body 2 and passes through a location where an illuminance sensor measuring a higher illuminance value is installed.

Then, the mobile body control unit 12 controls the autonomous mobile body 2 to move along the route searched by the route search unit 11. At this time, the mobile body control unit 12 outputs a command to the autonomous mobile body 2 to operate according to the type of facility 3 on the route. The mobile body control device 5 communicates with the facility 3 according to the type of facility 3 and operation information. For example, the mobile body control device 5 changes the presence or absence of transmission of a control request to the facility 3 and the communication sequence depending on the type of facility 3 and whether or not a request is required. For example, when using a facility 3 that is a gate or door whose request is "required", the mobile body control unit 12 communicates with the facility 3 a communication sequence in the order of an unlocking request, a passage start, and a passage completion, thereby allowing the autonomous mobile body 2 to pass through the facility 3. For example, when using a facility 3 that is a gate or door whose request is "not required", the mobile body control unit 12 allows the autonomous mobile body 2 to pass through the facility 3 without communicating the communication sequence of an unlocking request with the facility 3. For example, when using facility 3, which is an elevator whose request necessity is "required," the mobile unit control unit 12 allows the autonomous mobile unit 2 to use facility 3 by communicating with the facility 3 a communication sequence in the order of call registration, boarding start, boarding completion, disembarking start, and disembarking completion.

Next, an example of the operation of the mobile object control system 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 4 and FIG.
4 and 5 are flowcharts showing an example of the operation of the mobile object control system 1 according to the first embodiment.

Figure 4 shows an example of processing related to cooperation with equipment 3 when an autonomous mobile object 2 of the mobile object control system 1 moves within a facility.

In step S1, the management unit 16 of the coordination management device 6 acquires information on the operation of each piece of equipment 3 in the facility from the equipment management device 4. The management unit 16 acquires the operation information, for example, at preset regular or non-regular timing. The management unit 16 performs management such as updating the equipment operation information based on the collected information. The management unit 16 may also perform management such as updating the equipment operation information based on information transmitted from the equipment management device 4 when the operation information changes. Thereafter, the operation of the mobile control system 1 proceeds to step S2.

In step S2, the mobile body control unit 12 of the mobile body control device 5 requests facility availability information from the cooperation management device 6 via the first transmission unit 9 as a request from one of the autonomous mobile bodies 2. The mobile body control device 5 transmits the request, for example, at a preset regular or non-regular timing. At this time, the mobile body control unit 12 may transmit, for example, mobile body information of each autonomous mobile body 2 as well as information on the current location and destination. The information on the current location and destination may include, for example, coordinates and floor information in the facility. Thereafter, the operation of the mobile body control system 1 proceeds to step S3.

In step S3, the determination unit 17 of the cooperation management device 6 receives a request for facility availability information through the first receiving unit 10. The determination unit 17 creates availability information in response to the received request from the autonomous mobile body 2. In creating the facility availability information, the determination unit 17 determines whether each facility 3 can be used for each autonomous mobile body 2, for example, by comparing the mobile body information received along with the request with the facility operation information. Thereafter, the operation of the mobile body control system 1 proceeds to step S4.

In step S4, the determination unit 17 of the cooperation management device 6 transmits the created facility availability information to the mobile body control device 5 via the second transmission unit 14. The determination unit 17 may also transmit facility operation information to the mobile body control device 5. Thereafter, the operation of the mobile body control system 1 proceeds to step S5.

In step S5, the route search unit 11 of the mobile control device 5 acquires facility availability information through the first receiving unit 10. After that, the operation of the mobile control system 1 proceeds to step S6.

In step S6, the route search unit 11 reads the map information from the first storage unit 8. After that, the operation of the mobile control system 1 proceeds to step S7.

In step S7, the route search unit 11 searches for a route for the autonomous mobile unit 2 to travel through the facility based on the facility availability information and the map information. When searching for a route, the route search unit 11 may use facility operation information, mobile unit information, and other information acquired from the coordination management device 6. After that, the operation of the mobile unit control system 1 proceeds to step S8.

