Electronic device for assigning charging task to moving objects and its operation metod

Abstract

An electronic device for assigning charging tasks to mobiles and a method of operating the same are disclosed. According to one embodiment, the method of operating the electronic device comprises the steps of monitoring the battery status of a plurality of mobiles, determining a target mobile among the plurality of mobiles that requires control based on a charging policy for the plurality of mobiles, and transmitting a control command according to the charging policy to the target mobile. The charging policy may include a plurality of threshold values ​​related to the battery status for determining the target mobile among the plurality of mobiles, and a predetermined condition for the plurality of threshold values.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] An electronic device for assigning charging tasks to mobile bodies and a method of operating the same are disclosed. Background Technology

[0002] Unmanned transport vehicles such as AGVs (automated guided vehicles) and AMRs (autonomous mobile robots) are being used in various ways across industries. Examples include overhead hoist transport (OHT) used inside semiconductor wafer manufacturing facilities (fabs) and robots used to automate the transport of products in logistics warehouses.

[0003] Unmanned transport vehicles can operate based on batteries. If an unmanned transport vehicle stops mid-operation due to battery depletion, it can have a significant impact on the entire operation. Therefore, a charging policy may be necessary to efficiently charge the batteries of unmanned transport vehicles without affecting the operation.

[0004] The aforementioned background technology was possessed or acquired during the process of deriving the present disclosure and cannot be considered as prior art disclosed to the general public prior to the filing of the present disclosure. The problem to be solved

[0005] The present disclosure provides an electronic device and method for controlling mobiles using a charging policy based on a plurality of threshold values ​​related to battery status.

[0006] The present disclosure provides an electronic device and method for controlling mobile bodies using a charging policy based on workload. means of solving the problem

[0007] According to one embodiment, a method of operating an electronic device comprises the steps of monitoring the battery status of a plurality of mobile bodies, determining a target mobile body requiring control among the plurality of mobile bodies based on a charging policy for the plurality of mobile bodies, and transmitting a control command according to the charging policy to the target mobile body, wherein the charging policy may include a plurality of threshold values ​​related to the battery status for determining the target mobile body among the plurality of mobile bodies and a predetermined condition for the plurality of threshold values.

[0008] According to one embodiment, the plurality of thresholds may include one or more thresholds for selecting a target mobile body that requires charging among mobile bodies performing a task, and one or more thresholds for selecting a target mobile body that stops charging and performs a task among mobile bodies currently being charged.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the plurality of threshold values ​​may include a threshold value for determining whether to stop charging based on whether a first predetermined condition is satisfied, and a threshold value for determining whether to start charging based on whether a second predetermined condition is satisfied.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the step of determining the target mobile body involves determining one of the plurality of mobile bodies whose battery state is below a first threshold as the first target mobile body, and the step of transmitting the control command may assign the charging operation to the first target mobile body with the highest priority.

[0011] According to one embodiment, when a predetermined condition for the first threshold is satisfied, the method further includes the step of determining one of the mobiles among those being charged at the charging station whose battery status is above the second threshold as the second target mobile, and the step of transmitting the control command may further include the step of transmitting a charging stop command to the second target mobile.

[0012] According to one embodiment, a predetermined condition for the first threshold value may be whether all of the charging stations are in use and whether there is any one of the mobiles being charged at the charging station that is greater than or equal to the second threshold value.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the step of determining the target mobile body involves determining one of the plurality of mobile bodies whose battery state is below a first threshold as the first target mobile body, and the step of transmitting the control command may transmit a standby command to the first target mobile body if a predetermined condition regarding the first threshold is not satisfied.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the step of determining the target mobile body is to determine, among the mobile bodies being charged at the charging station, one has a battery state greater than or equal to a second threshold, and if a predetermined condition regarding the second threshold is satisfied, one of the mobile bodies having a battery state greater than or equal to the second threshold is determined as the target mobile body, and the step of transmitting the control command can transmit a charging stop command to the target mobile body.

[0015] According to one embodiment, a predetermined condition for the second threshold value may be whether all of the charging stations are in use and whether any one of the plurality of mobile bodies is below the first threshold value.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the step of determining the target mobile body is to determine, among the mobile bodies being charged at the charging station, one has a battery state greater than or equal to a third threshold, and if a predetermined condition regarding the third threshold is satisfied, one of the mobile bodies having a battery state greater than or equal to the third threshold is determined as the target mobile body, and the step of transmitting the control command is to transmit a charging stop command to the target mobile body and assign a new task to the target mobile body.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the predetermined condition for the third threshold value may be that the new task has been created and there is no idle moving body to assign the new task.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the method may further include controlling the plurality of threshold values ​​based on a user request related to the charging or operation of the plurality of mobile bodies and / or the characteristics of the plurality of mobile bodies.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the operation of controlling the plurality of threshold values ​​may set at least two of the plurality of threshold values ​​to be the same based on the user request and / or the characteristics of the plurality of moving bodies.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the operation of controlling the plurality of threshold values ​​based on user input entered through a user interface may be further included.

[0021] According to one embodiment, a method of operating an electronic device may include the steps of: calculating the average number of tasks generated per hour and the number of tasks that a plurality of mobile bodies can process per hour; determining the number of mobile bodies to which tasks are to be assigned based on the average number of tasks generated per hour and the number of tasks that a plurality of mobile bodies can process per hour; determining one or more target mobile bodies to which charging tasks are to be assigned based on the number of mobile bodies to which tasks are to be assigned; and assigning the charging tasks to the one or more target mobile bodies.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the step of determining the number of mobile bodies to which the task is to be assigned may determine the number of mobile bodies to which the task is to be assigned such that the number of tasks that can be processed per hour by the mobile bodies to which the task is to be assigned is equal to or greater than the average number of tasks generated per hour.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the step of assigning the charging task to the one or more target mobiles may, when the number of the one or more target mobiles is greater than the number of charging stations, prioritize assigning the charging task to the target mobile with the lowest battery status among the one or more target mobiles.

