Elevator allocation method, device and equipment for robot and storage medium

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention discloses an elevator allocation method, device and equipment for a robot and a storage medium, and belongs to the technical field of elevator allocation. The method comprises the steps that in response to an elevator taking request for the robot, at least one elevator meeting the space occupation requirement of the robot is determined as a candidate elevator; in the process that at least one candidate elevator moves towards the initial floor, the load area contour in each candidate elevator is detected in real time; screening the at least one candidate elevator based on the load area contour and the space occupation requirement in the candidate elevator to obtain a target elevator; and controlling the robot to move to the waiting point of the target elevator. By automatically distributing the target elevator to the robot, the cross-floor moving efficiency of the robot is improved, the accuracy of the target elevator is improved, the elevator taking success rate of the robot is further improved, and the overall elevator taking efficiency of the robot is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of elevator allocation, and particularly to an elevator allocation method, device, equipment, and storage medium for robots. Background Art

[0002] With the progress of productivity and the development of society, hotel robots are gradually popularized in practical applications. In related technologies, when a hotel robot moves across floors, it often needs to dispatch an elevator. At this time, the hotel robot can wait at the elevator waiting point in advance. After the elevator door opens, it detects whether there is anyone in the elevator. When there is no one in the elevator, the hotel robot moves into the elevator. Otherwise, when there is someone in the elevator, it continues to wait for the next elevator until it waits for an empty elevator.

[0003] However, in the above related technologies, the hotel robot needs to wait until an empty elevator arrives before it can enter the elevator, resulting in a long waiting time and low cross-floor movement efficiency of the hotel robot. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of this application provide an elevator allocation method, device, equipment, and storage medium for robots, which can improve the cross-floor movement efficiency of robots. The technical solutions are as follows:

[0005] On the one hand, embodiments of this application provide an elevator allocation detection method for robots, and the method includes:

[0006] In response to a boarding request for a robot, determine at least one elevator that meets the space occupancy requirements of the robot as candidate elevators;

[0007] During the process of at least one of the candidate elevators moving towards the initial floor, real-time detect the load area contours in each of the candidate elevators; wherein, the initial floor refers to the floor where the robot is located, and the load area contour refers to the contour of the area occupied by the load in the elevator;

[0008] Based on the load area contours in the candidate elevators and the space occupancy requirements, screen at least one of the candidate elevators to obtain a target elevator;

[0009] Control the robot to move to the waiting point of the target elevator.

[0010] On the other hand, embodiments of this application provide an elevator allocation device for robots, and the device includes:

[0011] A candidate determination module, configured to determine at least one elevator that meets the space occupancy requirements of the robot as candidate elevators in response to a boarding request for the robot;

[0012] A real-time detection module, configured to detect the contour of the load area in each of the at least one candidate elevator in real time during the process of the at least one candidate elevator moving towards the initial floor; wherein, the initial floor refers to the floor where the robot is located, and the contour of the load area refers to the contour of the area occupied by the load in the elevator.

[0013] An elevator screening module, configured to screen at least one of the candidate elevators based on the contour of the load area in the candidate elevator and the space occupancy requirement to obtain a target elevator.

[0014] A movement control module, configured to control the robot to move to the waiting point of the target elevator.

[0015] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer device, which includes a processor and a memory. A computer program is stored in the memory, and the computer program is loaded and executed by the processor to implement the above-mentioned elevator allocation method for the robot.

[0016] On another hand, an embodiment of the present application provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored, and the computer program implements the above-mentioned elevator allocation method for the robot when executed by a processor.

[0017] On still another hand, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, which, when running, causes a computer device to execute the above-mentioned elevator allocation method for the robot.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application can bring the following beneficial effects:

[0019] (1) By automatically allocating a target elevator for the robot, the robot does not need to wait for an unoccupied elevator all the time when moving between floors, which improves the cross-floor movement efficiency of the robot.

[0020] (2) Candidate elevators are obtained through the space occupancy requirement, and further screened by the contour of the load area obtained in real time to obtain the target elevator, and the change of the elevator load area is grasped in real time during the process of the elevator moving to the initial floor, which improves the accuracy of the target elevator and further improves the success rate of the robot taking the elevator.

[0021] (3) After determining the target elevator, the robot is controlled to move to the corresponding waiting point in time, which is convenient for quickly and accurately entering the elevator subsequently, and improves the overall elevator-taking efficiency of the robot while improving the success rate of the robot taking the elevator. Description of the Drawings

[0022] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the drawings and embodiments:

[0023] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of an elevator allocation system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 2 It is a flowchart of an elevator allocation method for a robot provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 3 An exemplary schematic diagram of a corner area is shown;

[0026] Figure 4 It is a flowchart of an elevator allocation method for a robot provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 5 It is a block diagram of an elevator allocation device for a robot provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 6 It is a block diagram of an elevator allocation device for a robot provided by another embodiment of the present application. Detailed implementation manners

[0029] Please refer to Figure 1 , which shows a schematic diagram of an elevator allocation system provided by an embodiment of the present application. The elevator allocation system may include: a robot 10, an elevator 20, and a regulation device 30.

[0030] The robot 10 is an intelligent robot capable of autonomous work. Exemplarily, the robot 10 can execute tasks such as operations or movements through programming and automatic control. Optionally, the robot 10 is a hotel robot. Optionally, in the elevator allocation system, the number of robots 10 can be flexibly set and adjusted according to actual situations, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0031] The elevator 20 refers to a transportation device that moves vertically between floors perpendicular to the horizontal plane. Exemplarily, the elevator 20 includes a car for transporting loads. Among them, the load can be a person or an object, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this. Optionally, in the elevator allocation system, the number of elevators 20 can be flexibly set and adjusted according to actual situations, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0032] The control device 30 is used to allocate tasks and schedule the elevator. Exemplarily, the control device 30 may be an electronic device such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wearable device, a background server, a server cluster, or a PC (Personal Computer), and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this. In the embodiments of the present application, the control device 30 uniformly controls the robot 10 and the elevator 20. Exemplarily, the control device 30 allocates the received tasks to the robot 10. When the robot 10 needs to use the elevator 20, it allocates the corresponding elevator 20 to the robot 10 and controls the robot 10 to enter or exit the elevator 20.