In step S8, the mobile body control unit 12 outputs a command signal to the autonomous mobile body 2 to move along the route searched by the route search unit 11. The mobile body control unit 12 outputs a command to the autonomous mobile body 2 to operate according to the type of equipment 3 on the route. The mobile body control device 5 communicates with the equipment 3 according to the type and operation information of the equipment 3. Thereafter, the operation of the mobile body control system 1 ends.

Figure 5A shows an example of processing related to the creation of facility availability information in the determination unit 17. The processing in Figure 5A is an example of the processing in step S3 in Figure 4. Figure 5B shows an example of processing related to facility 3, which is an access management device. Figure 5C shows an example of processing related to facility 3, which is an elevator. Figure 5D shows an example of processing related to the specifications of the autonomous moving body 2. The processing in Figure 5 is performed, for example, for the autonomous moving body 2 that has requested facility availability information.

In steps S301 to S320 in FIG. 5A, the judgment unit 17 enters a loop a number of times corresponding to the total number of pieces of equipment 3 installed in the facility, and repeats the processing from steps S302 to S319. As an initialization process before the loop, the judgment unit 17 sets the list of available pieces of equipment 3 to an empty list. In each processing in the loop, the judgment unit 17 processes unprocessed pieces of equipment 3 installed in the facility. In step S301, the judgment unit 17 selects one piece of equipment 3 that has not been processed from the pieces of equipment 3 installed in the facility. After that, the operation of the judgment unit 17 proceeds to step S302.

In step S302, the determination unit 17 determines whether the use acceptance of the selected equipment 3 is "yes" based on the equipment operation information. If the use acceptance is "yes", the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S303. On the other hand, if the use acceptance is "no", the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S320.

In step S303, the determination unit 17 determines whether the type of the selected facility 3 is a "gate" based on the facility operation information and the facility type information. If the type is not a "gate," the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S304. On the other hand, if the type is a "gate," the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S307 in FIG. 5B.

In step S304, the determination unit 17 determines whether the type of the selected equipment 3 is "door" based on the equipment operation information and the equipment type information. If the type is not "door", the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S305. On the other hand, if the type is "door", the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S307 in FIG. 5B.

In step S305, the determination unit 17 determines whether the type of the selected facility 3 is "elevator" based on the facility operation information and facility type information. If the type is not "elevator", the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S306. On the other hand, if the type is "elevator", the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S313 in FIG. 5C.

In step S306, the determination unit 17 determines whether the type of the selected facility 3 is an "illuminance sensor" based on the facility operation information and the facility type information. If the type is not an "illuminance sensor", the determination unit 17 may determine that the selected facility 3 is not a facility 3 of a type that can be used by the autonomous moving body 2. Thereafter, the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S320. On the other hand, if the type is an "illuminance sensor", the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S319.

In step S307 of FIG. 5B, the judgment unit 17 judges whether the request necessity of the selected equipment 3 is "necessary" based on the equipment operation information. If the request necessity is "necessary," the operation of the judgment unit 17 proceeds to step S308. On the other hand, if the request necessity is not "necessary," the operation of the judgment unit 17 proceeds to step S315 of FIG. 5D.

In step S308, the determination unit 17 determines whether the current day is a weekday. If the current day is a weekday, the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S309. On the other hand, if the current day is not a weekday, the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S311.

In step S309, the determination unit 17 determines whether the weekday usage authority of the autonomous moving body 2 for the selected facility 3 is "all-day use permitted" based on the facility authority information. If the weekday usage authority is "all-day use permitted", the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S315 in FIG. 5D. On the other hand, if the weekday usage authority is not "all-day use permitted", the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S310.

In step S310, the determination unit 17 determines whether the current time is within the time during which the autonomous moving body 2 can use the selected facility 3, based on the facility authority information. Note that, if the weekday usage authority of the autonomous moving body 2 for the selected facility 3 is "unavailable all day," the determination unit 17 may determine that the current time is not within the available time. If the current time is within the available time, the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S315 in FIG. 5D. On the other hand, if the current time is not within the available time, the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S320 in FIG. 5A.

