Methods and systems for controlling robots

Abstract

According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling a robot is provided, comprising the steps of determining a restricted area in a space in which the robot moves, and determining whether the robot can occupy the restricted area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] <Cross - Reference to Related Applications> This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 458,210, filed on April 10, 2023, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a method and a system for controlling a robot.

Background Art

[0003] Within the space where a robot moves, a certain area may be congested due to the characteristics of the area itself or the density of visitors, etc. If a large number of robots occupy such a congested area without restriction, the congestion will inevitably be aggravated. This will not only reduce the efficiency of space operation but also lead to a reduction in the efficiency of robot operation.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to solve all the problems of the above - described prior art.

[0005] Another object of the present invention is to increase the operation efficiency of the space and the robot by setting a restricted area where only a limited number of robots can be occupied within the space where the robot moves.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A typical configuration of the present invention for achieving the above object is as follows.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling a robot is provided, comprising the steps of determining a restricted area in a space in which the robot moves, and determining whether the robot can occupy the restricted area.

[0008] According to another aspect of the present invention, a system for controlling a robot is provided, comprising a first determination unit for determining a restricted area in a space in which the robot moves, and a second determination unit for determining whether the robot can occupy the restricted area.

[0009] In addition, other methods, other systems, and non-temporary computer-readable recording media storing computer programs for performing the present invention are further provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, by setting up restricted areas within the space in which robots move that can be occupied by only a limited number of robots, the operational efficiency of the space and the robots can be increased. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of an overall system for controlling a robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This drawing illustrates the structure of a robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This drawing illustrates the structure of a robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This drawing shows in detail the internal configuration of a robot control system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This drawing illustrates an exemplary restricted area according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This diagram illustrates the process of determining the number of robots that can occupy a restricted area according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The detailed description of the present invention described below will be illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating specific embodiments in which the present invention may be carried out. Such embodiments will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art will be able to fully implement the present invention. It should be understood that the various embodiments of the present invention are different from one another but do not necessarily have to be mutually exclusive. For example, specific shapes, structures and characteristics described herein may be modified and embodied from one embodiment to another without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It should also be understood that the position or arrangement of individual components within each embodiment may also be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the detailed description described below is not intended to be restrictive, and the scope of the present invention should be accepted as encompassing the scope claimed in the claims and all equivalent scopes thereto. Similar reference numerals in the drawings indicate identical or similar components in various aspects.

[0013] In the following, various preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can easily implement the present invention.

[0014] Overall system configuration

[0015] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall system configuration for controlling a robot according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] As shown in Figure 1, the overall system according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a communication network 100, a robot control system 200, and a robot 300.

[0017] First, the communication network 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be configured regardless of the communication mode such as wired communication or wireless communication, and can be composed of various communication networks such as a local area network (LAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), and a wide area network (WAN). Preferably, the communication network 100 referred to in this specification can be a known Internet or World Wide Web (WWW). However, the communication network 100 is not necessarily limited to this, and may include at least a part of a known wired / wireless data communication network, a known telephone network, or a known wired / wireless television communication network.

[0018] For example, the communication network 100 can be a wireless data communication network that implements at least a part of conventional communication methods such as Wi-Fi communication, Wi-Fi Direct communication, Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication, 5G communication, Bluetooth communication (including Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication), infrared communication, and ultrasonic communication. As another example, the communication network 100 can be an optical communication network that implements at least a part of conventional communication methods such as LiFi (Light Fidelity).

[0019] Next, the robot control system 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention can perform a function of determining a restricted area within the space where the robot 300 moves and determining whether the robot 300 can occupy the restricted area.

[0020] Regarding the configuration and function of the robot control system 200 according to the present invention, it will be examined in detail through the following detailed description.