[0033] Optionally, the robot 10, the elevator 20, and the control device 30 are connected through a network.

[0034] Please refer to Figure 2 , which shows a flowchart of an elevator allocation method for a robot provided by an embodiment of the present application. This method is applied to Figure 1 the control device in the elevator allocation system shown. This method may include the following steps (201-204):

[0035] Step 201, in response to a request for taking the elevator by the robot, determine at least one elevator that meets the space occupancy requirements of the robot as a candidate elevator.

[0036] The request for taking the elevator is used to request the use of the elevator. Optionally, the request for taking the elevator may be generated by the robot or by the control device itself, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0037] In a possible implementation manner, the request for taking the elevator is generated by the robot. Optionally, after the robot obtains the task to be executed, when the destination of the task to be executed is outside the floor where the robot is located, the robot generates a request for taking the elevator and sends the request for taking the elevator to the control device. Correspondingly, the control device receives the request for taking the elevator for the robot.

[0038] In another possible implementation manner, the request for taking the elevator is generated by the control device itself. Optionally, after the control device determines the task to be executed by the robot and the floor where the robot is located, when the destination of the task to be executed is outside the floor where the robot is located, it determines that an elevator needs to be allocated to the robot, and then generates a request for taking the elevator for the robot.

[0039] Optionally, the task to be executed may be a task allocated by the control device to the robot or a task generated by a touch operation of the user on the robot, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0040] The space occupancy requirement is used to determine whether the unoccupied space in the elevator meets the space required for the robot to take the elevator. Optionally, the space occupancy requirement is related to the floor area of the robot. Exemplarily, the minimum available floor area indicated by the space occupancy requirement is greater than the floor area of the robot.

[0041] In an embodiment of the present application, after obtaining a request for the robot to take the elevator, in response to the request for the robot to take the elevator, the regulation device determines at least one elevator that meets the space occupancy requirement of the robot as a candidate elevator. Optionally, after detecting a request for the robot to take the elevator, the regulation device performs space detection on each elevator respectively, and based on the space detection result, determines at least one elevator that meets the space occupancy requirement of the robot as a candidate elevator. Optionally, the space detection method includes but is not limited to at least one of the following: radar scan detection, visual image detection, etc. The space detection method can be flexibly set and adjusted according to the actual situation, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0042] Step 202, during the process of at least one candidate elevator moving towards the initial floor, the contour of the load area in each candidate elevator is detected in real time.

[0043] Optionally, in order for the robot to take the elevator, the above-mentioned candidate elevator needs to move to the initial floor, where the initial floor refers to the floor where the robot is located. In an embodiment of the present application, after determining the above-mentioned at least one candidate elevator, during the process of at least one candidate elevator moving towards the initial floor, the contour of the load area in each candidate elevator is detected in real time. The contour of the load area refers to the contour of the area occupied by the load in the elevator. Optionally, during the process of the candidate elevator moving towards the initial floor, the regulation device obtains the space image in the candidate elevator in real time, and then determines the contour of the load area in each candidate elevator based on the edge detection of the space image in the candidate elevator.

[0044] Optionally, during the process of the candidate elevator moving towards the initial floor, the regulation device can perform real-time detection on the candidate elevator according to a preset time period, or can perform real-time detection on the candidate elevator when the status information of the candidate elevator changes. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0045] In a possible implementation manner, in order to improve the detection accuracy, the regulation device performs real-time detection on the candidate elevator according to a preset time period. Optionally, the preset period can be any duration, and the preset period can be flexibly set and adjusted according to the actual situation, such as 1 second, 10 seconds, 1 minute, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this. The regulation device performs real-time detection on the candidate elevator at intervals corresponding to the preset period to obtain the contour of the load area in the candidate elevator in real time.

[0046] In another possible implementation, in order to reduce the energy consumption caused by detection, the control device performs real-time detection on the candidate elevator when the status information of the candidate elevator changes. Optionally, the status information includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: the movement of the load in the elevator, the number of loads in the elevator, the button information in the elevator, whether the elevator stops moving, whether the elevator passes through a floor, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this. The control device detects the status information of the candidate elevator and performs real-time detection on the candidate elevator when it is determined that the status information of the candidate elevator has changed, so as to obtain the load area contour in the candidate elevator in real time.

[0047] Step 203: Screen at least one candidate elevator based on the load area contour in the candidate elevator and the space occupancy requirement to obtain the target elevator.

[0048] In the embodiments of the present application, after the control device obtains the load area contour in the candidate elevator, it screens the at least one candidate elevator based on the load area contour in the candidate elevator and the above space occupancy requirement to obtain the target elevator. Optionally, the control device determines the unoccupied area in the candidate elevator based on the load area contour in the candidate elevator, and determines the candidate elevator whose unoccupied area meets the space occupancy requirement as the target elevator.

[0049] Optionally, if there are multiple candidate elevators whose unoccupied areas meet the space occupancy requirement, in one possible implementation, the control device determines any one of the candidate elevators that meets the requirement as the target elevator, that is, the target elevator is any one of the at least one candidate elevators; in another possible implementation, the control device determines the candidate elevator with the largest unoccupied area as the target elevator, that is, the target elevator is the elevator with the largest unoccupied area among the at least one candidate elevators; in still another possible implementation, the control device determines the candidate elevator closest to the initial floor as the target elevator, that is, the target elevator is the elevator closest to the initial floor among the at least one candidate elevators; and so on.

[0050] Optionally, the control device may screen the candidate elevator after obtaining the load area contour through real-time detection, or may screen the candidate elevator before the candidate elevator is about to reach the initial floor. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0051] In one possible implementation, the control device screens the candidate elevator after obtaining the load area contour through real-time detection. Optionally, during the process of at least one candidate elevator moving towards the initial floor, the control device detects the load area contour in each candidate elevator in real time. Further, after obtaining a new load area contour, it screens the candidate elevator based on the load area contour in the candidate elevator and the space occupancy requirement to obtain the target elevator.

