Robot-friendly building, and method and system for controlling robot traveling in building

Abstract

The present invention can provide a method for controlling a moving robot by using an elevator in a building. The present invention comprises the steps of: specifying a moving target robot; generating a moving path of the robot for the robot to move to a preset destination; and controlling the robot to move along the moving path, wherein in the step of generating the moving path of the robot, if the robot needs to board an elevator, the moving path via a boarding target elevator is generated, and in the step of controlling the robot, a boarding standby position of the robot with respect to the boarding target elevator can be controlled differently depending on an operation mode of the boarding target elevator.

Description

Robot-friendly building, method and system for controlling a robot that moves through a building

[0001] The present invention relates to a robot-friendly building and a control method and system for a robot navigating within the building. More specifically, the present invention relates to a robot control method and system that enable robots and humans to coexist in the same space and provide useful services to humans.

[0002] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method and system for controlling a robot that can be applied to a robot-friendly building.

[0003] As technology advances, various service devices are emerging, and in particular, technological development for robots that perform various tasks or services is actively underway.

[0004] Furthermore, recent advancements in artificial intelligence and cloud technologies have made it possible to control robots with greater precision and safety, leading to a gradual increase in their utility. In particular, technological advancements have enabled robots to safely coexist with humans in indoor spaces.

[0005] Accordingly, robots are recently replacing human tasks or operations, and various methods for robots to directly provide services to people, especially in indoor spaces, are being actively researched.

[0006] For example, robots provide navigation services in public spaces like airports, train stations, and department stores, and serve customers in restaurants. Furthermore, robots provide delivery services, delivering mail and packages in offices, shared living spaces, and other spaces. Furthermore, robots provide a variety of services, including cleaning, security, and logistics. The types and scope of services provided by robots are expected to grow exponentially in the future, and the level of service provided is also expected to continue to evolve.

[0007] These robots provide various services not only in outdoor spaces but also in indoor spaces of buildings (or premises) such as offices, apartments, department stores, schools, hospitals, and amusement facilities. In this case, the robots are controlled to move around the indoor spaces of the buildings and provide various services.

[0008] Meanwhile, precise robot control is crucial for providing various tasks or services. Given the practical limitations of allowing users to physically control robots from their immediate vicinity, the need for remote robot control technology is becoming increasingly crucial.

[0009] Furthermore, there should be fewer spatial restrictions on the robot's movement, and to this end, various research activities are being conducted recently to enable robots to ride on means of transportation, such as elevators, automobiles, and electric carts.

[0010] For example, Korean Patent Publication No. 2009-0057869 (Mobile robot device, elevator management device, elevator floor movement control system of mobile robot and method thereof) discloses a control method for performing central control of an elevator and a robot to allow a robot to board an elevator.

[0011] When robots are placed on board vehicles like this, various considerations are needed in terms of robot and robot service operation, such as how to efficiently coordinate the relationship between the robot and the person using the vehicle.

[0012]

[0013] The present invention provides a control method and system for a robot that moves within a building.

[0014] More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and system for controlling a robot so that elevator operation can be performed efficiently in a building where people and robots coexist.

[0015] In particular, the present invention relates to a method and system for controlling a robot so that an elevator operating in a robot-only mode can be operated efficiently.

[0016] Furthermore, the present invention provides a robot control method and system that enables humans and robots to safely coexist within a building.

[0017] In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention can provide a method for controlling a robot that moves using an elevator in the building. The present invention includes a step of specifying a target robot for movement, a step of generating a movement path of the robot so that the robot moves to a preset destination, and a step of controlling the robot so that the robot moves along the movement path. In the step of generating the movement path of the robot, if the robot needs to board an elevator, the movement path is generated via a target elevator, and in the step of controlling the robot, the boarding standby position of the robot with respect to the target elevator can be controlled differently depending on the operation mode of the target elevator.

[0018] Furthermore, the robot control system according to the present invention includes a control unit that specifies a target robot to be moved, generates a movement path of the robot so that the robot moves to a preset destination, and controls the robot so that the robot moves along the movement path, wherein, when the robot needs to board an elevator, the control unit generates the movement path via the target elevator to be boarded, and can control the waiting position of the robot with respect to the target elevator to be boarded differently depending on the operation mode of the target elevator to be boarded.

[0019] Furthermore, the program according to the present invention is a program stored in a computer-readable recording medium, and is executed by one or more processes in an electronic device, and includes commands for performing a step of specifying a moving target robot, a step of generating a moving path of the robot so that the robot moves to a preset destination, and a step of controlling the robot so that the robot moves along the moving path, wherein in the step of generating the moving path of the robot, if the robot needs to board an elevator, the moving path is generated via a target elevator, and in the step of controlling the robot, the waiting position of the robot with respect to the target elevator can be controlled differently depending on the operation mode of the target elevator.

[0020] Furthermore, in a building in which a robot controlled by a cloud server runs, the building includes a communication unit that receives a driving and control command of the robot from the cloud server and transmits the command to the robot, and the cloud server specifies a target robot to move, generates a movement path of the robot so that the robot moves to a preset destination, and controls the robot so that the robot runs along the movement path, and when the robot needs to board an elevator, generates the movement path via the target elevator, and can control the waiting position of the robot with respect to the target elevator to board differently depending on the operation mode of the target elevator to board.

[0021] The building, the method for controlling a robot for navigating a building, and the system according to the present invention can control the robot so that, when the robot needs to board an elevator, it generates a movement path that passes through the target elevator and moves along the movement path. The robot can move between floors within a multi-story building and provide services without any movement restrictions.

[0022] Furthermore, the robot control method and system according to the present invention can control the waiting position of the robot for the target elevator differently depending on the operation mode of the target elevator.

[0023] At this time, in the present invention, when the elevator to be boarded is operated in a robot-only mode, the waiting position is determined by considering the entrance / exit door of the elevator to be boarded, thereby preventing people from boarding the elevator to be boarded.

[0024] Furthermore, the present invention can guide people not to board the elevator they are trying to board by making them aware that the elevator they are trying to board is operating in robot-only mode through interaction with the robot, maximize the efficiency of the elevator operating in robot-only mode, and ultimately maximize the efficiency of the robot service.

[0025] Furthermore, the robot-friendly building according to the present invention utilizes technological convergence, where robots, autonomous driving, AI, and cloud technologies are integrated and connected, and can provide a new space where these technologies, robots, and facility infrastructure within the building are organically combined.

[0026] Furthermore, the robot-friendly building according to the present invention utilizes a cloud server that interfaces with multiple robots, allowing for the systematic management of the robots' operations, enabling them to provide services more systematically by organically controlling multiple robots and equipment infrastructure. This allows the robot-friendly building according to the present invention to provide a variety of services to people more safely, quickly, and accurately.

[0027] Figures 1, 2 and 3 are conceptual diagrams illustrating a robot-friendly building according to the present invention.

[0028] FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are conceptual diagrams for explaining a system for controlling a robot that drives a robot-friendly building and various facilities provided in the robot-friendly building according to the present invention.

[0029] Figures 7 and 8 are conceptual diagrams for explaining the facility infrastructure provided in a robot-friendly building according to the present invention.

[0030] Figures 9 to 11 are conceptual diagrams for explaining a method for estimating the position of a robot driving a robot-friendly building according to the present invention.

[0031] Figure 12 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a robot according to the present invention.

[0032] Figures 13a and 13b are conceptual diagrams for explaining a robot control system according to the present invention.

[0033] Figure 14 is a flowchart for explaining a robot control method according to the present invention.

[0034] FIGS. 15, 16a and 16b are conceptual diagrams for explaining the operation mode of an elevator according to the present invention.

[0035] FIG. 17a, FIG. 17b, FIG. 17c and FIG. 17d are conceptual diagrams for explaining a method of controlling a robot when an elevator according to the present invention is operated in a robot-only mode.

[0036] Figures 18a and 18b are conceptual diagrams for explaining a method of controlling a robot when an elevator according to the present invention is operated in a common mode.

[0037] FIG. 19a, FIG. 19b, FIG. 19c, FIG. 19d, FIG. 20a and FIG. 20b are conceptual diagrams for explaining a method of controlling a plurality of robots in the present invention.

[0038]

[0039] Hereinafter, embodiments disclosed in this specification will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Regardless of the drawing numbers, identical or similar components will be given the same reference numbers, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted. The suffixes "module" and "part" used for components in the following description are assigned or used interchangeably only for the convenience of writing the specification, and do not in themselves have distinct meanings or roles. In addition, when describing the embodiments disclosed in this specification, if it is determined that a specific description of a related known technology may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the attached drawings are only intended to facilitate easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and the technical ideas disclosed in this specification are not limited by the attached drawings, and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention.

