Elevator system control

Abstract

A method for managing the movement of a mobile robot, performed by a control system (160), is provided, which includes receiving data (210) indicating the state of at least one transfer floor (TF), receiving a service request (220), detecting that the state of at least one transfer floor (TF) does not correspond to a reference state, setting another floor as a new transfer floor (NTF) (230), generating a control signal (240) requesting permission for elevators (110, 120) to move to the new transfer floor (NTF), and generating a control signal (250) including data indicating at least the movement path of the mobile robot (140) within the elevator utilizing the new transfer floor (NTF). The control system (160), a computer program and a computer-readable medium are also provided.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , , , ,

[0005]

[0001] The present invention generally relates to the technical field of elevators. More specifically, the present invention relates to the control of elevator systems. Background

[0002] Buildings are mainly developed for human users. The same is true for the systems implemented within buildings. However, due to the significant development of computing power, there is an increasingly great initiative to utilize robots serving humans in various situations. According to this, it becomes possible to smoothly cooperate between humans and mobile robots within a building, and at the same time, the complexity in the system operation of the building also increases.

[0003] An example of the effort to cooperate between humans and mobile robots is the use of elevators. In particular, in order to maintain the efficiency of the elevator system from the perspective of human passengers, there is an advanced solution to control the simultaneous movement of human passengers and mobile robots in an advanced manner. In addition to the transportation by elevators, there are also further aspects to be considered regarding cooperation, such as how mobile robots achieve movement in crowded corridors. Such aspects are particularly relevant to elevator systems having so-called transfer floors that passengers use to transfer from one elevator to another. [[ID=…]]

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to introduce a new method to solve the above-mentioned situation. Summary

[0005] The following presents a concise summary so that various embodiments of the invention can be basically understood from several aspects. This summary is not a broad overview of the present invention. This summary is not intended to identify important or critical elements of the invention, nor is it intended to delineate the scope of the present invention. The following summary merely presents the concept of the present invention in a concise form as a prelude to a more detailed description exemplifying embodiments of the present invention.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a method, control system, computer program, and computer-readable medium for managing the movement of a mobile robot within a building equipped with an elevator system.

[0007] The object of the present invention is achieved by methods, control systems, computer programs, and computer-readable media as defined by each independent claim.

[0008] According to a first embodiment, a method for managing the movement of a mobile robot within a building is provided, wherein the elevator system installed in the building has at least one elevator arranged to serve a different section of the building from at least one other elevator, and both the at least one elevator and the at least one other elevator are accessible from at least one transfer floor. This method, performed by a control system, Receive data indicating the status of at least one transfer level, A service request was received to provide elevator services to a mobile robot. Upon detection that the state of at least one transfer floor does not correspond to the reference state, at least one floor different from the transfer floor is set as a new transfer floor for the mobile robot. Generates control signals to the elevator system requesting permission for at least one elevator and at least one other elevator to move to a new transfer floor, and also, Generate a control signal for the mobile robot that includes data indicating at least the movement path of the mobile robot inside the elevator that will be using a new transfer floor.

[0009] Data indicating the status of at least one transfer floor may be received from at least one of the following: a sensor system configured to monitor at least one transfer floor, an elevator system, a robotic system, or a cloud computing system configured to receive input from at least one user.

[0010] Data indicating the status of at least one transfer floor may also describe the occupancy rate of at least one transfer floor.

[0011] Setting other floors as new transfer floors may be done based on either the predetermined order of floors in the building or monitoring several predetermined candidate floors for new transfer floors. For example, setting other floors as new transfer floors based on monitoring several predetermined candidate floors for new transfer floors is: Monitor the occupancy rate of predetermined candidate floors, and, This can be done by selecting the candidate floor with the lowest occupancy rate from among the candidate floors and setting it as a new transfer floor.

[0012] This method further, Confirmation has been received indicating that at least one elevator and at least one other elevator are permitted to move to the new transfer floor, and, The elevator system may be controlled to generate signals that include data indicating at least the movement path of the mobile robot within the elevator, thereby providing the mobile robot with services related to new transfer floors.

[0013] In this method, While the mobile robot is receiving service from the elevator system, the system continuously detects whether the state of at least one transfer floor corresponds to a baseline state. Upon detecting that the state of at least one transfer floor while the mobile robot is being serviced by the elevator system does not correspond to a baseline state, it is determined whether the elevator responsible for the mobile robot can be controlled to stop at a new transfer floor, and, Based on the determination that the elevator carrying the mobile robot can be controlled to stop at a new transfer floor, it may also be possible to generate a control signal to stop the elevator system at the new transfer floor.

[0014] According to a second embodiment, the elevator system provided in the building has at least one elevator arranged to serve a different section of the building from at least one other elevator, and a control system is provided for managing the movement of a mobile robot within the building, wherein at least one elevator and at least one other elevator are both accessible from at least one transfer floor. The control system is, Receive data indicating the status of at least one transfer level, We received a service request for the provision of elevator services for a mobile robot. Upon detection that the state of at least one transfer floor does not correspond to the reference state, a floor other than at least one transfer floor is set as at least one new transfer floor for the mobile robot. Generate a control signal to the elevator system requesting permission for at least one elevator and at least one other elevator to move to a new transfer floor, and, The system is configured to generate a control signal for the mobile robot that includes data indicating at least the movement path of the mobile robot using the new transfer floor.

[0015] The control system may be configured to receive data indicating the state of at least one transfer floor from at least one of the following: a sensor system configured to monitor at least one transfer floor, an elevator system, a robot system, or a cloud computing system configured to receive input from at least one user.

[0016] Data indicating the status of at least one transfer floor may also describe the occupancy rate of at least one transfer floor.

