WO2023139692A1 - Cleaning management device and cleaning management method - Google Patents

Abstract

A CPU (41) generates a priority area map (140) in which a people flow map (130) is superimposed on a cleaning area map (120). The cleaning area map (120) shows a plurality of areas obtained by dividing an area to be cleaned into units to be cleaned by a cleaning robot (10). The people flow map (130) shows people flow information (101) of the area to be cleaned. The CPU (41) determines the cleaning priority levels of the plurality of areas on the basis of information set in the priority area map (140). The CPU (41) determines, according to the cleaning priority levels, the areas among the plurality of areas that can be cleaned up within a specified time, as instruction areas that the cleaning robot (10) is to be instructed to clean.

Description

Cleaning management device and cleaning management method

The present disclosure relates to a cleaning management device and cleaning management method, and more particularly to a cleaning management device and cleaning management method for managing cleaning work of an area to be cleaned by an autonomous mobile cleaning robot.

For example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2020-98404 (Patent Document 1) discloses an autonomous vacuum cleaner. This autonomous vacuum cleaner stores an environmental map of a cleaning location, divides the cleaning location on the environmental map to generate a plurality of divided cleaning locations, and is configured to be able to efficiently move between small areas.

JP 2020-98404 A

　When performing automatic cleaning by the autonomous mobile cleaning robot as described above, it is necessary to perform it during times when there are few building users (for example, at night). However, in a building where many cleaning robots cannot be placed, cleaning of the cleaning target area may not be completed within such a limited time. In this case, if cleaning is not completed in places that are easily visible to building users, it is likely to lead to complaints from building users.

The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and the purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a cleaning management device and a cleaning management method that can reduce dissatisfaction of building users due to insufficient cleaning in the cleaning target area.

A cleaning management device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a device that manages cleaning work of an area to be cleaned by an autonomous mobile cleaning robot. The cleaning management device includes a processor and memory that stores a program executed by the processor. The processor generates a priority area map by superimposing the people flow map on the cleaning area map. The cleaning area map indicates a plurality of areas in which the cleaning target area is divided into units to be cleaned by the cleaning robot. The people flow map shows people flow information in the area to be cleaned. The processor determines cleaning priorities in the multiple areas based on information set in the priority area map. The processor determines an area to be cleaned within a specified time from among the plurality of areas as an instruction area for giving a cleaning instruction to the cleaning robot, according to the cleaning priority.

A cleaning management method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a cleaning management method for managing cleaning work of an area to be cleaned by an autonomously mobile cleaning robot. The cleaning management method includes generating a priority area map by superimposing a people flow map on a cleaning area map. The cleaning area map indicates a plurality of areas in which the cleaning target area is divided into units to be cleaned by the cleaning robot. The people flow map shows people flow information in the area to be cleaned. The cleaning management method further includes a step of determining cleaning priorities in a plurality of areas based on information set in the priority area map, and a step of determining, according to the cleaning priorities, an area among the plurality of areas that will be cleaned within a specified time as an instruction area for giving cleaning instructions to the cleaning robot.

According to the present disclosure, the cleaning robot can clean areas with high priority for building users within a specified time. As a result, dissatisfaction of building users due to insufficient cleaning in the cleaning target area can be reduced.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a cleaning system to which a cleaning management device according to an embodiment is applied; FIG. It is a figure which shows the hardware constitutions of a server. It is a figure which shows the structural example of a cleaning system. It is a figure explaining the generation procedure of an instruction|indication area map. It is a figure which shows a floor-surface basic drawing. It is a figure which shows a cleaning area map. It is a figure which shows a people flow map. It is a figure which shows a priority area map. It is a figure which shows a priority area table|surface. It is a figure which shows an area table. It is a figure which shows a cleaning speed table|surface. It is a figure explaining the cleaning time in an area table. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which an area has been selected; FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining determination of designated areas in an area table; It is a figure which shows an instruction|indication area map. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure of processing executed by a server; FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a procedure of designated area determination processing executed by a server according to a modification; FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same or corresponding parts in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a cleaning system to which a cleaning management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is applied. The cleaning system is a system for cleaning the floor 20 (floor surface) inside the building 100 .

With reference to FIG. 1, the cleaning system includes a cleaning robot 10, a plurality of wireless communication devices 30-1, 30-2, 30-3 . The server 40 corresponds to an embodiment of a "cleaning management device". The server 40 is a device that manages the cleaning work of the cleaning target area by the cleaning robot 10 .

The cleaning robot 10 is an autonomous mobile vacuum cleaner. The cleaning robot 10 is equipped with a battery, and can run on the floor 20 to be cleaned using electric power stored in the battery. The cleaning robot 10 can clean the floor 20 using the cleaning members while moving autonomously.

A wireless communication device 11 is provided in the cleaning robot 10 . The wireless communication device 11 transmits a signal for detecting the position of the cleaning robot 10 using, for example, a communication method conforming to the BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy, "Bluetooth" is a registered trademark) communication standard. Instead of the BLE communication standard, a communication method conforming to the UWB (Ultra Wide Band) communication standard or the like may be used. In addition, the wireless communication device 11 uses a communication method conforming to a wireless communication standard such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), for example, to transmit an ID for identifying the cleaning robot 10, a signal indicating the start/end of cleaning by the cleaning robot 10, etc. to the server 40.

The wireless communication devices 30-1, 30-2, 30-3, . The position of the cleaning robot 10 on the floor 20 can be measured from the reception strength of each wireless communication device 30 . The wireless communication device 30 outputs the reception strength of the signal received from the cleaning robot 10 to the server 40 . Wireless communication device 30 may be installed on a wall.