[0024] According to one embodiment, a computer-readable recording medium may store one or more computer programs including instructions for executing any one of the methods described above.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the electronic device includes a processor that controls a plurality of mobiles, and the processor monitors the battery status of the plurality of mobiles, determines a target mobile among the plurality of mobiles that requires control based on a charging policy for the plurality of mobiles, and transmits a control command according to the charging policy to the target mobile. The charging policy may include a plurality of threshold values ​​related to the battery status for determining the target mobile among the plurality of mobiles and a predetermined condition for the plurality of threshold values.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the plurality of thresholds may include one or more thresholds for selecting a target mobile body that requires charging among mobile bodies performing a task, and one or more thresholds for selecting a target mobile body that stops charging and performs a task among mobile bodies currently being charged. Effects of the invention

[0027] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an advanced charging strategy can be provided by controlling mobiles using a charging policy based on a plurality of threshold values ​​related to battery status.

[0028] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an advanced charging strategy can be provided by controlling mobiles using a charging policy based on workload. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0029] FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining an automation system using moving bodies according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figures 2 and 3 are drawings for explaining a conventional charging policy. FIGS. 4 to 10 are drawings for illustrating a charging policy according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a drawing for explaining a user interface according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining a method of operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining a method of operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 14 is a drawing for explaining a charging policy according to the number of operations according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0030] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, the scope of the patent application is not limited or restricted by these embodiments. Identical reference numerals in each drawing indicate identical components.

[0031] Various modifications may be made to the embodiments described below. The embodiments described below are not intended to limit the forms of practice and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions thereof.

[0032] Terms such as "first" or "second" may be used to describe various components, but these terms should be understood solely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, a first component may be named a second component, and similarly, a second component may be named a first component.

[0033] The terms used in the embodiments are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the embodiments. A singular expression includes a plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this specification, phrases such as “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” “at least one of A or B,” “A, B or C,” “at least one of A, B and C,” and “at least one of A, B, or C” may each include any one of the items listed together with the corresponding phrase, or any possible combination thereof. In this specification, terms such as “comprising” or “having” are intended to indicate the presence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0034] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the embodiments pertain. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in this application.

[0035] In addition, when describing with reference to the attached drawings, identical components are assigned the same reference numeral regardless of drawing symbols, and redundant descriptions thereof are omitted. When describing the embodiments, if it is determined that a detailed description of related prior art could unnecessarily obscure the essence of the embodiments, such detailed description is omitted.

[0036] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0038] FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining an automation system using moving bodies according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 1, an automation system (100) that processes work using a plurality of moving bodies (131, 133, 135) is illustrated.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 1, the electronic device (110) may include a processor (111), memory (113), and a display (115). Only the components related to the embodiments are shown in the electronic device (110) illustrated in FIG. 1. Therefore, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the electronic device (110) may include other general-purpose components in addition to the components illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0041] The processor (111) can perform the role of performing overall functions for controlling the electronic device (110). The processor (111) can control the electronic device (110) overall by executing programs and / or instructions stored in memory (113). The processor (111) may be implemented as a CPU (central processing unit), GPU (graphics processing unit), AP (application processor), etc., provided within the electronic device (110), but is not limited thereto.

[0042] Memory (113) may be hardware that stores data processed and data to be processed within the electronic device (110). Additionally, memory (113) may store applications, drivers, etc. to be driven by the electronic device (110). Memory (113) may include volatile memory, such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), and / or nonvolatile memory.

[0043] The display (115) can visually provide information to the outside of the electronic device (110) (e.g., a user). For example, the display (115) can display a screen that can monitor multiple moving objects (131, 133, 135). For example, the display (115) can display a screen that can monitor multiple moving objects (131, 133, 135) in an environment where the workspace is implemented in 2D (two-dimensional) or 3D (three-dimensional). For example, the display (115) can display a user interface that controls multiple moving objects (131, 133, 135).

[0044] The electronic device (110) may be configured using a server, etc., but the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. Additionally, depending on the operating environment, the electronic device (110) may not be implemented as a separate device but may be configured by combining with one or more mobile bodies.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 1, a plurality of mobile bodies (131, 133, 135) and an electronic device (110) can communicate through a network (120). The plurality of mobile bodies (131, 133, 135) and the electronic device (110) can transmit and receive various data and / or commands through the network (120). For example, the electronic device (110) can receive battery status from the plurality of mobile bodies (131, 133, 135). For example, the electronic device (110) can transmit control commands to the plurality of mobile bodies (131, 133, 135). The network (120) may include a wired network and a wireless network. For example, the network (120) may include various communication networks such as a Local Area Network (LAN), a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. However, the above-described network (120) is merely an example and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0046] Referring to FIG. 1, a schematic workspace (160) is shown in which a plurality of mobile bodies (131, 133, 135) perform a plurality of tasks (141, 145, 147). A plurality of mobile bodies (131, 133, 135), a plurality of tasks (141, 145, 147), and a plurality of charging stations (170, 180) may be arranged in the workspace (160). The workspace (160) may include a plurality of intersections (151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159).

[0047] A plurality of mobile bodies (131, 133, 135) may be automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). In this disclosure, the mobile bodies are described as automated guided vehicles or autonomous mobile robots that perform the task of transporting objects, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the mobile bodies may be robots or autonomous vehicles that perform specific tasks.

[0048] Multiple tasks (141, 145, 147) may have various meanings, such as objects requiring transport work or places where specific work is performed. Multiple tasks (141, 145, 147) may be assigned to multiple mobile bodies (131, 133, 135). For example, task (141) may be assigned to mobile body (131). Multiple mobile bodies (131, 133, 135) may be assigned multiple tasks (141, 145, 147) through various methods (i.e., various task assignment policies).

[0049] Multiple intersections (151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159) may represent points where the path of a moving object splits into at least two or merges.