[0017] Furthermore, the control system may be configured to set other floors as new transfer floors based on one of the following: a predetermined sequence of floors in the building, or monitoring of several predetermined candidate floors for new transfer floors. For example, the control system may set other floors as new transfer floors based on monitoring of several predetermined candidate floors for new transfer floors. Monitor the occupancy rate of predetermined candidate floors, and, It may be configured to perform this by selecting the candidate floor with the lowest occupancy rate from among the candidate floors and setting it as the new transfer floor.

[0018] The control system further, Having received confirmation that at least one elevator and at least one other elevator are permitted to move to the new transfer floor, The system may be configured to control the elevator system and generate signals that include data indicating at least the movement path of the mobile robot within the elevator, thereby providing the mobile robot with services related to new transfer floors.

[0019] The control system further, While the mobile robot is receiving service from the elevator system, the system continuously detects whether the state of at least one transfer floor corresponds to a baseline state. Upon detecting that the state of at least one transfer floor while the mobile robot is being serviced by the elevator system does not correspond to a baseline state, it is determined whether the elevator serving the mobile robot can be controlled to stop at a new transfer floor, and, The system may be configured to generate a control signal to the elevator system to stop at the new transfer floor, based on the determination that the elevator in charge of the mobile robot can be controlled to stop at the new transfer floor.

[0020] According to a third aspect, a computer program is provided, and the computer includes instructions for implementing a method according to a first aspect as defined above when the program is executed by a control system according to the second aspect.

[0021] According to a fourth aspect, it is a computer-readable medium storing a computer program according to the third aspect as defined above.

[0022] In the present application, the description of "some" refers to any positive integer starting from 1, for example 1, 2, or 3.

[0023] In the present application, the description of "a plurality of" refers to any positive integer starting from 2, for example 2, 3, or 4.

[0024] Various exemplary and non-limiting embodiments of the present invention related to both buildings and operation methods will be best understood from the following description of exemplary and non-limiting specific embodiments, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, together with these additional objects and advantages.

[0025] The verbs "comprise" and "have" are used in this document as non-limiting limitations and do not exclude the presence of components not described and do not require them either.

[0026] The components described in the dependent claims can be freely combined with each other unless otherwise explicitly stated. Further, throughout this document, the use of "one", i.e., the singular form, should be understood not to exclude the plural.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0027] Embodiments of the present invention are shown in the figures of the accompanying drawings by way of example and not by way of limitation. [Figure 1] It is a diagram schematically showing an environment in which the present invention is implemented according to an example. [Figure 2] It is a diagram schematically showing a method according to an example. [Figure 3] This diagram schematically shows an example of a control system. Description of Exemplary Embodiments

[0028] The specific examples described below in this specification should not be construed as limiting the scope and / or availability of the attached claims. The list and group of specific examples described below in this specification is not exhaustive unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0029] Figure 1 schematically illustrates an environment to which the present invention can be applied. The elevator system 1000 has a plurality of elevators 110, 120 and is arranged to operate within a building. The building may be any type of building, for example, a so-called skyscraper. The building or equivalent building has a plurality of floors, which are assigned to at least some of the elevators 110, 120 of the elevator system 1000 and are shown in Figure 1 as F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, F7, F8, F9, F10. According to the present invention, the elevators 110, 120 are arranged to be assigned to different sections of the building, also called areas. That is, at least one elevator 110, 120 is assigned to a different section of the building from at least one other elevator 110, 120, which consists of a plurality of floors F0 to F10. The elevator system 1000 is configured so that passengers can access any of the elevators 110 and 120, which are arranged to serve different sections, from at least one floor, also called a transfer floor. Considering a non-limiting example schematically illustrated in Figure 1, the first section, served by at least one elevator indicated by reference number 110, is formed from floors F0 to F5, while at least one other elevator, indicated by reference number 120, is arranged to serve the section formed from floors F5 to F10. In Figure 1, marks X are drawn on floors F0 to F4 related to the other elevator 120, indicating that the other elevator 120 is configured not to be able to travel to those floors. Therefore, floor F5 may be considered as a transfer floor TF used by passengers to transfer between at least one elevator 110 and at least one elevator 120. As described above, the implementation shown in Figure 1 is a non-exclusive example, and the sections may be defined in a different way than shown in Figure 1, for example, by having multiple floors in common, that is, by having two or more transfer floors in appropriate locations. Furthermore, the arrangement of elevators responsible for different sections or areas means that there are at least some floors that neither elevator 110 nor 120, which are arranged to serve different sections, can access.The implementation of elevators 110 and 120, and in particular their service to different floors, may be done by constructing elevator structures that permit only movement to those floors, or the implementation may be computationally established. That is, the travel paths of elevators 110 and 120 may be defined in a programmable manner, which may separately define the floors F0 to F10 to which elevators 110 and 120 are permitted to enter, as well as a measure to simultaneously define travel paths for multiple elevators belonging to the same group. For the purposes of the present invention, the physical implementation of elevators 110 and 120 in elevator system 1000 includes, for example, at least two floors F0 to F10 that can be set as transfer floors in a manner described in the specification below.

[0030] The elevator system 1000 is controlled by an elevator control unit 130, which is responsible for operating the elevator system 1000 according to inputs received from various sources. The inputs may be, for example, elevator calls transmitting information that a certain group requires service from the elevator system 1000, generally corresponding to a request to transport passengers from one floor of a building to another. It is obvious, of course, that the elevator control unit 130 can be communicatively connected to various physical components of the elevator system 1000 by known means for operating the elevator system 1000.

[0031] For clarification, it should be noted that the elevator system 1000, as schematically depicted in Figure 1, has a large number of physical components not described in this application.