[0052] In another possible implementation, the control device screens the candidate elevator before the candidate elevator is about to reach the initial floor. Optionally, during the process of at least one candidate elevator moving towards the initial floor, after the control device determines that the candidate elevator has passed the adjacent floor of the initial floor, the control device screens the candidate elevator based on the space occupancy requirement and the load area profile in the candidate elevator obtained most recently in terms of time, so as to obtain the target elevator. Wherein, the floor difference between the adjacent floor and the initial floor can be any value, and the floor difference can be flexibly set and adjusted according to the actual situation, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, etc., and the embodiments of the present application do not make any limitation thereto.

[0053] Optionally, since the candidate elevator may have an acceleration behavior during operation, in order to have enough time to screen the candidate elevator, the floor difference between the adjacent floor and the initial floor is positively correlated with the running distance of the candidate elevator. Wherein, the running distance refers to the floor difference between the current floor where the candidate elevator is located and the above-mentioned initial floor. Exemplarily, if the running distance of the candidate elevator is large, it means that the candidate elevator may have an acceleration behavior during the process of moving to the initial floor. In order to have enough time to screen the candidate elevator, the value of the floor difference between the adjacent floor and the initial floor is large; if the running distance of the candidate elevator is small, it means that the candidate elevator does not have an acceleration behavior during the process of moving to the initial floor. In order to improve the real-time performance of elevator screening, the value of the floor difference between the adjacent floor and the initial floor is small.

[0054] Optionally, during the operation of the candidate elevator, the control device adjusts the floor difference between the adjacent floor and the initial floor based on the status information of the candidate elevator. Exemplarily, after the control device determines the value of the floor difference between the adjacent floor and the initial floor based on the above-mentioned running distance, it further judges whether the candidate elevator will stop within the range between the initial floor and the adjacent floor based on the status information of the candidate elevator. If it stops, it re-determines the running distance of the candidate elevator based on the distance between the stop floor and the initial floor, and then adjusts the floor difference between the adjacent floor and the initial floor based on the re-determined running distance. Wherein, the stop floor is the docking floor of the candidate elevator. Optionally, the control device determines the stop floor based on the button information in the candidate elevator in the status information.

[0055] Step 204, control the robot to move to the waiting point of the target elevator.

[0056] The waiting point refers to the area for waiting for the target elevator. Optionally, different elevators correspond to different waiting points. In the embodiments of the present application, after determining the above-mentioned target elevator, the control device controls the robot to move to the waiting point of the target elevator. Optionally, the control device sends a first movement instruction to the robot, and the first movement instruction is used to instruct the robot to move to the waiting point of the target elevator on the initial floor; correspondingly, the robot receives the first movement instruction and moves to the waiting point of the target elevator based on the first movement instruction.

[0057] Optionally, the robot has an automatic obstacle avoidance function. During the movement process, the robot avoids obstacles through the automatic obstacle avoidance function until it moves to the waiting point of the target elevator. Exemplarily, the robot realizes the automatic obstacle avoidance function through radar detection.

[0058] In summary, in the technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application, by automatically allocating the target elevator for the robot, the robot does not need to wait for an unoccupied elevator all the time when moving across floors, improving the cross-floor movement efficiency of the robot; obtaining candidate elevators through space occupancy requirements, and further screening the candidate elevators through the load area profile obtained in real time to obtain the target elevator, and grasping the change of the elevator load area in real time during the process of the elevator moving to the initial floor, improving the accuracy of the target elevator and further improving the elevator boarding success rate of the robot; after determining the target elevator, timely control the robot to move to the corresponding waiting point, which is convenient for quickly and accurately entering the elevator subsequently, improving the overall elevator boarding efficiency of the robot while improving the elevator boarding success rate of the robot.

[0059] Next, the method for determining candidate elevators will be specifically introduced.

[0060] In an exemplary embodiment, step 201 above includes the following steps:

[0061] 1. Obtain the load weight and movement status of each elevator.

[0062] The load weight refers to the weight of the load carried in the elevator. The movement status is used to indicate the movement situation of the elevator. Optionally, the movement status includes but is not limited to at least one of the following: whether it is moving, the moving direction, etc. In the embodiments of the present application, when determining candidate elevators, the control device obtains the load weight and movement status of each elevator.

[0063] In a possible implementation manner, the control device detects, updates, and stores the load weight and movement status of each elevator in real time. Further, in the case of detecting a boarding request for the robot, it obtains the load weight and movement status of each elevator from the stored data.

[0064] In another possible implementation, in order to improve the real-time performance of data, when the control device detects an elevator riding request for the robot, it detects and obtains the load weight and moving state of each elevator in real time.

[0065] 2. When it is determined that there is at least one idle elevator based on the load weight and moving state, determine that at least one idle elevator meets the space occupancy requirement to obtain at least one candidate elevator.

[0066] In the embodiment of the present application, after the control device obtains the above load weight and the above moving state, when it is determined that there is at least one idle elevator based on the load weight and moving state, determine that at least one idle elevator meets the above space occupancy requirement to obtain at least one candidate elevator.

[0067] The load weight of the idle elevator is zero and the moving state is not moving. Optionally, after obtaining the load weight of each elevator, the control device determines the elevator with a load weight of zero as a candidate idle elevator; further, after obtaining the moving state of each candidate idle elevator, the control device determines the candidate idle elevator that is not moving as an idle elevator and determines that the idle elevator meets the space occupancy requirement to obtain a candidate elevator.

[0068] Optionally, since the idle elevator is in an unmoved state, after the control device obtains the candidate elevator, it controls each candidate elevator to move to the above initial floor. Exemplarily, the control device sends a first operation instruction to the candidate elevator, and the first operation instruction is used to instruct the candidate elevator to move to the initial floor; correspondingly, the candidate elevator receives the first operation instruction and moves to the initial floor based on the first operation instruction.

