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 robot to be moved; generating a movement path of the robot for the robot to move to a preset destination; and controlling the robot to move along the movement path, wherein, in the step of generating the movement path of the robot, if the robot needs to board an elevator, a movement path through an elevator to be boarded is generated, and in the step of controlling the robot, a boarding standby position of the robot for the elevator to be boarded may be controlled differently depending on the operating mode of the elevator to be boarded.

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 a building. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and system for controlling a robot using an elevator.

[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 using robots in transportation 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 transportation.

[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's boarding of an elevator based on a boarding situation in which the robot boards the elevator.

[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 robot control method according to the present invention can include a step of generating an elevator boarding event of a specific robot, a step of specifying a specific elevator for the specific robot to board based on the boarding event, a step of sensing an object located in an accommodation space of the specific elevator based on the specific elevator stopping at a floor where the specific robot is located and a door of the specific elevator opening, a step of determining whether the specific robot will board the specific elevator based on an occupancy state of the object in the accommodation space, and a step of controlling the specific robot based on the determination.

[0018] Furthermore, the robot control system according to the present invention includes a control unit that determines a specific elevator for a specific robot to ride based on an elevator boarding event of a specific robot, senses an object located in a receiving space of the specific elevator based on the specific elevator stopping at a floor where the specific robot is located and a door of the specific elevator opening, and determines whether the specific robot will ride the specific elevator based on an occupancy state of the object in the receiving space, and the control unit can control the specific robot based on the determination.

[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 may include instructions for performing a step of generating an elevator boarding event of a specific robot, a step of specifying a specific elevator to be boarded by the specific robot based on the boarding event, a step of sensing an object located in a receiving space of the specific elevator based on the specific elevator stopping at a floor where the specific robot is located and a door of the specific elevator being opened, a step of determining whether the specific robot will board the specific elevator based on the occupancy state of the object in the receiving space, and a step of controlling the specific robot based on the determination.

[0020] Meanwhile, a building according to the present invention is a building in which a robot controlled by a cloud server runs, wherein the cloud server, based on an elevator boarding event of a specific robot, specifies a specific elevator for the specific robot to board, and based on the specific elevator stopping at the floor where the specific robot is located and the door of the specific elevator opening, senses an object located in a receiving space of the specific elevator, and determines whether the specific robot boards the specific elevator based on the occupancy status of the object in the receiving space, and controls the specific robot based on the determination.

[0021] Meanwhile, a robot according to the present invention is a robot that drives in a building, and includes a main body, a driving unit provided in the main body, a sensing unit provided in the main body and configured to sense the surroundings of the main body, a communication unit that communicates with a cloud server, and a control unit that controls the driving unit to drive in the building based on at least one of information received from the cloud server and information collected through the sensing unit, wherein the sensing unit senses an object located in an accommodation space of the specific elevator based on the fact that a specific elevator that the robot is to ride stops at a floor where the robot is located and a door of the specific elevator is opened, and the control unit determines whether the robot will ride the specific elevator based on the occupancy state of the object in the accommodation space and transmits the determination to the cloud server, and can control the robot based on information received in response to the determination from the cloud server.

[0022] The building, the method for controlling a robot navigating a building, and the system according to the present invention can determine whether or not a robot will board an elevator based on the elevator's occupancy status. More specifically, the present invention senses objects located in the elevator's reception space and, based on the object's occupancy status, determines whether the robot is in a situation where it is difficult to board the elevator or gives up boarding the elevator, thereby providing an environment where robots and people can safely coexist.

[0023] Furthermore, the robot control method and system according to the present invention can provide convenience to people by giving up riding the robot in the elevator if there is a situation where riding the robot in the elevator would cause inconvenience to people, even if the robot can ride in the elevator accommodation space.

[0024] At this time, in the present invention, if it is determined that the robot will not cause inconvenience to users even if it rides the elevator, it is possible to maximize the time efficiency of the robot by deciding to ride the elevator.

[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 control system according to the present invention.

[0032] Figure 13 is a flowchart for explaining the linkage between a robot and an elevator in the present invention.

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

[0034] Figure 15 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the accommodation space of an elevator according to the present invention.

[0035] FIGS. 16A and 16B are conceptual diagrams for explaining a method of sensing an object in an elevator receiving space in the present invention.

[0036] Figures 17 and 18 are conceptual diagrams for explaining the behavior of a robot according to the decision of whether or not to ride an elevator in the present invention.

[0037] Figures 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 are conceptual diagrams for explaining a method for determining whether a robot will ride an elevator 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 to increase user convenience 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] Elevators (204) can be used by both robots and people, and people may experience inconvenience or delays in getting on and off the elevator due to the presence of robots. Therefore, the present invention proposes a method for determining whether a robot should ride an elevator, going beyond a method based on elevator capacity. Furthermore, the present invention recognizes situations where a robot's presence in an elevator makes it difficult for people or objects to get off, even if there is sufficient space, and determines whether a robot should ride an elevator to prevent such situations from occurring.