[0032] As described above, the elevator system 1000 operated in a building is configured to provide services to passengers inside the building. According to the present invention, the elevator system 1000 is configured to provide services not only to human passengers but also to robot occupants, referred to as mobile robots and shown as reference numeral 140 in Figure 1. The mobile robot 140 is capable of operating autonomously or semi-autonomously and is understood as a device capable of performing predetermined tasks, such as delivering goods, at various locations within the building. Therefore, the mobile robot 140 may perform indoor positioning adjustments by utilizing devices and systems installed within the building. The mobile robot 140 may also be configured to communicate with other systems within the building, such as the elevator system 1000, thereby enabling the mobile robot 1000 to utilize the services provided by the elevator system 1000. The mobile robot 140 may be controlled from a robot control unit 145 to which the mobile robot 140 can communicate via one or more communication networks 150, such as a mobile communication network. The communication between the mobile robot 140 and the robot control unit 145 may relate not only to the tasks assigned to the mobile robot 140, but also to supporting the mobile robot 140 during task operation.

[0033] In one embodiment, the robot control unit 145 and the elevator control unit 130 may communicate via an intermediary device called a service control unit 160. The service control unit 160 can be understood as a control system implemented using one or more computing devices that receive input from various sources, perform analysis of the received data, and further generate signals that can directly or indirectly control one or more physical objects in the manner described herein below. In addition to communication with the robot control unit 145 and the elevator control unit 130, the service control unit 160 can communicate with a sensor system that is arranged to acquire predetermined data, for example, from a building. Such a sensor system can generate data indicating the state of one or more floors among floors F0 to F10. Here, the state may refer to the occupancy rate, such as the degree of congestion, on each floor. The sensor system may consist of a sensor control unit 170 and several sensors 175 arranged in one or more predetermined locations to be monitored. Communication between the service control unit 160 and the sensor system, for example using the sensor control unit 170, may be configured to apply any known communication technology based on wireless and / or wired communication. The same application applies to communication between the sensor 175 and the sensor control unit 170. Although the service control unit 160 is shown as a separate entity in Figure 1, it should be understood that the functions of the service control unit 160 may be integrated into other control units, such as the elevator control unit 130 or the robot control unit 145 of the robot system. The functions of the service control unit 160 may even be provided on at least one of the mobile robots 140 by configuring each mobile robot 140 to not only receive data as described herein but also to communicate with the necessary entities. Furthermore, the functions of the robot control unit 145 and the sensor control unit 170 may also be integrated into other control units, for example, the service control unit 160 or even the elevator control unit 130, in corresponding ways. For clarity, it should be noted that the data received by the service control unit 160 may not be transmitted directly between two predetermined control units but may be transmitted via other control units.For example, data from a sensor may be transmitted via an elevator control unit 130, particularly in implementations where the applicable sensor 175 belongs to the elevator system 1000. Furthermore, the term sensor is understood broadly and includes any means of generating data that can derive the above-described aspects. In some exemplary embodiments, such data may be received from an elevator control unit, for example, and derived from data indicating elevator calls to and from predetermined floors, such as one or more transfer floors, on which the state of each floor can be confirmed. Alternatively or additionally, the mobile robots 140 may also function as sensors, each equipped with applicable sensors, or data obtainable from the mobile robots 140 may be used in the described environment. For example, data describing the movement of the mobile robots 140 may be analyzed in a manner appropriate to the purpose. For example, in situations where it can be detected that the mobile robots 140 move at a speed below a predetermined reference level, such as not moving at all on predetermined floors, such as transfer floors, the data may be used to define states such as values ​​describing the occupancy rate on each floor.

[0034] To illustrate at least some other aspects of the present invention, we define here that at least one floor is a transfer floor from which passengers, such as human occupants and mobile robots 140, can transfer between elevators 110 and 120, which are arranged to serve different sections of a building. For example, in a non-limiting implementation of the elevator system 1000 in Figure 1, such a transfer floor is the floor indicated as F5, with elevator 110 serving the section including floor F5 along with floors F0 to F4, while elevator 120 serving the section including floor F5 along with floors F6 to F10. As described above, multiple floors may be set as transfer floors at a predetermined time in a programmable manner. Next, the method according to the present invention will be described here with respect to the non-limiting configuration of Figure 1. The method comprises an elevator system 1000 having at least one elevator 110, 120 arranged to serve different sections of the building from at least one other elevator, and at least one elevator 110, 120 and at least one other elevator 110, 120 together are used to manage the movement of a mobile robot 140 within the building that can be accessed from at least one transfer floor TF at a given time. To explain the method with respect to the setting of Figure 1, the method will be carried out by a service control unit 160, but the method can be carried out by any communication control system.

[0035] In step 210, the service control unit 160 receives data indicating the state of at least one transfer floor F5. In other words, the received data indicates the state of at least one transfer floor F5. Naturally, the service control unit 160 may be configured to receive communication data indicating the state of at least several other floors, not just the transfer floor F5. As can be deduced from the above description, since the data received in 210 indicates the state of at least one transfer floor F5, the service control unit 160 can analyze the data to generate an understanding of the state of each floor. Generating an understanding may refer to an operation that analyzes the received data for each floor in a predetermined procedure, for example, by applying comparison data related to the received data, or by inputting the received data into an analysis machine, such as one that uses a trained machine learning model, to generate an understanding of the state of the floor and at least one value that describes it. As previously described, when the mobile robot 140 enters an occupied floor, the occupied floor hinders or at least slows down the movement of the mobile robot 140, so the state of the floor may describe the occupancy rate of the floor, etc. The term "movement" here may include the transfer of elevators 110 and 120 on each floor for the purpose of entering another section served by a different elevator from one section. For completeness, it should be noted that the floor status and occupancy rate may be described in a predetermined manner by describing the adaptive capabilities of the mobile robot 140 at each location (see transfer floor TF). Therefore, the floor status, expressed using the term "occupancy rate," can be described as the floor occupancy rate as a percentage, or as a value describing the turnover of occupants on the floor, or as the up-floor movement speed of one or more objects on the floor, such as occupants or mobile robot 140, or as a characteristic value of the floor (e.g., degree of dirtiness, wetness, lighting conditions, or other similar factors that may hinder the movement of the mobile robot on the relevant floor) or any corresponding value indicating the same thing.Furthermore, the service control unit 160 or each entity configured to execute this method may not only perform analysis upon receiving data 210, but may also be configured to receive data indicating the state of at least one transfer floor, either continuously or at predetermined intervals.