[0021] Next, the robot 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention can communicate with the robot control system 200 through the communication network 100, and is a device capable of performing predetermined functions and assigned tasks (for example, serving food and drinks, collecting containers, etc.) through communication with the robot control system 200, and can include a support base configured to support at least one object. Also, the robot 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes modules (for example, a grab, a robot arm module, etc.) for loading and unloading an object (for example, a food tray), a video module (for example, a visible light camera, an infrared camera, etc.) for acquiring surrounding video, a scanner module (for example, a lidar sensor, etc.) for acquiring obstacle information, a voice acquisition module (for example, a microphone, etc.) for acquiring surrounding voices, an illuminance acquisition module (for example, an illuminance sensor, etc.) for sensing the surrounding brightness, a speaker module for providing voice information, a display module (for example, an LCD, etc.) for providing visual information such as character information, a light emitting module (for example, an LED, etc.) for providing visual information such as hue information, and at least one module among drive modules (for example, a motor, etc.) for moving the robot 300.

[0022] For example, such a robot 300 can be a robot having characteristics and functions similar to at least one of a service robot, a guide robot, a transport robot, a cleaning robot, a medical robot, an entertainment robot, a pet robot, and an unmanned flying robot. On the other hand, supporting an object in this specification should be interpreted to include supporting a container for containing an object such as food and drinks, means (for example, a tray, etc.) on which the container can be placed, and the like.

[0023] On the other hand, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the robot 300 may include an application (not shown) for controlling the robot 300 according to the present invention. Such an application may be downloaded from the robot control system 200 or an external application distribution server (not shown). According to one embodiment of the present invention, the nature of such an application may be generally similar to the first decision unit 210, second decision unit 220, communication unit 230, and control unit 240 of the robot control system 200 as described later. Here, at least a part of the application may be replaced as needed by hardware or firmware devices that can perform substantially the same or equivalent functions.

[0024] Figures 2 and 3 are illustrative diagrams showing the structure of a robot 300 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Referring to Figure 2, the robot 300 may be configured to include a main body 310, a drive unit 320, and a processor 330.

[0026] First, a main body 310 according to one embodiment of the present invention may be coupled with support bases 340a, 340b, and 340c configured to support at least one object. According to one embodiment of the present invention, such support bases 340a, 340b, and 340c may be detachably coupled for cleaning, replacement, etc. Furthermore, each support base 340a, 340b, and 340c may include a weight sensor (not shown) for sensing the weight supported by each support base 340a, 340b, and 340c. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the weight sensor may be embodied using one or more strain gauges (e.g., three strain gauges, four strain gauges, etc.). And according to one embodiment of the present invention, such a weight sensor may be coupled to a processor 330.

[0027] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the main body 310 may include, in place of or in addition to, a weight sensor, a camera module (not shown) configured to view the spatial area on each of the support bases 340a, 340b, and 340c. On the other hand, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the camera module configured to view the spatial area on each of the support bases 340a, 340b, and 340c does not necessarily have to be included in the main body 310, and at least some of the camera modules may be installed on the structure of the serving place.

[0028] On the other hand, the main body 310 according to one embodiment of the present invention may include at least one loading space for loading objects. According to one embodiment of the present invention, such a loading space may include support bases 340a, 340b, and 340c. The object according to one embodiment of the present invention is a general concept that refers to all types of objects that can be moved by the robot 300, and may include things, animals, etc. For example, the object according to one embodiment of the present invention may include serving objects such as food and drinks, and bussing objects such as containers in which the food and drinks are placed.

[0029] Referring to Figure 3, a robot 300 according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a first space 350 and a second space 360 ​​for providing serving items (i.e., serving) and collecting bashing items (i.e., bashing). The robot 300 may further include a third space 370, which is an extension space provided through a detachable column, and may have more loading space by adding further extension spaces as needed. The robot 300 may also further include a tray 380 dedicated to serving items or bashing items. For example, the tray 380 may have a configuration in which, when viewed from above, a plurality of circular grooves are formed on its upper surface. Each circular groove may be formed so that the bottom of a cup containing a beverage can be placed on it and easily secured to some extent. The size of such circular grooves can vary. Furthermore, below the first space 350 of the robot 300, a fourth space 390 may be further included, which can be removed through the side of the robot 300. The fourth space 390 according to one embodiment of the present invention may have a form similar to a cage, with an open space formed inside, closed sides, an open top, and a closed bottom. However, the loading space of the robot 300 according to one embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above-listed contents, and can be diversely embodied in other forms of loading spaces, etc., within the scope that can achieve the objectives of the present invention.

