Method and system for elevator simulation in an environment where humans and robots coexist

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and system for simulating an elevator in an environment where humans and robots coexist. The elevator simulation method according to the present invention may include the steps of: receiving at least one operation parameter related to the operation of an elevator; receiving at least one human parameter related to a person boarding the elevator; receiving at least one robot parameter related to a robot boarding the elevator; simulating the operation of the elevator according to the operation parameter using the human parameter and the robot parameter; and calculating the waiting time for boarding the elevator for the person and the robot based on the results of the simulation.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and system for simulating an elevator in an environment where humans and robots coexist. Background Technology

[0002] As technology advances, various service devices are emerging, and in particular, technological development for robots that perform various tasks or services has been actively underway recently.

[0003] Furthermore, with the recent advancements in artificial intelligence and cloud technologies, it has become possible to control robots more precisely and safely, leading to a gradual increase in their utilization. In particular, due to technological progress, robots have reached a level where they can safely coexist with humans in indoor spaces.

[0004] Consequently, robots are recently replacing human tasks and work, and various methods for robots to directly provide services to people, particularly in indoor spaces, are being actively researched.

[0005] For example, robots provide navigation services in public places such as airports, train stations, and department stores, and serve services in restaurants. Furthermore, in office spaces and shared living spaces, robots provide delivery services such as mail and parcels. In addition, robots provide a variety of services including cleaning, security, and logistics processing. The types and scope of services provided by robots are expected to increase exponentially in the future, and the level of service provision is also expected to continue to improve.

[0006] These robots provide various services not only in outdoor spaces but also in indoor spaces of buildings such as offices, apartments, department stores, schools, hospitals, and amusement facilities. In this case, the robots are controlled to move within the indoor spaces of the building and provide various services.

[0007] Meanwhile, accurately controlling robots is crucial for providing various tasks or services; in particular, interaction with elevators is vital for robots to move around and provide efficient services in indoor spaces. To this end, there is a need to simulate environments where humans and robots coexist by comprehensively considering elevators, people, and robots. The problem to be solved

[0008] The present invention provides an elevator simulation method and system capable of simulating by comprehensively considering the elevator, people, and robots in an environment where people and robots coexist.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention provides an elevator simulation method and system capable of calculating the waiting time for a person and a robot to board an elevator based on the results of the simulation. means of solving the problem

[0010] To solve the problem described above, the elevator simulation method according to the present invention may include the steps of: receiving at least one operation parameter related to the operation of an elevator; receiving at least one person parameter related to a person boarding the elevator; receiving at least one robot parameter related to a robot boarding the elevator; simulating the operation of the elevator according to the operation parameter using the person parameter and the robot parameter; and calculating the waiting time for boarding the person and the robot boarding the elevator based on the results of the simulation.

[0011] Meanwhile, the elevator simulation system according to the present invention includes a control unit that performs an elevator operation simulation using the storage unit and program code, and the control unit receives at least one operation parameter related to the operation of the elevator, receives at least one person parameter related to a person boarding the elevator, and receives at least one robot parameter related to a robot boarding the elevator, and simulates the operation of the elevator according to the operation parameter using the person parameter and the robot parameter, and can calculate the waiting time for boarding the person boarding the elevator and the robot based on the results of the simulation.

[0012] Meanwhile, the program according to the present invention is a program that is executed by one or more processes in an electronic device and can be stored on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program may include instructions for performing the steps of: receiving at least one operation parameter related to the operation of an elevator; receiving at least one person parameter related to a person boarding the elevator; receiving at least one robot parameter related to a robot boarding the elevator; simulating the operation of the elevator according to the operation parameter using the person parameter and the robot parameter; and calculating the waiting time for boarding the person boarding the elevator and the robot based on the result of the simulation. Effects of the invention

[0013] As described above, the elevator simulation method and system according to the present invention can simulate the operation of the elevator according to the operation parameters by utilizing human parameters and robot parameters. In the present invention, by performing an integrated simulation of the elevator, humans, and robots using various parameters, an optimal robot control method can be verified and established for each human action. Furthermore, the user is provided with an environment through the simulator that allows for setting various situations and verifying various hypotheses.

[0014] Furthermore, the elevator simulation method and system according to the present invention can calculate the waiting time for a person and a robot to board an elevator based on the simulation results. Through this, the present invention can obtain data that enables the efficient operation of an elevator in an environment where people and robots coexist. In addition, through the present invention, the user can determine the optimal elevator configuration according to the building structure by performing a simulation that links the control of the elevator and the robot. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0015] FIGS. 1 and FIGS. 2 are conceptual diagrams for explaining a robot control system according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an elevator simulation system according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an elevator simulation method according to the present invention. FIGS. 5 to 11 are conceptual diagrams for explaining an elevator simulation method according to the present invention. FIGS. 12a and 12b are graphs showing an example of an elevator simulation result according to the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments disclosed in this specification will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Identical or similar components are assigned the same reference number regardless of the drawing symbols, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted. The suffixes "module" and "part" used for components in the following description are assigned or used interchangeably solely for the ease of drafting the specification and do not have distinct meanings or roles in themselves. Furthermore, in describing the embodiments disclosed in this specification, if it is determined that a detailed description of related prior art could obscure the essence of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, such detailed description will be omitted. Additionally, the attached drawings are intended only to facilitate understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification; the technical concept disclosed in this specification is not limited by the attached drawings, and it should be understood that they include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention.

[0017] Terms including ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, but said components are not limited by said terms. These terms are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

[0018] When it is stated that one component is "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that while it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, there may also be other components in between. On the other hand, when it is stated that one component is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

[0019] A singular expression includes a plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0020] In this application, terms such as “comprising” or “having” are intended to specify the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0021] The present invention relates to an elevator simulation method and system capable of simulating by comprehensively considering elevators, people, and robots so that elevator operation can be carried out efficiently in an environment where people and robots coexist.

[0022] A building may exist as an example of an environment where humans and robots coexist. The building described in this invention may be equipped with various facility infrastructures available for use by robots, and these facility infrastructures are positioned within the building and, through integration with the building and a cloud server, can support the movement (or driving) of the robot or provide various functions to the robot.

[0023] More specifically, the facility infrastructure may include means of movement such as elevators to support the movement of a robot within a building, and the robot may use said elevator to move in a vertical direction (movement between different floors).

[0024] These elevators can be operated in a robot-only mode or in a shared mode for use with humans.

[0025] First, a robot control system according to the present invention will be described together with the attached drawings. Figures 1 and 2 are conceptual diagrams for explaining a robot control system according to the present invention.

[0026] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the robot control system (100) according to the present invention is a system that performs integrated control of a robot (R) traveling in a space within a building, and can be understood as the cloud server (20) described above or a system controlled by the cloud server (20).

[0027] Accordingly, the term “robot control system” in the present invention can be varied to a server, cloud server (20), cloud robot system, cloud system, cloud robot control system, cloud control system, robot system, etc.

[0028] The robot control system (100) according to the present invention can perform appropriate control to allow the robot (R) to use the elevator (200) through communication with the elevator system (or elevator control system, 200a).

[0029] The elevator system (200a) may include at least one of a sensing unit (200b) configured to sense various information related to the elevator (200) and a control unit (200c) that performs control over the elevator (200). The elevator system (200a) can perform appropriate control over the elevator (200) so that the robot (R) can use the elevator (200). For example, the elevator system (200a) can control the elevator (200) so that the elevator (200) stops at the floor where the robot (R) is located, so that the robot (R) can board the elevator (200), through communication with the robot control system (100).

[0030] Meanwhile, the robot control system (100) according to the present invention may be configured to include at least one of a communication unit (110), a storage unit (120), and a control unit (130).