[0036] To avoid any ambiguity, the data describing the state of at least one transfer floor in step 210 described above may be received from at least one of several sources already discussed in this specification, such as a sensor system, elevator system, or robot system configured to monitor at least one transfer floor, as described below. Alternatively or additionally, the data may be received from a cloud computing system configured to hold or access data describing the state of at least one transfer floor. For example, the data may be received from a sensor system configured to generate such data, and based on this, a result describing the state of at least one transfer floor TF may be determined. As mentioned in this specification to date, sensors and, by extension, sensor data should be understood in a broad sense, including data received or derivable from the elevator system 1000 in the form of describing elevator calls to a given floor during monitoring, and / or data received from a robot system in the form of describing a mobile robot 140 on a given floor during monitoring. Generally speaking, data may be received from the aforementioned system, or from users, i.e., passengers or building managers, via user terminals held by either of these parties. For example, a user may notify each floor of the monitoring results using an application run on their user terminal. Such a solution may be configured, for example, using a cloud computing system configured to acquire data from user terminals. In some other methods, data describing the state of at least one transfer floor is generated by statistical analysis of historical data, such as data collected from various floors over a predetermined time window. The results are then used for data describing the state of at least one transfer floor and are applied as appropriate using a time-based method. Therefore, a user of the system can define, for example, a time window in which a given data will be used as data describing the state of at least one transfer floor.Such data allows us to define, for example, that a floor is occupied according to a predetermined criterion at a given time, even if the actual situation on each floor differs from the definition. It should be noted that the present invention does not limit how data received from various sources may be combined for the purpose of generating an understanding related to the state of at least one transfer floor.

[0037] Furthermore, the service control unit 160 receives a service request 220 requesting the provision of elevator services to the target mobile robot 140. Service requests may be received by the service control unit from other control units. According to one embodiment, the service control unit 160 can receive service requests from the mobile robot 140 or from the elevator control unit 130 which has received a service request from the robot control unit 145, which is capable of managing tasks assigned to several robots. Alternatively or additionally, if such a communication channel is installed or permitted, the service control unit 160 can receive service requests 220 directly from the mobile robot 140 or from the robot control unit 145. The service request may be transmitted not only to the destination floor of the mobile robot 140 but also to the departure floor, i.e., information indicating the floor on which the mobile robot 140 requires elevator services, unless it is not possible to receive this information by any other means. When the service control unit 160 receives a service request, it may be configured to determine whether the mobile robot 140 is requesting a transfer between elevators 110, 120, which are arranged to serve different sections of the building. In other words, it is determined whether the mobile robot 140 requires service from two elevators 110 and 120, which are arranged to handle different sections at the transfer floor TF in order to reach the destination floor from the departure floor. For completeness, it should be noted that in some exemplary embodiments, the service request may transmit data indicating the destination and departure points of the mobile robot 140, which correspond to different floors. In such a measure, the service control unit 160 is configured to determine which floor the mobile robot 140 is required to traverse.

[0038] The steps referred to as 210 and 220 in Figure 2, namely receiving data indicating the state of at least one transfer floor 210 and receiving a service request 220 to provide elevator services to the mobile robot 140, may be performed in any order, or at least partially simultaneously. Advantageously, the system is configured to determine the state of at least one transfer floor TF at predetermined intervals related to the service request for elevator services. The service floor state can also be continuously monitored, for example, when the elevator system begins providing services to the mobile robot 140, or when the mobile robot 140 is already moving with the first elevators 110, 120, so that a transfer at the transfer floor TF can be detected. This type of approach allows for the rerouting of the mobile robot 140's movement path by improved dynamic means. Accordingly, the service control unit 160 receives the respective data related to the mobile robot 140 from the information sources necessary to continue the method, as will be described later herein.

[0039] Furthermore, the service control unit 160 may be configured to evaluate the state of at least one transfer floor TF at a predetermined time from the standpoint of predetermined criteria such as the occupancy rate described above, by comparing the reference state of each transfer floor TF with at least one value that can be derived from the received data and describes the state of at least one transfer floor TF. The reference state may be defined individually for each transfer floor TF and, where applicable, for other floors, i.e., on a floor-by-floor basis, or a reference state common to multiple transfer floor TFs and other floors may be defined. For completeness, it should be noted that various reference states may be defined by grouping one or more floors together and defining the reference state along the group. Such a measure is efficient and has the advantage of being able to take into account the characteristics of each floor, such as the floor plan, since the capacity of each floor differs based on the floor plan, etc. As described above, the evaluation of the state of the transfer floor TF can be performed under a predetermined time scheme, for example, when data indicating the state of at least one transfer floor TF is received 210, or at any other point in time at which further steps of the method related to the movement of the mobile robot 140 are still executable, i.e., when the mobile robot 140 can still be configured to follow a new route at least partially, as described later herein. Furthermore, the evaluation of the state of at least one transfer floor TF via comparison is understood to also extend to implementations in which the evaluation is performed by a trained machine learning model. Essentially, such implementations are also based on artificial intelligence comparisons between a given state and a previous state detected that deviates from the expected state, i.e., there is a baseline state set by training.