The camera 32 is arranged, for example, on the ceiling 35 and images the interior of the building 100 including the floor 20 . The camera 32 outputs data representing the captured image to the server 40 . The number of cameras 32 is not limited. Alternatively, the camera 32 may be installed on the wall.

The wireless communication device 30 uses the same communication standard as the wireless communication device 24 mounted on the mobile object 22 used in the building 100 to receive the signal transmitted from the mobile object 22 and detect its reception strength. The moving body 22 is a so-called wheelbarrow used for carrying luggage, and is composed of a basket for loading the luggage, wheels, a handle, and the like. In this example, a person 25 is using the mobile object 22 .

The wireless communicator 24 is attached, for example, to a basket or handle. The wireless communication device 24 transmits a signal for detecting the position of the mobile object 22 using, for example, a communication method conforming to the BLE communication standard. A communication method conforming to the UWB communication standard or the like may be used instead of the BLE communication standard. The wireless communication device 30 outputs the reception strength of the signal received from the wireless communication device 24 to the server 40 .

The camera 32 images the inside of the building 100 including the floor 20. An image captured by the camera 32 includes an image of a person 26 passing through the building 100 . The camera 32 outputs data representing the captured image to the server 40 .

As will be described later, in this example, the wireless communication device 30 is used to detect the movement trajectory of the person 25 (the mobile body 22) using the mobile body 22, and the camera 32 is used to detect the movement trajectory of the person 26. Note that the camera 32 may be used to detect the movement trajectories of the person 25 and the person 26 . Also, any device may be used as long as it can identify the movement trajectories of the people 25 and 26 .

The server 40 (CPU 41) identifies the cleaning range on the floor 20. The server 40 is configured to determine a high-priority cleaning area on the floor 20 according to a procedure to be described later, and to determine a high-priority cleaning area whose cleaning is completed within a specified period (specified time) as an instruction area (cleaning range) for giving a cleaning instruction to the cleaning robot 10. Then, the server 40 transmits data indicating the determined designated area (cleaning range) to the cleaning robot 10 .

The terminal 60 is a terminal used by the administrator 27. A manager 27 manages a building 100 including the cleaning robot 10 . The terminal 60 is, for example, a smart phone, a tablet terminal, a notebook computer, or the like. The server 40 can be logged in from the terminal 60, and is wirelessly connected to the terminal 60 via a network.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the server 40. As shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 2, the server 40 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 41, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 42, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 43, an I/F (Interface) device 44, a storage device 45, and a display device 46 as a display unit. The CPU 41 , RAM 42 , ROM 43 , I/F device 44 , storage device 45 and display device 46 exchange various data through a communication bus 47 . In the present embodiment, the RAM 42, ROM 43 and storage device 45 are also collectively referred to as "memory".

The CPU 41 expands the program stored in the ROM 43 to the RAM 42 and executes it. Programs stored in the ROM 43 describe processes to be executed by the server 40 .

The I/F device 44 is an input/output device for exchanging signals and data with the wireless communication device 30, the camera 32 and the cleaning robot 10. The I/F device 44 receives from each wireless communication device 30 the reception strength of the signal received by the wireless communication device 30 . Also, the I/F device 44 receives data representing the captured image from the camera 32 . Further, the I/F device 44 receives an ID for identifying the cleaning robot 10, a signal indicating the start/end of cleaning by the cleaning robot 10, and the like from the cleaning robot 10 using a communication method conforming to a wireless communication standard such as LTE.

The storage device 45 is a storage that stores various information, such as information on the cleaning robot 10, information on the floor 20 (floor material information, etc.), position information and movement history (trajectory), etc. of the cleaning robot 10. The storage device 45 is, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD: Hard Disk Drive), a solid state drive (SSD: Solid State Drive), or the like. The display device 46 displays various information. The display device 46 is, for example, a liquid crystal display or display.

As with the server 40, the terminal 60 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a storage unit, and a communication I/F, and is connected to the server 40 via the communication I/F. The terminal 60 also includes an input unit for receiving input from the user (administrator 27) and a display unit for displaying various information. The input unit is, for example, a keyboard, mouse, or touch panel. The display unit is, for example, a liquid crystal display or display.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a cleaning system. Referring to FIG. 3 , cleaning robot 10 includes wireless communication device 11 , camera 12 , control section 13 , drive section 14 , battery 15 and cleaning member 16 .

　The wireless communication device 11 transmits a signal for detecting the position of the cleaning robot 10, for example, using a communication method conforming to the BLE communication standard, as described in FIG. In addition, the wireless communication device 11 uses, for example, a communication method conforming to a wireless communication standard such as LTE to transmit various kinds of information to the server 40, such as an ID for identifying the cleaning robot 10, a cleaning start signal indicating the start of cleaning by the cleaning robot 10, and a cleaning end signal indicating the end of cleaning.

The camera 12 captures an image of the surroundings of the cleaning robot 10 and outputs the captured image to the control unit 13 . Instead of the camera 12, a laser rangefinder or the like that measures the distance between the cleaning robot 10 and an object existing around the cleaning robot 10 may be provided.

The control unit 13 controls the start and end of cleaning by the cleaning robot 10 . Based on the captured image from the camera 12 and the designated area (cleaning range), the control unit 13 controls the driving unit 14 and the cleaning member 16 so that the cleaning robot 10 performs cleaning while moving autonomously.

The driving unit 14 generates driving force for the cleaning robot 10 to run. Drive unit 14 includes, for example, wheels for moving cleaning robot 10 and motors for driving the wheels. The drive unit 14 (motor) can operate by receiving power supply from the battery 15 . The battery 15 supplies power for operating the drive unit 14 and other devices of the cleaning robot 10 .