[0050] Referring to FIG. 1, the paths in the workspace (160) are shown as unidirectional paths, but this is merely an example and it is obvious to those skilled in the art that they may be bidirectional paths. The paths may be guide rails along which a plurality of moving bodies (131, 133, 135) can move, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the paths may refer to a space (e.g., a road, a corridor, etc.) without a separate rail installed, through which a plurality of moving bodies (131, 133, 135) can freely pass.

[0051] Multiple mobiles (131, 133, 135) can move by using batteries. Multiple charging stations (170, 180) may need to be placed on one side of the workspace (160) to maintain a state where the multiple mobiles (131, 133, 135) can perform work. When the multiple mobiles (131, 133, 135) are assigned a charging task, they can visit the multiple charging stations (170, 180) to charge their batteries. The assignment of charging tasks to the multiple mobiles (131, 133, 135) can be performed by an electronic device (110) via a network (120). The electronic device (110) may use a charging policy to assign charging tasks while minimizing the impact on the work.

[0052] Below, I will explain the conventional charging policy.

[0054] FIGS. 2 and FIGS. 3 are drawings for explaining a conventional charging policy (200).

[0055] Referring to FIG. 2, a charging policy (200) for controlling a mobile body based on the battery status of the mobile body is illustrated. A conventional charging policy (200) could assign a charging task when the battery status of the mobile body is below a threshold value and stop charging when the battery status of the mobile body is below a threshold value.

[0056] For example, the electronic device could monitor the battery status of multiple mobiles and assign a charging command to a mobile that has a battery status below a charging start threshold (220). If the battery status of a mobile being charged becomes above a charging completion threshold (210), the electronic device could stop charging and assign another task.

[0057] Below, I will explain Figure 3 with reference to Figure 2.

[0058] Referring to FIG. 3, a plurality of workspaces (300, 310) managed according to a conventional charging policy (200) are illustrated. For convenience of explanation, a plurality of movable bodies (311, 313, 315) will be assumed to be movable bodies moving along a guide rail. Additionally, although an electronic device controlling the plurality of movable bodies (311, 313, 315) is not illustrated, it should be understood that overall control of the plurality of movable bodies (311, 313, 315) is performed by an electronic device.

[0059] Referring to the workspace (300), a plurality of mobile bodies (311, 313, 315) may be placed. The battery status of the plurality of mobile bodies (311, 313, 31) placed in the workspace (300) may be in a state exceeding the charging start threshold (220). The plurality of mobile bodies (311, 313, 315) may be assigned a task. For example, mobile body (313) may be assigned a task (320). Mobile body (311) and mobile body (315) may be in an idle state without being assigned a task. In other words, mobile body (311) and mobile body (315) may be idle mobile bodies. Mobile body (311) and mobile body (315) may be in a waiting state until a task is assigned in order to reduce battery consumption.

[0060] The battery status of multiple mobile bodies (311, 313, 315) may decrease as work is performed. For example, the battery status of mobile body (313) and mobile body (315) may be in a state where it has decreased to below the charging start threshold (220). The electronic device may assign a charging task to mobile body (313) and mobile body (315) whose battery status has decreased to below the charging start threshold (220). Mobile body (313) and mobile body (315) assigned a charging task may move to the charging station (330) and charging station (340), respectively. Mobile body (313) and mobile body (315) that are charging may not be assigned any work other than charging until their battery status reaches above the charging completion threshold (210).

[0061] Multiple tasks (351, 353, 355) may be generated during charging of the mobile body (313) and the mobile body (315). Since only the mobile body (311) can be assigned tasks, the mobile body (311) may have to handle all of the multiple tasks (351, 353, 355). Consequently, if only the mobile body (311) handles all tasks, the work time may increase and work efficiency may decrease. In other words, system performance may decrease.

[0062] Therefore, advanced charging policies may be necessary, such as suspending charging and assigning tasks to vehicles that are currently charging if certain conditions are met. Below, I will explain these advanced charging policies.

[0064] FIGS. 4 to 10 are drawings for illustrating a charging policy according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0065] Referring to FIG. 4, a charging policy (400) is illustrated to assign charging tasks based on the battery status of the mobile body. The battery status may include at least one of indicators representing the state of the battery, such as SoC (state of charge; SoC), SoH (state of health; SoH), and DoD (dead of discharge; DoD).

[0066] The electronic device can monitor the battery status of multiple mobiles. The electronic device can determine a target mobile among the multiple mobiles that requires control based on a charging policy (400). The target mobile among the multiple mobiles may include a mobile that requires charging and / or a mobile that needs to stop charging. The electronic device can transmit control commands to the target mobile among the multiple mobiles based on the charging policy. The control commands may include task assignment and charging stop commands.

[0067] The charging policy (400) may include a plurality of threshold values ​​and predetermined conditions for the plurality of threshold values. The charging policy (400) may include threshold A (410), threshold B (420), threshold C (430), threshold D (440), and threshold E (450). The values ​​of the threshold values ​​are not fixed to any single value but may be controllable. For example, the values ​​of the threshold values ​​may be controlled based on user requests and / or characteristics of the plurality of moving bodies. For example, the values ​​of the threshold values ​​may be controlled based on user input entered through a user interface. The control of the threshold values ​​will be described later in FIGS. 7 through 11.

[0068] As described below, multiple threshold values ​​of the charging policy may be used to select mobiles that require charging or mobiles that require charging. Accordingly, the multiple threshold values ​​may include one or more threshold values ​​for selecting target mobiles that require charging among mobiles currently performing tasks, and one or more threshold values ​​for selecting target mobiles that require charging and require stopping tasks among mobiles currently being charged. Additionally, the multiple threshold values ​​may be used to determine whether to start or stop charging according to predetermined conditions. Accordingly, the multiple threshold values ​​may include a threshold value for determining whether to stop charging based on whether a first predetermined condition is satisfied, and a threshold value for determining whether to start charging based on whether a second predetermined condition is satisfied.