[0040] If the service control unit 160 detects that the state of the target transfer floor TF corresponds to the reference state, it takes no action regarding the predetermined normal operation. In other words, the service control unit 160 allows the mobile robot 140 to transfer between elevators 110 and 120, which are arranged to serve different sections of the building, using the assessed transfer floor TF. In such cases, the service control unit 160 may be configured to, for example, transfer service request data for providing elevator services to the mobile robot to at least the elevator control unit 130 and / or the robot control unit 145, or even to the mobile robot 140. In implementations where the service control unit 160 only acts as a monitor when the state of the transfer floor TF corresponds to the reference state, the service control unit 160 does not need to take any action, and the elevator system continues to provide services to the mobile robot 140 as planned. However, if the service control unit 160 detects that the state of at least one transfer floor TF does not correspond to a reference state, it may set another floor as at least one transfer floor TF as a new transfer floor for at least the mobile robot 140. In Figure 1, the floor indicated with F4 can be considered an example of a new transfer floor, and therefore the NTF referring to the new transfer floor is also indicated. Other floors to be set as new transfer floor NTFs may be selected in a predetermined order applied by the service control unit 160 based on predetermined criteria, the main criterion here being that the new transfer floor NTF is accessible from both elevators 110 and 120 that serve different sections of the building. One or more other criteria may be applied. In a high-performance embodiment of the present invention, candidate floors for new transfer floors may be monitored, for example, by the same means as floors already set as transfer floor TFs, based on the state of each floor to which at least one is selected as a new transfer floor NTF. For example, at least one of the monitored floors, such as the one with the lowest occupancy rate at a predetermined point in time or within one or more time windows, may be selected as the new transfer floor NTF. If multiple floors need to be designated as the new transfer floor NTF, the NTFs may be selected, for example, in order of their non-occupancy rate.Other criteria may be used when selecting a new transfer floor NTF. For example, the service control unit 160 may maintain a list of such candidate floors by continuously monitoring floors that can be selected using a predetermined method, and may set one or more optimal floors from the list as the new transfer floor NTF.

[0041] As described above, when the service control unit 160 sets at least one floor as a new transfer floor NTF for the mobile robot 140 based on one or more predetermined criteria, the service control unit 160 generates a control signal 240 to the elevator system 1000 to request permission for at least one elevator 110 and at least one other elevator 120 from among the elevators 110 and 120 that serve different sections of the building to move to the new transfer floor NTF. In other words, the service control unit 160 generates a control signal to the elevator system 1000 and to the elevator control unit 130 within it to request a redefinition of the elevator system 1000 so that the elevators that serve different sections both enter and exit the new transfer floor NTF. For example, in a non-limiting embodiment as shown in Figure 1, the other elevators indicated by 120 are permitted to move and stop at floor F4, which is the new transfer floor, to accommodate at least some passengers. Furthermore, when the mobile robot 140 provides a service request for elevator service to the service control unit 160 and reaches the elevator system 1000, the display of a new destination floor, i.e., a new transfer floor NT, is updated in the elevator system 1000 in relation to the service request of the mobile robot 140. This may also be done by transmitting data indicating the new transfer floor NTF as the destination floor of the elevator selected to serve the mobile robot 140 in the control signal addressed to the elevator system 1000. Alternatively, this data fragment may be transmitted in a separate signal addressed to the elevator system 1000, which is generated, for example, in response to the receipt of confirmation that both elevators 110 and 120, which have different assigned sections, are permitted to move to the new transfer floor NTF. Such a signal may include data indicating at least the path of movement of the mobile robot, which is used to control the elevator system to serve the mobile robot with respect to the new transfer floor, and here the mobile robot refers to one that is scheduled to use the elevator or one that is already assigned to the elevator.Furthermore, depending on the embodiment, the service control unit 160 does not necessarily need to generate a service call addressed to the elevator system 1000 for the mobile robot 140, as will be described later in the specification.

[0042] In addition to generating control signals 240 to the elevator system 1000, the service control unit 160 is configured to generate control signals 250 addressed to the mobile robot 140. The control signals are configured to transmit data indicating at least the travel path of the mobile robot 140 utilizing the new transfer floor NTF. The control signals may also include other data, such as further data relating to the route of the mobile robot 140 within the building in addition to the section defined by the elevator system 1000. The generation of control signals 250 addressed to the mobile robot 140 may include embodiments in which the service control unit 160 directly transmits the control signals to the mobile robot through the applicable communication channel, but may also include other embodiments in which the service control unit 160 generates control signals addressed to the robot control unit 145, and the robot control unit 145 then gives the mobile robot 140 route-related commands, such as by generating control signals in a robotic environment in a format understandable to the mobile robot 140. Furthermore, the generation of control signals 250 by the means described above may generate a service call addressed to the elevator system 1000, and the mobile robot 140 may be directed to a new route utilizing a new transfer floor NTF. If the service call is provided using a communication channel with the elevator system 1000, for example with the elevator control unit 130, the mobile robot 140 may generate the service call addressed to the elevator system 1000, or the robot control unit 145 may execute the service call addressed to the elevator system, for example with the elevator control unit 130 within the system. When the elevator system 1000 receives the service call, it performs internal signal transmission to enable the elevator system 1000 to handle the service call in order to transport the mobile robot 140 from the departure floor to the destination floor.