In step S311, the determination unit 17 determines whether the holiday usage authority of the autonomous moving body 2 for the selected facility 3 is "all-day use permitted" based on the facility authority information. If the holiday usage authority is "all-day use permitted", the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S315 in FIG. 5D. On the other hand, if the holiday usage authority is not "all-day use permitted", the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S312.

In step S312, the determination unit 17 determines whether the current time is within the time during which the autonomous moving body 2 can use the selected facility 3, based on the facility authority information. Note that if the holiday usage authority of the autonomous moving body 2 for the selected facility 3 is "unavailable all day", the determination unit 17 may determine that the current time is not within the available time. If the current time is within the available time, the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S315 in FIG. 5D. On the other hand, if the current time is not within the available time, the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S320 in FIG. 5A.

In step S313 of FIG. 5C, the determination unit 17 determines whether the current floor of the autonomous moving body 2 is included in the stop floors of the selected facility 3, which is an elevator, based on the facility operation information and the moving body information. If the current floor is included in the stop floors, the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S314. On the other hand, if the current floor is not included in the stop floors, the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S320 of FIG. 5A.

In step S314, the determination unit 17 determines whether the destination floor of the autonomous moving body 2 is included in the stop floors of the selected facility 3, which is an elevator, based on the facility operation information and the moving body information. At this time, the determination unit 17 may make the determination by excluding stop floors that will stop before the current floor of the autonomous moving body 2. If the destination floor is included in the stop floors, the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S315 in FIG. 5D. On the other hand, if the destination floor is not included in the stop floors, the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S320 in FIG. 5A.

In step S315 of FIG. 5D, the determination unit 17 determines whether the width of the moving body is smaller than the width of the selected facility 3 based on the facility operation information and the moving body information. Note that the determination unit 17 may determine that the width of the moving body is smaller than the width of the selected facility 3, for example, when the width of the facility 3 is a "null" value. When the width of the moving body is smaller than the width of the selected facility 3, the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S316. On the other hand, when the width of the moving body is not smaller than the width of the selected facility 3, the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S320 of FIG. 5A.

In step S316, the determination unit 17 determines whether the height of the moving body is lower than the height of the selected equipment 3 based on the equipment operation information and the moving body information. Note that, in cases such as when the height of the equipment 3 is a "null" value, the determination unit 17 may determine that the height of the moving body is lower than the height of the selected equipment 3. When the height of the moving body is lower than the height of the selected equipment 3, the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S317. On the other hand, when the height of the moving body is not lower than the height of the selected equipment 3, the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S320 in FIG. 5A.

In step S317, the judgment unit 17 judges whether the depth of the moving body is smaller than the depth of the selected facility 3 based on the facility operation information and the moving body information. Note that, in cases where the depth of the facility 3 is a "null" value, the judgment unit 17 may judge that the depth of the moving body is smaller than the depth of the selected facility 3. If the depth of the moving body is smaller than the depth of the selected facility 3, the operation of the judgment unit 17 proceeds to step S317. On the other hand, if the depth of the moving body is not smaller than the depth of the selected facility 3, the operation of the judgment unit 17 proceeds to step S320 in FIG. 5A.

In step S318, the determination unit 17 determines whether the weight of the moving object is lighter than the load capacity of the selected equipment 3 based on the equipment operation information and the moving object information. Note that, in cases such as when the load capacity of the equipment 3 is a "null" value, the determination unit 17 may determine that the width of the moving object is lighter than the load capacity of the selected equipment 3. When the weight of the moving object is lighter than the load capacity of the selected equipment 3, the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S319 in FIG. 5A. On the other hand, when the weight of the moving object is not lighter than the load capacity of the selected equipment 3, the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S320 in FIG. 5A.

In step S319 of FIG. 5A, the determination unit 17 adds the equipment ID of the selected equipment 3 to the list of available equipment 3. After that, the operation of the determination unit 17 proceeds to step S320.