[0069] 3. When there is no idle elevator, determine at least one non-idle elevator that meets the space occupancy requirement as at least one candidate elevator.

[0070] In an embodiment of the present application, after the control device obtains the above load weight and the above movement state, when it is determined based on the load weight and the movement state that there is no idle elevator, at least one non-idle elevator that meets the above space occupancy requirement is determined as at least one candidate elevator. Optionally, in order to reduce the possibility that although the non-idle elevator meets the space occupancy requirement, the robot may be overweight when entering, in the case of no idle elevator, the control device determines, based on the load weight of the non-idle elevator, that the load weight is less than the maximum load capacity of the non-idle elevator minus the maximum approved weight of the robot as the load requirement, and determines at least one non-idle elevator that meets the load requirement. Then, from at least one non-idle elevator that meets the load requirement, at least one non-idle elevator that meets the space occupancy requirement is determined as at least one candidate elevator. Here, the maximum approved weight refers to the sum of the self-weight and the maximum load capacity of the robot, and the maximum load capacity refers to the maximum weight of the materials allowed to be transported by the robot.

[0071] In an exemplary embodiment, in the case of no idle elevator, the control device obtains the initial floor and the destination floor of the robot. Optionally, the destination floor refers to the floor where the robot performs the task. The control device obtains the task to be executed by the robot, determines the floor to be reached when executing the task as the destination floor, and determines the floor where the robot is located as the initial floor.

[0072] In an exemplary embodiment, after the control device obtains the initial floor and the destination floor, it determines the direction indicated from the initial floor to the destination floor as the movement requirement. For example, if the initial floor is the 3rd floor and the destination floor is the 5th floor, the movement requirement is upward; if the initial floor is the 5th floor and the destination floor is the 3rd floor, the movement requirement is downward.

[0073] In an exemplary embodiment, after the control device determines the movement requirement, based on the movement state, it determines at least one non-idle elevator whose movement direction is consistent with the movement requirement and has not passed through the initial floor as the intermediate elevator. Optionally, the control device determines, based on the movement state, the non-idle elevator whose movement direction is consistent with the movement requirement, and obtains the floor information of the non-idle elevator that meets the movement requirement. Then, based on the floor information, it determines the non-idle elevator that has not passed through the initial floor and meets the movement requirement as the intermediate elevator. Here, the floor information is used to indicate the floor where the non-idle elevator is located. It should be noted that when the non-idle elevator passes through the first floor but has not reached the second floor, the second floor is determined as the floor where the non-idle elevator is located. Here, the floor difference between the first floor and the second floor is 1.

[0074] In an exemplary embodiment, after determining the intermediate elevator, the control device acquires the spatial images inside each intermediate elevator, and the spatial images are used to indicate the load distribution inside the elevator. Optionally, the control device acquires the spatial images through the image acquisition devices arranged inside the intermediate elevator. Among them, the image acquisition devices can be cameras, 3D scanners, etc., and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0075] In an exemplary embodiment, after acquiring the spatial images, the control device determines at least one intermediate elevator that meets the space occupancy requirement as a candidate elevator based on the spatial images inside the intermediate elevator. Optionally, the control device performs edge detection on the spatial images inside the intermediate elevator to obtain the contour of the load area in the spatial images inside the intermediate elevator; further, based on the contour of the load area inside the intermediate elevator, the unoccupied area of at least one corner area is acquired from the spatial images inside the intermediate elevator; then, it is determined that the intermediate elevator with the largest unoccupied area among the unoccupied areas of at least one corner area being greater than the first threshold meets the space occupancy requirement, and at least one candidate elevator is obtained. Exemplarily, the first threshold is the above-mentioned minimum open space area, and this first threshold can be flexibly set and adjusted according to the actual situation, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0076] Optionally, the above-mentioned corner area is an area with a corner as the vertex and the edges of the contour of the load area and the ground edge inside the intermediate elevator as the edges. Among them, the number of corners included in the corner area can be one or more. Exemplarily, as Figure 3 shown, the control device determines the contour of the load area by performing edge detection on the spatial image. At this time, the spatial image can be divided into a corner area (white part), a load area (black part), and other areas (diagonal part), and then the control device determines the first corner area 31, the second corner area 32, and the third corner area 33 based on the edges of the contour of the load area and the ground edge inside the intermediate elevator. Among them, the first corner area 31 includes two corners, and the second corner area 32 and the third corner area 33 each include one corner. Among them, the other area refers to an area that is neither a corner area nor a load area.

[0077] In summary, in the technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application, the idle elevator is determined as a candidate elevator through the load weight and movement state, and the unmanned elevator is allocated to the robot in advance, improving the cross-floor movement efficiency and success rate of the robot; in the case where there is no idle elevator, based on the space occupancy requirement, candidate elevators are continuously allocated to the robot from non-idle elevators. Whether there is an idle elevator or not, candidate elevators are allocated to the robot, trying to ensure that the robot has an elevator to take, and further improving the cross-floor movement efficiency and success rate of the robot.

[0078] In addition, the direction indicated from the initial floor to the destination floor is determined as the movement requirement, and at least one non-idle elevator whose movement direction is consistent with the movement requirement and does not pass through the initial floor is determined as an intermediate elevator. Then, candidate elevators are determined based on the intermediate elevators. When allocating elevators to the robot, the working state of the elevator is taken into account, and the "convenient" elevator is allocated as a candidate elevator for the robot, which is beneficial to saving the energy consumption of elevator movement. Moreover, by performing edge detection on the spatial image to determine the unoccupied area in the elevator, the elevator whose unoccupied area meets the space occupancy requirement is determined as a candidate elevator, so as to ensure that there is sufficient space in the candidate elevator for the robot to use, thereby improving the success rate of the robot's cross-floor movement.

[0079] Next, a specific introduction to the real-time detection method of candidate elevators will be given.