[0043] Steps 240 and 250 described above may be performed sequentially or at least partially simultaneously. In one embodiment, the service control unit 160 performs the generation of control signals 240 and 250 so that it can receive confirmation from the elevator system 1000, i.e., the elevator control unit 130, that a new transfer floor NTF is to be used by both elevators 110 and 120 that serve different floors, prior to the service control unit 160 generating control signals to the mobile robot 140 in the manner described above. Thus, such confirmation may occur when the elevator system 1000 has configured one of the elevators 110 or 120 to move to its new transfer floor NTF, and the other elevator 110 or 120 has already been authorized to use the same floor. Alternatively, it may occur when both elevators 110 and 120 are authorized to move to the floor designated as the new transfer floor NTF.

[0044] Regarding the setting of new transfer floor NTFs, in situations where the route already assigned to or scheduled to be assigned to the mobile robot 140 requires the use of both elevators 110 and 120, which have different sections within the building, the system may be configured to allow the transfer floor to be used only for the mobile robot 140. That is, the new transfer floor NTF is not assigned by the elevator system 1000 when the passenger is a human passenger. This is achieved by indicating to the elevator system 1000 in a service request when the mobile robot 140 requests elevator service. This approach has the advantage of minimizing the occupancy rate of the new transfer floor NTF, as in the above situation, human passengers are not transported to the new transfer floor, and only the mobile robot 140 is transported.

[0045] As mentioned in the specification so far, according to some embodiments of the present invention, the service control unit 160 may be configured to continue evaluating the state of at least one transfer floor TF even when a service call is assigned within the elevator system 1000 for the purpose of transporting the elevator cars of elevators 110, 120 and boarding the mobile robot 140 from the departure floor, and even when the mobile robot 140 has already entered the elevator cars of each elevator 110, 120. A descriptor-like method may be performed, i.e., a final time point in time when it is possible to set a new transfer floor NTF and instruct the mobile robot 140 to use that floor in its route within the building. Such a time point may be, for example, as long as it is possible to stop the elevator car in a manner that complies with safety-related regulations at each floor. Therefore, the service control unit 160 may be configured to determine a new transfer floor NFT when it detects that the state of at least one transfer floor does not correspond to a standard state defined for each floor, detect whether a service call has already been assigned to the elevator system 1000, or detect whether the elevator system 1000 has already dealt with a service call, and in this case measure the position of the elevator car relative to the new transfer floor NTF. If the above measurements have been taken, and if it is still possible to use the new transfer floor NTF by changing the route of the mobile robot 140, the service control unit 160 may be configured to redefine the route of the elevator car to stop at the new transfer floor NTF, and to allow the mobile robot to use the new transfer floor NTF by exiting the elevator car to each floor. This configuration may also include providing the mobile robot 140 with a new route within the building to move from the first elevators 110, 120 to the other elevators 110, 120 at the new transfer floor NTF. Furthermore, under these circumstances, the route of the second elevators 110 and 120, that is, the elevator into which the mobile robot 140 enters at a new transfer floor (NTF) to reach the final destination floor of the building, is re-determined so that the elevator is moved to the new transfer floor (NTF) and the mobile robot 140 boards from that floor.The method described above allows for controlling the movement of the mobile robot 140 by commanding it to use more appropriate routes, particularly transfer floors, whenever possible. This improves the operation of the mobile robot 140 within the building.

[0046] The measures described herein involve detecting that the state of at least one transfer floor TF does not correspond to a reference state, and then selecting a new transfer floor using the method described above. For completeness, the system may be configured to select multiple new transfer floors NTF from at least one original transfer floor TF using the method described above, based on the detected state. The aim of using such measures is to resolve the unacceptable state of the original transfer floor as efficiently as possible by preventing the mobile robot 140 from being transported to floors with difficult conditions.

[0047] In some embodiments of the present invention, the transmission of data describing the state of at least one transfer floor that has been detected as not corresponding to the reference state is configured to continue even if the transfer floor is rearranged using the method described above. At some point, it can be detected that the state of at least one original transfer floor TF has returned to an acceptable level, i.e., corresponds to the reference state. Upon receiving such a detection, the service control unit 160 can be configured to restore the original implementation of the general system, which is also the elevator system, by releasing at least one new transfer floor NTF from use as a transfer floor, and to use the original transfer floor again to serve passengers in elevators 110 and 120, i.e., human passengers and mobile robots 140. Of course, the system may be configured to delay preventing at least one of elevators 110 and 120 from entering the new transfer floor NTF until it has dealt with any pending service calls to that floor.

[0048] Generally speaking, this specification has described so far that the method is carried out by a service control unit 160, which corresponds to a control system that uses one or more computing devices configured to receive inputs from various sources, perform analysis on the data, and generate signals, thereby controlling one or more entities directly or indirectly in the manner described above to manage the movement of a mobile robot 140 within a building. The service control unit 160 is described as an entity independent of other entities. However, the functionality of the service control unit 160, i.e., the execution of the method, may be provided in other control systems, for example, in the elevator control unit 130, the robot control unit 145, or even the sensor control unit 170. In such an implementation, the necessary communication channels between other entities are configured in accordance with the implementation in which the method is carried out in each control system. The execution of the method may also be carried out in a shared computing environment such that one control system performs one or more method steps while at least one other control system performs one or more of the remaining method steps. For example, the control system may correspond to one or more devices capable of performing calculations in the means to realize the execution of the method.