[0040] Terms that include ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish one component from another.

[0041] When a component is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, but that there may be other components intervening. Conversely, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components intervening.

[0042] Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0043] In this application, terms such as “include” or “have” are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part or combination thereof described in the specification, but should be understood not to exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

[0044] The present invention relates to a robot-friendly building, and proposes a robot-friendly building in which people and robots can safely coexist and, further, robots can provide useful services within the building.

[0045] More specifically, the present invention provides a method for providing useful services to people using robots, robot-friendly infrastructure, and various systems for controlling them. In a building according to the present invention, people and multiple robots can coexist, and various infrastructures (or facility infrastructures) can be provided that allow multiple robots to move freely within the building.

[0046] In the present invention, a building is a structure constructed for continuous residence, living, work, etc., and may take various forms, such as a commercial building, an industrial building, an institutional building, or a residential building. Furthermore, the building may be a multi-story building with multiple floors, or a single-story building, as opposed to a multi-story building. However, for convenience of explanation, the present invention will be described as an example of infrastructure or facility infrastructure applicable to a multi-story building.

[0047] In the present invention, infrastructure or facility infrastructure refers to facilities installed in a building for the purpose of providing services, moving robots, maintaining their functions, maintaining cleanliness, etc., and their types and forms may vary greatly. For example, infrastructure installed in a building may include various types of moving equipment (e.g., robot passageways, elevators, escalators, etc.), charging equipment, communication equipment, cleaning equipment, structures (e.g., stairs, etc.), etc. In this specification, these facilities are referred to as facilities, infrastructure, facility infrastructure, or facility infrastructure, and in some cases, the terms may be used interchangeably.

[0048] Furthermore, in a building according to the present invention, at least one of the building, various facility infrastructures provided in the building, and a robot are controlled in conjunction with each other, so that the robot can safely and accurately provide various services within the building.

[0049] The present invention proposes a building equipped with various facility infrastructures that enable multiple robots to move within the building, provide services according to their tasks (or work), and support standby or charging functions, as well as repair and cleaning functions for the robots as needed. Such a building provides an integrated solution (or system) for robots, and the building according to the present invention can be designated by various modifiers. For example, the building according to the present invention can be expressed in various ways, such as i) a building equipped with infrastructure utilized by robots, ii) a building equipped with robot-friendly infrastructure, iii) a robot-friendly building, iv) a building where robots and people live together, and v) a building that provides various services utilizing robots.

[0050] Meanwhile, the meaning of "robot-friendly" in the present invention refers to a building where robots coexist. More specifically, it can mean that the building allows robots to operate, provides services to robots, has facility infrastructure available to robots, or has facility infrastructure providing functions necessary for robots (e.g., charging, repair, cleaning, etc.). In this case, "robot-friendly" in the present invention can be used to mean that the building has an integrated solution for the coexistence of robots and humans.

[0051] Below, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0052] FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 are conceptual diagrams for explaining a robot-friendly building according to the present invention, and FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 are conceptual diagrams for explaining a system for controlling a robot that moves around a robot-friendly building according to the present invention and various facilities provided in the robot-friendly building. Furthermore, FIGS. 7 and 8 are conceptual diagrams for explaining facility infrastructure provided in a robot-friendly building according to the present invention. FIGS. 9 to 11 are conceptual diagrams for explaining a method for estimating the location of a robot that moves around a robot-friendly building according to the present invention.

[0053] First, for convenience of explanation, we will define representative drawing symbols.

[0054] In the present invention, a building is given the drawing code “1000”, and a space (indoor space or indoor area) of the building (1000) is given the drawing code “10” (see Fig. 8). Furthermore, indoor spaces corresponding to a plurality of floors constituting the indoor space of the building (1000) are given drawing codes 10a, 10b, 10c, etc. (see Fig. 8). In the present invention, the indoor space or indoor area means the interior of a building protected by an exterior wall, as opposed to the exterior of the building, and is not limited to meaning a space.

[0055] Furthermore, in the present invention, the robot is given a drawing symbol “R”, and even if a drawing symbol is not indicated for the robot in the drawing or specification, it can all be understood as a robot (R).

[0056] Furthermore, in the present invention, a person or human is given the drawing symbol “U,” and a person or human can be designated as a dynamic object. In this case, the dynamic object does not necessarily mean only a person, but can be understood to include an animal such as a dog or cat, or at least one other robot (e.g., a user’s personal robot, a robot providing other services, etc.), a drone, a vacuum cleaner (e.g., a robot vacuum cleaner), or other objects capable of movement.

[0057] Meanwhile, the building (building, structure, edifice, 1000) described in the present invention is not limited to a specific type, and may mean a structure built for people to live in, work in, raise animals, or store objects.

[0058] For example, the building (1000) may be an office, an officetel, an apartment, a mixed-use apartment, a house, a school, a hospital, a restaurant, a government office, etc., and the present invention may be applied to these various types of buildings.

[0059] As illustrated in Fig. 1, in a building (1000) according to the present invention, a robot can move and provide various services.

[0060] One or more different types of multiple robots may be located within the building (1000), and these robots may, under the control of the server (20), move within the building (1000), provide services, and utilize various facility infrastructures provided in the building (1000).

[0061] In the present invention, the location of the server (20) may vary. For example, the server (20) may be located at least within the building (1000) and outside the building (1000). That is, at least a portion of the server (20) may be located within the building (1000), and the remaining portion may be located outside the building (1000). Alternatively, the server (20) may be located entirely within the building (1000), or only outside the building (1000). Accordingly, the present invention does not impose any particular limitations on the specific location of the server (20).

[0062] Furthermore, in the present invention, the server (20) may be configured to utilize at least one of a cloud computing-based server (cloud server, 21) and an edge computing-based server (edge ​​server, 22). Furthermore, in addition to the cloud computing or edge computing methods, the server (20) may be applied to the present invention as long as it is capable of controlling a robot.

[0063] Meanwhile, the server (20) according to the present invention may, in some cases, perform control of at least one of the robot and the facility infrastructure provided in the building (1000) by combining the server (21) of the cloud computing method and the edge computing method.

[0064] Meanwhile, the robot (R) can be driven according to control commands. For example, the robot (R) can move its position or change its posture by changing its movements, and can perform software updates.

[0065] In the present invention, for convenience of explanation, the server (20) is uniformly named as a “cloud server” and is assigned the drawing symbol “20.” Meanwhile, it goes without saying that the cloud server (20) can also be replaced with the term “edge server (22)” of edge computing.

[0066] Furthermore, the term “cloud server” can be variously changed to terms such as cloud robot system, cloud system, cloud robot control system, and cloud control system.

[0067] Meanwhile, the cloud server (20) according to the present invention can perform integrated control on a plurality of robots running in a building (1000). That is, the cloud server (20) can i) monitor a plurality of robots (R) located in the building (1000), ii) assign tasks (or work) to the plurality of robots, iii) directly control the facility infrastructure provided in the building (1000) so that the plurality of robots (R) successfully perform the tasks, or iv) control the facility infrastructure through communication with a control system that controls the facility infrastructure.

[0068] Furthermore, the cloud server (20) can check the status information of robots located in the building and provide (or support) various functions required by the robots. These various functions may include a charging function for the robots, a cleaning function for contaminated robots, and a standby function for robots whose missions have been completed.

[0069] The cloud server (20) can control the robots so that they can utilize various facility infrastructures provided in the building (1000) to provide various functions to the robots. Furthermore, the cloud server can directly control the facility infrastructures provided in the building (1000) or control the facility infrastructures through communication with a control system that controls the facility infrastructures to provide various functions to the robots.

[0070] In this way, robots controlled by the cloud server (20) can move around the building (1000) and provide various services.

[0071] Meanwhile, the cloud server (20) can perform various controls based on information stored in the database. The present invention does not impose any particular limitations on the type and location of the database. The term "database" may be freely modified and used to refer to any means of storing information, such as memory, storage, repository, cloud storage, external storage, or external server. The term "database" will be used hereafter for explanation.

[0072] Meanwhile, the cloud server (20) according to the present invention can perform distributed control of robots based on various criteria such as the type of service provided by the robots, the type of control for the robots, etc. In this case, the cloud server (20) may have sub-servers of lower concept.

[0073] Furthermore, the cloud server (20) according to the present invention can control a robot moving through a building (1000) based on various artificial intelligence algorithms.

[0074] Furthermore, the cloud server (20) performs artificial intelligence-based learning by utilizing data collected during the process of controlling the robot as learning data, and by utilizing this for robot control, the more control is achieved over the robot, the more accurately and efficiently the robot can be operated. In other words, the cloud server (20) can be configured to perform deep learning or machine learning. In addition, the cloud server (20) can perform deep learning or machine learning through simulations or the like, and control the robot using the artificial intelligence model constructed as a result.