[0080] In an exemplary embodiment, step 202 above includes but is not limited to the following steps:

[0081] 1. During the process of at least one candidate elevator moving towards the initial floor, when load movement is detected, obtain the spatial image inside the candidate elevator; based on the spatial image inside the candidate elevator, obtain the contour of the load area inside the candidate elevator.

[0082] In a possible implementation manner, the control device determines whether to perform real-time detection on the candidate elevator based on the load movement situation inside the candidate elevator. Optionally, during the process of at least one candidate elevator moving towards the initial floor, when the control device detects load movement, it obtains the spatial image inside the candidate elevator; further, based on the spatial image inside the candidate elevator, it obtains the contour of the load area inside the candidate elevator. Exemplarily, the control device performs edge detection on the spatial image inside the candidate elevator to obtain the contour of the load area in the spatial image inside the candidate elevator.

[0083] 2. During the process of at least one candidate elevator moving towards the initial floor, when a change in the load quantity is detected, obtain the spatial image inside the candidate elevator; based on the spatial image inside the candidate elevator, obtain the contour of the load area inside the candidate elevator.

[0084] In another possible implementation manner, the control device determines whether to perform real-time detection on the candidate elevator based on the change in the load quantity inside the candidate elevator. Optionally, during the process of at least one candidate elevator moving towards the initial floor, when the control device detects a change in the load quantity, it obtains the spatial image inside the candidate elevator; further, based on the spatial image inside the candidate elevator, it obtains the contour of the load area inside the candidate elevator. Exemplarily, the control device performs edge detection on the spatial image inside the candidate elevator to obtain the contour of the load area in the spatial image inside the candidate elevator.

[0085] 3. During the process of at least one candidate elevator moving towards the initial floor, when a change in key information is detected, obtain a spatial image inside the candidate elevator; based on the spatial image inside the candidate elevator, obtain the contour of the load area inside the candidate elevator.

[0086] Optionally, keys are provided inside and outside the elevator, and the user generates key information through touch operations on the keys to summon the elevator or instruct the elevator to move to the corresponding floor.

[0087] In another possible implementation manner, the control device determines whether to perform real-time detection on the candidate elevator based on the key information inside the candidate elevator. Optionally, during the process of at least one candidate elevator moving towards the initial floor, when the control device detects a change in key information, it obtains a spatial image inside the candidate elevator; further, based on the spatial image inside the candidate elevator, it obtains the contour of the load area inside the candidate elevator. Exemplarily, the control device performs edge detection on the spatial image inside the candidate elevator to obtain the contour of the load area in the spatial image inside the candidate elevator.

[0088] 4. During the process of at least one candidate elevator moving towards the initial floor, when it is detected that the candidate elevator stops moving, obtain a spatial image inside the candidate elevator; based on the spatial image inside the candidate elevator, obtain the contour of the load area inside the candidate elevator.

[0089] In yet another possible implementation manner, the control device determines whether to perform real-time detection on the candidate elevator based on whether the candidate elevator stops moving. Optionally, during the process of at least one candidate elevator moving towards the initial floor, when the control device detects that the candidate elevator stops moving, it obtains a spatial image inside the candidate elevator; further, based on the spatial image inside the candidate elevator, it obtains the contour of the load area inside the candidate elevator. Exemplarily, the control device performs edge detection on the spatial image inside the candidate elevator to obtain the contour of the load area in the spatial image inside the candidate elevator.

[0090] 5. During the process of at least one candidate elevator moving towards the initial floor, when it is detected that the candidate elevator passes a floor, obtain a spatial image inside the candidate elevator; based on the spatial image inside the candidate elevator, obtain the contour of the load area inside the candidate elevator.

[0091] In another possible implementation, the control device determines whether to perform real-time detection on the candidate elevator based on whether the candidate elevator passes the floor. Optionally, in the process of at least one candidate elevator moving to the initial floor, the control device acquires the spatial image in the candidate elevator when detecting that the candidate elevator passes the floor; further, the load area contour in the candidate elevator is acquired based on the spatial image in the candidate elevator. Exemplarily, the control device acquires the load area contour in the spatial image in the candidate elevator by performing edge detection on the spatial image in the candidate elevator.

[0092] To sum up, in the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application, on the one hand, when the status information of the candidate elevator changes, the candidate elevator is detected in real time to obtain the load area contour, thereby reducing the energy consumption caused by frequent detection; on the other hand, a variety of status information is provided, and in actual application, the status information can be flexibly set according to the situation, thereby improving the flexibility of detection. For example, when pursuing detection accuracy, a variety of status information are set to work together, and when pursuing energy saving, the types of status information put into use are appropriately reduced.

[0093] Please refer to Figure 4 , which shows a flow chart of an elevator allocation method for a robot provided by another embodiment of the present application. The method is applied to Figure 1 The control device in the elevator allocation system shown. The method may include the following steps (401-407):

[0094] Step 401: In response to a request for a robot to take an elevator, at least one elevator that meets the space occupation requirement of the robot is determined as a candidate elevator.

[0095] Step 402: During the process of at least one candidate elevator moving toward the initial floor, the load area contours in each candidate elevator are detected in real time.

[0096] Step 403: Screen at least one candidate elevator based on the load area profile and space occupancy requirements within the candidate elevators to obtain a target elevator.

[0097] Step 404, control the robot to move to the waiting point of the target elevator.

[0098] The above steps 401 to 404 are Figure 2 Steps 201 to 204 in the embodiment are similar, see Figure 2 The embodiments are not described in detail here.

[0099] Step 405: When the target elevator moves to the initial floor, control the robot to move into the target elevator.

[0100] In an embodiment of the present application, when the target elevator moves to the initial floor, the control device controls the robot to move into the target elevator. Optionally, when the target elevator moves to the initial floor, the control device sends an opening instruction to the target elevator. Correspondingly, the target elevator receives the opening instruction and opens the elevator door. After that, the control device sends a second movement instruction to the robot, and this second movement instruction is used to instruct the robot to move into the target elevator. Correspondingly, the robot receives the second movement instruction and moves into the target elevator based on this second movement instruction. Further, after determining that the robot has moved into the target elevator, the control device sends a closing instruction to the target elevator. Correspondingly, the target elevator receives the closing instruction and closes the elevator door.