[0069] Below, I will explain the meaning of each threshold and the predetermined conditions for each threshold.

[0070] The electronic device may prioritize assigning a charging task to a mobile body having a battery state below a threshold value A (410). A mobile body having a battery state below a threshold value A (410) may be a mobile body that urgently needs charging just before discharge. The electronic device may not assign any tasks other than the charging task to a mobile body having a battery state below a threshold value A (410). In other words, the electronic device may determine a mobile body having a battery state below a threshold value A (410) as a first target mobile body requiring a charging task.

[0071] Additionally, the electronic device may perform the following operations by further determining whether there is a mobile body having a battery state below a threshold value A (410) and whether a predetermined condition for the threshold value A (410) is satisfied.

[0072] A predetermined condition for threshold A (410) may be whether all charging stations are in use and whether there is a mobile among the mobiles being charged at the charging station that has a battery state greater than or equal to threshold C (430).

[0073] If not all charging stages are in use, the first target mobile body can move to an empty charging stage and start charging.

[0074] The electronic device may determine one of the vehicles satisfying the aforementioned predetermined conditions (i.e., vehicles that are charging at the charging station and have a battery state greater than or equal to the threshold C (430)) as the second target vehicle if all charging stations are in use and there is a vehicle among the vehicles charging at the charging station that has a battery state greater than or equal to the threshold C (430) (i.e., a predetermined condition for the threshold A (410) is satisfied). The electronic device may determine the vehicle among the vehicles charging at the charging station that has the most charged battery as the second target vehicle. The electronic device may send a charging stop command to the second target vehicle. Upon receiving the charging stop command, the second target vehicle may leave the charging station and be assigned another task. The first target vehicle may move to the charging station where the second target vehicle was charging and start charging.

[0075] Even if all charging stations are in use, if there is no mobile among the mobiles being charged at the charging station that has a battery state greater than or equal to the threshold C (430) (i.e., the predetermined condition for the threshold A (410) is not satisfied), the electronic device may send a standby command to the first target mobile. The electronic device may not assign any separate task other than the charging task to the first target mobile. While the first target mobile is waiting, a mobile among the mobiles being charged at the charging station that has a battery state greater than or equal to the threshold C (430) may occur. In this case, the electronic device operates in the same manner as when the predetermined condition for the threshold A (410) described above is satisfied, so a description will be omitted.

[0076] The electronic device may assign a charging task to a mobile body having a battery state below a threshold value B (420). The electronic device may be in a state where the mobile body having a battery state below the threshold value B (420) has insufficient battery power but does not require immediate charging. However, the electronic device may not always assign a charging task to a mobile body having a battery state below the threshold value B (420). The electronic device may assign a charging task depending on whether a predetermined condition regarding the threshold value B (420) is satisfied. For example, the electronic device may not assign a charging task to a mobile body even if there is a mobile body having a battery state below the threshold value B (420), if all charging stations are in use. For example, the electronic device may not assign a charging task even if there is a mobile body having a battery state below the threshold value B (420), if there is remaining work assigned to that mobile body.

[0077] The electronic device may determine one of the mobiles being charged as a target mobile if there is one among the mobiles being charged whose battery state is greater than or equal to the threshold value C (430) and if a predetermined condition for the threshold value C (430) is satisfied. Among the mobiles being charged, the mobile whose battery state is greater than or equal to the threshold value C (430) may be a mobile that is not fully charged but is charged enough to perform the work of a mobile that urgently needs charging. The predetermined condition for the threshold value C (430) may be whether all charging stations are in use and whether there is one among the multiple mobiles whose value is less than or equal to the threshold value A (410).

[0078] If a predetermined condition regarding the threshold value C (430) is satisfied, the electronic device may determine as a target vehicle any one of the vehicles currently being charged whose battery state is greater than or equal to the threshold value C (430). The electronic device may determine as a target vehicle the vehicle having the most charged battery among the vehicles currently being charged. The electronic device may transmit a charging stop command to the target vehicle.

[0079] The electronic device may determine one of the mobiles currently being charged as the target mobile if there is one among them whose battery state is greater than or equal to the threshold D (440) and if a predetermined condition for the threshold D (440) is satisfied. Among the mobiles currently being charged, the mobile whose battery state is greater than or equal to the threshold D (440) may be a mobile that is charged enough to operate for a long period of time even if a task is performed immediately. The predetermined condition for the threshold D (440) may be that a new task has been created and there are no idle mobiles to assign the new task to.

[0080] If a predetermined condition for the threshold D (440) is satisfied, the electronic device may determine one of the mobiles currently being charged whose battery status is greater than or equal to the threshold D (440) as the target mobile. The electronic device may send a charging stop command to the target mobile. The electronic device may assign a new task to the target mobile.

[0081] The electronic device may send a charge stop command to a mobile among the mobiles being charged whose battery status has reached a threshold E (450). A mobile that has reached the threshold E (450) may be in a effectively fully charged state.

[0082] Below, I will formally explain the predetermined conditions for threshold A (410), threshold B (420), and threshold D (440) using the workspace.

[0084] Referring to FIG. 5, a workspace (500) in which a plurality of mobile bodies (511, 513, 515) and a plurality of charging stations (521, 523) are arranged is shown. For convenience of explanation, electronic devices are not shown, but the plurality of mobile bodies (511, 513, 515) can operate according to control commands received from electronic devices.

[0085] The electronic device can monitor the battery status of a plurality of mobile bodies (511, 513, 515). The electronic device can control the charging of the plurality of mobile bodies according to the charging policy (400) described above in FIG. 4.

[0086] The mobile body (513) and the mobile body (515) may each be charging at the charging station (521) and the charging station (523), respectively. The battery status of the mobile body (511) may be lower than or equal to threshold A. The battery status of the mobile body (513) may be higher than or equal to threshold C. The battery status of the mobile body (515) may be lower than threshold C.