In step S320, the judgment unit 17 ends the processing for the selected facility 3. The judgment unit 17 selects one unprocessed facility 3 from among the other facilities 3 installed in the facility. The operation of the judgment unit 17 then proceeds to step S302 as the next processing in the loop. If there is no unprocessed facility 3, the operation of the judgment unit 17 related to the creation of facility availability information ends.

As described above, the mobile body control system 1 according to the first embodiment includes a management unit 16, a determination unit 17, and a route search unit 11. The management unit 16 manages and updates facility operation information based on information acquired from the facility management device 4. The facility operation information represents information on the current operation of the facility 3 installed in the facility through which the autonomous mobile body 2 moves. The determination unit 17 creates facility availability information based on the facility operation information. The facility availability information represents the availability of each facility 3 at the time when it is available for use by the autonomous mobile body 2. The route search unit 11 searches for a route for the autonomous mobile body 2 to move through the facility based on the facility availability information.

With this configuration, the availability of the facility 3 linked to the autonomous mobile unit 2 is determined based on facility operation information that is updated in real time according to the operation status of the facility 3. The movement route of the autonomous mobile unit 2 is thus searched for based on facility availability information that reflects the current operation status of the facility 3, allowing the autonomous mobile unit 2 to operate more efficiently in the facility.

The determination unit 17 also creates facility availability information in response to a request from the autonomous mobile unit 2. This configuration allows the route search unit 11 to search for a route for the autonomous mobile unit 2 based on the latest facility availability information created at the required time. This allows the autonomous mobile unit 2 to operate more efficiently in the facility even when the operation of the facility 3, such as its usage status and setting status, changes.

The determination unit 17 also receives mobile body information including at least one of the attributes or specifications of the autonomous mobile body 2. The determination unit 17 creates facility availability information using the received mobile body information. With this configuration, the determination unit 17 can more accurately determine whether the facility 3 can be used for each autonomous mobile body 2. This allows the autonomous mobile body 2 to operate more efficiently in the facility.

The mobile control system 1 also includes a mobile control unit 12. The mobile control unit 12 causes the autonomous mobile body 2 to operate according to the type of facility 3 on the route searched by the route search unit 11. For example, for a facility 3 that is an access management device for which the request necessity is "required", the mobile control unit 12 causes the autonomous mobile body 2 to pass through the facility 3 after transmitting an unlock request. For example, for a facility 3 that is an elevator, the mobile control unit 12 controls the autonomous mobile body 2 to get into the elevator car after the car arrives at the current floor after transmitting a call registration request. For example, the mobile control unit 12 controls the autonomous mobile body 2 to stop in the car. The mobile control unit 12 controls the autonomous mobile body 2 to get out of the elevator car after the car it is riding in arrives at the destination floor. For example, the mobile control unit 12 may control the autonomous mobile body 2 to pass through the location after requesting lighting equipment installed at the location where an illuminance sensor is installed to turn on.

In the mobile object control system 1, some or all of the functions of the cooperation management device 6 may be mounted on the mobile object control device 5. In the mobile object control system 1, some or all of the functions of the mobile object control device 5 may be mounted on the cooperation management device 6. Some or all of the functions of the mobile object control system 1 may be mounted on the facility management device 4, a mobile object, or other device.

Next, an example of the hardware configuration of the mobile object control system 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 6 is a hardware configuration diagram of a main part of the mobile object control system 1 according to the first embodiment.

Each function of the mobile control system 1 may be realized by a processing circuit. The processing circuit includes at least one processor 100a and at least one memory 100b. The processing circuit may include at least one dedicated hardware 200 in addition to or in place of the processor 100a and memory 100b.

When the processing circuit includes a processor 100a and a memory 100b, each function of the mobile object control system 1 is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. At least one of the software and firmware is written as a program. The program is stored in the memory 100b. The processor 100a realizes each function of the mobile object control system 1 by reading and executing the program stored in the memory 100b.

The processor 100a is also called a CPU (Central Processing Unit), processing device, arithmetic device, microprocessor, microcomputer, or DSP. The memory 100b is composed of non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as RAM, ROM, flash memory, EPROM, and EEPROM.

