US-12619259-B2 - Control system, control method, and non-transitory storage medium

US12619259B2US 12619259 B2US12619259 B2US 12619259B2US-12619259-B2

Abstract

A control system according to the present disclosure performs system control for controlling a system including a mobile robot that is autonomously movable and operable by a user. The mobile robot includes at least one light-emitting unit. The system control includes mode switch control of switching between an autonomous movement mode and a user operation mode, and the light emission control of controlling the light-emitting unit to emit light in different light emission patterns associated with a plurality of predetermined conditions. The light emission control includes controlling the light-emitting unit to emit light in different light emission patterns, for at least one of the predetermined conditions, depending on whether the mobile robot is in the autonomous movement mode or the user operation mode.

Inventors

Takumi Sakamoto
Shiro Oda
Takeshi Matsui

Assignees

TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20240411
Priority Date: 20230419

Claims (19)

1 . A control system comprising: a mobile robot that has an autonomous movement mode in which the mobile robot moves autonomously, and a user operation mode in which the mobile robot is operable by a user, the mobile robot comprising: a platform including a lifting stage configured to load and unload a transport object, the lifting stage having a portion housed inside the platform and a loading surface exposed on an upper surface of the platform, the lifting stage configured to be raised and lowered autonomously or by user operation; a joystick mounted on the platform and configured to receive a movement operation from the user, the joystick including a button configured to be depressed by the user to switch between the autonomous movement mode and the user operation mode; a first LED positioned around and adjacent to the lifting stage; a second LED positioned around and adjacent to the joystick; and a controller configured to perform-system control for the mobile robot, the controller configured to perform: mode switch control, based on operation of the button, for switching between the autonomous movement mode in which the mobile robot is moved autonomously and the user operation mode in which the mobile robot is moved based on a movement operation that is performed by the user, and light emission control configured to control the first LED and the second LED to emit light in synchronization, in different light emission patterns, corresponding to a plurality of predetermined conditions; wherein the light emission control is configured to: (i) emit a first light-emission pattern when the mobile robot is in the autonomous movement mode, (ii) emit a second light-emission pattern when the mobile robot is in the user operation mode, and (iii) emit a third light-emission pattern indicating whether the lifting stage is being raised or lowered.
2 . The control system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the predetermined conditions is a recommendation condition that is predetermined condition for recommending the movement operation or a non-recommendation condition that is a predetermined condition for not recommending the movement operation.
3 . The control system according to claim 2 , wherein the recommendation condition includes a condition for recommending an operation to switch from the autonomous movement mode to the user operation mode, and the non-recommendation condition includes a condition for not recommending the operation to switch from the autonomous movement mode to the user operation mode.
4 . The control system according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the predetermined conditions is the recommendation condition, and the first LED and the second LED is controlled to emit light in a light emission pattern associated with the recommendation condition.
5 . The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the different light emission patterns include light emission patterns that are different in at least one of brightness, hue, saturation, and lightness of light.
6 . The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the system includes a server that is configured to be connected to the mobile robot via wireless communication, and the control system is configured to determine, based on an image of the mobile robot captured by a camera, whether the mobile robot is in the autonomous movement mode or the user operation mode based on the light emission pattern shown in the image, at least when the server is unable to communicate with the mobile robot via the wireless communication.
7 . The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the different light emission patterns in which the first LED and the second LED are controlled include: (i) emitting light in complementary colors, (ii) emitting light in a pulsing rhythm, and (iii) a sequential lighting pattern in which portions of the first LED and portions of the second LED are turned on in sequence.