[0087] The electronic device can determine the mobile body (511) as the first target mobile body among a plurality of mobile bodies (511, 513, 515). The electronic device can assign a charging task to the mobile body (511) with the highest priority.

[0088] The electronic device can determine whether a predetermined condition regarding threshold A is satisfied. In other words, the electronic device can determine whether all of the multiple charging stations (521, 523) are in use and whether there is any one of the mobiles being charged at the charging station whose battery state is above the second threshold.

[0089] The electronic device can determine the mobile body (513) as the second target mobile body because a predetermined condition for threshold A is satisfied. The electronic device can transmit a charge stop command to the mobile body (513).

[0090] The mobile body (513) can receive a command to stop charging, leave the charging station (521), and be assigned another task. The mobile body (511) can move to the charging station (521) and start charging.

[0092] Referring to FIG. 6, a workspace (600) is shown in which a plurality of mobile bodies (611, 613, 615) and a plurality of charging stations (621, 623) are arranged. For convenience of explanation, electronic devices are not shown, but the plurality of mobile bodies (611, 613, 615) can operate according to control commands received from electronic devices.

[0093] The electronic device can monitor the battery status of a plurality of mobile bodies (611, 613, 615). The electronic device can control the charging of the plurality of mobile bodies according to the charging policy (400) described above in FIG. 4.

[0094] The mobile body (613) and the mobile body (615) may each be charging at the charging station (621) and the charging station (623), respectively. The battery status of the mobile body (613) may be greater than or equal to threshold D. The battery status of the mobile body (515) may be less than threshold A.

[0095] The electronic device can determine whether there is any one among the mobiles being charged at the charging station whose battery state is greater than or equal to a threshold D, and whether a predetermined condition regarding the threshold D is satisfied.

[0096] A predetermined condition for the threshold D may be that a new task (633) is created and there is no idle moving body to assign the new task to.

[0097] A new task (633) has been created, and since the moving body (611) has already been assigned the task (631), there may not be any idle moving bodies. In other words, a predetermined condition for the threshold value D can be satisfied.

[0098] The electronic device can determine one of the mobiles currently being charged whose battery status is above a threshold D as the target mobile. That is, the electronic device can determine mobile (613) as the target mobile. The electronic device can transmit a charging stop command to mobile (613). Then, the electronic device can assign a new task (633) to mobile (613).

[0099] A mobile body (613) that has received a command to stop charging may stop charging and move to handle a new task (633) in response to the assignment of a new task (633).

[0100] Below, we will describe multiple threshold values ​​controlled based on user requests and / or the characteristics of multiple moving bodies (611, 613, 615).

[0102] Referring to FIGS. 7 through 10, a charging policy having multiple threshold values ​​whose numerical values ​​are controlled based on user requests and / or the characteristics of multiple moving bodies is illustrated. Even if the numerical values ​​of the multiple threshold values ​​are controlled, the meaning of the threshold values ​​and the predetermined conditions for the threshold values ​​described in FIG. 4 may remain the same. Below, the control of multiple threshold values ​​when a specific scenario is given will be described. However, the scenarios described below are merely examples, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, there may be more scenarios than the four scenarios below. Furthermore, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that multiple threshold values ​​may be controlled in different ways even within the same scenario.

[0103] Referring to FIG. 7, an exemplary charging policy (700) is illustrated for cases where the number of mobiles unable to perform tasks because they are charging is to be minimized. When the electronic device receives a user request to minimize the number of mobiles unable to perform tasks because they are charging, it can control multiple threshold values.

[0104] The electronic device can lower the threshold D (720) in response to a user request. For example, the electronic device can set the threshold D (720) and the threshold B (710) to be the same. By lowering the threshold D (720), more mobiles can be secured to stop charging and assign new tasks when a new task is created. That is, according to the charging policy (700), the electronic device can stop charging and assign tasks immediately if there is a shortage of mobiles to assign tasks, even while charging.

[0105] Referring to FIG. 8, an exemplary charging policy (800) is illustrated for cases where a charging station is located far from the workspace and one wishes to charge sufficiently in a single charge. When the electronic device receives a user request to charge sufficiently in a single charge while the charging station is located far from the workspace, it can control multiple threshold values. For example, this may be a case where the charging station is located at a distance greater than a threshold from the main workspace.

[0106] The electronic device may raise the threshold D (820) in response to a user request. For example, the electronic device may set the threshold D (820) and the threshold E (810) to be equal. By raising the threshold D (820) to be equal to the threshold E (810), the electronic device may wait without assigning a task if a new task occurs but there is no mobile to perform the task. In other words, the electronic device may wait without assigning a task until the battery status of any of the mobiles being charged reaches the threshold D (820) (i.e., the threshold E (810)). That is, according to the charging policy (800), the electronic device may not send a stop-charging command until the battery status of the mobiles being charged reaches the threshold D (820) (i.e., the threshold E (810)).

[0107] Referring to FIG. 9, an exemplary charging policy (900) is illustrated in which the characteristics of a plurality of mobile bodies discharge faster as the battery state is lower. The electronic device can control a plurality of threshold values ​​according to the characteristics of a plurality of mobile bodies that discharge faster as the battery state is lower.

[0108] The electronic device can control the threshold A (910) to be higher. The electronic device can control the threshold C (930) to be lower than the threshold B (920). According to the charging policy (900), the electronic device can always assign a charging task first to mobiles having a battery state below the threshold A (910). And, according to the charging policy (900), as the threshold C (930) is lowered, there may be fewer instances of sending a standby command to mobiles having a battery state below the threshold A (910).

[0109] Referring to FIG. 10, an exemplary charging policy (1000) is illustrated in which the mobiles are to be charged when there is no work, but are to be immediately responded to when work is generated. When the electronic device receives a user request to have the mobiles be charged when there is no work, but are to be immediately responded to when work is generated, it can control multiple threshold values.