[0031] The communication unit (110) may be configured to communicate with at least one of the robot (R) and the elevator system (200a). Through communication with at least one of the robot (R) and the elevator system (200a), the communication unit (110) can control the robot (R) to move within the building space using the elevator.

[0032] The communication unit (110) can support various communication methods depending on the communication standard of the communicating device.

[0033] For example, the communication unit (110) may be configured to communicate with other devices (including robots and elevator systems) located within a building using at least one of the following technologies: WLAN (Wireless LAN), Wi-Fi (Wireless-Fidelity), Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) Direct, DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance), WiBro (Wireless Broadband), WiMAX (World Interoperability for Microwave Access), HSDPA (High Speed ​​Downlink Packet Access), HSUPA (High Speed ​​Uplink Packet Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-A (Long Term Evolution-Advanced), 5G (5th Generation Mobile Telecommunication), Bluetooth (Bluetooth™), RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), UWB (Ultra-Wideband), ZigBee, NFC (Near Field Communication), Wi-Fi Direct, and Wireless USB (Wireless Universal Serial Bus).

[0034] The storage unit (120) may be configured to store various information related to the present invention. In the present invention, the storage unit (120) may be provided within the robot control system (100) itself. Alternatively, at least a portion of the storage unit (120) may be stored in a cloud server (or a database of the cloud server, 20a). That is, the storage unit (120) is sufficient as a space where information necessary to control the robot according to the present invention is stored, and it can be understood that there are no restrictions on physical space. Accordingly, below, the storage unit (120) and the external database (20a) will not be distinguished separately and will all be referred to as the storage unit (120). At this time, the cloud server (20) may mean a “cloud storage.” Furthermore, the storage unit (120) may be configured to store not only information about the robot control system (100) but also various information related to the elevator system (200a).

[0035] First, information about the robot (R) can be stored in the storage unit (120).

[0036] Information regarding the robot (R) can be very diverse, and information regarding the robot (R) may include, as an example, i) identification information for identifying the robot (R) placed in space (e.g., serial number, TAG information, QR code information, etc.), ii) mission information assigned to the robot (R), iii) driving path information set for the robot (R), iv) location information of the robot (R), v) status information of the robot (R) (e.g., power status, failure status, battery status, etc.), vi) image information received from a camera equipped on the robot (R), etc.

[0037] Next, a map of space (map, or map information or node map) may be stored in the storage unit (120). Here, the map may consist of at least one of a 2D or 3D map. The map of space may refer to a map that can be used to determine the current location of the robot (R) or to set the driving path of the robot.

[0038] In particular, in the robot control system (100) according to the present invention, the position of the robot (R) can be determined based on an image received from the robot (R) or sensing information received from the robot (R). To this end, a map of the space stored in the storage unit (120) may be composed of data that enables the position to be estimated based on the image or sensing information.

[0039] At this time, the map of the space may be a map created based on SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) by at least one robot moving through the space in advance.

[0040] The storage unit (120) may store information about multiple elevators (200) located within the building (e.g., identification information, location information, operation information, etc. of the elevators).

[0041] Furthermore, in addition to the types of information listed above, various information can be stored in the storage unit (120).

[0042] The control unit (130) may be configured to control the overall operation of the robot control system (100) related to the present invention. The control unit (130) may control the robot (R) by processing signals, data, information, etc. that are input or output through the components described above, or provide or process appropriate information or functions to the user.

[0043] The control unit (130) may be configured to include a process based on artificial intelligence or a deep learning algorithm. Additionally, the control unit (130) may perform various controls for the boarding, waiting, and disembarking of the robot (R) from the elevator (200).

[0044] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the control unit (130) can request the robot (R) to board the elevator system (200a) when the robot (R) needs to board the elevator (204) (S210).

[0045] For example, let's assume that the mission of a robot (R) located on the first floor is to deliver an object to the 20th floor. The control unit (130) determines that the robot (R) needs to board the elevator (200) to move to the 20th floor to perform the delivery mission, and can request the robot (R) to board the elevator system (200a).

[0046] The elevator system (200a) can assign one of the multiple elevators provided in the building to the robot (R) in response to the robot's request to ride (S220).

[0047] In the present invention, “elevator assignment” can be understood as a process of linking the elevator (200) and the robot (R) so that the robot (R) can move from the floor corresponding to the robot (R)’s current location to the floor corresponding to the destination using the elevator (200).

[0048] The control unit (130) can perform control over the robot (R) so that the robot (R) uses the elevator (200) based on receiving allocation information from the elevator system (200a) (S230).

[0049] The allocation information may include various information related to elevator allocation. For example, the allocation information may include at least one of the following: identification information of the allocated elevator (200), location information, operation information (e.g., floor where it stops), operation mode information (robot-only mode or public mode), and time information for when the allocated elevator (200) stops at a floor corresponding to the current location of the robot (R).

[0050] The robot (R) can move within the building space under the control of the control unit (130). After moving from its current location to the area (or zone) where the elevator (200) is located, the robot (R) can take the elevator (200) to move to another floor (S240).

[0051] The elevator system (200a) can perform control over the elevator (200) based on assigning the elevator (200) to the robot (R) (S250). Specifically, the elevator system (200a) can control the elevator (200) to stop at a floor corresponding to the robot (R)'s current location, and to move (operate) to a floor corresponding to the destination when the robot (R) boards the elevator (200). The elevator (200) can be operated under the control of the elevator system (200a) (S260).

[0052] Thus, the robot control system (100) according to the present invention can control the robot (R) to move within a space in a building consisting of multiple floors by using the elevator (200) through communication with the elevator system (200a). In addition, the robot control system (100) according to the present invention can control the driving and interaction of the robot (R) so that the robot (R) and a person can coexist harmoniously based on the operating status, operating mode, etc. of the elevator (200).

[0053] Meanwhile, accurately controlling the robot is crucial for providing various tasks or services, and interaction with elevators is particularly important for robots to move around indoors and provide more efficient services.

[0054] Accordingly, the present invention provides an elevator simulation method and system capable of simulating by comprehensively considering the elevator, people, and robots so that the operation of the elevator can be carried out efficiently in an environment where people and robots coexist.

[0055] Hereinafter, the elevator simulation system according to the present invention will be described in more detail together with the attached drawings. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the elevator simulation system according to the present invention.

[0056] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the simulation system (300) according to the present invention is a system that comprehensively considers and simulates an elevator, a person, and a robot through a virtual simulation environment, wherein the virtual simulation environment can be understood as corresponding to an environment where a person and a robot coexist. Furthermore, in the virtual simulation environment, the elevator, the person, and the robot may be subjects for performing simulation according to parameters set in the simulation system (300).

[0057] In the present invention, the term “simulation system” may be varied to terms such as elevator simulation system, elevator simulator, simulator, etc.

[0058] Meanwhile, the simulation system (300) according to the present invention may be configured to include at least one of the following: an operation parameter setting unit (310), a person parameter setting unit (320), a robot parameter setting unit (330), a building parameter setting unit (340), a policy parameter setting unit (350), and a simulation result output unit (360).

[0059] The operation parameter setting unit (310) may be configured to include at least one operation parameter related to the operation of the elevator. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the person parameter may include at least one parameter related to the floor height (510) of the space where the elevator operates, the maximum acceleration (520) of the elevator, the maximum speed (530) of the elevator, the time (540) related to the opening and closing of the elevator door, the passenger capacity (550) of the elevator, the minimum distance (560) of the elevator boarding, the number of elevator groups and the floors (570) that can be operated for each group, the maximum number of robots and people that can ride together in the elevator (580), and the person weight and robot weight (590).

[0060] The floor height (510) of the space where the elevator operates may refer to the vertical distance from the floor of each floor to the floor of the next floor. For example, assuming that the floor height (510) of the space where the elevator operates is set to “4M,” the simulation system (300) can simulate the operation of the elevator so that the elevator operates in a space with a floor height (ex: 4M) by taking into account the floor height (ex: 4M) of the space where the elevator operates.