The cleaning member 16 is provided on the bottom surface of the cleaning robot 10 and is a member for sucking dust from the floor 20 (floor surface). The cleaning member 16 includes, for example, a suction port, an air blower for sucking dust from the suction port, a rotating brush provided at the suction port, and a motor for driving the rotating brush.

Referring to FIG. 3, server 40 includes an input unit 52, a control unit 50, a storage device 45, an output unit 54, and a display device 46.

The input unit 52 is connected to the wireless communication device 30 and the camera 32 (these are also referred to as "identifying units"). The identifying unit identifies movement of people in the cleaning target area. As described above, the wireless communication device 30 outputs to the server 40 the reception strength of the signal received from the wireless communication device 24 mounted on the mobile object 22 used in the building 100 . In addition, the camera 32 outputs to the server 40 data representing a captured image including an image of the person 26 passing through the building 100 . The input unit 52 receives a signal indicating the reception intensity detected by the wireless communication device 30 and data indicating an image captured by the camera 32 and transfers the received signal to the control unit 50 .

The control unit 50 generates a people flow map 130, which will be described later, from these pieces of information, and finally generates a designated area map 160. In addition to these maps, the storage device 45 stores a floor basic map 110, a cleaning area map 120, and the like, which will be described later. The display device 46 can display these.

The control unit 50 converts the created designated area map 160 into coordinate data, and transmits the generated coordinate data to the cleaning robot 10 via the output unit 54 .

In the cleaning robot 10 , the wireless communication device 11 transfers the coordinate data received from the server 40 to the control section 13 . The control unit 13 controls the driving unit 14 and the cleaning members 16 so that the cleaning robot 10 performs cleaning while autonomously moving according to the cleaning range (designated area) indicated by the coordinate data.

The generation of various maps will be described in detail below using FIG. 4 and subsequent figures. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the procedure for generating the designated area map 160. As shown in FIG. The storage device 45 stores a floor basic map 110, a cleaning area map 120, people flow information 101, a people flow map 130, a priority area map 140, a priority area table 210, a cleaning speed table 211, an area table 220, an instruction area map 160, and the like.

The server 40 (control unit 50) generates the cleaning area map 120 from the floor basic map 110. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a floor basic drawing 110. As shown in FIG. The floor basic drawing 110 is stored in advance in the storage device 45 .

As shown in FIG. 5, the basic floor plan 110 schematically shows a plan view of the floor 20 in the building 100 (in this embodiment, a commercial facility such as a shopping mall) viewed from the ceiling. The floor 20 is a cleaning target area that can be cleaned by the cleaning robot 10 .

The building 100 is provided with multiple entrances for the person 26 or the mobile object 22 (used by the person 25) to enter and exit the building, and an elevator for the person 26 or the mobile object 22 to move upstairs or downstairs. A plurality of stores 310 are also installed on the floor 20 . Note that the building 100 is not limited to a commercial facility, and may be a factory, an office, or the like. Store 310 may also be a workshop, conference room, or some other facility.

The storage device 45 stores information (floor material information) on floor materials for each floor. Floor materials include, for example, floor tiles, cushion floors, floorings, and carpets. Floor tiles are made of polyvinyl chloride, ceramic, or the like. The cushion floor is a sheet-like floor material made of vinyl chloride resin. Flooring is a floor material using wood. A carpet is a floor covering whose surface is formed of a pile of bundles of fibers. The storage device 45 also stores the color of the floor (for example, white).

The server 40 uses the acquired floor material information to determine whether the floor material of the floor 20 is made of a raised material (also referred to as a "raised material"). For example, if the flooring is carpet, the server 40 determines that the flooring is made of raised material. On the other hand, if the floor material is made of tiles, cushion floors, or flooring, the server 40 determines that the floor material is not made of raised material (also referred to as "non-raised material").

The server 40 distinguishes between areas where the flooring material is raised material (area of raised material 330) and areas where flooring material is non-raised material (area other than raised material 330). In addition, the floor basic drawing 110 holds information on the color of the floor as internal information in addition to the material of the floor. In this example, it is assumed that the color of the floor can also be confirmed in the floor basic drawing 110 according to the user's instruction.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the cleaning area map 120. FIG. A plurality of areas are indicated on the cleaning area map 120 . The plurality of areas are areas to be cleaned divided into units to be cleaned by the cleaning robot 10 .

These multiple areas are divided based on the distance from the doorway leading to the outdoors, the material of the floor to be cleaned, the movement path of the cleaning robot 10, and the required cleaning time. This division may be performed by the manager 27 so that the cleaning robot 10 can easily perform the cleaning work. A cleaning area map 120 is created based on the divided areas.

Specifically, the area to be cleaned is divided according to whether it is close to or far from the entrance, and whether the floor material is raised or non-raised. Furthermore, the areas to be cleaned may be classified according to the color of the floor. At this time, the area to be cleaned is divided into areas to be cleaned in consideration of the movement path of the cleaning robot 10 so that the movement of the cleaning robot 10 is straight and at right angles as much as possible (for example, the area is divided into rectangles instead of ovals). This is because, although the cleaning robot 10 is good at traveling in a straight line, an error is likely to occur in the position control of the cleaning robot 10 when traveling in a curved line.

In addition, areas to be cleaned are divided so that the cleaning time for each area (also referred to as "required cleaning time") is about several minutes (for example, 5 minutes). This is because if the cleaning time is lengthened, it becomes difficult to specify how far the cleaning is completed in the area being cleaned (management of the cleaning completed area) when the cleaning of the cleaning robot 10 is stopped halfway due to a failure, accident, power failure, or the like.