[0030] Next, referring again to Figure 2, the drive unit 320 according to one embodiment of the present invention may consist of modules for moving the main body 310 to another location. For example, the drive unit 320 is a module for moving the main body 310 to another location and may include modules relating to wheels, propellers, etc., which are driven electrically, mechanically, or hydraulically.

[0031] Next, the processor 330 according to one embodiment of the present invention can be electrically connected to the drive unit 320 and perform the function of controlling the drive unit 320 (it may further include a communication module for communication with an external system), and may mean a hardware-integrated data processing device having a physically structured circuit for performing a function expressed by code or instructions contained in a program. For example, such a hardware-integrated data processing device may include a microprocessor, a central processing unit, a processor core, a multiprocessor, an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit), an FPGA (field programmable gate array), and other processing devices.

[0032] Furthermore, the processor 330 can perform at least one of the functions of the first decision unit 210 and the second decision unit 220 of the robot control system 200 according to the present invention (for example, the relevant function may be modularized and included in the processor 330), and can also perform the function of controlling the drive unit 320 through communication with an external system (not shown) that performs at least one of the functions of the first decision unit 210 and the second decision unit 220.

[0033] Specifically, the processor 330 can perform the function of determining a restricted area within the space in which the robot 300 moves, and determining whether the robot 300 can occupy the restricted area.

[0034] Robot control system configuration

[0035] In the following, we will examine in detail the internal configuration of the robot control system 200, which performs important functions for realizing the present invention, and the functions of each component.

[0036] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating in detail the internal configuration of a robot control system 200 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] As shown in Figure 4, a robot control system 200 according to one embodiment of the present invention may be configured to include a first decision unit 210, a second decision unit 220, a communication unit 230, and a control unit 240. According to one embodiment of the present invention, at least a portion of the first decision unit 210, the second decision unit 220, the communication unit 230, and the control unit 240 may be program modules that communicate with an external system (not shown). Such program modules may be included in the robot control system 200 in the form of an operating system, an application program module, or other program module, and may be physically stored in a variety of known storage devices. Alternatively, such program modules may be stored in a remote storage device that can communicate with the robot control system 200. On the other hand, such program modules include, but are not limited to, routines, subroutines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., that perform specific tasks or execute specific abstract data types as described later in the present invention.

[0038] On the other hand, although the robot control system 200 has been described as described above, this description is illustrative, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that at least some of the components or functions of the robot control system 200 may be implemented or included within the robot 300 or an external system (not shown) as needed. Furthermore, in some cases, all the functions and components of the robot control system 200 may be fully implemented or included within the robot 300.

[0039] First, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the first determination unit 210 can perform the function of determining (or generating) a restricted area within the space in which the robot 300 moves.

[0040] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a restricted area can be defined by a user (e.g., the administrator of the space). Specifically, the user can view the space in which the robot moves (or a plan view thereof) through a display module provided on the robot 300 or a personal device (e.g., a smartphone, laptop, etc.), and can partition the space to define a restricted area. Here, the method of partitioning the space may include selecting at least three points within the space.

[0041] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first determination unit 210 can determine a polygonal shape with at least three points selected by the user as its vertices as a restricted area. Here, the polygonal shape can include various shapes such as triangles and quadrilaterals. For example, referring to Figure 5, the first determination unit 210 can determine a triangular shape with three points (p1, p2, and p3) selected by the user as its vertices as the restricted area Z1.