[0061] Depending on the floor height (510) of the space where the elevator operates, the speed of movement between floors and the time of movement between floors may differ even for the same elevator, and accordingly, the waiting time and usage time of the elevator for people or robots may differ. In addition, based on the difference in the waiting time or usage time of the elevator, the total travel time of the robot may also change. Accordingly, in the present invention, the floor height of the space where the elevator operates can be set as one of the parameters for virtual simulation.

[0062] The maximum acceleration (520) of the elevator may refer to the maximum rate of change of speed that can be reached when the elevator starts or stops operation. For example, assuming the maximum acceleration (520) of the elevator is set to 1 m / s², the simulation system (300) can simulate the operation of the elevator so that the elevator operates at a maximum acceleration (ex: 1 m / s²) or less by taking into account the maximum acceleration (ex: 1 m / s²) of the elevator.

[0063] The maximum speed (530) of the elevator may mean the maximum vertical speed that the elevator can reach during operation. For example, assuming the maximum speed (530) of the elevator is set to “2.5 m / s,” the simulation system (300) can simulate the operation of the elevator so that the elevator operates at a maximum speed (2.5 m / s) or less, taking into account the maximum speed (e.g., 2.5 m / s) of the elevator.

[0064] Even if an elevator is operated in the same environment (e.g., a building with the same structure), the elevator's travel time and maximum passenger capacity may vary depending on the elevator's maximum acceleration (520) and maximum speed (530). As previously explained, the elevator's travel time is a factor that affects the waiting time of the robot and people, as well as the robot's total travel time. Accordingly, the present invention allows for an integrated simulation of the elevator and the robot to be performed using the elevator's maximum acceleration (520) and maximum speed (530) as parameters.

[0065] The time (540) associated with the opening and closing of the elevator door may refer to the time required for the elevator door to be fully opened and closed. For example, assuming that the time (540) associated with the opening and closing of the elevator door is set to “3.5 seconds,” the simulation system (300) can simulate the operation of the elevator by taking into account the time associated with the opening and closing of the elevator door (e.g., 3.5 seconds) and causing the elevator to operate by opening and closing the door according to the time associated with the opening and closing of the door (e.g., 3.5 seconds).

[0066] The time (540) associated with the opening and closing of the elevator door corresponds to a parameter that affects the control of the robot's boarding and disembarking from the elevator. The cloud server (20) can perform control on the robot to board or disembark the elevator based on whether the elevator door is open or closed, even if the elevator is stopped. If the robot attempts to board or disembark the elevator while the elevator door is not open or closed, a collision between the elevator door and the robot occurs, and such a collision can affect the safety of the robot and people, as well as the operating costs of the robot. Accordingly, the present invention can simulate the control of the robot's boarding or disembarking from the elevator by using the time associated with the opening and closing of the elevator door as a parameter.

[0067] The elevator's passenger capacity (550) may refer to the maximum number of passengers that can be carried in the elevator. For example, assuming the elevator's passenger capacity (550) is set to "20 people," the simulation system (300) can simulate the operation of the elevator by taking into account the elevator's passenger capacity (e.g., 20 people) and having the elevator carry fewer passengers than the passenger capacity (e.g., 20 people).

[0068] According to the elevator passenger capacity (550), the cloud server (20) can determine the number of robots that can ride in the elevator. Since humans and robots can ride together in the elevator, and the weight of humans and the number of passengers are factors that are difficult to control by the cloud server (20), it is very important to appropriately determine the number of elevators that can be ridden. In the present invention, based on the elevator passenger capacity (550), various cases in which humans and robots can ride together in the elevator can be identified.

[0069] The minimum boarding distance (560) of the elevator may mean the minimum distance required to stop when a request to board or disembark is received in the middle while the elevator is in operation. For example, assuming that the minimum boarding distance (560) of the elevator is set to “2M,” the simulation system (300) can simulate the operation of the elevator by taking into account the minimum boarding distance (ex: 2M) of the elevator, so that the elevator stops or does not stop in the middle according to the request to board or disembark in the middle, based on the minimum boarding distance (ex: 2M).

[0070] The minimum distance (560) for elevator boarding is a very important factor in controlling the robot and the elevator in conjunction. There may be a time difference between the occurrence of the robot's elevator boarding event and the time taken to perform elevator control due to causes such as communication delay. This time difference is a factor that makes it difficult for the robot to board the elevator. In order to achieve precise coordination between the robot and the elevator, the present invention can perform an integrated simulation using the minimum distance (560) for elevator boarding as a parameter.

[0071] The number of elevator groups and the floors (570) operable for each group may refer to a set of elevators that operate together within a specific building and floors operable for each set. For example, assuming that the number of elevators included in the first group is “10” and the floors operable for the elevators in the first group are set to “floors 1 to 17,” and assuming that the number of elevators included in the second group is “12” and the floors operable for the elevators in the second group are set to “floors 1 to 2 and floors 17 to 30,” the simulation system (300) can simulate the operation of the elevators by taking into account the number of elevator groups (e.g., first group and second group) and the floors operable for each group (e.g., first group is floors 1 to 17, second group is floors 17 to 30), so that the elevators included in the first group operate only on floors 1 to 17 and the elevators included in the second group operate only on floors 17 to 30. In the present invention, by performing a simulation based on elevator groups, group-based elevator control and dispatch policies can be verified.

[0072] The maximum number of robots and people (580) that can ride together in an elevator may refer to the maximum number of robots or people that can ride together with the robot or person when at least one robot or person is on board the elevator. For example, assuming that the maximum number of robots and people (580) that can ride together in an elevator is set to 1 robot and 6 people, the simulation system (300) can simulate the operation of the elevator by taking into account the maximum number of robots and people that can ride together in the elevator (e.g., 1 robot and 6 people) and allowing only up to 6 people to ride when 1 robot is on board. At this time, if the number of people on board the elevator exceeds the set value, the simulation can be performed with the robot restricted from riding in the elevator.

[0073] The human weight and robot weight (590) may represent respective weights that can be used to determine the passenger capacity of the elevator. Here, the weights may be set to the number of people and robots, respectively, or to the weight of people and robots, respectively. Furthermore, the simulation system (300) can perform a simulation by considering the passenger capacity (550) of the elevator together with the human weight and robot weight (590). For example, assuming that the passenger capacity (550) of the elevator is set to “20 people”, and that the human weight is set to “1” and the robot weight is set to “5”, the simulation system (300) can simulate the operation of the elevator by considering the passenger capacity (e.g., 20 people), the human weight (e.g., “1”), and the robot weight (e.g., “5”) together, so that the elevator operates according to “number of people x human weight + number of robots x robot weight ≤ maximum passenger capacity”.

[0074] That is, the simulation system (300) can perform a simulation related to the operation of an elevator by considering at least one operation parameter included in the operation parameter setting unit (310).

[0075] Meanwhile, the person parameter setting unit (320) may be configured to include at least one person parameter related to a person boarding the elevator. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the person parameter may include at least one parameter related to a passenger usage type (610), a time interval for generating a person in a simulation (620), a distribution (630) related to the person's boarding and disembarking floors, a total waiting time (640) of a person, and a time taken for a person to board and disembark the elevator (650).

[0076] The average movement patterns of people riding elevators can be analyzed based on their elevator usage history. However, people do not move solely according to analyzed movement patterns. People are capable of impulsive behavior in unexpected situations, and such impulsive behavior can pose safety issues in environments where robots and humans coexist. Therefore, it is crucial to predict various human behaviors and establish robot control methods capable of responding to them. Accordingly, this invention enables the verification and establishment of optimal robot control methods for each type of human behavior by performing an integrated simulation of a robot and an elevator using various human behaviors as parameters.