[0075] Meanwhile, the building (1000) may be equipped with various facility infrastructures for robot driving, robot function provision, robot function maintenance, robot mission performance, or coexistence of robots and humans.

[0076] For example, as illustrated in (a) of FIG. 1, various facility infrastructures (1, 2) capable of supporting the driving (or movement) of a robot (R) may be provided within a building (1000). These facility infrastructures (1, 2) may support horizontal movement of the robot (R) within a floor of the building (1000), or may support vertical movement of the robot (R) between different floors of the building (1000). In this way, the facility infrastructures (1, 2) may be provided with a transportation system that supports the movement of the robot. The cloud server (20) may control the robot (R) to utilize these various facility infrastructures (1, 2), so that the robot (R) may move within the building (1000) to provide a service, as illustrated in (b) of FIG. 1.

[0077] Meanwhile, the robots according to the present invention can be controlled based on at least one of a cloud server (20) and a control unit provided in the robot itself, so as to drive within a building (1000) or provide a service corresponding to an assigned task.

[0078] Furthermore, as illustrated in (c) of FIG. 1, a building according to the present invention is a building in which robots and people coexist, and the robots are configured to avoid obstacles such as people (U), objects used by people (e.g., baby strollers, carts, etc.), and animals while driving, and in some cases, may be configured to output notification information (3) related to the driving of the robot. Such driving of the robot may be performed to avoid obstacles based on at least one of a cloud server (20) and a control unit equipped in the robot. The cloud server (20) may control the robot so that the robot avoids obstacles and moves within the building (1000) based on information received through various sensors equipped in the robot (e.g., a camera (image sensor), a proximity sensor, an infrared sensor, etc.).

[0079] In addition, a robot that moves inside a building through the processes of (a) to (c) of FIG. 1 can be configured to provide a service to a person or target object existing inside the building, as shown in (d) of FIG. 1.

[0080] The types of services provided by robots can vary from robot to robot. In other words, robots can exist in various types for different purposes, have different structures for each purpose, and can be equipped with programs appropriate for each purpose.

[0081] For example, a building (1000) may be equipped with robots that provide at least one of the following services: delivery, logistics, guidance, interpretation, parking assistance, security, crime prevention, guarding, public order, cleaning, quarantine, disinfection, laundry, beverage preparation, food preparation, serving, fire suppression, medical assistance, and entertainment. The services provided by the robots may vary in addition to the examples listed above.

[0082] Meanwhile, the cloud server (20) can assign appropriate tasks to the robots by considering the purpose of each robot and control the robots so that the assigned tasks are performed.

[0083] At least some of the robots described in the present invention can drive or perform tasks under the control of a cloud server (20). In this case, the amount of data processed by the robot itself for driving or performing tasks can be minimized. In the present invention, such robots can be referred to as brainless robots. Such brainless robots can rely on the control of the cloud server (20) for at least a portion of their control when performing actions such as driving, performing tasks, charging, waiting, and cleaning within a building (1000).

[0084] However, in this specification, brainless robots are not named separately, but are all referred to as “robots.”

[0085] Meanwhile, the present invention relates to a method and system for controlling a robot so that the elevator can be operated efficiently in a building where people and robots coexist.

[0086] As described above, the building (1000) according to the present invention can be equipped with various facility infrastructures that can be used by the robot, and as illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the facility infrastructures are placed within the building (1000) and, through linkage with the building (1000) and a cloud server (20), can support movement (or driving) of the robot or provide various functions to the robot.

[0087] More specifically, the facility infrastructure may include a means of transportation, such as an elevator (204), to support the movement of the robot within the building, and the robot may use the elevator (204) to move vertically (movement between different floors).

[0088] These elevators (204) can be operated in a robot-only mode or in a shared mode for use with people.

[0089] As illustrated in Fig. 12, when the elevator (204) is operated in robot-only mode, even though the use of the users (U) is restricted, the users (U) can attempt to board the elevator (204). In the present invention, by inducing the users (U) not to use the robot-only elevator (204) through control of the robot (R), the efficiency of robot service and elevator operation within the building can be maximized.

[0090] Hereinafter, a robot control method and system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. Fig. 12 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a robot according to the present invention. Figs. 13a and 13b are conceptual diagrams for explaining a robot control system according to the present invention. Fig. 14 is a flowchart for explaining a robot control method according to the present invention. Figs. 15, 16a, and 16b are conceptual diagrams for explaining an operation mode of an elevator according to the present invention. Figs. 17a, 17b, 17c, and 17d are conceptual diagrams for explaining a method for controlling a robot when an elevator according to the present invention is operated in a robot-only mode. Figs. 18a and 18b are conceptual diagrams for explaining a method for controlling a robot when an elevator according to the present invention is operated in a shared mode, and Figs. 19a, 19b, 19c, 19d, 20a, and 20b are conceptual diagrams for explaining a method for controlling a plurality of robots in the present invention.

[0091] As illustrated in FIG. 13a, the robot control system (300) according to the present invention is a system that performs integrated control for a robot (R) that moves in a space (10) within a building, and may be understood as meaning the cloud server (20) described above or as a system controlled by the cloud server (20).

[0092] Accordingly, the term “robot control system” in the present invention may be variously changed to terms such as server, cloud server (20), cloud robot system, cloud system, cloud robot control system, cloud control system, robot system, etc.

[0093] The robot control system (300) according to the present invention can perform appropriate control to allow the robot (R) to use the elevator (204) through communication with the elevator system (or elevator control system, 204a).

[0094] The elevator system (204a) may include at least one of a sensing unit (204b) configured to sense various information related to the elevator (204) and a control unit (204c) configured to control the elevator (204). The elevator system (204a) may perform appropriate control of the elevator (204) so ​​that the robot (R) may use the elevator (204). For example, the elevator system (204a) may control the elevator (204) to stop at the floor where the robot (R) is located so that the robot (R) may board the elevator (204) through communication with the robot control system (300).

[0095] At least a portion of the elevator system (204a) may be controlled by the cloud server (20) or by the control unit (150) of the building (1000) (see reference numeral “150” in FIG. 4). In this case, the term “elevator system (204a)” may be replaced with the term “cloud server (20)” or the control unit (150) of the building (1000).

[0096] Meanwhile, the robot control system (300) according to the present invention may be configured to include at least one of a communication unit (310), a storage unit (320), and a control unit (330).

[0097] The communication unit (310) may be configured to communicate with at least one of the robot (R) and the elevator system (204a), such as a city. The communication unit (310) may control the robot (R) to move within a space (10) within a building (1000) using an elevator through communication with at least one of the robot (R) and the elevator system (204a).

[0098] The communication unit (310) can support various communication methods according to the communication standards of the communicating device.

[0099] For example, the communication unit (310) may be configured to communicate with other devices (including robots and elevator systems) located within the building (1000) using at least one of the following technologies: WLAN (Wireless LAN), Wi-Fi (Wireless-Fidelity), Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) Direct, DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance), WiBro (Wireless Broadband), WiMAX (World Interoperability for Microwave Access), HSDPA (High Speed ​​Downlink Packet Access), HSUPA (High Speed ​​Uplink Packet Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-A (Long Term Evolution-Advanced), 5G (5th Generation Mobile Telecommunication), Bluetooth™, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), UWB (Ultra-Wideband), ZigBee, NFC (Near Field Communication), Wi-Fi Direct, and Wireless USB (Wireless Universal Serial Bus).

[0100] Next, the storage unit (320) may be configured to store various information related to the present invention. In the present invention, the storage unit (320) may be provided in the robot control system (300) itself. Alternatively, at least a portion of the storage unit (320) may be stored in a cloud server (or a database 20a of the cloud server). That is, the storage unit (320) may be sufficient as long as it stores information necessary to control the robot according to the present invention, and it may be understood that there are no restrictions on physical space. Accordingly, hereinafter, the storage unit (320) and the external database (20a) will not be separately distinguished, and will be referred to as the storage unit (320). In this case, the cloud server (210) may mean a “cloud storage.” Furthermore, the storage unit (320) may be configured to store not only information about the robot control system (300), but also various information related to the elevator system (204a).

[0101] First, information about the robot (R) can be stored in the storage unit (320).

[0102] Information about the robot (R) can be very diverse, and the information about the robot (R) may include, for example, i) identification information for identifying the robot (R) placed in the space (10) (e.g., serial number, TAG information, QR code information, etc.), ii) mission information assigned to the robot (R), iii) driving path information set for the robot (R), iv) location information of the robot (R), v) status information of the robot (R) (e.g., power status, breakdown status, battery status, etc.), vi) image information received from a camera equipped in the robot (R), etc.