[0049] An example of a device that can be configured to operate control systems such as a service control unit 160, a robot control unit 145, an elevator control unit 130, and / or a sensor control unit 170 is schematically illustrated in Figure 1. The control system may be configured to perform the method according to the present invention as described so far with the examples of the specification. Thus, the device in Figure 3 may be configured to perform movement management of a mobile robot 140 within a building equipped with an elevator system 1000. For clarity, it should be noted that the block diagram in Figure 3 depicts several components of a physical object used to satisfy the functionality of the device. The device in Figure 3 comprises a processing unit 310 and a storage unit 320. The storage unit 320 can store data, such as the data fragments described above, as well as computer program code 325 to be operated in the manner described above. The device further comprises a communication interface 330, such as a wireless communication interface or a wired communication interface or both, which can communicate with other physical objects as described above. Therefore, the communication interface 330 may have one or more modems, antennas, and other hardware and software that enable communication to be performed, for example, under the control of the processing unit 310. Furthermore, an I / O (input / output) component may be provided together with the processing unit 310 and a portion of the program code 325 to provide a user interface that receives input from a user, such as an engineer, and / or supplies output to the user of the device when needed. In particular, the I / O component may include, for example, one or more keys or buttons, a keyboard, a touchscreen or touchpad, or other user input means. The I / O component may also include output means such as an acoustic transducer, a display or touchscreen. The components of the device may be connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a data bus that enables the transmission of data and control information between components.

[0050] Furthermore, a memory unit 320 and a portion of the computer program code 325 stored therein may be provided together with a processing unit 310, causing the device to execute at least a portion of the method described herein. The processing unit 310 may be configured to read from and write to the memory unit 320. Although each processing unit 310 is described as a single component, each may be implemented as one or more independent processing components. Similarly, although each memory unit 320 is described as a single component, each may be implemented as one or more independent components, and some or all of the components may have integrated / detachable and / or permanent / semi-permanent / dynamic / cache storage.

[0051] The computer program code 325 may include computer-executable instructions that perform functions corresponding to the steps performed by this method when loaded into the processing unit 310 of each control system. For example, the computer program code 325 may include a computer program consisting of one or more sequences of one or more instructions. The processing unit 310 can load and execute the computer program by reading one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in the computer program from the storage unit 320. The one or more sequences of one or more instructions may be configured such that when executed by the processing unit 310, they cause a device such as a computer to perform the method as described above. Therefore, such a device may include at least one processing unit 310 and at least one storage unit 320 containing the computer program code 325 of one or more programs, and the storage unit 320 and the computer program code 325 together with at least one processing unit 310 can be configured to cause a device implementing a control system to perform this method.

[0052] The computer program code 325 or at least some parts thereof can be provided as a computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable non-temporary medium storing the computer program code 325, which, for example, causes the device to implement the method when the computer program code 325 is executed by the processing unit 310. The computer-readable non-temporary medium may consist of a storage device or recording medium, for example, a CD-ROM, DVD, Blu-ray disc, or other product that tangibly embodies the computer program. In another example, the computer program is supplied as a signal that reliably transmits the computer program.

[0053] Furthermore, the computer program code 325 may consist of a proprietary application, for example, computer program code that causes the method to be executed in the manner described herein.

[0054] Any of the pre-programmed functions mentioned may be performed by firmware or hardware adapted or programmed to perform the required task.

[0055] For completeness, it should be noted that the entity that performs this method in the role of a control system may be implemented using multiple devices as a distributed computing environment equivalent to a control unit, as schematically illustrated in Figure 3. For example, one of the devices may be connected to the others in a communicative manner to distribute the data of this method, thereby causing another device to perform at least one other part of this method. As a result, the method performed in the distributed computing environment generates control signals indicating the assignment of the responsibilities described above. The functionality of the control system as described above may be integrated into an entity configured to perform other operations, such as the elevator control unit 130 or other control units described so far.

[0056] According to the present invention, various advantages can be obtained not only from the perspective of the mobile robot 140 but also from the perspective of pedestrian flow. In terms of movement and capability for monitoring the outside world, the mobile robot 140 has limited potential, so it is advantageous not to transport the mobile robot 140 to locations where such operation is difficult. This advantage may also refer to situations where, if a predetermined floor required for the mobile robot 140's travel path is occupied due to a large number of people, such floors are avoided by the mobile robot 140. On the other hand, by changing the mobile robot's travel route within a building, the service capacity of the mobile robot 140 can be maintained. This is because the mobile robot 140 can use such less congested routes (see transfer floors). From the perspective of pedestrian flow, the advantages of the present invention are consistent with those achieved in relation to the mobile robot 140. That is, when the mobile robot 140 changes its route in the manner described above, transfer floors are reserved only for human passengers, thus helping to resolve congestion on transfer floors. Overall, according to the measures of the present invention, service performance within buildings is improved.

[0057] The specific examples provided herein, as expressed above, should not be construed as limiting the scope and / or interpretation of the appended claims. The list and group of examples provided herein, as expressed above, is not exhaustive unless expressly stated.

Claims

1. A method for managing the movement of a mobile robot (140) within a building, comprising an elevator system (1000) having at least one elevator (110, 120) arranged to serve a different section of the building from at least one other elevator, wherein both the at least one elevator (110, 120) and the at least one other elevator (110, 120) are accessible from at least one transfer floor (TF), the method being performed by a control system (160), The system receives (210) data indicating the status of at least one transfer floor (TF), The mobile robot (140) receives a service request (220) to provide elevator services. Upon detection that the state of at least one transfer floor (TF) does not correspond to the reference state, a floor different from the at least one transfer floor (TF) is set (230) as a new transfer floor (NTF) for at least the movable robot (140). Generates a control signal (240) to the elevator system (1000) requesting permission for at least one elevator (110, 120) and at least one other elevator (110, 120) to move to the new transfer floor (NTF), and, A method for managing the movement of a movable robot, comprising generating (250) a control signal addressed to the movable robot (140) that includes data indicating at least the movement path of the movable robot (140) utilizing the new transfer floor (NTF).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data indicating the state of the at least one transfer floor (TF) is received from at least one of the following: a sensor system configured to monitor the at least one transfer floor (TF), an elevator system (1000), a robot system, and a cloud computing system configured to receive input from at least one user.