In the cleaning area map 120 of FIG. 6, the cleaning target area is divided into a plurality of areas a to z and aa. Here, areas c, o, g, and w are set as areas near the entrance. Areas h, i, l to n, q, and t are set as areas where the material of the floor is raised material.

In addition, the cleaning area map 120 holds information on the color of the floor in addition to the material of the floor as internal information, and the color of the floor can be confirmed in the cleaning area map 120 according to the user's instruction. Each area is divided so that cleaning is completed in about several minutes (for example, 5 minutes) and the operation of the cleaning robot 10 is linear and perpendicular.

The administrator 27 displays the floor basic map 110 on the display device 46 of the server 40 or the screen of the terminal 60, divides the cleaning target area into a plurality of areas, and registers them. The server 40 generates a map divided into a plurality of areas as the cleaning area map 120. FIG.

Returning to FIG. 4, the server 40 (control unit 50) generates people flow information 101 based on information from the camera 32 and the wireless communication device 24. Furthermore, the server 40 generates a people flow map 130 based on the people flow information 101 . The people flow map 130 shows the people flow information 101 in the area to be cleaned.

The server 40 measures the position of the mobile object 22 (used by the person 25) on the floor 20 from the reception strength of the wireless communication device 24. The server 40 also measures the position of the person 26 on the floor 20 from the captured image using a known image analysis technique.

The server 40 detects the movement trajectory of the mobile object 22 and the person 26 based on the measurement results of the positions of the mobile object 22 and the person 26 and stores this as the people flow information 101 in the storage device 45 . The server 40 generates a people flow map 130 representing the flow of people (people flow) on the floor 20 using the detected movement trajectories of the moving bodies 22 and people 26 (people flow information 101).

Specifically, the server 40 extracts the person 26 from the captured image using a known image analysis technique, and measures the chronological change in the position of the extracted person 26, thereby detecting the movement of the person 26 on the floor 20. In addition, the server 40 measures the position of the mobile object 22 based on the reception strength of the signal received from the wireless communication device 24 of the mobile object 22, and measures the chronological change in the measured position of the mobile object 22, thereby detecting the movement of the mobile object 22 on the floor 20. Then, the server 40 stores the flow of movement of the detected person 26 and moving body 22 as the people flow information 101 . Then, a people flow map 130 is generated using the people flow information 101 . The server 40 stores the generated people flow map 130 in the storage device 45 .

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a people flow map 130. FIG. Similar to FIG. 5, FIG. 7 schematically shows a plan view of the floor 20 in the building 100 viewed from the ceiling. A thick line (also referred to as “people flow”) 320 in FIG. A line (people flow) 320 represents how a person 26 or vehicle 22 moves between a doorway, an elevator and a store 310 .

Returning to FIG. 4, the server 40 generates a priority area map 140 based on the cleaning area map 120 and the people flow map 130. The priority area map 140 is a map obtained by superimposing the people flow map 130 on the cleaning area map 120 . The server 40 stores the generated priority area map 140 in the storage device 45 .

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a priority area map 140. FIG. A priority area map 140 is generated by superimposing lines (people flow) 320 of a people flow map 130 on a cleaning area map 120 divided into a plurality of areas.

Returning to FIG. 4, the server 40 generates an area table 220 based on the priority area map 140, the priority area table 210, and the cleaning speed table 211. The server 40 stores the generated area table 220 in the storage device 45 .

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the priority area table 210. FIG. The priority area table 210 is a table for determining cleaning priority (also simply referred to as "priority"). The cleaning priority is indicated by a numerical value, and the smaller the numerical value, the higher the cleaning priority.

In a building such as a shopping mall, when performing automatic cleaning by the above-described autonomous mobile cleaning robot 10, it is necessary to specify a cleaning range (also referred to as "instruction area") in which cleaning can be completed within a specified time. In particular, it is necessary to efficiently perform cleaning work within a limited period of time, such as when there is no traffic (for example, at night), so it is necessary to determine the cleaning range (designated area) so as to focus on cleaning important parts for building users. An important part for building users is, for example, a place where dirt such as dust tends to accumulate or a place where dirt such as dust is likely to be conspicuous, where complaints from building users are likely to occur frequently.

When people walk, dirt on their shoes and dust on their clothes fall onto the floor, making it easy to get dirty. In other words, there is a feature that dirt tends to accumulate in places where there is a large flow of people. In addition, the closer to the doorway, the easier it is for dust to fall on the floor and the easier it is for dirt to accumulate. If the floor material is a raised material such as a carpet, dirt is less noticeable, but if the floor material is a non-raised material (such as stone), the dirt becomes more noticeable. When the color of the floor is white, stains are easily conspicuous, but when the floor color is a color other than white (such as gray, which is an intermediate color between white and black), stains are less noticeable. In the present embodiment, "white" is exemplified as a color in which dirt is easily conspicuous, but the color is not limited to this, and any color (for example, a light color close to white, etc.) that makes dirt easily noticeable to building users may be used.

In the present embodiment, as described above, areas important to building users (places where dirt such as dust tends to accumulate or places where dirt such as dust tends to stand out) are configured to have higher cleaning priority.

The server 40 determines cleaning priorities in multiple areas based on the information set in the priority area map 140 . The server 40 determines an area to be cleaned within a specified time among the plurality of areas as an instruction area (cleaning range) for giving a cleaning instruction to the cleaning robot 10 according to the cleaning priority. The output unit 54 transmits cleaning instructions to the cleaning robot 10 . On the display device 46 of the server 40 or the screen of the terminal 60, it is possible to display a designated area map 160 in which the designated area is reflected on the cleaning area map 120. FIG.