[0103] Next, a map (or map information or node map) for the space (10) may be stored in the storage unit (320). Here, the map may be composed of at least one of a two-dimensional or three-dimensional map. The map for the space (10) may refer to a map that can be utilized to determine the current location of the robot (R) or to set the robot's driving path.

[0104] In particular, in the robot control system (300) according to the present invention, the location of the robot (R) can be determined based on images received from the robot (R) or sensing information received from the robot (R). To this end, the map of the space (10) stored in the storage unit (320) can be composed of data that enables estimation of the location based on images or sensing information.

[0105] At this time, the map for the space (10) may be a map created based on SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) by at least one robot moving in the space (10) in advance.

[0106] The storage unit (320) may store information about a plurality of elevators (204) located within a building (1000) (e.g., elevator identification information, location information, operation information, etc.).

[0107] Meanwhile, in addition to the types of information listed above, various types of information can be stored in the storage unit (320).

[0108] Next, the control unit (150) may be configured to control the overall operation of the robot control system (300) related to the present invention. The control unit (150) may control the robot (R) by processing signals, data, information, etc. input or output through the components discussed above, or may provide or process appropriate information or functions to the user.

[0109] The control unit (150) may be configured to include a process based on artificial intelligence or deep learning algorithms. Furthermore, the control unit (330) may perform various controls for the boarding, waiting, and disembarkation of the robot (R) from the elevator (204).

[0110] As illustrated in Fig. 13b, when the robot (R) needs to board the elevator (204), the control unit (330) can request the elevator system (204a) to board the robot (R) (S310).

[0111] For example, let's assume that the mission of a robot (R) located on the first floor (see floor symbol "10a" in FIG. 8) is a delivery mission to deliver an object to the 20th floor (see floor symbol "10c" in FIG. 8). The control unit (330) determines that the robot (R) needs to board the elevator (204) to move to the 20th floor to perform the delivery mission, and can request the robot (R) to board the elevator system (204a).

[0112] The elevator system (204a) can assign one of a plurality of elevators provided in the building (1000) to the robot (R) in response to the robot's boarding request (S320).

[0113] In the present invention, “elevator allocation” can be understood as a process of linking an elevator (204) and a robot (R) so that the robot (R) can move from the floor corresponding to the current location of the robot (R) to the floor corresponding to the destination using the elevator (204).

[0114] The control unit (330) can perform control on the robot (R) to use the elevator (204) based on receiving allocation information from the elevator system (204a) (S330).

[0115] The assignment information may include various information related to elevator assignment. For example, the assignment information may include at least one of identification information of the assigned elevator (204), location information, operation information (e.g., the floor at which it stops), operation mode information (robot-only mode or shared mode), and information on the time at which the assigned elevator (204) stops at the floor corresponding to the current location of the robot (R).

[0116] The robot (R) can move within a space (10) within a building (1000) under the control of the control unit (330). The robot (R) can move from its current location to the area (or zone) where the elevator (204) is located, and then board the elevator (204) to move to another floor (S340).

[0117] The elevator system (204a) can control the elevator (204) based on the assignment of the elevator (204) to the robot (R) (S350). Specifically, the elevator system (204a) can control the elevator (204) to stop at the floor corresponding to the current location of the robot (R) and, when the robot (R) boards the elevator (204), to move (operate) to the floor corresponding to the destination. The elevator (204) can be operated under the control of the elevator system (204a) (S360).

[0118] In this way, the robot control system (300) according to the present invention can control the robot (R) to move through a space (10) within a building (1000) consisting of multiple floors using the elevator (204) through communication with the elevator system (204a). In addition, the robot control system (300) according to the present invention can control the driving and interaction of the robot (R) so that the robot (R) and the person (U) can coexist harmoniously based on the operating status, operating mode, etc. of the elevator (204). Hereinafter, a method for controlling the robot (R) according to the present invention will be described in more detail.

[0119] In the present invention, a process of specifying a moving target robot can be performed (S410, see FIG. 14).

[0120] The robot (R) can be configured to move in space (10) under the control of the control unit (330). Furthermore, the robot (R) can be configured to board a transportation means, disembark, wait within the transportation means, or move under the control of the control unit (330).

[0121] To this end, the control unit (330) can continuously monitor the status of the robot (R) and specify the robot (R) that needs to move. For example, the control unit (330) can specify the robot (R) assigned a specific task (e.g., delivery task) as a target robot (R) to be moved in order to control the movement of the robot (R). As another example, the control unit (330) can specify the robot (R) that needs to be charged as a target of movement and control the movement of the robot (R) so that the robot (R) can move to a charging area and perform charging.

[0122] In the present invention, a process of generating a movement path of the robot so that the robot moves to a preset destination can be performed (S420, see FIG. 14).

[0123] The control unit (330) can generate a movement path of the robot (R) from the current location of the robot (R) to the destination based on map information corresponding to the space (10) in which the robot (R) is driving.

[0124] The control unit (330) can specify the current location and destination of the robot (R) in various ways. The control unit (330) can specify the current location of the robot (R) based on sensing information received from the robot (R) or image information received from a camera (ex: CCTV, 121) installed in the space (10). In addition, the control unit (330) can specify the destination of the robot (R) based on a specific task assigned to the robot (ex: delivery task), status information of the robot (R) (ex: remaining battery level), etc. As described above, if a delivery task is assigned to the robot (R), the control unit (330) can specify the delivery location as the destination.

[0125] Furthermore, the control unit (330) can generate a movement path via the target elevator (204) when the target robot (R) needs to board the elevator (204). For example, let's assume that the current location of the robot (R) is Area A on the first floor (see reference numeral "10a" in FIG. 8) and the destination is Area C on the 20th floor (see reference numeral "10c" in FIG. 8). The control unit (330) can generate a movement path so that the robot (R) gets on / off the elevator (204) and moves from the first floor (10a) to the 20th floor (10c).

[0126] In this case, the control unit (330) may request the elevator system (204a) to board the robot (R) so that the robot (R) can move using the elevator (204). In response to the request for boarding of the robot (R), the control unit (330) may receive allocation information related to the allocation of the target elevator (204) to board from the elevator system (204a).

[0127] As previously described, the assignment information may include various information related to elevator assignment. For example, the assignment information may include at least one of the following: identification information of the target elevator (204), location information, operation information (e.g., the floor it stops at), operation mode information (robot-only mode or shared mode), and time information when the assigned elevator (204) stops at the floor corresponding to the current location of the robot (R).

[0128] The control unit (330) can generate a movement path of the robot (R) so as to pass through an elevator (204) corresponding to the assignment information among a plurality of elevators (204) provided in the building (1000). For example, an area (or zone) corresponding to the first elevator among the first and second elevators provided in the space (10) can be included in the movement path.

[0129] Meanwhile, in the present invention, there may be various methods for generating a movement path of the robot (R). For example, the control unit (330) may generate a movement path from a node corresponding to the current location of the robot (R) to a node corresponding to the destination, based on nodes predefined in the node map.

[0130] In this case, the movement path may include multiple nodes connecting the current location and the destination. Furthermore, the multiple nodes may include an elevator node corresponding to the target elevator (204). That is, the control unit (330) may generate a movement path based on the allocation information received from the elevator system (204a) such that the elevator node corresponding to the target elevator (204) is included in the movement path.

[0131] For convenience of explanation, the following description will describe generating a movement path of a robot (R) using a node map. However, the method of generating a movement path of a robot (R) using a node map is merely an example, and in the present invention, the movement path of a robot (R) can be set using means other than a node map.

[0132] Next, in the present invention, the robot can be controlled to move along a movement path (S430, see FIG. 14).

[0133] The control unit (330) can generate and transmit control commands for the robot (R) in real time or at preset intervals to the robot (R) so that the robot (R) moves along a plurality of nodes included in the movement path.

[0134] The control command may include at least one of driving control of the robot (R) (e.g., speed, direction, stop, stop, elevator waiting, elevator boarding, waiting, getting off, etc.), interaction control (e.g., output section (display section, microphone, etc.)), sensing control, and motion control.

[0135] Meanwhile, the allocation information received from the elevator system (204a) may include operation mode information about the operation mode of the elevator (204) to be boarded.

[0136] The elevator (204) described in the present invention can be operated in any one of a plurality of operating modes.

[0137] As illustrated in (a) of FIG. 15, among the multiple operation modes, the “first mode” is an elevator operation mode that restricts boarding of a person (U) and prioritizes boarding of a robot (R), and may be referred to as a “robot-only mode” or “robot mode.” In the present invention, an elevator (204) operated in a robot-only mode may be referred to as a robot-only elevator.

[0138] As illustrated in (b) of FIG. 15, among the multiple operation modes, the “second mode” is a mode in which the elevator (204) is operated so that both the robot (R) and the person (U) can use it without restricting boarding of the person (U), and may be named “public mode,” “shared mode,” or “general mode.” In addition, in the present invention, the elevator (204) operated in the public mode may be named and described as a public elevator.

