JP3198632B2 - Charge control method for mobile robot system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a charging control method for a mobile robot system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There is known a mobile robot system including a plurality of mobile robots each having a battery and a control station for controlling the mobile robots. In this type of system, the control station accumulates a transfer instruction generated as needed in a memory. Here, the transfer instruction is composed of a series of work instructions, and each work instruction is composed of a destination station number for designating a station to perform a work and a program number for designating work contents. Then, the control station retrieves the transfer instruction from the memory when a mobile robot that is not performing a task occurs, and transmits the transfer instruction to the mobile robot by wireless communication or wired communication. The mobile robot that has received the transfer instruction performs a route search for running at each station specified by the destination station number of each work instruction in order to execute each work instruction in the transfer instruction. Then, the mobile robot travels along the route obtained by the route search to sequentially advance to each station specified by each destination station number, and performs the work specified by the program number in each station. And
After completing the work specified by the transfer instruction, the mobile robot stays at the current work station,
Wait for the next transport instruction to be sent.

When the mobile robot is operated by electric power from a battery, it is necessary to prevent the work from being interrupted by charging the battery. For that purpose, the batteries of each mobile robot are charged to a certain capacity or more that does not hinder work and movement,
When a transfer instruction is sent, the mobile robot needs to be able to start operation immediately. Therefore, conventionally, a method has been adopted in which a charger is previously installed in a work station, and the battery of the mobile robot is charged in parallel while the mobile robot performs work in the work station.

[0004]

By the way, in the above-mentioned conventional mobile robot system, the mobile robot reports the completion of the operation to the control station and terminates the charging of the battery every time the operation is completed. There was a problem that the efficiency of the was poor. When the mobile robot has completed the work corresponding to the transfer instruction, the mobile robot waits until the next transfer instruction is sent. Had become. On the other hand, when the mobile robot is performing work while charging at the work station, an abnormality in the work may be detected. In such a case, the charging has been unconditionally discontinued due to the interruption of the work although the charging can be continued. In addition, this type of mobile robot system is usually operated unmanned, and the mobile robot sounds an alarm or returns abnormal contents and returns to a normal state until receiving a return procedure from the operator through the control station. The return means is displayed continuously. For this reason, the battery capacity of the mobile robot will continue to decrease.
The present invention has been made under such a background, and an object of the present invention is to provide a charging control method for a mobile robot system that can efficiently charge a mobile robot without affecting the execution of work. And

[0005]

A charging control method for a mobile robot system according to the present invention comprises a plurality of mobile robots powered by batteries and a control station for controlling the mobile robots. In the charging control method, the control station instructs the mobile robot to transfer instructions including a series of work instructions including a destination station number for designating a work station and a program number for designating work to be performed in the work station. And the mobile robot given the transfer instruction sequentially moves to a work station corresponding to the destination station number included in the transfer instruction, and if the work station can be charged, the program In parallel with the execution of the work specified by the number, Performs re charging, when the work including the number and the same line-out preceding station number of work stations current position instruction is applied in succession, the at the time when the work corresponding to each work order has been completed A work completion report was transmitted to the control station, and charging was continued irrespective of completion of each work corresponding to each work instruction, and all work instructions included in the transport instruction given from the control station were handled. If you finished working, also continues charging during standby from the control station to the next conveyance instruction is Ru been found giving, when detecting an abnormality relating to execution of the task is interrupted only perform tasks Display the contents of the abnormality and the return means for returning to the normal state, and determine whether or not charging can be continued.
Judgment is made, charging is continued if charging can be continued, and charging is interrupted when abnormality related to the charging is detected ,
It is characterized in that it is determined whether or not the work can be continued, and if the work can be continued, only the execution of the work is continued .

[0006]

According to the above charging control method, when a plurality of operations are continuously performed at the same work station, the mobile robot continues charging regardless of the end of each operation. And
After all the work corresponding to the transfer instruction is completed, the mobile robot continues charging until a next transfer instruction is given. If the mobile robot detects an abnormality in the work while the work and the charging are being performed in parallel, the mobile robot suspends only the work and continues charging. Furthermore, when the charging abnormality is detected during the period when the mobile robot is executing the work and the charging in parallel, the mobile robot suspends only the charging and continues the operation.