[0110] In the charging policy (1000), the electronic device may control the threshold B (1020) to be very high and the threshold D (1010) to be very low. For example, the electronic device may set the threshold B (1020) and the threshold E (1030) to be the same and the threshold D (1010) to be slightly higher than the threshold A. According to the charging policy (1000), the electronic device may assign charging tasks to mobiles having a battery state of threshold B (1020) or lower when there is no work. According to the charging policy (1000), when a new task occurs, the electronic device may immediately stop charging and assign tasks to mobiles that are currently charging and have a battery state of threshold D (1010) or higher.

[0111] A user interface for controlling multiple threshold values ​​is illustrated below.

[0113] FIG. 11 is a drawing for explaining a user interface according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0114] Referring to FIG. 11, a user interface (1100) illustrating multiple threshold values ​​of a charging policy is shown.

[0115] According to one embodiment, the electronic device may receive user input through a user interface (1100). The electronic device may control a plurality of threshold values ​​based on the user input. For example, if the electronic device receives user input to change the threshold E to 100, it may change the threshold E to 100 in response.

[0116] According to one embodiment, the user interface (1000) may further include a scenario selection window (1110). When the electronic device receives user input for the scenario selection window (1110), it may display scenarios (1120). For example, when the electronic device receives user input, it may display scenarios such as a basic scenario, a task priority scenario, a charging priority scenario, a discharge minimization scenario, and an always-on charging scenario. The task priority scenario may be a scenario to which the charging policy (700) of FIG. 7 is applied. The charging priority scenario may be a scenario to which the charging policy (800) of FIG. 8 is applied. The discharge minimization scenario may be a scenario to which the charging policy (900) of FIG. 9 is applied. The always-on charging scenario may be a scenario to which the charging policy (1000) of FIG. 10 is applied. When the electronic device receives a command to apply a specific scenario among the scenarios (1020), it may apply default values ​​for the charging policy corresponding to that specific scenario to thresholds. For example, if a task priority scenario is selected, the electronic device can set threshold B and threshold D to be equal but smaller than threshold C.

[0117] Additionally, the electronic device can provide the user with modifications to thresholds to which default values ​​for charging policies corresponding to specific scenarios are applied.

[0119] FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining a method of operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0120] In the following embodiments, each step may be performed sequentially, but is not necessarily performed sequentially. For example, the order of each step may be changed, and at least two steps may be performed in parallel. Steps (1210) to (1230) may be performed by at least one component of an electronic device.

[0121] In step (1210), the electronic device can monitor the battery status of multiple mobile bodies.

[0122] In step (1220), the electronic device can determine a target vehicle that requires control among a plurality of vehicles based on a charging policy for a plurality of vehicles.

[0123] In step (1230), the electronic device can transmit a control command according to the charging policy to the target mobile body.

[0124] Since the details described in FIG. 11 apply to each step illustrated in FIG. 12, a more detailed description is omitted.

[0126] FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining a method of operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0127] The electronic device can predict the workload and determine the number of target vehicles among multiple vehicles based on the predicted workload. Below, we will explain the method for predicting the workload and determining the number of target vehicles based on the predicted workload.

[0128] In the following embodiments, each step may be performed sequentially, but is not necessarily performed sequentially. For example, the order of each step may be changed, and at least two steps may be performed in parallel. Steps (1310) to (1340) may be performed by at least one component of the electronic device.

[0129] In step (1310), the electronic device can predict the average number of tasks per hour and the number of tasks that a plurality of mobile bodies can process per hour.

[0130] An electronic device can predict the average number of tasks per hour using various methods. For example, the electronic device can predict the average number of tasks per hour using the following mathematical formula 1, which is based on the average number of tasks that occurred in the past. However, the method of predicting the average number of tasks per hour using mathematical formula 1 is merely an example, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the electronic device can predict the average number of tasks per hour using an artificial intelligence model trained to predict the average number of tasks per hour.

[0131]

[0132] λ can be the average number of tasks generated per hour. t can be time.

[0133] t can be a day (i.e., 24 hours) or the preceding 15 minutes. If t is long, the variation in the logarithm of target moving objects may not be large. On the other hand, if t is short, the variation in the logarithm of target moving objects may be large. For example, if we assume that the number of operations that occurred during 15 minutes is 10, λ could be 40 ( ).

[0134] An electronic device can predict the number of tasks that multiple mobile bodies can process per hour using various methods. For example, the electronic device can predict the number of tasks that multiple mobile bodies can process per hour using the following mathematical formula 2. However, this is merely an example and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the electronic device can predict the number of tasks that multiple mobile bodies can process per hour using an artificial intelligence model trained to predict the number of tasks that multiple mobile bodies can process per hour.

[0135]

[0136] is the number of tasks that multiple moving bodies can process per hour. can be the number of vehicles processing tasks. CT can be the average cycle time of the vehicles (i.e., the average time taken to process one task). For example, if there are 5 vehicles and the CT is 6 minutes, It can be 50 days ( ).

[0137] In step (1320), the electronic device can determine the number of mobile bodies to which work is to be assigned based on the predicted average number of work per hour and the predicted number of work that can be processed per hour.

[0138] The electronic device can determine the number of mobile bodies to be assigned work using the following mathematical formula 3.

[0139]

[0140] In other words, the electronic device can determine the number of mobiles to which tasks are to be assigned such that the number of tasks that can be processed per hour by the mobiles to which tasks are to be assigned is equal to or greater than the average number of tasks generated per hour.

[0141] For example, if 10 tasks are generated in 20 minutes and the average cycle time of the mobiles is 10 minutes, the number of mobiles to which tasks are assigned is 5 ( ) It can be determined to be greater than 5. In other words, the electronic device can determine the number of mobiles to be equal to or greater than 5. The electronic device can determine the number of mobiles to be assigned work to be greater than 5 to prepare for situations such as mobile failure. In other words, by determining the number of mobiles to be assigned work to be greater than 5, the electronic device can have spare mobiles to prepare for unforeseen circumstances.