The server 40 determines the cleaning priority based on the distance from the entrance, the color of the floor, the material of the floor, and the people flow information 101. Specifically, the priority area table 210 defines the priority area table 210 so that the cleaning priority is higher when the area is near the entrance, when the floor color is white, when the floor material is made of non-raised material, and when there is a large flow of people. The values in the priority area table 210 may be appropriately changed by the administrator 27 depending on the characteristics of the building.

In the priority area table 210, values are defined according to the conspicuousness of stains due to the floor color. If the floor color is "white", 1 is set. If the floor color is "other than white" (for example, gray), 1.5 is set. When the floor color is "white", it is recognized that stains are more conspicuous than when the floor color is "non-white", so a smaller value is set (higher priority).

In the priority area table 210, values are defined according to the conspicuousness of stains due to floor materials. If the floor material is "non-raised (non-raised material)", 1 is set. If the floor material is "raised (raised material)", 2 is set. When the floor material is "non-raised", it is recognized that dirt is more conspicuous than when the floor material is "raised", and a small value is set (higher priority).

In the priority area table 210, values are defined according to the proximity to the entrance/exit. 1 is set when it is close to the entrance, 3 is set when it is far from the entrance, and 2 is set when it is in the middle. That is, the closer to the entrance, the smaller the value is set (the higher the priority).

In the priority area table 210, values are defined according to the flow of people. 1 is set when the flow of people is high, 3 is set when the flow of people is low, and 2 is set when the flow of people is moderate. That is, the larger the flow of people, the smaller the value is set (the higher the priority).

It should be noted that the setting of the priority area table 210 described above is merely an example. Any method may be used as long as the priority is high when it is assumed that the dirt is conspicuous from the viewpoint of the building users. As for floor colors, it is also possible to prepare a plurality of floor colors in which stains are conspicuous, and to set a numerical value for each color. Also, for floor materials, numerical values may be set according to classification methods other than "raised" and "non-raised" (for example, surface gloss, etc.).

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the area table 220. As shown in FIG. The area table 220 defines the area (m ² ) corresponding to each area, conspicuousness of dirt due to floor color, conspicuousness of dirt due to floor material, proximity to the entrance/exit, flow of people, and cleaning priority (priority).

Each value (priority, etc.) in the area table 220 is calculated by applying the information of the priority area table 210 (see FIG. 9) set and registered in advance to the information of each area read from the priority area map 140 (see FIG. 8).

For example, from the size of each area in the priority area map 140, the area of area a=20.00 m ² , the area of area b=45.48 m ² , and the area of area c=42.36 m ² are calculated. Each area may be set and registered by the administrator 27 when dividing into a plurality of areas, or may be automatically calculated from the drawing information of the cleaning area map 120 .

From the setting of the floor color of each area set in the priority area map 140 and the priority area table 210, in the area table 220, the conspicuousness of stains due to the floor color is set. In the priority area map 140, the floor color of the areas a to e is set to white, so based on the priority area table 210, the conspicuousness of dirt due to the floor color is set to 1.0. In the priority area map 140, the floor colors of the areas f to i are set to colors other than white.

Based on the setting of the floor material for each area set in the priority area map 140 and the priority area table 210, in the area table 220, the conspicuousness of dirt due to the floor material is calculated. In the priority area map 140, the floor materials in the areas a to g are set to the non-raised material, so based on the priority area table 210, the conspicuousness of dirt due to the floor material is set to 1. In the priority area map 140, the floor materials in the areas h and i are set to the raised material, so based on the priority area table 210, the conspicuousness of dirt due to the floor material is set to 2.

The proximity to the entrance/exit is set in the area table 220 from the proximity of each area to the entrance/exit in the priority area map 140 and the priority area table 210 . For example, in the priority area map 140, 1 is set for area c because it is close to the entrance, 3 is set for area a because it is far from the entrance, and 2 is set for area b because it is somewhere in between.

The people flow is set in the area table 220 from the people flow of each area in the priority area map 140 and the priority area table 210 . For example, in the priority area map 140, 3 is set in area a because there is no flow of people at all, 1 is set in area c because there are frequent people coming and going at the entrance (because there are many trajectories by line (flow of people) 320), and 2 is set in area b because it is moderate.

The area (m ² ) corresponding to each area, the conspicuousness of dirt due to the floor color, the conspicuousness of dirt due to the floor material, the proximity to the entrance and exit, and the flow of people calculated or set as described above are set in the area table 220.

In addition, the cleaning priority (priority) is calculated from the conspicuousness of dirt due to the floor color corresponding to each area, the conspicuousness of dirt due to the floor material, the proximity to the entrance and exit, and the flow of people. Specifically, the priority is calculated from the formula: how conspicuous the stain is due to the color of the floor x how conspicuous the stain is due to the floor material x proximity to the entrance x number of people.

For example, in area a, the conspicuity of dirt due to floor color = 1.0, the conspicuity of dirt due to floor material = 1, the proximity to the doorway = 3, and the flow of people = 3. Therefore, the priority of area a is calculated as 1×1×3×3=9. Similarly, the priority of area b is calculated as 1×1×2×2=4. Similarly, the priority of area c=1×1×1×1=1. The priority calculated as described above is set in the area table 220 .

It should be noted that the above method of calculating the cleaning priority is just an example. The cleaning priority may be calculated by multiplying each value as described above, the cleaning priority may be calculated by adding each value, or the cleaning priority may be calculated by other methods.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the cleaning speed table 211. As shown in FIG. The cleaning speed table 211 sets the cleaning speed (minutes/m ² ) of the cleaning robot 10 corresponding to the floor material. The cleaning speed table 211 is pre-stored in the storage device 45 . As shown in FIG. 11, when the floor material is a non-raised material, the cleaning speed of the cleaning robot 10 is 0.10 min/m ² . When the floor material is raised material, the cleaning speed of the cleaning robot 10 is 0.14 min/m ² .

FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the cleaning time (required cleaning time) in the area table 220a. The server 40 calculates the required cleaning time for each of the plurality of areas using the material of the floor and the area of the floor. The server 40 determines the designated area so that the cumulative value of the required cleaning time, which takes into consideration the travel time between areas, is within the specified time when the cleaning robot 10 performs cleaning in order of cleaning priority.

Here, first, the area table 220 (see FIG. 10) is rearranged in descending order of priority to form an area table 220a. Here, "high priority" means that the priority value is small.

For example, since the priority of area c is 1 and has the highest priority, the data of area c is the first. Since the priority of the area g is 3, which is the second highest priority, the data of the area c is the second. Thus, in the area table 220a, the data are rearranged in the order of areas c, g, b, d, f, a, e, h and i.

Next, using the area of the area table 220 (220a) and the cleaning speed table 211, the cleaning time (minutes) is obtained. For example, since the area of area c is 42.36 m ² and the floor material is non-raised material, cleaning time for area c = 4.24 (minutes) (= 42.36 (area) x 0.10 (cleaning speed with non-raised material)) is calculated. Similarly, cleaning time for area g=2.12 minutes (=21.22×0.10), cleaning time for area b=4.55 minutes (=45.48×0.10), etc. are calculated. The calculated cleaning time is set in the area table 220. FIG. Note that the cumulative time will be described later with reference to FIG. 14 .

Returning to FIG. 4, the server 40 generates the designated area map 160 when an area is selected by the administrator 27 in the area table 220 . The server 40 stores the generated designated area map 160 in the storage device 45 .

The administrator 27 can display the cleaning area map 120 (see FIG. 6) on the display device 46 of the server 40 or the screen of the terminal 60. Then, an area to be cleaned can be narrowed down by selecting an area from among the displayed areas a to z and aa. Alternatively, a priority area map 140 (see FIG. 8) may be displayed to select an area.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which an area has been selected. For example, assume that the manager 27 has selected areas a to i as objects to be cleaned. As shown in FIG. 13, only the selected areas a to i are displayed on the cleaning area map 120a. The selected areas a to i and the cleaning area map 120 are registered in the storage device 45 . Note that if all areas are to be cleaned without the manager 27 narrowing down the areas, there is no need to execute the area selection procedure.

FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining determination of designated areas in the area table 220b. The area table 220b lists the areas a to i selected above.

Then, the accumulated cleaning time is calculated when cleaning is performed in order from the area with the highest priority. Cumulative time when cleaning area c = 4.24 minutes, cumulative time when cleaning areas c and g = 6.36 minutes (=4.24 + 2.12), cumulative time when cleaning areas c, g and b = 10.91 ( = 4.24 + 2.12 + 4.55), etc. are calculated. The calculated cleaning time and accumulated time are set in the area table 220b.

Furthermore, among these multiple areas, an area that will be cleaned within a specified time is determined as an instruction area for giving a cleaning instruction to the cleaning robot 10 . Here, the specified time is the time specified by the administrator 27 .

In this example, it is assumed that 2:40 to 3:00 is set as the specified time. In this case, 20 minutes from 2:40 to 3:00 is set as the allowable cleaning time.

Specifically, in the area table 220b, an area whose cumulative time is within 20 minutes (permissible cleaning time) is determined as the designated area. In this example, the cleaning time is 19.49 minutes when the cleaning of the area a is completed, and the cleaning time is 22.97 minutes when the cleaning of the area e is completed. Therefore, the areas c, g, b, d, f, and a that will be cleaned within the allowable cleaning time (20 minutes) are determined as designated areas.

When the designated area is determined, if the areas to be cleaned are not adjacent to each other (they are stepping stones), the allowable cleaning time is determined taking into account the movement time of the cleaning robot 10 . For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the selected areas a to i are not stepping stone areas and are adjacent to each other. In such a case, it is not necessary to consider the movement time of the cleaning robot 10 in determining the cleaning permissible time (the cleaning permissible time is set at 20 minutes).

On the other hand, for example, in FIG. 13, assume that area d is not selected and areas c and e are not adjacent (stepping stones). In this case, when trying to clean area e after cleaning area c, it takes extra time to move from area c to area e.

Therefore, when moving from area c to area e, the time required to pass area d is subtracted from the cleaning permissible time, and this is set as a new cleaning permissible time. The moving speed when the cleaning robot 10 does not clean is 0.3 m/sec. Assume that the moving distance from area c to area e is 6 m. In this case, the time to pass through area d is 0.3 m/sec.times.6 m=1.8 sec. In this case, the new allowable cleaning time is 19 minutes and 58.2 seconds obtained by subtracting 1.8 seconds from the allowable cleaning time of 20 minutes. Note that the cleaning work may be performed in order from the edge of the designated area, or may be performed in order of priority.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a designated area map 160. FIG. The server 40 generates a designated area map 160 reflecting the determined designated area. As shown in FIG. 15, in the above example, areas a to d, f, and g determined as designated areas are reflected on the designated area map 160 (areas e, h, and i are not displayed).

The server 40 stores the generated designated area map 160 in the storage device 45 . The server 40 also outputs the generated designated area map 160 . Specifically, the designated area map 160 can be displayed on the display device 46 of the server 40 or the screen of the terminal 60 . Thereby, the administrator 27 can confirm the designated area map 160 .