8 . A control method for a mobile robot that has an autonomous movement mode in which the mobile robot moves autonomously, and a user operation mode in which the mobile robot is operable by a user, wherein the mobile robot comprising: a platform including a lifting stage configured to load and unload a transport object, the lifting stage having a portion housed inside the platform and a loading surface exposed on an upper surface of the platform, the lifting stage configured to be raised and lowered autonomously or by user operation; a joystick mounted on the platform and configured to receive a movement operation from the user, the joystick including a button configured to be depressed by the user to switch between the autonomous movement mode and the user operation mode; a first LED positioned around and adjacent to the lifting stage; a second LED positioned around and adjacent to the joystick; and a controller configured to perform system control for the mobile robot; the control method comprising using the controller to perform: mode switch control, based on operation of the button, for switching between the autonomous movement mode in which the mobile robot is moved autonomously and the user operation mode in which the mobile robot is moved based on a movement operation that is performed by the user, and light emission control configured to control the first LED and the second LED to emit light in synchronization, in different light emission patterns, corresponding to a plurality of predetermined conditions; wherein the light emission control is configured to: (i) emit a first light-emission pattern when the mobile robot is in the autonomous movement mode, (ii) emit a second light-emission pattern when the mobile robot is in the user operation mode, and (iii) emit a third light-emission pattern indicating whether the lifting stage is being raised or lowered.
9 . The control method according to claim 8 , wherein at least one of the predetermined conditions is a recommendation condition that is a predetermined condition for recommending the movement operation or a non-recommendation condition that is a predetermined condition for not recommending the movement operation.
10 . The control method according to claim 9 , wherein the recommendation condition includes a condition for recommending an operation to switch from the autonomous movement mode to the user operation mode, and the non-recommendation condition includes a condition for not recommending the operation to switch from the autonomous movement mode to the user operation mode.
11 . The control method according to claim 9 , wherein at least one of the predetermined conditions is the recommendation condition, and the first LED and the second LED is controlled to emit light in a light emission pattern associated with the recommendation condition.
12 . The control system according to claim 8 , wherein the different light emission patterns include light emission patterns that are different in at least one of brightness, hue, saturation, and lightness of light.
13 . The control method according to claim 8 , wherein the system includes a server that is configured to be connected to the mobile robot via wireless communication, and the control method further comprises determining, based on an image of the mobile robot captured by a camera, whether the mobile robot is in the autonomous movement mode or the user operation mode based on the light emission pattern shown in the image, at least when the server is unable to communicate with the mobile robot via the wireless communication.
14 . The control method according to claim 8 , wherein the different light emission patterns in which the first LED and the second LED are controlled include: (i) emitting light in complementary colors, (ii) emitting light in a pulsing rhythm, and (iii) a sequential lighting pattern in which portions of the first LED and portions of the second LED are turned on in sequence.
15 . A non-transitory storage medium storing instructions that are executable by one or more processors and that cause the one or more processors to perform system control for a mobile robot that has an autonomous movement mode in which the mobile robot moves autonomously, and a user operation mode in which the mobile robot is operable by a user, wherein the mobile robot comprising: a platform including a lifting stage configured to load and unload a transport object, the lifting stage having a portion housed inside the platform and a loading surface exposed on an upper surface of the platform, the lifting stage configured to be raised and lowered autonomously or by user operation; a joystick mounted on the platform and configured to receive a movement operation from the user, the joystick including a button configured to be depressed by the user to switch between the autonomous movement mode and the user operation mode; a first LED positioned around and adjacent to the lifting stage; a second LED positioned around and adjacent to the joystick; and a controller configured to perform system control for the mobile robot; the system control comprising using the controller to perform: mode switch control, based on operation of the button, for switching between the autonomous movement mode in which the mobile robot is moved autonomously and the user operation mode in which the mobile robot is moved based on a movement operation that is performed by the user, and light emission control configured to control the first LED and the second LED to emit light in synchronization, in different light emission patterns, corresponding to a plurality of predetermined conditions; wherein the light emission control is configured to: (i) emit a first light-emission pattern when the mobile robot is in the autonomous movement mode, (ii) emit a second light-emission pattern when the mobile robot is in the user operation mode, and (iii) emit a third light-emission pattern indicating whether the lifting stage is being raised or lowered.
16 . The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein at least one of the predetermined conditions is a recommendation condition that is predetermined condition for recommending the movement operation or a non-recommendation condition that is a predetermined condition for not recommending the movement operation.