[0139] The operating mode of the elevator (204) can be set by the elevator system (204a). For example, as illustrated in FIG. 16A, the elevator system (204a) can provide a service page (600a) related to setting the operating mode of the elevator to the system administrator. The service page (600a) can be configured to enable setting the robot mode on / off for each individual elevator. For example, the service page (600a) includes a function icon (630) matched to each individual elevator, and the elevator system (204a) can set the operating mode of a specific elevator to a robot-only mode (e.g., “when robot mode is on”) or a common mode (e.g., “when robot mode is off”) based on the system administrator’s input for the function icon (630).

[0140] Furthermore, the elevator system (204) can designate a boarding target elevator for each robot (R). As illustrated in FIG. 16b, the elevator system (204a) can provide a system administrator with a service page (600b) for designating a boarding target elevator for each robot (R). This service page (600b) can include at least one of a first function icon (e.g., “boarding EV management” 640) for collectively designating boarding target elevators for multiple robots and a second function icon (e.g., “roboport”, 650) for designating boarding target elevators for each robot (R). Based on the selection of the first function icon (e.g., “boarding EV management”, 640), the elevator system (204a) can designate the boarding target elevators for each robot as at least one of an elevator operated in a robot-only mode, an elevator operated in a common mode, and a freight elevator. Furthermore, the elevator system (204a) may designate the elevator to be boarded by a specific robot as at least one of an elevator operated in a robot-only mode, an elevator operated in a common mode, and a freight elevator, based on the selection of a second function icon (ex: “Roboport”, 650) matching a specific robot. For example, the elevator system (204a) may set the operating mode of a specific elevator (204) based on the system administrator specifying the operating mode of the specific elevator (204) as either a robot-only mode (610) or a common mode (620). In this case, the elevator system (204a) may set the operating modes of a plurality of elevators (204) installed in the building (1000) to be different from each other. For example, the elevator system (204a) may set the operating mode of a first elevator (204) to a robot-only mode, and set the operating mode of a second elevator (204) to a common mode.

[0141] Furthermore, the elevator system (204a) can also change the operating mode of the elevator (204). For example, the elevator system (204a) can change the operating mode of the elevator (204) that is operated in a robot-only mode to a common mode.

[0142] Meanwhile, the control unit (330) can receive operation mode information about the operation mode of the target elevator (204) from the elevator system (204a). The control unit (330) can perform different control of the robot (R) depending on whether the elevator (204) is operated in the robot-only mode or the common mode.

[0143] More specifically, the control unit (330) can generate a movement path so that the boarding waiting positions of the robot (R) for the target elevator (204) are different based on the operation mode information of the elevator (204).

[0144] Here, the “boarding waiting position” can be understood as a position where the robot (R) waits for the elevator (204) to board the elevator (204). This boarding waiting position can also be understood as a waiting node position.

[0145] The control unit (330) can generate a movement path of the robot (R) based on nodes predefined in the node map. The control unit (330) can generate a movement path that includes an elevator node corresponding to the target elevator (204) to be boarded and a standby node for the target elevator (204).

[0146] The control unit (330) may set any one of a plurality of nodes allocated to the area surrounding the target elevator (204) as a standby node for the robot (R) for the target elevator (204). In this case, the control unit (330) may set different nodes as the standby nodes depending on whether the target elevator (204) is operated in robot-only mode or common mode.

[0147] As illustrated in (a) of FIG. 17a, when the elevator (204) is operated in a robot-only mode, the control unit (330) can determine, among a plurality of nodes (N1 to N6) allocated to the area surrounding the boarding target elevator (204), the node (N5) closest to the door (204d) provided in the boarding target elevator (204) as a standby node (or may be named a first boarding standby node) in the robot-only mode.

[0148] In the present invention, the node type of the node closest to the door (204d) of the elevator (204) may correspond to an elevator entry / exit node that the robot (R) must pass through when boarding or disembarking the elevator (204). This elevator entry / exit node may be assigned to the entrance of the elevator (204).

[0149] When the target elevator (204) is operated in robot-only mode, the control unit (330) generates a movement path so that the robot (R) includes the elevator entry / exit node (N5), so that the robot (R) can restrict (prevent) a person (U) from boarding (or attempting to board) at the entrance of the door (entrance door, 204d) of the target elevator (204), as illustrated in (b) of FIG. 17a. That is, the control unit (330) can control the boarding standby position of the robot (R) so that the robot (R) waits for the target elevator (204) at a position that blocks the door (204d) of the robot-only elevator (204).

[0150] Meanwhile, in the present invention, the robot may include a front side including a display unit and a back side opposite to the front side. The control unit may control the direction in which the front of the robot (R) faces in the boarding standby position to be different depending on whether the boarding target elevator (204) is operating in robot-only mode or shared mode.

[0151] As illustrated in (b) of FIG. 17, the control unit (330) can control the standby operation of the robot (R) so that the display unit (Ra) of the robot (R) faces the opposite direction of the door (204d) of the target elevator (204) when the target elevator (204) is operated in the robot-only mode. More specifically, the control unit (330) can control the standby operation of the robot (R) so that the robot (R) stands with its back to the door (204d) of the target elevator (204) at the standby node (N5) in the robot-only mode. The control unit (330) can control the standby operation of the robot (R) so that the display unit (Ra) of the robot (R) is visible to a user (U) attempting to board (or ride) the target elevator (204). Furthermore, the control unit (330) can control the interaction operation of the robot (R) so as to provide the user (U) with information on the operation mode of the elevator (204) to be boarded while waiting in the standby node (N5) of the robot-only mode. For example, the control unit (330) can control the robot (R) to output a guidance message (ex: “Robot service-only elevator, please use another elevator”, 700) through at least one of the display unit (Ra) and the speaker (not shown) provided in the robot (R) to inform that the elevator (204) to be boarded is being operated in the robot-only mode. In the present invention, the guidance message can also be understood as a guidance message that induces the users (U) not to board (or get off) the elevator (204) being operated in the robot-only mode. Therefore, the guidance message and the guidance message can be used interchangeably in the present invention.

[0152] Meanwhile, although not shown, the control unit (330) may control the robot (R) to position the robot (R) around the person (U) and output the guidance message when the target elevator (204) is operated in robot-only mode and a person (U) is located at the node closest to the door (204d) of the target elevator (204). In this case, the control unit (330) may control the robot (R) to output a warning sound through a speaker so that the person (U) can recognize the guidance message.

[0153] In this way, when the target elevator (204) is operated in robot-only mode, the control unit (330) controls at least one of the standby position, standby operation, and interaction operation of the robot (R) for the target elevator (204), thereby making the users (U) aware that the corresponding elevator (204) is operated in robot-only mode, and naturally inducing non-boarding of the corresponding elevator (204).

[0154] Meanwhile, as illustrated in (a) of FIG. 18a, when the elevator (204) is operated in a public mode, the control unit (330) can determine a node (N4) allocated at a location relatively farther from the door (204d) of the boarding elevator (204) than the standby node (N5) in the robot-only mode as the standby node (or may be named the boarding standby node) in the public mode.

[0155] In the present invention, multiple boarding waiting nodes (N4 and N6) may be allocated and exist in the left and right areas of the elevator entry / exit node (N5). The node types of the nodes allocated in the left and right areas based on the elevator entry / exit node (N5) may be understood as boarding waiting nodes of a robot (R) for an elevator (204) operated in a common mode. In the present invention, the boarding waiting nodes (N4 and N5) may be allocated in locations where the user (U) and the elevator (204) boarding waiting area can coexist without interfering with the user (U)'s use of the elevator (204).

[0156] When the target elevator (204) is operated in a shared mode, the control unit (330) generates a movement path so that the robot (R) includes existing boarding waiting nodes (N4, N5), so that the robot (R) can wait for the target elevator (204) together with the users (U), as shown in (b) of FIG. 18a. Unlike when the elevator (204) is operated in a robot-only mode, the control unit (330) can control the robot (R) to wait for the target elevator (204) at a location that does not block the door (204d) of the target elevator (204).

[0157] As previously described, the robot of the present invention may include a front side including a display unit and a back side opposite to the front side. The control unit may control the direction in which the front of the robot (R) faces at the boarding standby position to be different depending on whether the boarding target elevator (204) is operating in robot-only mode or shared mode.

[0158] As illustrated in (b) of Fig. 18, the control unit (330) can control the standby operation of the robot (R) so that the display unit (Ra) of the robot (R) faces the door (204d) of the target elevator (204) when the target elevator (204) is operated in a public mode.