[0007]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a mobile robot system according to an embodiment of the present invention; In this mobile robot system, the control station transmits a transfer instruction including a series of work instructions 0 to n as shown in FIG. 5 to the mobile robot, and causes the mobile robot to perform the transfer. As shown in the drawing, each work instruction constituting a transfer instruction includes a destination station number for designating a station to perform a work and a program number for designating a work to be executed in the work station. Prior to transmission of the transfer instruction, a mobile robot to which the transfer instruction is to be given is determined as described below. First, the control station determines, for each mobile robot in the system, whether or not the mobile robot is of a type capable of executing the transfer instruction, whether or not the mobile robot is in a standby state without any work, and the like. For each of the mobile robots satisfying these conditions, a search instruction for a route to be passed to execute the transfer instruction is issued. Each of the mobile robots receiving the instruction performs a route search according to a well-known method, and sends back the evaluation result to the control station. Then, the control station transmits the transfer instruction to the mobile robot returning the highest evaluation.

<Operation of Mobile Robot at Station without Charger> The mobile robot, having received the transfer instruction, executes the work of the first work instruction in the transfer instruction, and the destination station number in the work instruction. Travel to the station specified by. When the mobile robot arrives at this station, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (not shown) in the mobile robot executes a charging stop determination routine shown in a flowchart in FIG. First, the process proceeds to step S201, and it is determined whether or not the currently located work station is a chargeable station. If the charger is not installed in the work station, the result of this determination is “NO” and step S202
Then, predetermined work is started according to the program corresponding to the program number of work instruction 0. Also, in this case,
Do not charge. Next, the process proceeds to step S203, and it is determined whether the operation is completed. Then, step S203
Is "NO", the CPU repeats the same determination. When the work of the mobile robot is completed, step S
The determination result of step 203 becomes “YES”, and step S20
Proceed to 4 to notify the control station of the completion of the work. As described above, the mobile robot finishes execution of one task and performs a task corresponding to the next task instruction.

<Operation of Mobile Robot at Station Having Charger> When the mobile robot performs work at a station having a charger, the result of the determination in step S201 is made when the above-described charge stoppage determination routine is executed. "YES" is determined, the process proceeds to step S205, and work and charging are started. Then, the process proceeds to step S206, and it is determined whether the operation is completed. While the mobile robot is performing work and charging, the determination result in step S206 is always “NO”, and the CPU repeats the same step. On the other hand, while the mobile robot is performing work and charging in parallel as described above, the CPU executes an error check routine shown in the flowchart of FIG. 2 at regular time intervals as described below. First, the process proceeds to step S31, and it is determined whether or not there is an abnormality related to the work. If the result of this determination is "No", the operation proceeds to step S32, where it is determined whether or not there is an abnormality related to charging. If the result of this determination is “NO”, the error check routine ends. Then, after a lapse of a predetermined time, the error check routine is executed again. As a result of performing the work and charging in parallel in this way, when the work of the mobile robot is completed, the result of the determination in step S206 of the charge stop determination routine becomes “Yes”, and the process proceeds to step S207. Then, it is determined whether or not it is necessary to continue charging the battery. If the battery is full, the determination is "NO" and the process proceeds to step S204, where the control station is notified of the completion of the work. On the other hand, if the battery capacity has not reached the predetermined reference amount, the result of the determination in step S207 is “YES”, and the flow proceeds to step S208. Then, based on the second work instruction to be executed next, it is determined whether or not the work station to execute the work next is the same as the current work station. If the result of this determination is "Yes", the operation proceeds to step S209, in which a completion report is sent to the control station only for the work that has been completed, and charging is continued. On the other hand, if the current work station does not match the work station to be executed next or if the last work instruction has been executed and there is no work instruction to be executed next, the judgment in step S208 is made. The result is “No” and the process proceeds to step S210. And
It is determined whether or not the work specified by the last work instruction n in the transfer instruction has been completed. The result of this determination is “Y
In the case of "es", there is no need to move, so step S2
Go to 09. Then, a work completion report is transmitted to the control station, and charging is continued while waiting at the current work station. On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S210 is "No", the flow proceeds to step S211 to stop charging and notify a work completion report to the control station.