Also, the server 40 transmits the determined instruction area to the cleaning robot 10 . In the above example, the cleaning robot 10 is notified of the information on the designated designated areas a to d, f, and g. Thereby, the cleaning robot 10 cleans the designated area at the specified time. In this example, designated areas a to d, f, and g are cleaned at designated times 2:40 to 3:00.

Next, the processing executed by the server 40 will be explained using a flowchart. FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure of processing executed by the server 40. As shown in FIG. A series of processes shown in this flowchart are executed for each floor. This processing corresponds to the processing described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 15 above.

First, in S101, the server 40 acquires the floor basic map 110 (see FIG. 5). In S102, the server 40 generates a cleaning area map 120 (see FIG. 6) based on the basic floor drawing 110. FIG.

The server 40 acquires information from the camera 32 and the wireless communication device 30 in S103. The server 40 generates the people flow information 101 based on the information from the camera 32 and the wireless communication device 30 in S104. The server 40 generates a people flow map 130 (see FIG. 7) based on the people flow information 101 in S105.

The server 40 generates a priority area map 140 (see FIG. 8) from the cleaning area map 120 and the people flow map 130 in S106.

The server 40 acquires the priority area table 210 (see FIG. 9) and the cleaning speed table 211 (see FIG. 11) in S107. The server 40 generates area tables 220, 220a and 220b (see FIGS. 10, 12 and 14) based on the priority area map 140, the priority area table 210 and the cleaning speed table 211 in S108. This determines the cleaning priority, cleaning time and accumulated time.

In S109, the server 40 determines the designated area based on the area selected by the administrator 27 (see FIG. 13) and the area tables 220, 220a, and 220b, and then generates the designated area map 160 (see FIG. 15). In the example of the present embodiment, areas a to d, f, and g that can be cleaned within a specified time (20 minutes from 2:40 to 3:00) are determined as designated areas, and this information is reflected in designated area map 160.

The server 40 outputs the designated area map 160 in S110. Thereby, the designated area map 160 can be displayed on the display device 46 of the server 40 or the screen of the terminal 60 . The server 40 outputs a cleaning instruction to the cleaning robot 10 in S111. Thereby, the cleaning robot 10 cleans the designated area at the specified time.

As described above, the server 40 determines an area with a high cleaning priority based on the distance from the entrance/exit, the material of the floor, and information on the flow of people, and determines an area with a high cleaning priority that will be cleaned within a specified time as an instruction area (cleaning range) for giving cleaning instructions to the cleaning robot 10.

In buildings where a large number of cleaning robots cannot be placed, cleaning of the cleaning target area may not be completed during a limited period of time, such as at night. In this case, if cleaning is not completed in places that are easily visible to building users, it is likely to lead to complaints from building users. For this reason, cleaning priority is given to places where complaints from building users are likely to occur frequently, such as places near entrances and exits where dirt tends to accumulate, places where there is a lot of traffic (dirt tends to accumulate and is easy to see), and places where floors are made of non-raised material or are white in color where dirt is easily noticeable. Since the cleaning robot 10 can clean an area with a high priority for building users within a specified time, it is possible to achieve the maximum cleaning effect within the specified time. As a result, dissatisfaction of building users due to insufficient cleaning in the cleaning target area can be reduced.

In the above-described embodiment, a method for specifying a cleaning range in a cleaning system that performs cleaning work by an autonomous mobile cleaning robot has been described, but the cleaning range specifying method according to the present disclosure can also be applied to a configuration that specifies a cleaning range for cleaning work performed by a worker. In this case, even if the work time is limited, the cleaning of the high priority area can be completed.

[Modification]
In the present embodiment, the indicated area is determined by setting the specified time to a time period during which there is no traffic at night (for example, 2:40 to 3:00). Since the cleaning robot 10 cannot clean while avoiding people, it is not appropriate to perform the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 during a time zone when people come and go.

For example, in a commercial building, during the hours after closing (for example, from 10:00 pm to 10:00 the following day), the hours when construction contractors are not carrying out renovation work, the hours when security guards are not guarding, and the hours when products are not being delivered can be set as designated hours. However, even in this case, there is a possibility that sufficient cleaning time cannot be secured due to schedules such as construction work after closing. On the other hand, even during business hours of commercial buildings, there are cases where there is almost no flow of people depending on the time zone and location. For this reason, this modified example is configured as follows.

The server 40 extracts cleanable information indicating the time zone and area in which the cleaning robot 10 can clean within the cleaning target area based on the usage information of the cleaning target area and the crowd flow information 101 . Then, the server 40 determines the designated area using the specified time outside business hours and the information on whether cleaning is possible during business hours. A specific description will be given below.

The designated area determination process according to this modification corresponds to the process of determining the designated area in S109 of FIG. FIG. 17 is a flow chart illustrating an example of the procedure of the instruction area determination process executed by the server 40 according to the modification.

When this process starts, the server 40 acquires a specified time outside business hours in S201. In principle, the present modification is the same as the situation described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 14, and only different points will be described below. In this modified example, it is assumed that the area is selected as shown in FIG. 13, and 15 minutes from 2:45 to 3:00 is set as the specified time outside business hours.

In S202, the server 40 acquires the usage information and the people flow information 101 of the area to be cleaned. The usage information is information set by the administrator 27 and includes business information of the store and the area including the store during business hours. For example, if all shops in the west area of floor 20 are closed, there are no customers in the west area, so it is determined that the west area can be cleaned during this period. Alternatively, the number of customers may be estimated from store characteristics. For example, if the store is a suit department and there is a tendency that there are almost no customers in the afternoon on weekdays, it may be determined that the surrounding area can be cleaned during this time period.