[0101] In a possible implementation manner, the robot has an automatic obstacle avoidance function. During the movement, the robot avoids obstacles through the automatic obstacle avoidance function until it moves into the target elevator.

[0102] In another possible implementation manner, the control device determines a corresponding movement path for the robot. Optionally, the control device determines at least one candidate movement path of the robot in the target elevator based on the spatial image and the load area contour in the target elevator. Further, based on the candidate movement path with the shortest movement distance, the control device controls the robot to move into the target elevator. Exemplarily, the above-mentioned second movement instruction includes the candidate movement path with the shortest movement distance. Exemplarily, in order to improve the accuracy of path planning, after the target elevator passes through the adjacent floor of the above-mentioned initial floor, the control device acquires the spatial image and the load area contour in the target elevator, and then performs path planning for the robot.

[0103] Of course, in other possible implementation manners, the robot can move depending on the candidate movement path and the automatic obstacle avoidance function at the same time. Exemplarily, during the movement of the robot, it first moves based on the candidate movement path with the shortest movement distance, and at the same time detects whether there are obstacles in the forward direction through the automatic obstacle avoidance function. Further, in the case where there are obstacles in the forward direction, it automatically avoids the obstacles, and then continues to move based on the automatic obstacle avoidance function.

[0104] Optionally, the robot has one or more landing points in the target elevator. Exemplarily, if the robot has one landing point in the target elevator and detects that there are obstacles at this landing point through the automatic obstacle avoidance function, it exits the target elevator and requests the control device to reassign an elevator to the robot. If the robot has multiple landing points in the target elevator and detects that there are obstacles at the currently selected landing point through the automatic obstacle avoidance function, it switches to the next landing point and continues to move into the target elevator. Optionally, the above-mentioned second movement instruction includes the position information of the above-mentioned one or more landing points. Optionally, one of the above-mentioned candidate movement paths includes one or more landing points.

[0105] Step 406: When the target elevator moves to the destination floor, obtain the first floor image and the second floor image.

[0106] In the embodiment of the present application, when the target elevator moves to the destination floor, the control device obtains the first floor image and the second floor image. The first floor image is a floor image captured by the robot, and the second floor image is a floor image captured by the target elevator.

[0107] Step 407: When the first floor image or the second floor image matches the pre-stored destination floor image, control the robot to move outside the target elevator.

[0108] In the embodiment of the present application, after obtaining the above first floor image and the second floor image, when the first floor image or the second floor image matches the pre-stored destination floor image, the control device controls the robot to move outside the target elevator. Optionally, when the first floor image or the second floor image matches the pre-stored destination floor image, the control device sends an opening instruction to the target elevator. Correspondingly, the target elevator receives the opening instruction and opens the elevator door; then, the control device sends a third movement instruction to the robot, and the third movement instruction is used to instruct the robot to move outside the target elevator. Correspondingly, the robot receives the third movement instruction and moves outside the target elevator based on the third movement instruction; further, after determining that the robot has moved outside the target elevator, the control device sends a closing instruction to the target elevator. Correspondingly, the target elevator receives the closing instruction and closes the elevator door.

[0109] Optionally, the floor image (including the first floor image, the second floor image, and the destination floor image) includes identification information, and the control device determines whether the first floor image or the second floor image matches the pre-stored destination floor image based on the identification information. Exemplarily, if the identification information in the first floor image or the second floor image is the same as the identification information in the pre-stored destination floor image, it is determined that the first floor image or the second floor image matches the pre-stored destination floor image; otherwise, if the identification information in the first floor image or the second floor image is different from the identification information in the pre-stored destination floor image, it is determined that the first floor image or the second floor image does not match the pre-stored destination floor image.

[0110] Optionally, similar to the process of moving into the target elevator, the robot can move outside the target elevator based on the automatic obstacle avoidance function or based on a pre-planned movement path. The embodiment of the present application does not limit this.

[0111] In summary, in the technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application, the up and down movement of the robot in the target elevator is uniformly controlled by the control device, reducing the misjudgment of the elevator caused by the height or volume of the robot when only the robot and the elevator interact, and further reducing the loss caused by the elevator misjudgment to the robot. Moreover, after the target elevator moves to the destination floor, when the floor image obtained by the robot matches the pre-stored destination floor image, the robot is controlled to move out of the target elevator, reducing the probability of the robot getting off at the wrong floor. Considering the problem of the robot's field of view, the floor can be continuously judged based on the floor image obtained by the elevator, further reducing the probability of the robot getting off at the wrong floor and improving the success rate of the robot's cross-floor movement.

[0112] In addition, the movement path of the robot is planned through the space image and the contour of the load area, enabling the robot to move along the shortest movement path, which is beneficial to improving the movement efficiency of the robot.

[0113] The following is an embodiment of the device of the present application, which can be used to execute the method embodiment of the present application. For the details not disclosed in the embodiment of the device of the present application, please refer to the method embodiment of the present application.

[0114] Please refer to Figure 5 , which shows a block diagram of an elevator allocation device for a robot provided by an embodiment of the present application. The device has the function of implementing the above-mentioned elevator allocation method for the robot. The function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The device can be the above-mentioned control device or can be set in the control device. The device may include: a candidate determination module 510, a real-time detection module 520, an elevator screening module 530, and a movement control module 540.

[0115] The candidate determination module 510 is configured to, in response to a request for the robot to take the elevator, determine at least one elevator that meets the space occupancy requirements of the robot as a candidate elevator.

[0116] The real-time detection module 520 is configured to, during the process of at least one of the candidate elevators moving to the initial floor, detect the contour of the load area in each of the candidate elevators in real time; where the initial floor refers to the floor where the robot is located, and the contour of the load area refers to the contour of the area occupied by the load in the elevator.