[0042] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the shape and / or position of the restricted area may be modified even after the determination is complete. For example, the user can modify the shape and / or position of the restricted area by changing the attributes of the vertices, such as changing the position of the vertices or changing the number of vertices, and the first determination unit 210 can determine the new restricted area by referring to the vertex attributes modified by the user.

[0043] On the other hand, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the first determination unit 210 can dynamically determine the number of robots that can occupy the restricted area determined as described above. For example, referring to Figure 6(a), a base value (e.g., 1 robot) for the number of robots that can occupy the restricted area Z2 can be determined. Referring to Figure 6(b), by changing this base value, the number of robots that can occupy the restricted area Z2 can be determined to be a number different from the base value. Figure 6(c) illustrates a situation where the number of robots that can occupy the restricted area Z2 has been determined to be 3 robots. Such a determination can be made, for example, by setting the number of robots by the user and transmitting that setting information to the first determination unit 210.

[0044] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the first determination unit 210 can dynamically determine the number of robots that can occupy the restricted area determined as described above within a predetermined time range. Specifically, in determining the number of robots that can occupy the restricted area, the first determination unit 210 can determine the number of robots that can occupy the restricted area for each predetermined time range. For example, the first determination unit 210 can determine that 3 robots can occupy the restricted area within the time range from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., and that 5 robots can occupy the restricted area within the time range from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Such determinations can be made, for example, by setting the time range and the number of robots by the user and transmitting this setting information to the first determination unit 210.

[0045] Next, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the second determination unit 220 can perform the function of determining whether the robot 300 can occupy the restricted area.

[0046] First, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the second determination unit 220 can determine whether the robot 300 attempts to occupy a restricted area. Here, examples of when the robot 300 attempts to occupy a restricted area include when the robot 300's movement path overlaps with the restricted area, and when the robot 300 is located within a predetermined distance relative to the restricted area.

[0047] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the second determination unit 220 can determine whether the robot 300 has the authority to occupy the restricted area in response to the robot 300 attempting to occupy the restricted area. Here, the authority to occupy the restricted area may be in the form of a digital certificate such as a token, but is not necessarily limited to this. On the other hand, the number of authorities to occupy the restricted area may correspond to the number of robots that can occupy the restricted area.

[0048] Specifically, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the second decision unit 220 can determine whether the robot 300 has the authority to occupy a restricted area (or whether such authority remains) based on information received by the robot from another robot (or information that the robot comes to receive through advertising by another robot). In response to the fact that the authority to occupy a restricted area is not available (or that such authority remains), the second decision unit 220 can determine that the robot 300 should be positioned outside the restricted area until an available authority (or remaining authority) arises. Furthermore, in response to the fact that the authority to occupy a restricted area becomes available (or that such authority remains), the second decision unit 220 can determine that the robot 300 should possess the relevant authority.

[0049] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the second determination unit 220 can permit the robot 300 to occupy a restricted area in response to the robot 300 having (or coming to have) the authority to occupy a restricted area. Also, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the second determination unit 220 can cause the robot 300 to advertise the fact that it has (or will come to have) the authority to occupy a restricted area.

[0050] In one embodiment of the present invention, the second decision unit 220 can advertise the fact that robot 300 possesses the relevant authority, and in doing so, advertise the time when the authority was acquired along with the fact that the authority was acquired. If a conflict arises between robot 300 and other robots for the authority to occupy a restricted area, the second decision unit 220 can determine which robot has priority for the authority based on the time when each robot acquired the authority. Specifically, the second decision unit 220 can determine which robot has priority for the authority in order of the time when the authority was acquired earlier. The second decision unit 220 can stop advertising to robot 300 that, as a result of the conflict, can no longer possess the authority to occupy a restricted area.

[0051] On the other hand, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the second decision unit 220 can stop advertising by a robot 300 that has the authority to occupy a restricted area when the robot 300 releases its occupation of the restricted area. Furthermore, the second decision unit 220 can cause a robot 300 that has the authority to occupy a restricted area to relinquish its authority to occupy the restricted area when the robot 300 releases its occupation of the restricted area.