When the processing circuitry comprises dedicated hardware 200, the processing circuitry may be implemented, for example, as a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a combination thereof.

Each function of the mobile object control system 1 can be realized by a processing circuit. Alternatively, each function of the mobile object control system 1 can be realized collectively by a processing circuit. Some of the functions of the mobile object control system 1 may be realized by dedicated hardware 200, and other parts may be realized by software or firmware. In this way, the processing circuit realizes each function of the mobile object control system 1 by dedicated hardware 200, software, firmware, or a combination of these.

Embodiment 2.
In the second embodiment, differences from the example disclosed in the first embodiment will be described in particular detail. For features not described in the second embodiment, any of the features of the example disclosed in the first embodiment may be adopted.

Figure 7 is a configuration diagram of a mobile object control system 1 according to embodiment 2.

In the mobile object control system 1, the cooperation management device 6 includes a calculation unit 18. The calculation unit 18 is a part equipped with a function of calculating the recommendation level for use by the autonomous mobile object 2 of each facility 3. For example, when the calculation unit 18 receives a request for facility availability information from the autonomous mobile object 2, the calculation unit 18 assigns the calculated recommendation level to the facility availability information created in response to the request and returns it to the autonomous mobile object 2. The calculation unit 18 calculates the recommendation level at the time when the autonomous mobile object 2 that received the request can use the facility. For example, the calculation unit 18 may calculate the recommendation level by considering the time when the request is received from the autonomous mobile object 2 as the time when the autonomous mobile object 2 can use each facility 3.

The calculation unit 18 calculates a higher recommendation level for the facility 3 when the autonomous moving body 2 is expected to operate more efficiently if the autonomous moving body 2 uses the facility 3. The calculation unit 18 calculates a higher recommendation level for the facility 3 when the autonomous moving body 2 can arrive at the destination sooner if the autonomous moving body 2 uses the facility 3. The calculation unit 18 also calculates a higher recommendation level for the facility 3 when the autonomous moving body 2 can arrive at the destination more reliably if the autonomous moving body 2 uses the facility 3. The calculation unit 18 also calculates a higher recommendation level for the facility 3 when the autonomous moving body 2 can arrive at the destination with fewer retry attempts if the autonomous moving body 2 uses the facility 3. Here, retry attempts for the autonomous moving body 2 include, for example, the route search unit 11 re-searching for a route for the autonomous moving body 2 because the facility 3 to be used was not available or the route for movement was not passable.

The route search unit 11 searches for a route for the movement of the autonomous moving body 2 using the facility availability information as well as the recommendation level calculated by the calculation unit 18 and assigned to the facility availability information. The route search unit 11 searches for a route such that, for example, among the facilities 3 available to the autonomous moving body 2, facilities 3 with a higher recommendation level are used with higher priority.

Next, an example of calculation of the recommendation level will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of calculation of the recommendation level by the calculation unit 18 according to the second embodiment.

The calculation unit 18 obtains the requirement of each piece of equipment 3 from the equipment operation information. The autonomous moving body 2 can use equipment 3 for which the requirement is "unnecessary" without needing to request its use, and so a route that uses equipment 3 for which the requirement is "unnecessary" is a route that can arrive at the destination faster and more reliably and with fewer returns. For this reason, the calculation unit 18 assigns a higher score to equipment 3 for which the requirement is "unnecessary" than to equipment 3 for which the requirement is "required." For example, the calculation unit 18 assigns 3 points to equipment 3 for which the requirement is "unnecessary" and 1 point to equipment 3 for which the requirement is "required."