[0159] In this way, in the present invention, when the elevator (204) to be boarded is operated in the robot-only mode, a location (or node) that is relatively closer to the door (204d) of the elevator (204) to be boarded than the boarding standby position in the common mode is set as the standby node of the robot (R), so that the users (U) can naturally be prevented from using the elevator (204) to be boarded. On the other hand, in the present invention, when the elevator (204) to be boarded is operated in the common mode, a location (or node) that is relatively farther from the door (204d) of the elevator (204) to be boarded than the boarding standby position in the robot-only mode is set as the standby node of the robot (R), so that the robot (R) can be controlled to safely and naturally harmonize with the users (U).

[0160] Meanwhile, the control unit (330) can control not only the boarding wait of the robot (R) but also the boarding and disembarkation of the robot from the elevator (204) differently depending on the operating mode of the elevator (204) to be boarded.

[0161] First, when the elevator (204) to be boarded is operated in a public mode, the control unit (330) can control the boarding operation of the robot (R) so as not to interfere with the use of the elevator (204) by users (U).

[0162] The control unit (330) can monitor users (U) boarding the elevator (204) to control the robot (R) so that the robot (R) does not cause any disturbance to the users (U). The monitoring method can be varied. For example, the control unit (330) can monitor users (U) boarding the target elevator (204) based on image information captured by a camera installed in the robot (R) or space (10).

[0163] Based on the monitoring results, the control unit (330) can determine at least a part of the remaining area excluding the occupied area of ​​the object, as the occupied location of the robot (R), so that the occupied areas of the object, including the user (U), do not overlap in the accommodation space (inner space) provided in the elevator (204) to be boarded.

[0164] More specifically, as illustrated in (a) of FIG. 18a, a plurality of nodes (N7 to N11) may be allocated and present in the elevator (204) receiving space. The control unit (330) may determine a node corresponding to a portion of the elevator receiving space other than the occupied area of ​​an object including a user (U), as an occupied node of the robot (R). For example, as illustrated in (a) of FIG. 18b, the control unit (330) may determine a node (N11) allocated at the farthest location from a user (U) boarding the elevator (204) receiving space, as an occupied node of the robot (R).

[0165] In this way, when the target elevator (204) is operated in a shared mode, the control unit (330) can control the robot (R) to ride the elevator (204) at a location (node ​​N11) that does not interfere with the movement of users (U) as much as possible (see (b) of FIG. 18b).

[0166] Meanwhile, when the target elevator (204) is operated in robot-only mode, the control unit (330) can control the robot (R) in a direction that induces the user (U) not to board the elevator (204) (or the person (U) who is already on board to get off).

[0167] When a person (U) is boarding the target elevator (204) while the robot (R) is positioned at the standby position (N5) in the robot-only mode, the control unit (330) can display a guidance message on the display unit (Ra) of the robot (R) to inform that the target elevator is operating in the robot-only mode. In this case, the guidance message can also be understood as a guidance message to induce a person (U) already boarding the target elevator (204) to disembark.

[0168] More specifically, the control unit (330) can control the rotation of the robot (R) so that the display unit (Ra) of the robot (R) faces the door (204d) of the target elevator (204) from the opposite direction of the door (204d) of the target elevator (204) based on the fact that the target elevator (204) stops at the floor where the robot (R) is waiting. In addition, the control unit (330) can control, when there is a person (U) already on board the target elevator (204), to output a guidance message to the display unit (Ra) of the robot (R) to guide the person (U) already on board to get off. To this end, the control unit (330) can monitor whether the person (U) is on board the target elevator (204). Furthermore, the control unit (330) can control the robot (R) to continuously output a guidance message on the display unit (Ra) of the robot (R) while simultaneously controlling the boarding of the target elevator (204).

[0169] The control unit (330) can determine the occupied position of the robot (R) based on the door (204d) of the elevator (204) when the elevator (204) to be boarded is operated in robot-only mode.

[0170] As illustrated in (a) of FIG. 17b, the control unit (330) may give priority to specifying the node (N7) closest to the door (204d) among the plurality of nodes (N7 to N11) allocated to the receiving space of the elevator (204) to be boarded as the occupied node of the robot (R) (which may be named as the occupied node in the robot-only mode). The node type of the node (N7) closest to the door (204d) may correspond to an elevator entry / exit node that the robot (R) must pass through when boarding or disembarking from the elevator (204).

[0171] The control unit (330) can control the movement of the robot (R) from the standby node (N5) in the robot-only mode to the occupied node (N7).

[0172] As illustrated in (b) of FIG. 17b, the control unit (330) can control the rotation of the robot (R) so that it faces the door (204d) of the elevator (204) while the display unit (Ra) of the robot (R) is facing away from the door (204d) of the elevator (204) at the standby node (N5). In addition, the control unit (330) can move the robot (R) while the display unit (Ra) of the elevator (204) is facing the door (204d) to the occupied node (N7) assigned to the closest location to the door (204d). At this time, in order to induce users (U) who have already boarded the robot-only elevator (204) to get off, the control unit (330) can simultaneously control the movement of the robot (R) to the occupied node (N7) and, through at least one of the display unit (Ra) and speaker (not shown) provided in the robot (R), control the interaction operation of the robot (R) so that an induction message (ex: “Robot service-only elevator, please use another elevator”, 700) for inducing people (U) to get off the elevator (204) operated in the robot-only mode is output.

[0173] Meanwhile, although not shown, the control unit (330) may control the robot (R) to be positioned in an area (e.g., between double-door sliding doors) that prevents the closing of the door (204d) of the elevator (204) to be boarded until all users (U) have gotten off the elevator (204) that is operating in the robot-only mode. The control unit (330) may control the robot (R) to continuously output a guidance message (e.g., “Robot service-only elevator, please use another elevator”, 700) to the users (U) riding the elevator (204) that the elevator (204) is operating in the robot-only mode while the robot (R) is positioned in an area that prevents the closing of the door (204d).

[0174] The control unit (330) can confirm the presence of a user (U) boarding the target elevator (204) from image information captured by at least one of a camera equipped in the robot (R), a camera equipped in the space, and a camera equipped inside the target elevator (204). If, as a result of the confirmation, there is no user (U) boarding the target elevator (204) (i.e., all users (U) have gotten off), the control unit (330) can control the robot (R) to be located at the occupied node (N7). As described above, the occupied node (N7) of the robot (R) in the elevator (204) operated in the robot-only mode can be understood as the node located closest to the door (204d) of the elevator (204) (i.e., the entry / exit node in the elevator receiving space).

[0175] Meanwhile, as illustrated in (a) of FIG. 17c, when the robot-only elevator (204) is in operation, the control unit (330) can control the robot (R) to remain positioned at the occupied node (N7) closest to the door (204d) of the elevator (204). In addition, the control unit (330) can control the robot (R) to output a guidance message (700) toward the door (204d) of the robot (R).

[0176] As illustrated in (b) of FIG. 17c, the control unit (330) can control the occupying operation of the robot (R) on the occupying node (N7) so that the display unit (Ra) provided in the robot (R) faces the door (204d) of the elevator (204). In addition, when the door (204d) of the elevator (204) to be boarded is changed to an open state, the control unit (330) can output a guidance message to the display unit (Ra) of the robot (R) so that a user (U) attempting to board the elevator (204) can see the guidance message (700).

[0177] The control unit (330) can control the robot (R) to remain positioned at the occupied node (N7) even if the user (U) attempts to board the elevator (204) when the door (204d) of the elevator (204) is opened on a different floor (e.g., 13th floor) than the floor corresponding to the destination of the robot (R) (e.g., 20th floor). That is, the control unit (330) can control the robot (R) to remain standing in front of the door inside the elevator (204).

[0178] Meanwhile, the control unit (330) can control the robot (R) to get off the elevator (204) when the elevator (204) to be boarded arrives (stops) at the floor (ex: 20th floor) corresponding to the destination of the robot (R).

[0179] As illustrated in (a) of FIG. 17d, the control unit (330) can generate a movement path of the robot (R) from the occupied node (N7) toward the elevator entry / exit node (N5) located in the surrounding area of ​​the target elevator (204).

[0180] As illustrated in (b) of FIG. 17d, the control unit (330) can control the interaction operation of the robot (R) so that, in order to prevent the user (U) from boarding the elevator (204) in which the robot (R) is getting off, the control unit (330) simultaneously controls the getting off of the robot (R) from the elevator (204) and, through at least one of the display unit (Ra) and the speaker (not shown) provided in the robot (R), a guidance message (ex: “Robot service-only elevator, please use another elevator”, 700) is output to inform that the target elevator (204) is being operated in robot-only mode.

[0181] Meanwhile, in the present invention, when there are multiple robots (R) to board the target elevator (204), control of the multiple robots (R) can be performed differently depending on whether the target elevator (204) is operated in a robot-only mode or a common mode.