[0117] The elevator screening module 530 is configured to screen at least one of the candidate elevators based on the contour of the load area in the candidate elevator and the space occupancy requirements to obtain a target elevator.

[0118] The movement control module 540 is configured to control the robot to move to the waiting point of the target elevator.

[0119] In an exemplary embodiment, as Figure 6 shown, the candidate determination module 510 includes: an information acquisition unit 511 and a candidate determination unit 512.

[0120] The information acquisition unit 511 is configured to acquire the load weight and movement state of each of the elevators.

[0121] The candidate determination unit 512 is configured to, when it is determined that there is at least one idle elevator based on the load weight and the movement state, determine that the at least one idle elevator meets the space occupancy requirement, and obtain at least one of the candidate elevators; wherein, the load weight of the idle elevator is zero and the movement state is not moving.

[0122] The candidate determination unit 512 is further configured to, when there is no such idle elevator, determine at least one non-idle elevator that meets the space occupancy requirement as at least one of the candidate elevators.

[0123] In an exemplary embodiment, the candidate determination unit 512 is further configured to:

[0124] when there is no such idle elevator, acquire the initial floor and the destination floor of the robot;

[0125] determine the direction indicated from the initial floor to the destination floor as the movement requirement;

[0126] based on the movement state, determine at least one non-idle elevator whose movement direction is consistent with the movement requirement and that has not passed through the initial floor as an intermediate elevator;

[0127] acquire the space images inside each of the intermediate elevators;

[0128] based on the space images inside the intermediate elevators, determine at least one intermediate elevator that meets the space occupancy requirement as the candidate elevator.

[0129] In an exemplary embodiment, the candidate determination unit 512 is further configured to:

[0130] perform edge detection on the space images inside the intermediate elevators to obtain the contour of the load area in the space images inside the intermediate elevators;

[0131] based on the contour of the load area in the intermediate elevators, acquire the unoccupied area of at least one corner area from the space images inside the intermediate elevators; wherein, the corner area is an area with a corner as a vertex and with the edge of the load area contour and the edge of the ground inside the intermediate elevator as edges;

[0132] Determine that the intermediate elevator with the largest unoccupied area in the unoccupied area of the at least one corner area being greater than the first threshold meets the space occupancy requirement, and obtain at least one of the candidate elevators.

[0133] In an exemplary embodiment, the real-time detection module 520 is further configured to perform at least one of the following:

[0134] During the process of at least one of the candidate elevators moving towards the initial floor, when detecting a load movement, obtain a space image inside the candidate elevator; based on the space image inside the candidate elevator, obtain the contour of the load area inside the candidate elevator;

[0135] During the process of at least one of the candidate elevators moving towards the initial floor, when detecting a change in the number of loads, obtain a space image inside the candidate elevator; based on the space image inside the candidate elevator, obtain the contour of the load area inside the candidate elevator;

[0136] During the process of at least one of the candidate elevators moving towards the initial floor, when detecting a change in key information, obtain a space image inside the candidate elevator; based on the space image inside the candidate elevator, obtain the contour of the load area inside the candidate elevator;

[0137] During the process of at least one of the candidate elevators moving towards the initial floor, when detecting that the candidate elevator stops moving, obtain a space image inside the candidate elevator; based on the space image inside the candidate elevator, obtain the contour of the load area inside the candidate elevator;

[0138] During the process of at least one of the candidate elevators moving towards the initial floor, when detecting that the candidate elevator passes through a floor, obtain a space image inside the candidate elevator; based on the space image inside the candidate elevator, obtain the contour of the load area inside the candidate elevator.

[0139] In an exemplary embodiment, as Figure 6 shown, the device further includes: an image acquisition module 550.

[0140] The movement control module 540 is further configured to control the robot to move into the target elevator when the target elevator moves to the initial floor.

[0141] The image acquisition module 550 is configured to obtain a first floor image and a second floor image when the target elevator moves to the destination floor; wherein, the first floor image is a floor image captured by the robot, and the second floor image is a floor image captured by the target elevator;

[0142] The mobile control module 540 is further configured to control the robot to move outside the target elevator when the first floor image or the second floor image matches a pre-stored target floor image.

[0143] In an exemplary embodiment, the mobile control module 540 is further configured to:

[0144] Determine at least one candidate movement path of the robot in the target elevator based on the spatial image and the load area contour in the target elevator;

[0145] Control the robot to move into the target elevator based on the candidate movement path with the shortest movement distance.

[0146] In summary, in the technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application, by automatically allocating a target elevator for the robot, the robot does not need to wait for an unoccupied elevator all the time when moving across floors, improving the cross-floor movement efficiency of the robot; obtaining candidate elevators based on space occupancy requirements, and further screening the candidate elevators through the load area contour obtained in real time to obtain the target elevator, and mastering the change of the elevator load area in real time during the process of the elevator moving to the initial floor, improving the accuracy of the target elevator and further improving the elevator boarding success rate of the robot; controlling the robot to move to the corresponding waiting point in time after determining the target elevator, facilitating subsequent quick and accurate entry into the elevator, improving the overall elevator boarding efficiency of the robot while improving the elevator boarding success rate of the robot.

[0147] In an exemplary embodiment, a computer device is further provided. The computer device includes a processor and a memory. A computer program is stored in the memory and is loaded and executed by the processor to implement the above-mentioned elevator allocation method for the robot. Optionally, the computer device is the above-mentioned regulation device.

[0148] In an exemplary embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is further provided, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the above-mentioned elevator allocation method for the robot is implemented.

[0149] In an exemplary embodiment, a computer program product is further provided. When the computer program product runs, a computer device is caused to execute the above-mentioned elevator allocation method for the robot.

[0150] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical concept and features of the present invention, and the purpose is to enable those who are familiar with this technology to understand the content of the present invention and implement it accordingly. It is not intended to limit the protection scope of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, it is obvious that the present invention is not limited to the details of the above exemplary embodiments, and without departing from the spirit or basic features of the present invention, the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms. Therefore, from any point of view, the embodiments should be regarded as exemplary and non-limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the above description. Therefore, it is intended to include all changes that fall within the meaning and scope of the equivalent elements of the claims in the invention.