3. A method according to any of the above claims, wherein the data indicating the state of the at least one transfer floor (TF) describes the occupancy rate of the at least one transfer floor (TF).

4. The method according to any of the claims, wherein the setting (230) of the other floor to be the new transfer floor (NTF) is performed based on any of the following: a predetermined order of floors in the building, or monitoring of several candidate floors for the predetermined new transfer floor (NTF).

5. In the method according to claim 4, the setting (230) of designating another floor as the new transfer floor (NTF) based on monitoring of several candidate floors of the predetermined new transfer floor (NTF) is, The occupancy rate of the predetermined candidate floors is monitored, and, A method of selecting the candidate floor with the lowest occupancy rate from among the candidate floors and setting it as the new transfer floor (NTF).

6. The method according to any of the above claims, the method further, The system receives confirmation that at least one elevator (110, 120) and at least one other elevator (110, 120) are permitted to move to the new transfer floor (NTF), and A method for controlling the elevator system (1000) to generate a signal that includes data indicating at least the movement path of the mobile robot (140) within the elevators (110, 120) to provide the mobile robot (140) with respect to the new transfer floor (140).

7. In the method of any of the above claims, While the movable robot (140) is receiving service from the elevator system (1000), it continues to detect whether the state of at least one transfer floor (TF) corresponds to the reference state. Upon detecting that the state of at least one transfer floor (TF) does not correspond to the reference state while the mobile robot (140) is receiving service from the elevator system (1000), it is determined whether the elevators (110, 120) responsible for the mobile robot (140) can be controlled to stop at the new transfer floor (NTF), and A method for generating a control signal to stop the elevator system (1000) at the new transfer floor (NTF), based on the result of the determination that the elevator (110, 120) that is in charge of the movable robot (140) can be controlled to stop at the new transfer floor (NTF).

8. A control system (160) for managing the movement of a mobile robot (140) within a building comprising an elevator system (1000) having at least one elevator (110, 120) arranged to serve different sections of the building from at least one other elevator (110, 120), wherein both the at least one elevator (110, 120) and the at least one other elevator (110, 120) are accessible from at least one transfer floor (TF), wherein the control system (140) is: The system receives (210) data indicating the status of at least one transfer floor (TF), A service request (220) is received requesting the provision of elevator services to the aforementioned mobile robot (140), Upon detection that the state of at least one transfer floor (TF) does not correspond to the reference state, a floor other than the at least one transfer floor (TF) is set (230) as a new transfer floor (NTF) for at least the movable robot (140). A control signal is generated (240) to the elevator system (1000) requesting permission for at least one elevator (110, 120) and at least one other elevator (110, 120) to move to the new transfer floor (NTF), and, A control system configured to generate (250) a control signal to the movable robot (140) that includes data indicating at least the movement path of the movable robot (140) utilizing the new transfer floor (NTF).

9. The control system (160) according to claim 8, wherein the control system (160) is configured to receive the data indicating the state of the at least one transfer floor (TF) from at least one of the following: a sensor system configured to monitor the at least one transfer floor (TF), an elevator system (1000), a robot system, and a cloud computing system configured to receive input from at least one user.

10. A control system (160) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the data indicating the state of the at least one transfer floor (TF) describes the occupancy rate of the at least one transfer floor (TF).

11. A control system (160) according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the control system (160) is configured to perform the setting (230) of the other floor as the new transfer floor (NTF) based on any of the following: a predetermined order of floors in the building, or monitoring of several predetermined candidate floors for the new transfer floor (NTF).

12. In the control system (160) according to claim 11, the control system (160) sets the other floor as the new transfer floor (NTF) based on monitoring of several candidate floors of the predetermined new transfer floor (NTF), The occupancy rate of the predetermined candidate floors is monitored, and, A control system configured to perform the action by selecting the candidate floor with the lowest occupancy rate from the candidate floors and setting it as the new transfer floor (NTF).

13. In the control system (160) according to any one of claims 8 to 12, the control system (160) further comprises: Having received confirmation that at least one elevator (110, 120) and at least one other elevator (110, 120) are permitted to move to the new transfer floor (NTF), A control system configured to control the elevator system (1000) and generate a signal to the elevator system (1000) that includes data indicating at least the movement path of the mobile robot (140) within the elevators (110, 120) to provide the mobile robot (140) with services related to the new transfer floor (140).

14. In the control system (160) according to any one of claims 8 to 13, the control system (160) further comprises: While the movable robot (140) is receiving service from the elevator system (1000), it continues to detect whether the state of at least one transfer floor (TF) corresponds to the reference state. Upon detection that the state of at least one transfer floor (TF) does not correspond to the reference state while the mobile robot (140) is being serviced by the elevator system (1000), it is determined whether the elevators (110, 120) that serve the mobile robot (140) can be controlled to stop at the new transfer floor (NTF), and A control system configured to receive the result of the determination that the elevators (110, 120) responsible for the movable robot (140) can be controlled to stop at the new transfer floor (NTF), and to generate a control signal to the elevator system (1000) to stop at the new transfer floor (NTF).

15. A computer program, which, when executed by the control system (160) described in claim 8, includes instructions to perform the method described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

16. A computer-readable medium storing the computer program described in claim 15.

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