[0077] The passenger usage type (610) may mean that a person uses the elevator via either a one-way or a round trip. For example, assuming the passenger usage type (610) is set to "one-way," the simulation system (300) can simulate a situation in which a person boards an elevator operating according to the operating parameters at the boarding floor and moves only to the destination floor, taking into account the passenger usage type (e.g., one-way). As another example, assuming the passenger usage type (610) is set to "round trip," the simulation system (300) can simulate a situation in which a person boards an elevator operating according to the operating parameters at the boarding floor, gets off at the destination floor and waits, and then boards an elevator operating according to the operating parameters at the destination floor again to come down to the boarding floor, taking into account the passenger usage type (e.g., round trip).

[0078] The time interval for generating people (620) in the simulation may refer to the time interval for generating people who board an elevator that operates according to the operation parameters. For example, assuming that the time interval for generating people (620) is set to “0.5 seconds,” the simulation system (300) can generate people at 0.5-second intervals while the operation of the elevator is simulated, taking into account the time interval for generating people (e.g., 0.5 seconds), and simulate a situation in which the generated people board an elevator that operates according to the operation parameters.

[0079] The distribution (630) related to the boarding and disembarking floors of people can be expressed as a normal distribution and a uniform distribution. Here, the normal distribution means that many people board or disembark the elevator at a specific floor, and the uniform distribution means that many people board or disembark the elevator at various floors regardless of the specific floor. For example, assuming that the distribution (630) related to the boarding and disembarking floors of people is set as a “normal distribution” for the boarding floor and a “uniform distribution” for the disembarking floor, the simulation system (300) can simulate a situation in which many people board an elevator operating according to the operating parameters at a specific floor (e.g., 1st floor) and disembark at various floors (e.g., 3rd floor, 5th floor, 7th floor, 9th floor, 10th floor, etc.) by considering the distribution related to the boarding and disembarking floors of people (e.g., boarding floor is a normal distribution, disembarking floor is a uniform distribution).

[0080] The total waiting time (640) of a person may refer to the time a person waits after boarding an elevator that operates according to operating parameters at a boarding floor and getting off at a destination floor in order to use the elevator for a round trip. This may correspond to the case where the passenger usage type (610) described earlier is round trip. For example, assuming that the passenger usage type (610) is set to “round trip” and the total waiting time (640) of a person is set to “10 seconds,” the simulation system (300) can simulate a situation in which a person boards an elevator that operates according to operating parameters at a boarding floor, gets off at a destination floor, waits for the total waiting time (ex. 10 seconds) at the destination floor, and then boards an elevator that operates according to operating parameters at the destination floor again to come down to the boarding floor, taking into account the passenger usage type (e.g., round trip) and the total waiting time of a person (e.g., 10 seconds).

[0081] The time (650) taken for a person to board and disembark from an elevator may refer to the time taken for a person to board or disembark from an elevator, respectively. For example, assuming that the time (650) taken for a person to board and disembark from an elevator is set to “1 second” for boarding and “3 seconds” for disembarking, the simulation system (300) can simulate a situation in which it takes 1 second to board an elevator and 3 seconds to disembark, by considering the time taken for a person to board and disembark from an elevator (e.g., 1 second for boarding, 3 seconds for disembarking), respectively, according to the operation parameters.

[0082] That is, the simulation system (300) can generate people by considering at least one person parameter included in the person parameter setting unit (320), and can perform a simulation of a situation in which the generated people board or disembark an elevator that operates according to the operation parameter.

[0083] Meanwhile, the robot parameter setting unit (330) may be configured to include at least one robot parameter related to the robot boarding the elevator. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the robot parameter may include at least one parameter related to the robot's creation time interval (710) in the simulation, the distribution (720) related to the robot's boarding and disembarking floors, the robot's total waiting time (730), the robot's horizontal movement time (740), and the time taken for the robot to board and disembark the elevator (750).

[0084] The present invention simulates the control of a robot and an elevator in conjunction to efficiently verify the integrated control and dispatch policy of the robot and the elevator. Depending on various robot parameters related to the robot, the optimal control method for the robot may differ even in the same situation. There can be a wide variety of combinations of optimal control methods for a robot depending on the robot parameters, and it is impossible and inefficient to verify all such combinations in actual situations. Therefore, the present invention allows for the simulation of how to control the robot according to the robot parameters in specific situations by setting various robot parameters.

[0085] The robot creation time interval (710) in the simulation may refer to the creation interval of a robot that rides an elevator that operates according to the operation parameters. For example, assuming that the robot creation time interval (710) is set to “10 seconds,” the simulation system (300) can create a robot every 10 seconds while the operation of the elevator is simulated, taking into account the robot creation time interval (e.g., 10 seconds), and simulate a situation in which the created robots ride an elevator that operates according to the operation parameters together with the created people.

[0086] The distribution (720) related to the boarding and disembarking floors of the robots can be expressed as a normal distribution and a uniform distribution. Here, the normal distribution means that many robots board or disembark the elevator at a specific floor, and the uniform distribution means that many robots board or disembark the elevator at various floors regardless of the specific floor. For example, assuming that the distribution (720) related to the boarding and disembarking floors of the robots is set as a “normal distribution” for the boarding floor and a “uniform distribution” for the disembarking floor, the simulation system (300) can simulate a situation in which many robots board an elevator that operates according to operating parameters at a specific floor (e.g., 1st floor) together with people, and disembark at various floors (e.g., 2nd floor, 4th floor, 6th floor, 8th floor, 10th floor, etc.) by considering the distribution related to the boarding and disembarking floors of the robots (e.g., boarding floor is a normal distribution, disembarking floor is a uniform distribution).

[0087] The total waiting time (730) of the robot may refer to the time the robot waits after boarding an elevator that operates according to operating parameters at the boarding floor and getting off at the destination floor in order to use the elevator for a round trip. For example, assuming that the total waiting time (730) of the robot is set to “15 seconds,” the simulation system (300) can simulate a situation in which the robot, taking into account the total waiting time (e.g., 15 seconds) of the robot, boards an elevator that operates according to operating parameters at the boarding floor with people, gets off at the destination floor, waits for the total waiting time (e.g., 15 seconds) at the destination floor, and then boards an elevator that operates according to operating parameters at the destination floor again to come down to the boarding floor.

[0088] The horizontal movement time (740) of the robot may refer to the time it takes for at least one robot to move horizontally within a building to use an elevator. At this time, at least one elevator operating according to the operation parameter may be operated to wait for the robot's horizontal movement time in order to board the robot. For example, assuming the robot's horizontal movement time (740) is set to “10 seconds,” the simulation system (300) may simulate the operation of the elevator by taking into account the robot's horizontal movement time (e.g., 10 seconds) and having at least one elevator operating according to the operation parameter wait for the robot's horizontal movement time (e.g., 10 seconds) in order to board the robot.

[0089] The time (750) taken for the robot to board and disembark from the elevator may refer to the time taken for the robot to board or disembark from the elevator, respectively. For example, assuming that the time (650) taken for the robot to board and disembark from the elevator is set to “5 seconds” for boarding and “10 seconds” for disembarking, the simulation system (300) can simulate a situation in which it takes 5 seconds for the robot to board and disembark from the elevator (e.g., 5 seconds for boarding, 10 seconds for disembarking) and 10 seconds for the robot to disembark from the elevator, by considering the time taken for the robot to board and disembark from the elevator (e.g., 5 seconds for boarding, 10 seconds for disembarking) respectively.

[0090] That is, the simulation system (300) can generate robots by considering at least one robot parameter included in the robot parameter setting unit (330), and can perform a simulation of a situation in which the generated robots, together with people generated by considering the person parameter, board or disembark an elevator that operates according to the operation parameter.