[0182] As illustrated in Fig. 19a, when the first robot (R1) and the second robot (R2) are waiting to board the target elevator (204), the control unit (330) can control the waiting interval between the first robot (R1) and the second robot to be different from each other.

[0183] The control unit (330) can control the waiting interval between the robots (R) so that the waiting interval (L1) between the first robot (R1) and the second robot (R2) waiting for the boarding target elevator (204) operated in the robot-only mode is relatively closer than the waiting interval (L2) between the first robot (R1) and the second robot (R2) waiting for the boarding target elevator (204) operated in the shared mode.

[0184] As illustrated in (a) of FIG. 19A, the control unit (330) can set a waiting interval (L1, hereinafter referred to as the first waiting interval) at a distance where the first robot (R1) and the second robot (R2) are in close contact to prevent a person (U) from interfering with the first robot (R1) and the second robot (R2) when the target elevator (204) is operated in the robot-only mode. The first waiting interval (L1) between a plurality of robots (R) in the robot-only mode may be preset. For example, the waiting interval (L1) in the robot-only mode may be set to a distance smaller than the average torso thickness of an average adult. The control unit (330) may determine the standby node of the first robot (R1) as the node (elevator entry / exit node, N5) closest to the door (204d) of the target elevator (204), and may set the standby node of the second robot (R2) as the node (N14) corresponding to the first standby interval (L1) from the standby node (N5) of the first robot (R). In this case, the control unit (330) may control the standby operations of the first robot (R1) and the second robot (R2) so that the respective display units (Ra) of both the first robot (R1) and the second robot (R2) face in the opposite direction of the door (204d) of the target elevator (204) and stand with their backs to the elevator (204). In this case, the control unit (330) can control the display unit (Ra) of each of the first robot (R1) and the second robot (R) to continuously output a guidance message (700) informing that the elevator (204) to be boarded is operated in robot-only mode.

[0185] Furthermore, as illustrated in (a) of FIG. 19b, the control unit (330) can control the first robot (R1) and the second robot (R2) to board the target elevator (204) while maintaining the waiting interval (L1) in the robot-only mode when the target elevator (204) operated in the robot-only mode stops at the floor where the robot (R) is waiting. In this way, the control unit (330) can continuously maintain the interval between the first robot (R) and the second robot (R2) as “L1” in order to restrict (prevent) a person (U) from boarding the target elevator (204) while a plurality of robots (R) are boarding the elevator (204). In this case, the control unit (330) can control the display unit (Ra) of each of the first robot (R1) and the second robot (R) to continuously output a guidance message guiding the person (U) to get off the elevator (204).

[0186] Meanwhile, as illustrated in (b) of FIG. 19a, when the boarding target elevator (204) is operated in the shared mode, the control unit (330) can set the standby interval (L2, hereinafter referred to as the second standby interval) between the first robot (R1) and the second robot (R2) to be relatively far from the standby interval mode in the robot-only mode. The control unit (330) can set the standby node of the first robot (R1) to be the node (N4) corresponding to the boarding and disembarking standby node in the shared mode, and can set the standby node of the second robot (R2) to be the node (N3) which is located farther away from the boarding and disembarking standby node (N4) in the shared mode by the second standby node. In this case, the control unit (330) can control the standby operation of the robots (R) so that the display units (Ra) of each of the first robot (R) and the second robot (R2) face the door (204d) of the boarding target elevator (204).

[0187] Furthermore, when the boarding target elevator (204) operated in the common mode or the boarding target elevator (204) operated in the robot-only mode stops at the floor where the robot (R) is waiting, the control unit (330) can control the boarding of the first robot (R1) and the second robot (R) so that the boarding of the boarding target elevator (204) by the users (U) is not hindered. For example, as illustrated in (b) of FIG. 19b, the control unit (330) can control the distance (L3) between the first robot (R1) and the second robot (R2) boarding the boarding target elevator (204) flexibly, without maintaining it equal to the waiting distance (L2). That is, in a situation where a person (U) intervenes between the first robot (R1) and the second robot (R), the control unit (330) can control the first robot (R1) and the second robot (R) so that the gap between the first robot (R1) and the second robot (R2) becomes greater than the existing standby gap (L2).

[0188] Meanwhile, when multiple robots (R1, R2) board the elevator (204) to be boarded, the control unit (330) can determine the occupied node of each of the multiple robots (R), based on the node (N7) located close to the door (204d) among the multiple nodes (N7 to N12) allocated to the accommodation space of the elevator (204).

[0189] As illustrated in (a) of FIG. 19c, the control unit (330) can control a specific robot (R2) that boards last among a plurality of robots (R1, R2) to be located at a node (N7) that is closest to the door (204d) among a plurality of nodes (N7 to N12) allocated to the reception space of the elevator (204). In addition, the control unit (330) can control another robot (R1) to be located at a node (N10) that is closest to the specific robot (R2). In addition, the control unit (330) can control a guidance message (700) that informs that the elevator (204) is operated in a robot-only mode to be output to the display unit (Ra) of at least one of the plurality of robots (R). For example, the control unit (330) may control the robots (R1, R2) so that a guidance message (or guidance message, 700) is output to both the display units (Ra) of the first robot (R1) and the second robot (R2), or may control the control so that the guidance message (or guidance message, 700) is output to the display unit (Ra) of a specific robot (R2) located at the node (N7) closest to the door (204d).

[0190] Furthermore, as illustrated in (a) of FIG. 19d, when the elevator (204) is operated in a robot-only mode, the control unit (330) can control the first robot (R) so that, when the second robot (R2) among the first robot (R1) and the second robot (R2) gets off from the target elevator (204), the first robot (R1) is positioned at the node (N7) closest to the door (204d) of the elevator (204). Based on the fact that the second robot (R2), which was positioned at the node (N7) closest to the door (204d), gets off, the control unit (330) can move the first robot (R1), which was positioned at another node (N10), to the node (N7) closest to the door (204d). In addition, the control unit (330) can control the display unit (Ra) of the first robot (R1) to output a guidance message indicating that the elevator (204) is operated in robot-only mode.

[0191] Meanwhile, when the target elevator (204) to be boarded is operated in a public mode, the control unit (330) can determine the occupancy nodes of the robots (R) in the accommodation space based on the occupancy status of objects including people (U) in the accommodation space of the elevator (204).

[0192] As illustrated in (b) of FIG. 19c, the control unit (330) can use sensing information sensed by at least one sensor (or camera) provided in the elevator (204) to determine whether an object occupying the elevator (204) accommodation space exists, and, based on the presence or absence of an object occupying the accommodation space, can specify an occupied node of the robot (R). More specifically, the control unit (330) can determine nodes (N8 and N9) corresponding to at least a portion of the remaining area excluding the occupied area of ​​the object, as the occupied nodes of the robot (R), so as not to overlap with the occupied area of ​​the object, including the person (U), within the accommodation space. In this case, the robot (R) can be controlled to be located at the nodes (N8 and N9) assigned to the farthest location from the person (U), among the nodes corresponding to the remaining portion excluding the occupied area of ​​the person (U). In this case, the control unit (330) can control the robot (R) to be located at any one of the nodes other than the node (N7) closest to the door (204d) of the elevator (204). That is, the control unit (330) can control the robot (R) to be located at a node that does not interfere with people (U) getting on and off the elevator (204).

[0193] Furthermore, as illustrated in (b) of FIG. 19d, when the elevator (204) is operated in a shared mode, when the second robot (R2) among the first robot (R1) and the second robot (R2) gets off from the elevator to be boarded, the control unit (330) can control the remaining first robot (R) to not interfere with the use of the elevator (204) by the people (U) as much as possible. For example, the control unit (330) can control the first robot (R1) to remain positioned at the existing occupied node (N9) even if the second robot (R) gets off. The control unit (330) can minimize confusion of the people (U) riding the elevator (204) by restricting the movement of the first robot (R1) within the elevator (204).

[0194] Meanwhile, if some of the multiple robots (R) that need to board the target elevator (204) have difficulty boarding the elevator (204) due to the exceeding of the capacity of the target elevator (204), the control unit (330) may perform different control on the robots (R) that are unable to board the elevator (204) depending on whether the target elevator (204) is operated in robot-only mode or common mode.