<Operation at the Time of Abnormality Occurrence> If an abnormality of the work is detected during the period when the mobile robot is performing work and charging in parallel (step S206), the result of the determination in step S31 of the error check routine is “ "YES" is determined, and the process proceeds to step S36, in which the mobile robot stops the operation. Next, proceeding to step S37, the CPU determines whether or not charging can be continued. If there is no reason to stop charging, the result of this determination is "YES" and the operation proceeds to step S38, where an abnormality is displayed. Then, it waits for the start of the return procedure while executing the return means check routine shown in FIG. During this time, charging is continued without stopping. On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S37 is "NO", the flow proceeds to step S39, in which charging is stopped, and the flow proceeds to step S38. Further, if an abnormality in charging is detected during a period in which the mobile robot is performing work and charging in parallel (step S206), the result of the determination in step S32 of the error check routine becomes “YES” and the operation proceeds to step S33. Proceed, and the mobile robot stops charging. Next, proceeding to step S34, the CPU determines whether the work can be continued. If there is no reason to cancel the work, this judgment result is “YES”.
And terminates the error check routine and returns to the charging stop determination routine. On the other hand, if the decision result in the step S34 is "NO", the process advances to a step S35 to stop the work and display an abnormality. Then, it waits for the start of the return procedure while executing the return means check routine.

<Recovery from an Abnormal State> As described above, when a work or charge abnormality is detected during a work or charge period, a return means check routine is started. First, the process proceeds to step S41, and it is determined whether or not the operator has input a return unit. The same determination is repeated while the determination result is “NO”. Then, when there is an input of the return means, the determination result of step S41 becomes "YES" and the process proceeds to step S42,
It is determined whether there is an instruction to continue the work in which the abnormality has occurred after the return. If there is an instruction, this step S42
Is "YES", the processing of this routine ends, and the operation returns to the execution. On the other hand, when there is no continuation instruction, the result of the determination in step S42 is “NO”, and the flow advances to step S43 to determine whether there is an instruction to shift to the next work after the currently suspended work. I do. If the result of this determination is "NO", charging is stopped (step S45). On the other hand, if there is an instruction to shift the work, the determination result in step S43 becomes “YES”, and the flow advances to step S44 to determine whether the destination station number of the next work instruction matches the current work station. Judge. If the result of this determination is “NO”, step S45
Proceed to and stop charging. On the other hand, if the decision result in the step S44 is "YES", this routine is ended and the operation is returned to the execution.

<Operation at the time of receiving the transfer instruction> When all the work corresponding to the transfer instruction is completed, the CP of the mobile robot
U waits while executing the transfer instruction receiving routine shown in FIG. First, the process proceeds to step S51, where it is determined whether or not a new transport instruction has been given from the control station. This determination is repeated while the determination result is "NO". When a new transport instruction is given, the result of the determination in step S51 is "YES", and the flow advances to step S52 to determine whether or not charging is currently being performed. The result of this determination is “N
In the case of "O", this routine is terminated and the first work instruction in the transfer instruction is executed. If the decision result in the step S52 is "YES", the process proceeds to a step S53 to decide whether or not the work station specified by the first work instruction in the transfer instruction is the same as the current work station. If the result of this determination is "NO", then step S
Proceeding to 54, charging is stopped and the user moves to the work station corresponding to the first work instruction. On the other hand, if the determination result of step S53 is "YES", the work corresponding to the first work instruction is started without stopping the charging, and this routine is ended.

[0013]

As described above, according to the charging control method for a mobile robot system of the present invention, there is an effect that the mobile robot can be charged efficiently without affecting the execution of work. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a charging control operation of a mobile robot system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation of charging control of the mobile robot system according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation of charging control of the mobile robot system according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation of charging control of the mobile robot system according to the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing work instructions given to the mobile robot in the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 0 to n ... work instructions

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G05D 1/02

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A charging control method for a battery in a mobile robot system comprising a plurality of mobile robots powered by a battery and a control station controlling the mobile robot, wherein the control station performs an operation on the mobile robot. A transfer station comprising a series of work instructions including a destination station number designating a station and a program number designating a work to be performed in the work station, wherein the mobile robot given the transfer instruction, The operation sequentially moves to the work station corresponding to the destination station number included in the transfer instruction, and if the work station is chargeable, the battery is charged in parallel with the execution of the work specified by the program number. was carried out, previous-out number and the same line of work stations to the current position When the work instructions including the station number are successively given, when the work corresponding to each work instruction is completed, a completion report of the work is transmitted to the control station, and the work instruction corresponding to each work instruction is transmitted. It continued regardless charging to complete each task, if you finished working corresponding to all of the work orders are included in the transport instruction given from the control station, the next conveyance instruction from the control station gives al Re The charging is continued even during the standby until the operation is performed, and when an abnormality relating to the execution of the operation is detected, display of the abnormality means and a return unit for returning to a normal state by suspending only the execution of the operation , Whether charging can be continued
The charging is continued if charging is possible, and the charging is interrupted when the abnormality related to the charging is detected, and it is determined whether or not the work can be continued.
A charging control method for a mobile hot system, wherein only the execution of the work is continued if any .