The calculation unit 18 acquires the usage amount of the equipment 3 from the usage history included in the usage status of the equipment operation information. For example, for the equipment 3 that is an access management device, the calculation unit 18 acquires the traffic volume of the equipment 3 for a period going back a preset time from the present as the usage amount. More specifically, the calculation unit 18 acquires, for example, the number of traffics through the equipment 3 within the past hour. Since a route using equipment 3 with a low usage fee is less susceptible to the effects of congestion, a route using equipment 3 with a low usage amount is a route that can arrive at the destination faster and more reliably, and is a route that can arrive at the destination with fewer reversals. For this reason, the calculation unit 18 assigns a higher score to equipment 3 with a low usage amount. The calculation unit 18 classifies each equipment 3 into multiple categories, for example, in order of preference from the viewpoint of recommendation level, that is, in order of least usage amount, and assigns a score for each category. In this example, the calculation unit 18 classifies each equipment 3 into three categories, "top", "middle", and "bottom", in order of least usage amount. For example, the calculation unit 18 assigns 3 points to equipment 3 classified as "top", 2 points to equipment 3 classified as "middle", and 1 point to equipment 3 classified as "bottom".

The calculation unit 18 calculates the remaining time until the use authority of the facility 3 expires from the facility authority information, etc. For example, if the current time is 16:45 and a certain facility 3 will be unavailable from 17:00, the calculation unit 18 calculates that the remaining time until the use authority of the facility 3 expires is 15 minutes. A route that uses a facility 3 with a long remaining time until the use authority expires is less likely to lose the use authority of the facility 3 before arriving at the facility 3, so the route is a route that can reach the destination more reliably and with fewer reversals. For this reason, the calculation unit 18 assigns a higher score to the facility 3 with a longer remaining time until the use authority expires. The calculation unit 18 classifies each facility 3 into multiple categories, for example, in order of preference from the viewpoint of recommendation, that is, in order of the longest remaining time until the use authority expires, and assigns a score for each category. In this example, the calculation unit 18 classifies each facility 3 into three categories, "top", "middle", and "bottom", in order of the longest remaining time until the use authority expires. For example, the calculation unit 18 assigns 3 points to the equipment 3 classified as "high", 2 points to the equipment 3 classified as "middle", and 1 point to the equipment 3 classified as "low". The calculation unit 18 may assign a score related to the degree of recommendation to each piece of equipment 3 from these other perspectives.

The calculation unit 18 calculates the recommendation level of the facility 3 based on the score of each item assigned to the facility 3. For example, the calculation unit 18 calculates the total score of each item as the recommendation level. In this example, the calculation unit 18 calculates the recommendation level of the facility 3 with facility ID "s00005" to be "8". Since the recommendation level of the facility 3 is higher than the recommendation levels of the other facilities 3, the route search unit 11 searches for a route for the autonomous moving body 2 by giving higher priority to the use of the facility 3. Note that the calculation unit 18 may calculate the recommendation level using another monotonically increasing function for the score of each item, such as the sum of the scores of each item.

As described above, the mobile body control system 1 according to the second embodiment includes a calculation unit 18. The calculation unit 18 calculates the recommendation level for use of each facility 3 at the time when the autonomous mobile body 2 can use the facility 3 based on the facility operation information. The route search unit 11 uses the recommendation level of each facility 3 to search for a route for the autonomous mobile body 2 to move through the facility. With this configuration, a route for the movement of the autonomous mobile body 2 is searched for such that the facility 3 that is more recommended for use is given higher priority, so that the autonomous mobile body 2 can operate more efficiently in the facility.