[0151] It should be understood that the "plurality" mentioned herein refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. The character " / " generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects before and after. In addition, the step numbers described in this article only exemplarily show a possible execution sequence between steps. In some other embodiments, the above steps may not be executed in the order of the numbers. For example, two steps with different numbers are executed simultaneously, or two steps with different numbers are executed in the reverse order of the illustration. The embodiments of the present application do not make any limitations in this regard.

[0152] The above are only exemplary embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An elevator allocation method for robots, characterized in that, The method includes: In response to a request for the robot to take an elevator, determining at least one elevator that meets the space occupancy requirements of the robot as candidate elevators; During the process of at least one of the candidate elevators moving towards the initial floor, detecting in real time the load area contours in each of the candidate elevators; wherein, the initial floor refers to the floor where the robot is located, and the load area contour refers to the contour of the area occupied by the load in the elevator; Based on the load area contours in the candidate elevators and the space occupancy requirements, screening at least one of the candidate elevators to obtain a target elevator; Controlling the robot to move to the waiting point of the target elevator.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The determining at least one elevator that meets the space occupancy requirements of the robot as candidate elevators includes: Obtaining the load weight and moving status of each of the elevators; In the case where it is determined based on the load weight and the moving status that there is at least one idle elevator, determining that the at least one idle elevator meets the space occupancy requirements to obtain at least one of the candidate elevators; wherein, the load weight of the idle elevator is zero and the moving status is not moving; In the case where there is no such idle elevator, determining at least one non-idle elevator that meets the space occupancy requirements as at least one of the candidate elevators.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein The determining at least one non-idle elevator that meets the space occupancy requirements as at least one of the candidate elevators in the case where there is no such idle elevator includes: In the case where there is no such idle elevator, obtaining the initial floor and the destination floor of the robot; Determining the direction indicated from the initial floor to the destination floor as the movement requirement; Based on the moving status, determining at least one non-idle elevator whose moving direction is consistent with the movement requirement and that has not passed through the initial floor as intermediate elevators; Obtaining the space images in each of the intermediate elevators; Based on the space images in the intermediate elevators, determining at least one of the intermediate elevators that meets the space occupancy requirements as the candidate elevators.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The determining at least one of the intermediate elevators that meets the space occupancy requirements as the candidate elevators based on the space images in the intermediate elevators includes: Performing edge detection on the space images in the intermediate elevators to obtain the load area contours in the space images of the intermediate elevators; Based on the load area contours in the intermediate elevators, obtaining the unoccupied area of at least one corner area from the space images in the intermediate elevators; wherein, the corner area is an area with a corner as the vertex and the edges of the load area contour and the ground edge in the intermediate elevator as the edges; Determining that the intermediate elevator for which the maximum unoccupied area among the unoccupied areas of the at least one corner area is greater than a first threshold meets the space occupancy requirements to obtain at least one of the candidate elevators.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein The detecting in real time the load area contours in each of the candidate elevators during the process of at least one of the candidate elevators moving towards the initial floor includes at least one of the following: During the movement of at least one of the candidate elevators towards the initial floor, when load movement is detected, obtain a spatial image inside the candidate elevator; based on the spatial image inside the candidate elevator, obtain the contour of the load area inside the candidate elevator; During the movement of at least one of the candidate elevators towards the initial floor, when a change in the load quantity is detected, obtain a spatial image inside the candidate elevator; based on the spatial image inside the candidate elevator, obtain the contour of the load area inside the candidate elevator; During the movement of at least one of the candidate elevators towards the initial floor, when a change in key information is detected, obtain a spatial image inside the candidate elevator; based on the spatial image inside the candidate elevator, obtain the contour of the load area inside the candidate elevator; During the movement of at least one of the candidate elevators towards the initial floor, when it is detected that the candidate elevator stops moving, obtain a spatial image inside the candidate elevator; based on the spatial image inside the candidate elevator, obtain the contour of the load area inside the candidate elevator; During the movement of at least one of the candidate elevators towards the initial floor, when it is detected that the candidate elevator passes through a floor, obtain a spatial image inside the candidate elevator; based on the spatial image inside the candidate elevator, obtain the contour of the load area inside the candidate elevator.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, After controlling the robot to move to the waiting point of the target elevator, it further includes: When the target elevator moves to the initial floor, control the robot to move into the target elevator; When the target elevator moves to the destination floor, obtain a first floor image and a second floor image; wherein, the first floor image is a floor image captured by the robot, and the second floor image is a floor image captured by the target elevator; When the first floor image or the second floor image matches the pre-stored destination floor image, control the robot to move outside the target elevator.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein The control of the robot to move into the target elevator includes: Based on the spatial image and the load area contour inside the target elevator, determine at least one candidate movement path of the robot inside the target elevator; Based on the candidate movement path with the shortest movement distance, control the robot to move into the target elevator.

8. An elevator allocation device for a robot, characterized in that, The device includes: A candidate determination module, configured to, in response to a request for the robot to take the elevator, determine at least one elevator that meets the space occupancy requirement of the robot as a candidate elevator; A real-time detection module, configured to, during the movement of at least one of the candidate elevators towards the initial floor, detect in real time the contour of the load area inside each candidate elevator; wherein, the initial floor refers to the floor where the robot is located, and the contour of the load area refers to the contour of the area occupied by the load inside the elevator; An elevator screening module, configured to screen at least one of the candidate elevators based on the contour of the load area inside the candidate elevator and the space occupancy requirement to obtain a target elevator; A movement control module, configured to control the robot to move to a waiting point of the target elevator.

9. A computer device, characterized in that, The computer device includes a processor and a memory, and a computer program is stored in the memory. The computer program is loaded and executed by the processor to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the processor, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is implemented.

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