[0091] Meanwhile, the building parameter setting unit (340) may be configured to include at least one building parameter for a building in which an elevator operates. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the building parameter may include a parameter related to at least one of the maximum number of floors (810) of the building and the height between floors (820) of the building.

[0092] In the present invention, by setting building parameters and performing a simulation, the optimal elevator configuration can be determined during building construction. For example, a construction company intending to introduce indoor robots can determine the optimal elevator configuration according to the building structure by performing a simulation that links the control of the elevator and the robot through the present invention.

[0093] The maximum number of floors (810) of a building may refer to the total number of floors the building has. For example, assuming that the maximum number of floors of a building is set to “30 floors,” the simulation system (300) can simulate the operation of an elevator to run up to the maximum number of floors (e.g., 30 floors) of the building, taking into account the maximum number of floors (e.g., 30 floors) of the building. Additionally, the simulation system (300) can simulate a situation in which people are created at each of the multiple floors of a building with the maximum number of floors (e.g., 30 floors) at each person creation time interval (620), and the people created at each floor board or disembark an elevator running according to the operation parameters at any one of the floors. Furthermore, the simulation system (300) can simulate a situation in which robots are created at each of the multiple floors of a building with a maximum number of floors (e.g., 30 floors) at each robot creation time interval (710), and the robots created at each floor, together with the created people, board or disembark an elevator that operates according to the operation parameters at one of the floors.

[0094] The floor height (820) of a building may refer to the vertical distance from the floor of one floor to the floor of the next floor. For example, assuming the floor height (820) of a building is set to “4M,” the simulation system (300) can simulate the operation of an elevator so that the elevator operates in a space with a floor height (ex: 4M) by taking into account the floor height (ex: 4M) of the building.

[0095] That is, the simulation system (300) can simulate the operation of an elevator by considering the building parameters included in the building parameter setting unit (340), and can perform a simulation of a situation in which robots created by considering the robot parameters and people created by considering the person parameters each board or disembark from the elevator operating according to the operation parameters.

[0096] Meanwhile, the policy parameter setting unit (350) may be configured to include at least one policy parameter that determines the priority of boarding for people and robots boarding the elevator. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the policy parameter may be configured to receive at least one parameter among the order in which robots and people board the elevator (910), whether capacity is considered when dispatching the elevator (920), method of boarding the elevator for people (930), method of boarding the elevator for robots (940), robot dispatch algorithm (950), number of elevators dedicated to people and robots (960), method of re-dispatching people (970), method of re-dispatching robots (980), number of fixed elevator passengers and ratio of fixed passengers (990).

[0097] The elevator dispatch policy is a critical factor in the efficient operation of robots and elevators. Furthermore, depending on how the elevator dispatch policy is implemented, the convenience of people and the quality of robot services in spaces where humans and robots coexist can be determined.

[0098] Depending on the number of elevators in a building, the number of floors in the building, the method of using the elevator, the purpose of the building equipped with elevators, and the tasks performed by the robots, elevator dispatch policies are very diverse, and even with the same dispatch policy, efficiency (suitability) may differ.

[0099] However, since it is difficult in terms of time and physical resources to verify the dispatch policy while changing the elevator dispatch policy in actual situations, the present invention can perform an integrated simulation of human-robot-elevator using the elevator dispatch policy as a parameter.

[0100] The order (910) of a robot and a person boarding the elevator may mean setting who boards the elevator first between the robot and the person. For example, assuming the order (910) of a robot and a person boarding the elevator is set to “robot priority,” the simulation system (300) can simulate a situation where the robot boards the elevator first according to the operation parameters, and then the person boards, by considering the order (e.g., robot priority). As another example, assuming the order (910) of a robot and a person boarding the elevator is set to “person priority,” the simulation system (300) can simulate a situation where the person boards the elevator first according to the operation parameters, and then the robot boards.

[0101] Whether to consider the capacity when dispatching an elevator (920) may mean dispatching the elevator by considering the number of people riding in the elevator. For example, depending on whether to consider the capacity when dispatching an elevator, the simulation system (300) may simulate a situation in which at least one elevator operating according to the operation parameters is dispatched to a robot and a person, or a situation in which the elevator is not dispatched and operates.

[0102] The method of a person taking an elevator (930) and the method of a robot taking an elevator (940) may refer to whether to take an assigned elevator among the elevators included within the same specific group, or to take a different elevator other than the assigned elevator. For example, the simulation system (300) can simulate a situation in which a person and a robot take an assigned elevator or take a different elevator without waiting for the assigned elevator by considering the method of a person taking an elevator (930) and the method of a robot taking an elevator (940). However, the method of a person taking an elevator (930) and the method of a robot taking an elevator (940) are not limited to taking an elevator included within the same group, but may also include taking an elevator included in a different group.

[0103] The robot dispatch algorithm (950) may utilize a greedy dispatch algorithm. For example, the simulation system (300) can perform a simulation of dispatching an elevator to a person or robot by considering the robot dispatch algorithm (e.g., a greedy algorithm) and determining which elevator should be dispatched to achieve the highest efficiency when a person or robot requests elevator dispatch.

[0104] The number of elevators dedicated to people and robots (960) may refer to the number of elevators dedicated to people and robots to be placed in the upper floors and lower floors, respectively. For example, assuming that “1” elevator dedicated to people is placed in the upper floors, the simulation system (300) can simulate the operation of the elevator in the upper floors so that only people are boarded and operated by the one elevator dedicated to people. As another example, assuming that “1” elevator dedicated to robots is placed in the lower floors, the simulation system (300) can simulate the operation of the elevator in the lower floors so that only robots are boarded and operated by the one elevator dedicated to robots.

[0105] The human redeployment method (970) and the robot redeployment method (980) may refer to whether to redeploy the elevator according to requests from robots and people or to redeploy the elevator according to the situation. For example, the simulation system (300) may consider the human redeployment method (970) and the robot redeployment method (980) and perform a simulation of redeploying the elevator according to requests from robots and people, redeploying the elevator to robots and people only in the first situation, or redeploying the elevator to robots and people at intermediate intervals.

[0106] The fixed number of dispatched elevator passengers and the fixed number of dispatched passengers ratio (990) may refer to the ratio of the number of passengers to be dispatched and the fixed number of dispatched passengers for each elevator. For example, the simulation system (300) can perform simulations related to robots and people by taking into account the fixed number of dispatched elevator passengers and the fixed number of dispatched passengers ratio (990).

[0107] Meanwhile, the simulation result output unit (360) can output data calculated by the simulation system (300) performing a simulation according to the input setting value. For example, the data output from the simulation result output unit (360) may include at least one of the time a person waits to board an elevator, the time a person takes to travel to the final destination floor by elevator, the time a robot waits to board an elevator, the time a robot takes to travel to the final destination floor by elevator, the elevator fullness rate, and the elevator operation rate. More specific details will be described later.

[0108] In this way, the simulation system (300) can perform elevator boarding and simulation of people and robots by considering each of the parameters included in each of the multiple parameter setting units (310 to 350).

[0109] Hereinafter, based on the configuration of the elevator simulation system (300) described above, the elevator simulation method according to the present invention will be explained in more detail. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the elevator simulation method according to the present invention, and FIGS. 5 to 11 are conceptual diagrams for explaining the elevator simulation method according to the present invention. Furthermore, FIGS. 12a and 12b are graphs showing an embodiment of the elevator simulation results according to the present invention.

[0110] In order to perform a simulation related to the boarding of an elevator by a person and a robot, the present invention performs a process of setting at least one operation parameter related to the operation of an elevator (S410, see FIG. 4).

[0111] The simulation system (300) can receive at least one operation parameter related to the operation of the elevator through the operation parameter setting unit (310).