17 . The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 16 , wherein the recommendation condition includes a condition for recommending an operation to switch from the autonomous movement mode to the user operation mode, and the non-recommendation condition includes a condition for not recommending the operation to switch from the autonomous movement mode to the user operation mode.
18 . The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 16 , wherein at least one of the predetermined conditions is the recommendation condition, and the first LED and the second LED is controlled to emit light in a light emission pattern associated with the recommendation condition.
19 . The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 16 , wherein the different light emission patterns in which the first LED and the second LED are controlled include: (i) emitting light in complementary colors, (ii) emitting light in a pulsing rhythm, and (iii) a sequential lighting pattern in which portions of the first LED and portions of the second LED are turned on in sequence.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-068275 filed on Apr. 19, 2023, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND 1. Technical Field The present disclosure relates to control systems, control methods, and non-transitory storage mediums. 2. Description of Related Art Japanese Patent No. 7103689 (JP 7103689 B) discloses a mobile robot that is autonomously movable and is operable by a user. SUMMARY In the mobile robot described in JP 7103689 B, however, people around the mobile robot cannot determine whether the mobile robot is in an autonomous movement mode or a user operation mode when the mobile robot 100 is on standby. The present disclosure provides a control system, control method, and non-transitory storage medium that allow people around a mobile robot that is autonomously movable and operable by a user to visually see and easily determine whether the mobile robot is in the autonomous movement mode or the user operation mode when the mobile robot is on standby. One aspect of the present disclosure provides a control system. The control system is configured to perform system control for controlling a system including a mobile robot that is autonomously movable and operable by a user. The mobile robot includes at least one light-emitting unit. The system control includes mode switch control of switching between an autonomous movement mode in which the mobile robot is moved autonomously and a user operation mode in which the mobile robot is moved based on a movement operation that is performed by the user, and light emission control of controlling the light-emitting unit to emit light in different light emission patterns associated with a plurality of predetermined conditions. The light emission control includes controlling the light-emitting unit to emit light in different light emission patterns, for at least one of the predetermined conditions, depending on whether the mobile robot is in the autonomous movement mode or the user operation mode. According to the control system with such a configuration, the mobile robot that is autonomously movable and operable by the user allows people around the mobile robot to visually see and easily determine whether the mobile robot is in the autonomous movement mode or in the user operation mode when the mobile robot is on standby. In autonomous movement control, the mobile robot can be controlled to move autonomously using a learning model obtained through machine learning. In the control system of the above aspect, at least one of the predetermined conditions may be a recommendation condition that is predetermined condition for recommending the movement operation or a non-recommendation condition that is a predetermined condition for not recommending the movement operation. With such a configuration, the control system can make a notification recommending the movement operation to be performed by the user or a notification not recommending the movement operation to be performed by the user visible to the people around the mobile robot. In the control system of the above aspect, the recommendation condition may include a condition for recommending an operation to switch from the autonomous movement mode to the user operation mode, and the non-recommendation condition may include a condition for not recommending the operation to switch from the autonomous movement mode to the user operation mode. With such a configuration, the control system can make a notification recommending switching to the user operation mode or a notification not recommending switching to the user operation mode visible to the people around the mobile robot. In the control system of the above aspect, the at least one light-emitting unit may include a first light-emitting unit provided on or around an operation unit configured to receive the movement operation, at least one of the predetermined conditions may be the recommendation condition, and at least the first light-emitting unit may be controlled to emit light in the light emission pattern associated with the recommendation condition. With such a configuration, the control system can present a notification recommending an operation to be performed on the operation unit at a position easily visible from an operation position and its surroundings, and can make the notification visible to the people around the mobile robot such as an operator. In the control system of the above aspect, the at least one light-emitting unit may include a first light-emitting unit provided on or around an operation unit configured to receive the movement operation, and a second light-emitting unit provided at a position away from the first light-emitting unit, at least one of the predetermined conditions may be the recommendation condition, and the second light-emitting unit may be controlled to emit light in the light emission pattern associated with a predetermined condi