The people flow information 101 is the same information used to generate the people flow map. For example, in the people flow information displayed in FIG. 8, almost no people flow occurs in areas a, e, and f. The people flow information 101 may be acquired from all hours within business hours, or may be acquired from a specific time zone within business hours.

For example, if this people flow information 101 was obtained from 14:00 to 16:00, the cleaning time period is set to 14:00 to 16:00, and areas a, e, and f are determined as cleanable areas. Also, for example, a threshold may be set in the people flow data, and an area where the number of pedestrians per minute is less than 0.3 may be determined as an area that can be cleaned.

In S203, the server 40 extracts the time zone and area that can be cleaned within business hours as cleanable information. In the above example, areas a, e, and f from 14:00 to 16:00 are extracted as cleanable information.

In S204, the server 40 determines the designated area outside business hours. Here, description will be made with reference to FIG. 14 described above. First, in the area table of FIG. 14, areas extracted as cleanable information (areas a, e, and f in the above example) are excluded. In this modified example, since the specified time outside business hours is set to 15 minutes, areas a, e, and f are excluded, and areas c, g, b, and d that will be cleaned within 15 minutes (cumulative time: 14.73 minutes) are determined as specified areas outside business hours.

In S205, the server 40 determines the designated area within business hours, and terminates this process. In this modification, areas a, e, and f are determined as instruction areas outside business hours. Subsequent processing is the same as that of the flowchart described using FIG. 16 .

As a result, the cleaning robot 10, for example, cleans areas c, g, b, and d from 2:45 to 3:00 outside business hours, and cleans areas a, e, and f from 14:00 during business hours.

By configuring as described above, it is possible to clean a high priority area within a specified time, and automatically detect the cleaning possible fragmented time to clean a wider range of high priority areas. As a result, it is possible to further reduce dissatisfaction of building users due to insufficient cleaning in the cleaning target area.

The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The present invention is indicated by the scope of claims rather than the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the scope of the claims.

10 Cleaning robot, 11, 30 wireless communication device, 12, 32 camera, 13 control unit, 14 driving unit, 15 battery, 16 cleaning member, 20 floor, 22 moving body (wheelbarrow), 24 wireless communication device, 25, 26 people, 27 administrator, 35 ceiling, 40 server (cleaning management device), 41 CPU, 42 RAM, 43 ROM, 44 I/F Device, 45 storage device, 46 display device, 50 control unit, 52 input unit, 54 output unit, 60 terminal, 100 building, 101 people flow information, 110 floor basic map, 120, 120a cleaning area map, 130 people flow map, 140 priority area map, 160 instruction area map, 210 priority area table, 211 cleaning speed table, 220, 220a, 2 20b area table, 310 facility (store), 320 line (people flow), 330 brushed material.

Claims (9)

A cleaning management device for managing cleaning work of an area to be cleaned by an autonomous mobile cleaning robot,
a processor;
a memory that stores a program to be executed by the processor;
The processor generates a priority area map by superimposing a people flow map on a cleaning area map,
The cleaning area map indicates a plurality of areas in which the cleaning target area is divided into units to be cleaned by the cleaning robot,
The people flow map shows people flow information in the cleaning target area,
The processor
determining cleaning priorities in the plurality of areas based on information set in the priority area map;
A cleaning management device that determines, according to the cleaning priority, an area that is to be cleaned within a specified time, among the plurality of areas, as an instruction area for giving a cleaning instruction to the cleaning robot. a display unit for displaying a map in which the designated area is reflected in the cleaning area map;
2. The cleaning management device according to claim 1, further comprising an output unit that outputs said cleaning instruction to said cleaning robot. The cleaning management device according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of areas are divided based on the distance from the doorway leading to the outdoors, the material of the floor to be cleaned, the movement path of the cleaning robot, and the required cleaning time. The cleaning management device according to claim 3, wherein the processor determines the cleaning priority based on the distance from the entrance, the color of the floor, the material of the floor, and the information on the flow of people. When the distance from the doorway is a first distance, the cleaning priority is higher than when the distance from the doorway is a second distance that is longer than the first distance,
When the color of the floor is white, the cleaning priority is higher than when the color of the floor is a color other than white,
When the material of the floor is not a raised material, the cleaning priority is higher than when the material of the floor is a raised material,
5. The cleaning management device according to claim 4, wherein when a first person flow rate is set in said people flow information, said cleaning priority is higher than when a second person flow rate smaller than said first person flow rate is set. The processor
calculating the time required for cleaning each of the plurality of areas using the material of the floor and the area of the floor;
6. The cleaning management device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein when the cleaning robot performs cleaning in order of the cleaning priority, the designated area is determined so that the cumulative value of the required cleaning time, which takes into consideration the travel time between areas, is within the specified time. The processor
extracting cleanable information indicating a time period and an area within the cleaning target area that can be cleaned by the cleaning robot based on the usage information of the cleaning target area and the crowd flow information;
The cleaning management device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the designated area is determined using the designated time and the cleanable information. The cleaning management device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the people flow information is generated based on information acquired from a specifying unit that specifies the movement of people in the cleaning target area. A cleaning management method for managing cleaning work of an area to be cleaned by an autonomous mobile cleaning robot,
generating a priority area map by superimposing the people flow map on the cleaning area map;
The cleaning area map indicates a plurality of areas in which the cleaning target area is divided into units to be cleaned by the cleaning robot,
The people flow map shows people flow information in the cleaning target area,
determining a cleaning priority in the plurality of areas based on information set in the priority area map;
and determining, according to the cleaning priority, an area to be cleaned within a specified time, among the plurality of areas, as an instruction area for giving a cleaning instruction to the cleaning robot.

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