[0112] As previously described, the operation parameter setting unit (310) may be configured to include at least one operation parameter related to the operation of the elevator. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the person parameter may include at least one parameter related to the floor height (510) of the space where the elevator operates, the maximum acceleration (520) of the elevator, the maximum speed (530) of the elevator, the time (540) related to the opening and closing of the elevator door, the passenger capacity (550) of the elevator, the minimum distance (560) of the elevator boarding, the number of elevator groups and the floors (570) that can be operated for each group, the maximum number of robots and people that can ride together in the elevator (580), and the person weight and robot weight (590).

[0113] Next, in the present invention, a process of setting at least one person parameter related to a person boarding an elevator is performed (S420, see FIG. 4).

[0114] The simulation system (300) can receive at least one person parameter related to a person boarding the elevator through the person parameter setting unit (320).

[0115] As previously described, the person parameter setting unit (320) may be configured to include at least one person parameter related to a person boarding the elevator. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the person parameter may include at least one parameter related to a passenger usage type (610), a time interval for generating a person in a simulation (620), a distribution (630) related to the person's boarding and disembarking floors, a total waiting time (640) of a person, and a time taken for a person to board and disembark the elevator (650).

[0116] Furthermore, in the present invention, a process of setting at least one robot parameter related to a robot boarding an elevator is performed (S430, see FIG. 4).

[0117] The simulation system (300) can receive at least one person parameter related to a person boarding an elevator through the robot parameter setting unit (330).

[0118] As previously explained, the robot parameter setting unit (330) may be configured to include at least one robot parameter related to the robot boarding the elevator. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the robot parameter may include at least one parameter related to the robot's creation time interval (710) in the simulation, the distribution (720) related to the robot's boarding and disembarking floors, the robot's total waiting time (730), the robot's horizontal movement time (740), and the time taken for the robot to board and disembark the elevator (750).

[0119] Meanwhile, in the present invention, building parameters for a building in which an elevator operates can be set.

[0120] The simulation system (300) can receive at least one building parameter for a building in which an elevator operates through the building parameter setting unit (340).

[0121] As previously described, the building parameter setting unit (340) may be configured to include at least one building parameter for a building in which an elevator operates. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the building parameter may include a parameter related to at least one of the maximum number of floors (810) of the building and the height between floors (820) of the building.

[0122] Furthermore, in the present invention, policy parameters for determining the boarding priority of people and robots boarding the elevator can be set.

[0123] The simulation system (300) can receive at least one policy parameter that determines the boarding priority for people and robots boarding the elevator through the policy parameter setting unit (350).

[0124] As previously described, the policy parameter setting unit (350) may be configured to include at least one policy parameter that determines the priority of boarding for people and robots boarding the elevator. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the policy parameter may be configured to receive at least one parameter among the order in which robots and people board the elevator (910), whether capacity is considered when dispatching the elevator (920), the method of a person boarding the elevator (930), the method of a robot boarding the elevator (940), the robot dispatch algorithm (950), the number of elevators dedicated to people and robots (960), the method of re-dispatching people (970), the method of re-dispatching robots (980), the number of fixed elevator passengers, and the ratio of fixed passengers (990).

[0125] Meanwhile, in the present invention, a process of simulating the operation of an elevator according to the operation parameters is performed using human parameters and robot parameters (S440, see FIG. 4).

[0126] The simulation system (300) can simulate the operation of an elevator based on operation parameters, so that the elevator operates by opening and closing the door according to the time associated with the opening and closing of the door, at a maximum acceleration and maximum speed in a space having a floor height.

[0127] At this time, the simulation system (300) can simulate the operation of the elevator so that the elevator operates up to the maximum number of floors by taking into account building parameters.

[0128] That is, the simulation system (300) can simulate the operation of an elevator by considering at least one operation parameter so that the elevator operates up to the maximum number of floors according to the building parameter.

[0129] Meanwhile, while the operation of the elevator is simulated according to the operation parameters, the simulation system (300) can generate a person at each person generation time interval.

[0130] Specifically, the simulation system (300) can generate a person at each time interval of generation of a person by considering the time interval of generation of a person according to the person parameter while the operation of the elevator is simulated according to the operation parameter.

[0131] Furthermore, the simulation system (300) can simulate a situation in which people created by considering the time interval of creation of people board an elevator that operates according to the operation parameters.

[0132] That is, the simulation system (300) can generate people by considering at least one person parameter and perform a simulation of a situation in which the generated people board an elevator that operates according to the operation parameter.

[0133] Meanwhile, while the operation of the elevator is simulated according to the operation parameters, the simulation system (300) can generate a robot at each robot generation time interval.

[0134] Specifically, the simulation system (300) can generate a robot at each robot generation time interval by considering the robot generation time interval according to the robot parameters while the operation of the elevator is simulated according to the operation parameters.

[0135] The simulation system (300) can simulate a situation in which people created considering the time interval of creation of people and robots created considering the time interval of creation of robots board an elevator that operates according to operation parameters.

[0136] That is, the simulation system (300) can generate robots by considering at least one robot parameter and perform a simulation of a situation in which the generated robots, together with people generated by considering a person parameter, ride an elevator that operates according to an operation parameter.

[0137] Meanwhile, the simulation system (300) can simulate a situation in which a person and a robot each take an elevator on one of the multiple floors of a building having a maximum number of floors according to building parameters.

[0138] The simulation system (300) can simulate a situation in which people created by considering human parameters and robots created by considering robot parameters each take an elevator on one of the multiple floors of a building having a maximum number of floors according to building parameters.

[0139] Additionally, the simulation system (300) can simulate a situation in which people created by considering human parameters and robots created by considering robot parameters each get off an elevator on one of the multiple floors of a building having a maximum number of floors according to building parameters.

[0140] Furthermore, the simulation system (300) can simulate the operation of an elevator so that a person and a robot can board the elevator according to policy parameters.

[0141] More specifically, the simulation system (300) can simulate that a specific robot boards the elevator first when a situation occurs in which a specific robot and a specific person, created by the person creation time interval and the robot creation time interval respectively, wish to board the elevator at the same time, if the priority for a robot boarding is set higher than that for a person boarding in the policy parameters. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the simulation system (300) can simulate that a specific robot boards the elevator first when a situation occurs in which a specific robot and a specific person, created by the person creation time interval and the robot creation time interval respectively, wish to board the elevator at the same time, based on the fact that the priority for a robot boarding is set higher than that for a person boarding in the order (910) of a robot and a person boarding the elevator. As another example, the simulation system (300) can simulate a situation in which a specific robot and a specific person, generated by each of the person generation time interval and the robot generation time interval, attempt to board the elevator at the same time, based on the parameter (910) for the order in which a robot and a person board the elevator, with the priority of boarding the person being higher than that of boarding the robot.

[0142] Meanwhile, the human parameter may further include the time for a person to board and disembark from the elevator, and the robot parameter may further include the time for a robot to board and disembark from the elevator. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the human parameter may include the time (650) taken for a person to board and disembark from the elevator, and the robot parameter may include the time (750) taken for a robot to board and disembark from the elevator.

[0143] Here, the time taken for a robot to board and the time taken to disembark can be set longer than the time taken for a person to board and disembark. For example, the time (650) taken for a person to board and disembark from an elevator can be set to “5 seconds,” and the time (750) taken for a robot to board and disembark from an elevator can be set to “10 seconds,” which is longer than the time taken for a person to board and disembark from an elevator (e.g., 5 seconds). Based on the fact that the time taken for a robot to board and the time taken to disembark from an elevator is set longer than the time taken for a person to board and disembark, the simulation system (300) can simulate a situation in which the robot disembarks more slowly than the person when a person and a robot disembark from an elevator.