[0142] In step (1330), the electronic device can determine one or more target mobiles to which the charging task will be assigned based on the number of mobiles to which the task will be assigned.

[0143] The electronic device can determine one or more target mobiles based on the number of mobiles to which a task is to be assigned calculated in step (1320). For example, if the number of mobiles to which a task is to be assigned determined in step (1320) is determined to be 7 (5 mobiles to which a task is to be assigned, 2 spare mobiles), then among the multiple mobiles, the mobiles exceeding 7 can be determined as target mobiles. In other words, if the total number of mobiles is 15, and the number of mobiles to which a task is to be assigned is determined to be 7, then the target mobiles can be determined to be 8.

[0144] In step (1340), the electronic device can assign a charging task to one or more target mobile bodies.

[0145] If the number of charging stations is greater than the number of one or more target vehicles, one or more target vehicles assigned to charging tasks can move to a charging station and start charging.

[0146] If the number of charging stations is less than the number of one or more target vehicles, the electronic device can prioritize assigning charging tasks to the target vehicle with the lowest battery status.

[0147] If all mobiles other than those currently being charged are assigned a task and are processing it, and no mobile completes the task within n seconds, the electronic device may stop charging the mobile with the largest remaining battery capacity among the mobiles currently being charged and assign the task.

[0149] FIG. 14 is a drawing for explaining a charging policy according to the number of operations according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0150] Referring to FIG. 14, a diagram schematically illustrating a method for predicting the workload of FIG. 13 and determining a target moving body based on the predicted workload is shown.

[0151] The electronic device can monitor the workload. Depending on the monitoring, the electronic device can perform the operation described in detail in FIG. 13. For example, the electronic device can perform the operation described in detail in FIG. 13 when the number of tasks decreases or increases. If the number of tasks decreases, the average number of tasks generated per hour decreases, so the number of mobiles to which tasks are assigned may decrease. If the number of tasks increases, the average number of tasks generated per hour increases, so the number of mobiles to which tasks are assigned may increase. Charging tasks may be assigned to mobiles that exceed the number of mobiles to which tasks are assigned (i.e., target mobiles).

[0152] The electronic device can efficiently assign tasks to mobiles by adaptively determining the number of mobiles to which tasks are assigned based on the number of tasks. By controlling the number of mobiles to which tasks are assigned according to the number of tasks, the electronic device can process more tasks faster.

[0153] The method of operation of the electronic device described above in FIGS. 13 and 14 may be a method for determining the number of mobile bodies to be assigned a charging task in a workspace. Accordingly, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the charging policy described in FIGS. 2 to 11, which determines the mobile bodies to be assigned a charging task based on the battery status, can be applied simultaneously. In other words, FIGS. 13 and 14 may be a charging policy regarding how many of the multiple mobile bodies will be assigned a charging task. FIGS. 2 to 13 may be a charging policy regarding which of the multiple mobile bodies will be assigned a charging task based on the battery status. Accordingly, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the two charging policies can be applied simultaneously.

[0155] Meanwhile, the method according to the present invention is written as a program executable on a computer and can be implemented on various recording media such as magnetic storage media, optical reading media, and digital storage media.

[0156] Implementations of the various technologies described herein may be implemented as digital electronic circuits, or as computer hardware, firmware, software, or combinations thereof. Implementations may be implemented as computer program products, i.e., computer programs tangibly embodied in information carriers, such as machine-readable storage devices (computer-readable media) or radio signals, for processing by the operation of data processing devices, e.g., programmable processors, computers, or multiple computers, or for controlling such operation. Computer programs such as the computer program(s) described above may be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and may be deployed in any form, including as a standalone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. Computer programs may be deployed to be processed on one computer or multiple computers at one site, or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.

[0157] Processors suitable for processing computer programs include, for example, both general-purpose and special-purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any type of digital computer. Generally, the processor will receive instructions and data from read-only memory or random access memory, or both. The elements of the computer may include at least one processor that executes instructions and one or more memory devices that store instructions and data. Generally, the computer may include one or more mass storage devices that store data, for example, magnetic, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks, or may be combined to receive data from these, transmit data to these, or both. Information carriers suitable for embodying computer program instructions and data include, for example, semiconductor memory devices, magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes; optical media such as CD-ROMs (Compact Disk Read Only Memory) and DVDs (Digital Video Disks); magneto-optical media such as floptical disks; ROMs (Read Only Memory); RAMs (Random Access Memory); flash memory; EPROMs (Erasable Programmable ROM); EEPROMs (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM); etc. Processors and memory may be supplemented by or included in special-purpose logic circuit organizations.

[0158] Additionally, a computer-readable medium may be any available medium accessible by a computer and may include all computer storage media.

[0159] Although this specification contains details of a number of specific embodiments, they should not be understood as limiting the scope of any invention or claimables, but rather as descriptions of features that may be characteristic of a specific embodiment of a specific invention. Specific features described in this specification in the context of individual embodiments may be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments individually or in any appropriate sub-combination. Furthermore, while features may operate in a specific combination and be described as initially claimed, one or more features from the claimed combination may be excluded from the combination in some cases, and the claimed combination may be changed to a sub-combination or a variation of the sub-combination.

[0160] Likewise, although operations are depicted in the drawings in a specific order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in that specific or sequential order depicted to obtain a desirable result, or that all depicted operations must be performed. In certain cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Furthermore, the separation of the various device components of the embodiments described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the described program components and devices can generally be integrated together into a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.