[0195] As illustrated in (a) of FIG. 20a, in an elevator (204) operating in a robot-only mode, a third robot (R3) is already on board, and a first robot (R1) and a second robot (R2) are waiting for an elevator (204) to be boarded, and assuming that the capacity of the elevator (204) to be boarded is “2”. As illustrated in (a) of FIG. 20b, when the elevator (204) to be boarded stops on the floor where the first robot (R1) and the second robot (R) are waiting, the control unit (330) can control the first robot (R1) to move to board the elevator (204) to be boarded, and the second robot (R2) to move to the node (N7) where the first robot (R1) was located. The control unit (330) can control the second robot (R2), which was unable to board due to overflow of the capacity of the elevator (204) to be boarded by the first robot (R1), to be located at the node (N7) closest to the door (204d) of the elevator (204) to be boarded by the first robot (R1). That is, the control unit (330) can control the second robot (R2) to move to the position of the first robot (R) and wait for the next elevator (204). In this case, the control unit (330) can control the first robot (R1) and the second robot (R2) to move while maintaining the waiting interval (L1) in the robot-only mode when the first robot (R1) and the second robot (R) move to the elevator (204) to be boarded by the first robot (R1) and the node (N2) where the first robot (R) was located, respectively.

[0196] Meanwhile, as illustrated in (b) of FIG. 20a, let us assume that an elevator (204) operating in a shared mode is boarded by a third robot (R3) and a person (U), a first robot (R1) and a second robot (R2) are waiting for an elevator (204) to be boarded, and that the capacity of the elevator (204) to be boarded is “2”. As illustrated in (b) of FIG. 20b, the control unit (330) can control the second robot (R2), which has not been able to board due to the capacity exceeding the first robot (R1) boarding the elevator (204) to be boarded, to be located at the boarding / disembarkation waiting node (N4) in the shared mode. That is, the control unit (330) can control the second robot (R) to wait for the next elevator (204) at a location farther from the door (204d) of the elevator (204) to be boarded than the waiting node (N7) in the robot-only mode.

[0197] The building, the method for controlling a robot for navigating a building, and the system according to the present invention can control the robot so that, when the robot needs to board an elevator, it generates a movement path that passes through the target elevator and moves along the movement path. The robot can move between floors within a multi-story building and provide services without any movement restrictions.

[0198] Furthermore, the robot control method and system according to the present invention can control the waiting position of the robot for the target elevator differently depending on the operation mode of the target elevator.

[0199] At this time, in the present invention, when the elevator to be boarded is operated in a robot-only mode, the waiting position is determined by considering the entrance / exit door of the elevator to be boarded, thereby preventing people from boarding the elevator to be boarded.

[0200] Furthermore, the present invention can guide people not to board the elevator they are trying to board by making them aware that the elevator they are trying to board is operating in robot-only mode through interaction with the robot, maximize the efficiency of the elevator operating in robot-only mode, and ultimately maximize the efficiency of the robot service.

[0201] Furthermore, the robot-friendly building according to the present invention utilizes technological convergence, where robots, autonomous driving, AI, and cloud technologies are integrated and connected, and can provide a new space where these technologies, robots, and facility infrastructure within the building are organically combined.

[0202] Furthermore, the robot-friendly building according to the present invention utilizes a cloud server that interfaces with multiple robots, allowing for the systematic management of the robots' operations, enabling them to provide services more systematically by organically controlling multiple robots and equipment infrastructure. This allows the robot-friendly building according to the present invention to provide a variety of services to people more safely, quickly, and accurately.

[0203] Meanwhile, the present invention discussed above can be implemented as a program that is executed by one or more processes on a computer and can be stored on a medium that can be read by the computer.

[0204] Furthermore, the present invention discussed above can be implemented as computer-readable code or instructions on a program-recorded medium. That is, the various control methods according to the present invention can be provided in the form of programs, either integrated or individually.

[0205] Meanwhile, computer-readable media include all types of recording devices that store data that can be read by a computer system. Examples of computer-readable media include hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state disk drives (SSDs), silicon disk drives (SDDs), ROMs, RAMs, CD-ROMs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, and optical data storage devices.

[0206] Furthermore, the computer-readable medium may include a storage device and may be a server or cloud storage device accessible via communication. In this case, the computer may download the program according to the present invention from the server or cloud storage device via wired or wireless communication.

[0207] Furthermore, in the present invention, the computer described above is an electronic device equipped with a processor, i.e., a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and there is no particular limitation on its type.

[0208] Meanwhile, the above detailed description should not be construed as limiting in any respect and should be considered illustrative. The scope of the present invention should be determined by a reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all modifications within the equivalent scope of the present invention are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A step in which a moving target robot is specified; and A step of generating a movement path of the robot so that the robot moves to a preset destination; and A step of controlling the robot so that the robot moves along the movement path is included, In the step of generating the movement path of the above robot, If the above robot needs to board an elevator, it generates a movement path that passes through the elevator to be boarded, In the step of controlling the above robot, A robot control method characterized in that the waiting position of the robot for the boarding target elevator is controlled differently depending on the operation mode of the boarding target elevator.

2. In paragraph 1, The elevator to be boarded above is, It is operated in the first mode, which restricts human boarding and prioritizes robot boarding, or in the second mode, which does not restrict human boarding. A robot control method, characterized in that the boarding standby position of the robot for the above boarding target elevator is set differently depending on whether the boarding target elevator is operated in the first mode or the second mode.

3. In paragraph 2, The above-mentioned elevator for boarding has a door, A robot control method, characterized in that in the first mode, the robot is positioned closer to the door than in the second mode to restrict people from boarding the elevator.

4. In paragraph 3, In the step of generating the above movement path, The movement path is generated by using nodes defined in the node map corresponding to the space in which the robot moves, In the step of controlling the robot, the robot is controlled to move to the destination along the nodes included in the movement path. In the step of generating the above movement path, A robot control method characterized in that the waiting node corresponding to the boarding standby position of the robot for the boarding target elevator is set to a different node depending on whether the boarding target elevator is operated in the first mode or the second mode.

5. In paragraph 4, A robot control method, characterized in that the first boarding waiting node of the robot for the boarding target elevator in the first mode is closer to the door than the second boarding waiting node of the robot for the boarding target elevator in the second mode.

6. In paragraph 1, A step of transmitting a boarding request of the robot to the elevator system; Further comprising a step of receiving allocation information for the target elevator from the elevator system, In the step of generating the above movement path, A robot control method characterized in that the movement path is generated so that the boarding target elevator is included in the movement path based on the above allocation information.

7. In paragraph 2, A step of receiving operation mode information about the operation mode of the elevator to be boarded from the elevator system; In the step of generating the above movement path, A robot control method characterized in that the movement path is generated so that the boarding waiting positions of the robot for the boarding target elevator are different from each other based on the above operation mode information.

8. In paragraph 2, The above robot comprises a front side including a display portion and a rear side opposite to the front side, A robot control method characterized in that the direction in which the front of the robot faces is controlled to be different depending on whether the elevator to be boarded is operated in the first mode or the second mode.

9. In paragraph 8, If the elevator to be boarded is operated in the first mode, The robot is controlled so that the display part of the robot faces the opposite direction of the door of the elevator to be boarded. A robot control method characterized in that, when the above-mentioned target elevator is operated in the second mode, the display part of the robot is controlled to face the door of the above-mentioned target elevator.

10. In paragraph 8, A robot control method characterized in that, in the first mode, a display unit of the robot located at the boarding standby position displays a guidance message indicating that the elevator to be boarded is being operated in the first mode that restricts boarding of people.

11. In paragraph 2, In the above first mode, when the robot is in the boarding standby position and a person is boarding the elevator to be boarded, A robot control method characterized in that the display section of the robot displays a guidance message to notify that the elevator to be boarded is operating in the first mode.

12. In paragraph 11, In the display section of the above robot, A robot control method characterized in that an exit guidance message is displayed to induce people boarding the elevator to get off.

13. In paragraph 2, If there are multiple robots that board the elevator to be boarded, A robot control method, characterized in that, in the first mode or the second mode, the waiting intervals between the plurality of robots around the boarding target elevator are different from each other.

14. In paragraph 13, A robot control method, characterized in that the waiting intervals of the plurality of robots in the first mode are closer than in the second mode.

15. Specify the target robot to be moved, Generate a movement path for the robot so that the robot moves to a preset destination, A control unit is included for controlling the robot so that the robot moves along the above movement path, The above control unit, If the above robot needs to board an elevator, it generates a movement path that passes through the elevator to be boarded, A robot control system characterized in that the waiting position of the robot for the boarding target elevator is controlled differently depending on the operation mode of the boarding target elevator.

16. In a building where robots run and are controlled by a cloud server, The above building, Includes a communication unit that receives driving and control commands for the robot from the cloud server and transmits them to the robot. The above cloud server, Identify the target robot to be moved, Generate a movement path for the robot so that the robot moves to a preset destination, Controlling the robot so that the robot moves along the above movement path, If the above robot needs to board an elevator, it generates a path for the above movement via the target elevator, A building characterized in that the waiting position of the robot for the elevator to be boarded is controlled differently depending on the operation mode of the elevator to be boarded.

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