[0052] As mentioned above, according to the present invention, it is possible to ensure that only a specified number of robots occupy a restricted area. The shape and location of such a restricted area can be determined to conform to the user's intentions. For example, in order to reduce congestion in the kitchen area of ​​a cafeteria, the shape and location of the restricted area can be determined to cover the kitchen area in question. In this case, only a specified number of robots can occupy the restricted area, and other robots cannot occupy it. As a result, congestion in the kitchen area of ​​a cafeteria can be reduced all at once by using such a restricted area. This not only increases the efficiency of space management but also increases the efficiency of robot operation.

[0053] Next, the communication unit 230 according to one embodiment of the present invention can perform the function of enabling the transmission and reception of data to and from the first determination unit 210 and the second determination unit 220.

[0054] Finally, the control unit 240 according to one embodiment of the present invention can perform the function of controlling the flow of data between the first decision unit 210, the second decision unit 220, and the communication unit 230. That is, the control unit 240 according to one embodiment of the present invention can control the first decision unit 210, the second decision unit 220, and the communication unit 230 to perform their respective functions by controlling the flow of data to and from the outside of the robot control system 200 or the flow of data between each component of the robot control system 200.

[0055] The embodiments of the present invention described above can be embodied in the form of program instructions that can be executed through a variety of computer components and recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc., individually or in combination. The program instructions recorded on the computer-readable recording medium may be specifically designed and configured for the present invention or may be available and known to those skilled in the field of computer software. Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes; optical recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs; magneto-optical media such as floptical disks; and hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROM, RAM, and flash memory. Examples of program instructions include not only machine code, such as that produced by a compiler, but also high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like. Hardware devices may be modified into one or more software modules to perform the processing according to the present invention, and vice versa.

[0056] Although the present invention has been described above with specific details such as concrete components, and with limited embodiments and drawings, these are provided only to aid in a more general understanding of the invention, and the invention is not limited to the above embodiments. A person with ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains can make various modifications and changes from this description.

[0057] Therefore, the concept of the present invention should not be limited to the embodiments described above, and it can be said that not only the claims described below, but also all scopes equivalent to or equivalently modified from these claims, fall within the scope of the concept of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a robot, (a) The step of determining a restricted area within the space in which the robot moves, and (b) A method comprising the step of determining whether the robot can occupy the restricted area.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the restricted area is determined by selecting at least three points within the space.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the restricted area is determined by the shape of a polygon with at least three points as vertices.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step (a) above, the number of robots that can occupy the restricted area is dynamically determined.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step (a) above, the number of robots that can occupy the restricted area is dynamically determined within a predetermined time range.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in step (b) above, the robot is permitted to occupy the restricted area, corresponding to the robot having the authority to occupy the restricted area.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in step (b) above, the robot advertises the fact that it has the authority to occupy the restricted area.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in step (b), the robot has the authority to occupy the restricted area, the robot advertises the fact that it has the authority and the time at which it came to possess the authority.

9. A non-temporary computer-readable recording medium for recording a computer program for performing the method described in claim 1.

10. A system for controlling robots, A first determination unit that determines a restricted area within the space in which the robot moves, and A system including a second determination unit that determines whether the robot can occupy the restricted area.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the restricted area is determined by selecting at least three points within the space.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the restricted area is determined by the shape of a polygon with at least three points as its vertices.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein the first determination unit dynamically determines the number of robots that can occupy the restricted area.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein the first determination unit dynamically determines the number of robots that can occupy the restricted area within a predetermined time range.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein the second decision unit allows the robot to occupy the restricted area, corresponding to the fact that the robot has the authority to occupy the restricted area.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein the second decision unit causes the robot to advertise the fact that it has the authority to occupy the restricted area.

17. The system according to claim 10, wherein the second decision unit advertises the fact that the robot has the authority to occupy the restricted area, along with the time at which the robot came to possess the authority.

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