[0144] Dimin. Depending on the situation, the time taken for a robot to board and disembark may be set shorter than the time taken for a person to board and disembark. For example, the time (650) taken for a person to board and disembark from an elevator may be set to “10 seconds,” and the time (750) taken for a robot to board and disembark from an elevator may be set to “5 seconds,” which is shorter than the time taken for a person to board and disembark from an elevator (e.g., 10 seconds). In this case, the simulation system (300) can simulate a situation in which the robot disembarks faster than the person when the person and the robot disembark from an elevator, based on the fact that the time taken for a robot to board and disembark is set shorter than the time taken for a person to board and disembark.

[0145] Meanwhile, the simulation system (300) can receive parameters for the maximum passenger capacity that can be boarded in the elevator.

[0146] Here, the passenger capacity parameter may include parameters related to the maximum number of people who can ride in the elevator with robots and the maximum number of robots who can ride in the elevator with people. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the passenger capacity parameter may include parameters for the maximum number of robots and people (580) who can ride in the elevator together.

[0147] The simulation system (300) can simulate the operation of an elevator so that people created by considering human parameters and robots created by considering robot parameters do not exceed the maximum number of people and maximum number of robots according to the capacity parameters. For example, let’s assume that the maximum number of people who can ride the elevator together is set to “6 people” and the maximum number of robots who can ride the elevator together is set to “1 unit.” The simulation system (300) can simulate the operation of an elevator so that the maximum number of robots and people who can ride the elevator together (e.g., 6 people and 1 robot) do not exceed the maximum number of people and maximum number of robots according to the capacity parameters.

[0148] To look more specifically at the process described above, first, the simulation system (300) can simulate the elevator stopping at a specific floor for a specific robot created to take the elevator at a specific floor among multiple floors of a building.

[0149] Next, the simulation system (300) can determine whether a specific robot boards the elevator so that the number of people and robots already on board the elevator stopped at a specific floor satisfies the capacity parameter.

[0150] Here, regarding the determination of whether to board, if a robot corresponding to the maximum number of robots is already boarding the elevator, the simulation system (300) may determine that a specific robot does not board the elevator. For example, if a robot corresponding to the maximum number of robots (e.g., 1 person) is already boarding the elevator, the simulation system (300) may determine that a specific robot does not board the elevator.

[0151] In addition, even if there are no people according to the maximum number of people in the elevator, if there are robots according to the maximum number of robots in the elevator, the simulation system (300) can determine that a specific robot does not board the elevator. For example, even if there are no people according to the maximum number of people in the elevator, if there are robots according to the maximum number of robots (e.g., 1 person) in the elevator, the simulation system (300) can determine that a specific robot does not board the elevator.

[0152] If it is determined that a specific robot does not board an elevator that has stopped at a specific floor, the simulation system (300) can simulate the specific robot’s boarding of an elevator so that it waits for an elevator that has stopped at a specific floor after said elevator. For example, let’s assume it is determined that a specific robot does not board a first elevator that has stopped at a specific floor. The simulation system (300) can simulate the specific robot’s boarding of an elevator so that it waits for another elevator (e.g., second elevator, third elevator, etc.) that has stopped at a specific floor after said elevator.

[0153] Furthermore, the simulation system (300) can simulate the boarding of a specific robot in an elevator based on whether the specific robot boards. For example, the simulation system (300) can simulate a situation in which a specific robot boards the first elevator based on whether the specific robot boards the first elevator.

[0154] Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 10a and FIG. 10b, an example of a simulation screen in which an integrated simulation of an elevator, people, and robots is performed in the present invention can be seen. For example, through the first simulation screen (1000a) and the second simulation screen (1000b), an integrated simulation environment regarding the location of the elevator, the number of people and robots waiting at each floor of the building to board the elevator, the number of people and robots boarding the elevator, the time related to the opening and closing of the elevator door, and the situation in which the elevator door opens and closes can be seen.

[0155] Meanwhile, in the present invention, a process of calculating the waiting time for a person and a robot to board an elevator based on the results of a simulation is performed (S450, see FIG. 4).

[0156] The simulation system (300) can calculate the waiting time for people and robots to board the elevator based on the results of the simulation.

[0157] Specifically, the simulation system (300) can calculate the waiting time for each person created considering human parameters and each robot created considering robot parameters to board an elevator on a floor according to building parameters. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the simulation system (300) can calculate the waiting time for each person created considering human parameters to board an elevator on a floor, and calculate the waiting time for each robot created considering robot parameters to board an elevator on a floor.

[0158] Here, the boarding waiting time can be calculated based on the elevator's operating speed, the time required for people to board and disembark the elevator generated considering human parameters, and the time required for robots to board and disembark the elevator generated considering robot parameters.

[0159] Furthermore, the simulation system (300) can calculate the average waiting time for people and robots created by considering human parameters using the calculated waiting time for boarding. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the simulation system (300) can calculate the average waiting time for people and elevators created by considering human parameters using the waiting time for people and elevators created by considering robot parameters using the waiting time for robots and elevators created by considering robot parameters using the waiting time for robots.

[0160] Furthermore, the simulation system (300) can calculate the time taken for each of the people created considering human parameters and the robots created considering robot parameters to take an elevator and travel to a destination floor. For example, the simulation system (300) can calculate the time taken for the people created considering human parameters to take an elevator and travel to a destination floor, and the time taken for the robots created considering robot parameters to take an elevator and travel to a destination floor.

[0161] Referring again to FIG. 11, the first output information (1110) represents the result when a simulation is performed by setting parameters for a robot-only elevator and a human-only elevator. Additionally, the second output information (1120) represents the result when a simulation is performed by setting parameters for a human-only elevator, and the third output information (1130) represents the result when a simulation is performed by setting parameters for a robot-only elevator. Furthermore, the fourth output information (1140) and the fifth output information (1150) represent the result when a simulation is performed by setting parameters for a human-only elevator and a robot-only elevator, respectively.

[0162] Meanwhile, the simulation system (300) can also output the results calculated based on the simulation results in the form of a graph.

[0163] For example, referring to FIGS. 12a and 12b, the simulation system (300) can output a graph (1200a) of the time taken for people to board and travel to the destination floor, and a graph (1200b) of the time taken for a robot to board and travel to the destination floor, respectively, through the simulation result output unit (360).

[0164] As described above, the elevator simulation method and system according to the present invention can simulate the operation of the elevator according to the operation parameters by utilizing human parameters and robot parameters. In the present invention, by performing an integrated simulation of the elevator, humans, and robots using various parameters, an optimal robot control method can be verified and established for each human action. Furthermore, the user is provided with an environment through the simulator that allows for setting various situations and verifying various hypotheses.

[0165] Furthermore, the elevator simulation method and system according to the present invention can calculate the waiting time for a person and a robot to board an elevator based on the simulation results. Through this, the present invention can obtain data that enables the efficient operation of an elevator in an environment where people and robots coexist. In addition, through the present invention, the user can determine the optimal elevator configuration according to the building structure by performing a simulation that links the control of the elevator and the robot.

[0166] Meanwhile, the present invention described above can be implemented as a program that is executed by one or more processes on a computer and can be stored on a computer-readable medium (or recording medium).

[0167] Furthermore, the present invention described above can be implemented as computer-readable code or instructions on a medium on which a program is recorded. That is, the present invention can be provided in the form of a program.

[0168] Meanwhile, computer-readable media include all types of recording devices in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. Examples of computer-readable media include HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Disk), SSD (Silicon Disk Drive), ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage device, etc.

[0169] Furthermore, the computer-readable medium may be a server or cloud storage that includes a storage and is accessible to an electronic device via communication. In this case, the computer may download the program according to the present invention from the server or cloud storage via wired or wireless communication.

[0170] Furthermore, in the present invention, the computer described above is an electronic device equipped with a processor, namely a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and no special limitations are placed on its type.