To summarize the above explanation, possible configurations of the technology according to the present disclosure include the configurations listed below as appendices.
(Appendix 1)
A management unit that manages equipment operation information representing information related to the current operation of one or more pieces of equipment provided in a facility in which the autonomous mobile body moves, while updating the information based on information acquired from an equipment management device that manages the one or more pieces of equipment;
a determination unit that creates facility availability information that indicates availability of the one or more facilities at a time when the autonomous moving body can use the facilities based on the facility operation information managed by the management unit; and
a route search unit that searches for a route for the autonomous moving body to move through the facility based on the facility availability information created by the determination unit;
A mobile control system comprising:
(Appendix 2)
The determination unit creates the facility availability information in response to a request from the autonomous moving body.
2. A vehicle control system as described in claim 1.
(Appendix 3)
the determination unit receives mobile body information including at least one of information on attributes or specifications of the autonomous mobile body, and creates the facility availability information using the received mobile body information.
3. A mobile control system according to claim 1 or 2.
(Appendix 4)
A mobile object control unit that causes the autonomous mobile object to operate in accordance with a type of facility on a route searched by the route search unit, among the one or more facilities.
(Appendix 5)
a calculation unit that calculates a recommendation level for use of the one or more pieces of equipment at a time when the autonomous moving body can use the equipment, based on the equipment operation information managed by the management unit;
The route search unit searches for a route for the autonomous moving body to move through the facility by using the recommendation level calculated by the calculation unit.
A mobile object control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
(Appendix 6)
A management unit that manages equipment operation information representing information related to the current operation of one or more pieces of equipment provided in a facility in which the autonomous mobile body moves, while updating the information based on information acquired from an equipment management device that manages the one or more pieces of equipment;
a determination unit that creates facility availability information that indicates availability of the one or more facilities at a time when the autonomous moving body can use the facilities based on the facility operation information managed by the management unit; and
an output unit that outputs the facility availability information created by the determination unit to a mobile body control device that searches for a route for the autonomous mobile body to move through the facility;
A cooperation management device comprising:
(Appendix 7)
a transmission unit that requests facility availability information representing availability of the one or more pieces of equipment at a time when the autonomous mobile unit can use the one or more pieces of equipment from a cooperation management device that manages the one or more pieces of equipment while updating facility operation information representing information regarding the current operation of the one or more pieces of equipment provided in a facility in which the autonomous mobile unit moves based on information acquired from a facility management device that manages the one or more pieces of equipment;
a receiving unit that acquires the facility availability information generated in response to a request from the transmitting unit from the cooperation management device;
a route search unit that searches for a route for the autonomous moving body to move through the facility based on the facility availability information acquired by the receiving unit;
A mobile control device comprising:
(Appendix 8)
The computer
Managing facility operation information representing information related to the current operation of one or more pieces of equipment provided in a facility in which the autonomous mobile body moves, while updating the information based on information acquired from a facility management device that manages the one or more pieces of equipment;
creating facility availability information representing availability of the one or more facilities at a time when the autonomous moving body can use the facilities based on the facility operation information;
outputting the created facility availability information to a mobile body control device that searches for a route for the autonomous mobile body to move through the facility;
A mobile object control method comprising:
(Appendix 9)
On the computer,
Managing facility operation information representing information related to the current operation of one or more pieces of equipment provided in a facility in which the autonomous mobile body moves, while updating the information based on information acquired from a facility management device that manages the one or more pieces of equipment;
creating facility availability information representing availability of the one or more facilities at a time when the autonomous moving body can use the facilities based on the facility operation information;
outputting the created facility availability information to a mobile body control device that searches for a route for the autonomous mobile body to move through the facility;
A mobile control program that executes the above.

1 Mobile control system, 2 Autonomous mobile unit, 3 Equipment, 4 Equipment management device, 5 Mobile control device, 6 Cooperation management device, 7 Communication network, 8 First memory unit, 9 First transmission unit, 10 First reception unit, 11 Route search unit, 12 Mobile control unit, 13 Second memory unit, 14 Second transmission unit, 15 Second reception unit, 16 Management unit, 17 Determination unit, 18 Calculation unit, 100a Processor, 100b Memory, 200 Dedicated hardware

Claims (8)

