US 12,353,218 B2
Area recognition system, area recognition method, and program including magnetic members for recognizing a travel area of a robot
Yuta Itozawa, Nagoya (JP); and Kunihiro Iwamoto, Nagakute (JP)
Assigned to TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed by TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed on Apr. 18, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/302,353.
Claims priority of application No. 2022-080177 (JP), filed on May 16, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0367328 A1, Nov. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. G05D 1/02 (2020.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC G05D 1/0259 (2013.01) [G05D 1/0214 (2013.01); G05D 1/0223 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An area recognition system for recognizing a travel area of a robot, the area recognition system comprising:
a first magnetic member, a second magnetic member and a third magnetic member disposed between different travel areas, and arranged with respect to each other along a traveling direction of the robot, wherein the first magnetic member is disposed between the second magnetic member and the third magnetic member in the traveling direction of the robot, wherein
a polarity of the first magnetic member on an upper surface side thereof is a first magnetic pole, the first magnetic pole being one of an N-pole and an S-pole,
the polarity of each of the second magnetic member and the third magnetic member on the upper surface side thereof is a second magnetic pole, the second magnetic pole being different from the first magnetic pole, and
the robot comprises:
a first magnetic sensor configured to detect the first magnetic pole and not the second magnetic pole;
a safety apparatus configured to suppress an operation of the robot in response to the detection of the first magnetic pole by the first magnetic sensor;
a second magnetic sensor configured to be capable of detecting both the first and second magnetic poles;
a switching unit configured to switch between a stopped state and an operable state of the safety apparatus in response to the detection of the second magnetic pole by the second magnetic sensor; and
a recognition unit configured to recognize a movement of the robot between the different travel areas by detecting the first magnetic member.