[0171] Meanwhile, the above detailed description should not be interpreted restrictively in all respects but should be considered exemplary. The scope of the invention shall be determined by a reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all modifications within the equivalent scope of the invention are included within the scope of the invention.

Claims

Claim 1 A method for simulating an elevator in an environment where humans and robots coexist, comprising: a step of receiving at least one operation parameter related to the operation of an elevator; a step of receiving at least one person parameter related to a person boarding the elevator; a step of receiving at least one robot parameter related to a robot boarding the elevator; a step of simulating the operation of the elevator according to the operation parameter using the person parameter and the robot parameter; and a step of calculating the waiting time for boarding the elevator for the person and the robot based on the result of the simulation, wherein the person parameter includes the boarding time and disembarking time of the person for the elevator, and the robot parameter includes the boarding time and disembarking time of the robot for the elevator, and the boarding time and disembarking time of the robot are set to be longer than the boarding time and disembarking time of the person. Claim 2 A method for simulating an elevator in an environment where humans and robots coexist, wherein, in the first step, the operating parameters include at least one of the floor height of the space in which the elevator operates, the maximum acceleration of the elevator, the maximum speed of the elevator, the time related to the opening and closing of the elevator door, and the passenger capacity of the elevator, and wherein, in the step of simulating, the operation of the elevator is simulated based on the operating parameters such that the elevator operates in a space having the floor height at or below the maximum acceleration and the maximum speed, and opens and closes the door according to the time related to the opening and closing of the door. Claim 3 A method for simulating an elevator in an environment where humans and robots coexist, characterized in that, in the second paragraph, the person parameter further includes a time interval for the creation of a person in the simulation, and in the simulating step, while the operation of the elevator is simulated, a person is created at each time interval for the creation of a person, and a situation is simulated in which the created people board an elevator operating according to the operation parameter. Claim 4 A method for simulating an elevator in an environment where humans and robots coexist, characterized in that, in the third paragraph, the robot parameter further includes a time interval for the creation of a robot in the simulation, and in the simulating step, a robot is created at each time interval for the creation of a robot while the operation of the elevator is simulated, and a situation is simulated in which the created people and the created robots board an elevator operating according to the operation parameter. Claim 5 A method for simulating an elevator in an environment where humans and robots coexist, characterized in that, in claim 4, it further includes the step of receiving building parameters for a building in which the elevator operates, wherein the building parameters include parameters related to the maximum number of floors of the building, and in the step of simulating, the operation of the elevator is simulated so that the elevator operates up to the maximum number of floors. Claim 6 A method for simulating an elevator in an environment where humans and robots coexist, characterized in that, in the simulating step, each of the generated people and each of the generated robots simulates a situation in which they board the elevator on any one of the multiple floors of the building having the maximum number of floors, and in the calculating step, each of the generated people and each of the generated robots calculates the waiting time for the elevator to board it on any one floor, and calculates the average waiting time for the elevator for the generated people and the generated robots using the respective calculated waiting times. Claim 7 A method for simulating an elevator in an environment where humans and robots coexist, characterized in that, in the simulation step, the generated people and generated robots, each having boarded at one of the floors, simulate a situation in which they disembark from the elevator at another floor different from one of the floors, and the boarding waiting time is calculated dependently on the operating speed of the elevator, the time required for the generated people to board and disembark the elevator, and the time required for the generated robots to board and disembark the elevator. Claim 8 delete Claim 9 A method for simulating an elevator in an environment where humans and robots coexist, comprising: a step of receiving at least one operation parameter related to the operation of an elevator; a step of receiving at least one person parameter related to a person boarding the elevator; a step of receiving at least one robot parameter related to a robot boarding the elevator; a step of receiving a maximum passenger capacity parameter for boarding the elevator; a step of simulating the operation of the elevator according to the operation parameter using the person parameter and the robot parameter; and a step of calculating the waiting time for boarding the elevator for the person and the robot based on the results of the simulation, wherein the passenger capacity parameter includes parameters related to the maximum number of people who can ride the elevator together with the robot and the maximum number of robots who can ride the elevator together with the person, and wherein in the simulation step, the operation of the elevator is simulated so that the generated people and generated robots do not board the elevator in excess of the maximum number of people and the maximum number of robots according to the capacity parameter. Claim 10 A method for simulating an elevator in an environment where humans and robots coexist, characterized in that, in the simulating step, the method comprises: simulating that the elevator stops at a specific floor for a specific robot created to board the elevator at a specific floor among a plurality of floors; determining whether the specific robot boards the elevator such that the number of people and robots already boarding the elevator stopped at the specific floor satisfies the capacity parameter; and simulating the boarding of the specific robot into the elevator based on the determination. Claim 11 A method for simulating an elevator in an environment where humans and robots coexist, characterized in that, in the step of determining whether to board, if a robot corresponding to the maximum number of robots is already boarding the elevator, it is determined that the specific robot does not board the elevator, and the specific robot waits for the elevator that stops at the specific floor after the elevator. Claim 12 An elevator simulation method in an environment where humans and robots coexist, characterized in that, in the step of determining whether to board, even if a person corresponding to the maximum number of people is not already boarding the elevator, if a robot corresponding to the maximum number of robots is already boarding the elevator, the specific robot is determined not to board the elevator. Claim 13 A method for simulating an elevator in an environment where humans and robots coexist, comprising: a step of receiving at least one operation parameter related to the operation of an elevator; a step of receiving at least one person parameter related to a person boarding the elevator; a step of receiving at least one robot parameter related to a robot boarding the elevator; a step of receiving a policy parameter for determining the boarding priority of the people and robots boarding the elevator; a step of simulating the operation of the elevator according to the operation parameter using the person parameter and the robot parameter; and a step of calculating the boarding waiting time of the people and robots boarding the elevator based on the results of the simulation, wherein in the simulation step, the operation of the elevator is simulated so that the people and robots board the elevator according to the policy parameter. Claim 14 A method for simulating an elevator in an environment where humans and robots coexist, characterized in that, in the 13th paragraph, when the boarding of a robot is set to have a higher priority than the boarding of a human in the policy parameters, in the simulation step, when a situation occurs in which a specific robot and a specific person generated by the human generation time interval and the robot generation time interval, respectively, intend to board the elevator at the same time, the specific robot is simulated to board the elevator first. Claim 15 A simulation system comprising: a storage unit for storing at least one computer program code; and a control unit for performing an elevator operation simulation using the storage unit and the program code, wherein the control unit receives at least one operation parameter related to the operation of the elevator, receives at least one person parameter related to a person boarding the elevator, receives at least one robot parameter related to a robot boarding the elevator, simulates the operation of the elevator according to the operation parameter using the person parameter and the robot parameter, and calculates the waiting time for boarding the person and the robot boarding the elevator based on the results of the simulation, wherein the person parameter includes the boarding time and disembarking time of the person for the elevator, and the robot parameter includes the boarding time and disembarking time of the robot for the elevator, and wherein the boarding time and disembarking time of the robot are set to be longer than the boarding time and disembarking time of the person. Claim 16 A program that is executed by one or more processes in an electronic device and stored on a computer-readable recording medium, wherein the program comprises instructions for performing the steps of: receiving at least one operation parameter related to the operation of an elevator; receiving at least one person parameter related to a person boarding the elevator; receiving at least one robot parameter related to a robot boarding the elevator; simulating the operation of the elevator according to the operation parameter using the person parameter and the robot parameter; and calculating the waiting time for boarding the person and the robot boarding the elevator based on the result of the simulation, wherein the person parameter includes the boarding time and disembarking time of the person for the elevator, and the robot parameter includes the boarding time and disembarking time of the robot for the elevator, and wherein the boarding time and disembarking time of the robot are set to be longer than the boarding time and disembarking time of the person.

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