A management unit that manages equipment operation information representing information related to the current operation of one or more pieces of equipment provided in a facility in which the autonomous mobile body moves, while updating the information based on information acquired from an equipment management device that manages the one or more pieces of equipment;
a determination unit that creates facility availability information representing availability of the one or more facilities at the time of receiving a request from the autonomous moving body , based on the facility operation information managed by the management unit;
a route search unit that searches for a route for the autonomous moving body to move through the facility based on the facility availability information created by the determination unit;
a calculation unit that calculates a recommendation level for use of the one or more pieces of equipment at a time point when a request is received from the autonomous moving body , using a remaining time from a current time until the autonomous moving body's usage authority for the one or more pieces of equipment expires, based on the equipment operation information managed by the management unit; and
Equipped with
The route search unit searches for a route for the autonomous moving body to move through the facility by using the recommendation level calculated by the calculation unit.
Mobile control system. The determination unit creates the facility availability information in response to a request from the autonomous moving body.
The vehicle control system according to claim 1 . the determination unit receives mobile body information including at least one of information on attributes or specifications of the autonomous mobile body, and creates the facility availability information using the received mobile body information.
3. A mobile object control system according to claim 1 or 2. The mobile object control system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a mobile object control unit that causes the autonomous mobile object to operate in accordance with a type of facility on the route searched by the route search unit, among the one or more facilities. A management unit that manages equipment operation information representing information related to the current operation of one or more pieces of equipment provided in a facility in which the autonomous mobile body moves, while updating the information based on information acquired from an equipment management device that manages the one or more pieces of equipment;
a determination unit that creates facility availability information representing availability of the one or more facilities at the time of receiving a request from the autonomous moving body , based on the facility operation information managed by the management unit;
an output unit that outputs the facility availability information created by the determination unit to a mobile body control device that searches for a route for the autonomous mobile body to move through the facility;
a calculation unit that calculates a recommendation level for use of the one or more pieces of equipment at the time of receiving a request from the autonomous moving body, using a remaining time from a current time until the autonomous moving body's authority to use the one or more pieces of equipment expires, based on the facility operation information managed by the management unit, so that the recommendation level can be used by the mobile body control device to search for a route for the autonomous moving body to move through the facility;
A cooperation management device comprising: a transmission unit that requests facility availability information representing availability of the one or more pieces of equipment at the time of receiving a request from the autonomous mobile body, from a cooperation management device that manages facility operation information representing information regarding the current operation of the one or more pieces of equipment provided in a facility in which the autonomous mobile body moves, while updating the facility operation information based on information acquired from a facility management device that manages the one or more pieces of equipment;
a receiving unit that acquires the facility availability information generated in response to a request from the transmitting unit from the cooperation management device;
a route search unit that searches for a route for the autonomous moving body to move through the facility based on the facility availability information acquired by the receiving unit;
Equipped with
the route search unit searches for a route for the autonomous mobile body to move through the facility by using a recommendation level for use of the one or more pieces of equipment at the time of receiving a request from the autonomous mobile body , the recommendation level being calculated by the cooperation management device using a remaining time from a current time until the autonomous mobile body's authority to use the one or more pieces of equipment expires based on the facility operation information;
Mobile control device. The computer
Managing facility operation information representing information related to the current operation of one or more pieces of equipment provided in a facility in which the autonomous mobile body moves, while updating the information based on information acquired from a facility management device that manages the one or more pieces of equipment;
creating facility availability information representing availability of the one or more facilities at the time of receiving a request from the autonomous moving body based on the facility operation information;
outputting the created facility availability information to a mobile body control device that searches for a route for the autonomous mobile body to move through the facility;
Calculating a recommendation level for use of the one or more pieces of equipment at the time of receiving a request from the autonomous moving body, based on the facility operation information, using a remaining time from a current time until the autonomous moving body's authority to use the one or more pieces of equipment expires , so that the recommendation level can be used by the mobile body control device to search for a route for the autonomous moving body to move through the facility;
A mobile object control method comprising: On the computer,
Managing facility operation information representing information related to the current operation of one or more pieces of equipment provided in a facility in which the autonomous mobile body moves, while updating the information based on information acquired from a facility management device that manages the one or more pieces of equipment;
creating facility availability information representing availability of the one or more facilities at the time of receiving a request from the autonomous moving body based on the facility operation information;
outputting the created facility availability information to a mobile body control device that searches for a route for the autonomous mobile body to move through the facility;
Calculating a recommendation level for use of the one or more pieces of equipment at the time of receiving a request from the autonomous moving body, based on the facility operation information, using a remaining time from a current time until the autonomous moving body's authority to use the one or more pieces of equipment expires , so that the recommendation level can be used by the mobile body control device to search for a route for the autonomous moving body to move through the facility;
A mobile control program that executes the above.

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