[0161] Meanwhile, the embodiments of the present invention disclosed in this specification and drawings are merely specific examples provided to aid understanding and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that other variations based on the technical concept of the present invention are possible in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

Claim 1 A method of operation of an electronic device comprising: a step of monitoring the battery status of a plurality of mobile bodies; a step of determining a target mobile body requiring control among the plurality of mobile bodies based on a charging policy for the plurality of mobile bodies; and a step of transmitting a control command according to the charging policy to the target mobile body, wherein the charging policy comprises a plurality of threshold values ​​related to the battery status for determining the target mobile body among the plurality of mobile bodies and a predetermined condition for the plurality of threshold values, and the step of determining the target mobile body determines, based on the plurality of threshold values ​​and the predetermined condition for the plurality of threshold values, the mobile body to perform charging and / or the mobile body to stop charging among the plurality of mobile bodies as the target mobile body. Claim 2 A method of operation according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of threshold values ​​comprises: one or more threshold values ​​for selecting a target mobile body requiring charging among mobile bodies performing a task; and one or more threshold values ​​for selecting a target mobile body to stop charging and perform a task among mobile bodies being charged. Claim 3 A method of operation according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of threshold values ​​include a threshold value for determining whether to stop charging depending on whether a first predetermined condition is satisfied; and a threshold value for determining whether to start charging depending on whether a second predetermined condition is satisfied. Claim 4 In claim 1, the step of determining the target mobile body determines one of the plurality of mobile bodies whose battery state is below a first threshold value as the first target mobile body, and the step of transmitting the control command is a method of operation in which the charging operation is assigned to the first target mobile body with the highest priority. Claim 5 A method of operation according to claim 4, further comprising the step of determining, when a predetermined condition for the first threshold is satisfied, one of the mobiles being charged at a charging station whose battery state is above the second threshold as a second target mobile, and the step of transmitting the control command further comprising the step of transmitting a charging stop command to the second target mobile. Claim 6 A method of operation according to claim 5, wherein the condition for the first threshold is predetermined is whether all of the charging stations are in use and whether there is any one of the mobile bodies being charged at the charging stations that is greater than or equal to the second threshold. Claim 7 In claim 1, the step of determining the target mobile body determines one of the plurality of mobile bodies whose battery state is below a first threshold value as the first target mobile body, and the step of transmitting the control command transmits a standby command to the first target mobile body if a predetermined condition for the first threshold value is not satisfied. Claim 8 A method of operation according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining the target mobile body is, if there is any one among the mobile bodies being charged at a charging station whose battery state is above a second threshold and a predetermined condition regarding the second threshold is satisfied, the step of determining any one of the mobile bodies whose battery state is above the second threshold as the target mobile body, and the step of transmitting the control command is to transmit a charging stop command to the target mobile body. Claim 9 In claim 8, the predetermined condition for the second threshold is whether all of the charging stations are in use and whether any one of the plurality of mobile bodies is below the first threshold. Claim 10 In claim 1, the step of determining the target mobile body is, if there is one among the mobile bodies being charged at a charging station whose battery state is above a third threshold and a predetermined condition regarding the third threshold is satisfied, determining one of the mobile bodies whose battery state is above the third threshold as the target mobile body, and the step of transmitting the control command is to transmit a charging stop command to the target mobile body and assign a new task to the target mobile body. Claim 11 In claim 10, the condition for the third threshold value is a method of operation in which the new task is created and there is no idle moving body to assign the new task. Claim 12 The method of operation according to claim 1 further includes controlling the plurality of threshold values ​​based on a user request related to the charging or operation of the plurality of mobile bodies and / or the characteristics of the plurality of mobile bodies. Claim 13 In claim 12, the operation of controlling the plurality of threshold values ​​is a method of setting at least two of the plurality of threshold values ​​equally based on the user request and / or the characteristics of the plurality of moving bodies. Claim 14 A method of operation according to claim 1, further comprising an operation of controlling the plurality of threshold values ​​based on user input entered through a user interface. Claim 15 A method of operation of an electronic device comprising: a step of predicting an average number of tasks per hour based on an average number of tasks that occurred in the past; a step of predicting the number of tasks that a plurality of mobiles can process per hour based on a cycle time, which is the average time taken for a mobile to process one task; a step of determining the number of mobiles to which tasks are to be assigned based on the predicted average number of tasks per hour and the predicted number of tasks that can be processed per hour; a step of determining one or more target mobiles to which charging tasks are to be assigned based on the number of mobiles to which tasks are to be assigned; and a step of assigning the charging tasks to the one or more target mobiles. Claim 16 In paragraph 15, the step of determining the number of mobile bodies to which the above task is to be assigned is a method of operation in which the number of mobile bodies to which the task is to be assigned is determined such that the number of tasks that can be processed per hour by the mobile bodies to which the task is to be assigned is equal to or greater than the number of tasks that can be processed per hour by the mobile bodies to which the task is to be assigned. Claim 17 In claim 15, the step of assigning the charging task to the one or more target mobile bodies is a method of operation in which, when the number of the one or more target mobile bodies is greater than the number of charging stations, the charging task is assigned preferentially to the target mobile body with the lowest battery status among the one or more target mobile bodies. Claim 18 A computer-readable recording medium storing one or more computer programs comprising instructions for executing the method of any one of claims 1 through 17. Claim 19 An electronic device comprising a processor for controlling a plurality of mobiles, wherein the processor monitors the battery status of the plurality of mobiles, determines a target mobile among the plurality of mobiles that requires control based on a charging policy for the plurality of mobiles, and transmits a control command according to the charging policy to the target mobile, wherein the charging policy includes a plurality of threshold values ​​related to the battery status for determining the target mobile among the plurality of mobiles and a predetermined condition for the plurality of threshold values, and wherein the processor determines the target mobile among the plurality of mobiles to perform charging and / or to stop charging as the target mobile based on the plurality of threshold values ​​and the predetermined condition for the plurality of threshold values. Claim 20 An electronic device according to claim 19, wherein the plurality of threshold values ​​comprises: one or more threshold values ​​for selecting a target mobile body requiring charging among mobile bodies performing a task; and one or more threshold values ​​for selecting a target mobile body to stop charging and perform a task among mobile bodies being charged.

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