[0089] 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 control system according to the present invention. Fig. 13 is a flowchart for explaining the linkage between a robot and an elevator in the present invention, Fig. 14 is a flowchart for explaining a robot control method according to the present invention, Fig. 15 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an elevator accommodation space according to the present invention, Figs. 16a and 16b are conceptual diagrams for explaining a method for sensing an object in an elevator accommodation space in the present invention, Figs. 17 and 18 are conceptual diagrams for explaining a robot's behavior according to a determination of whether the robot will board an elevator in the present invention, and Figs. 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 are conceptual diagrams for explaining a method for determining whether the robot will board an elevator in the present invention.

[0090] As illustrated in FIG. 12, 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).

[0091] 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.

[0092] 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).

[0093] 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 control 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).

[0094] 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).

[0095] 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).

[0096] 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).

[0097] The communication unit (310) can support various communication methods according to the communication standards of the communicating device.

[0098] 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).

[0099] 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).

[0100] First, information about the robot (R) can be stored in the storage unit (320).

[0101] 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.

[0102] 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.

[0103] 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.

[0104] 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.

[0105] The storage unit (320) can store information about a plurality of elevators (204) located within the building (1000) (e.g., elevator identification information, location information, operation information, etc.).

[0106] Meanwhile, in addition to the types of information listed above, various types of information can be stored in the storage unit (320).

[0107] Next, the control unit (330) may be configured to control the overall operation of the robot control system (300) related to the present invention. The control unit (330) 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.

[0108] The control unit (330) 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 robot (R) to board, wait, and disembark from the elevator (204). In particular, the control unit (330) may determine whether the robot (R) boards the elevator (204) based on the occupancy status of the elevator (204) receiving space (10).

[0109] Meanwhile, the robot (R) may be configured to include a communication unit (410), a storage unit (420), a sensing unit (430), an output unit (440), a driving unit (450), a control unit (460), and a main body.

[0110] The communication unit (410) of the robot (R) may be configured to receive control commands from the robot control system (300). The storage unit (420) of the robot (R) may include various information related to the driving and task performance of the robot. The sensing unit (430) of the robot (R) may be configured to sense information about the surrounding environment surrounding the robot (R). For example, the sensing unit (430) of the robot may include a camera (431), and the robot (R) may sense objects located in an elevator and an elevator receiving space from an image captured by the camera (431) (hereinafter referred to as a robot image).

[0111] Furthermore, the output unit (440) of the robot (R) may include at least one of a display (441) and an audio (or speaker, 442). The driving unit (450) of the robot (R) may be provided on the main body of the robot and configured to allow the robot to move within a space. The driving unit (450) of the robot (R) may be configured to control at least one of the moving direction and moving speed of the robot.

[0112] The control unit (450) of the robot (R) can be configured to control the components of the robot (R). For example, the control unit (450) of the robot controls the driving unit (1203) so that the robot can drive along a set movement path.

[0113] The control unit (450) of the robot (R) can determine the occupancy status of the elevator (204) receiving space (10) based on the robot image captured by the camera (431) and determine whether the robot (R) boards the elevator (204) based on the occupancy status.

[0114] In the present invention, the decision on whether the robot (R) will ride the elevator (204) can be performed by at least one of the robot (R) and the robot control system (300). When the robot control system (300) determines whether the robot (R) will ride, the robot (R) can ride the elevator (204) or give up riding the elevator (204) based on a control command received from the robot control system (300). Therefore, for the convenience of explanation, the present invention will be described with the robot control system (300) as the main component. However, the decision on whether the robot (R) will ride, which is performed by the robot control system (300), can be performed independently by the robot (or the robot's control unit, 450).

[0115] Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 13, the robot control system (300) can request the elevator system (204a) to allow the robot (R) to ride the elevator (204) when the robot (R) needs to ride the elevator (204) (S310).

[0116] 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 robot control system (300) 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 elevator system (204a) to board the robot (R).

[0117] 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 request for boarding (S320).

[0118] 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).

[0119] The robot control system (300) can perform control on the robot (R) to use the elevator (204) based on receiving allocation information from the elevator system (204a) (S330).

[0120] 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).

[0121] The robot (R) can move within a space (10) within a building (1000) under the control of a robot control system (300). The robot (R) can move from its current location to an area (or zone) where an elevator (204) is located, and then board the elevator (204) to move to another floor (S340).

[0122] 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 cause the elevator (204) to stop at a floor corresponding to the current location of the robot (R) and open the door (204d) of the elevator (204). The elevator system (204a) can monitor the boarding or disembarking of the robot (R) when the door (204d) of the elevator (204) is opened. The elevator system (204a) can keep the door (204d) open until the boarding or disembarking of the robot (R) is completed. In addition, the elevator system (204a) can close the door (204d) and control the robot (R) to move (operate) to another floor when the boarding or disembarking of the robot (R) is completed. In this way, the elevator (204) can be operated under the control of the elevator system (204a) (S360).

[0123] The elevator (204) system (300) can monitor the completion of boarding or disembarking of the robot (R) through communication with the robot control system (300). For example, the elevator system (204a) can monitor the completion of boarding or disembarking of the robot (R) based on the robot (R) identification information received from the robot control system (300). As another example, the elevator system (204a) can monitor the completion of boarding or disembarking of the robot (R) based on receiving location information indicating that the robot (R) is located inside / outside the elevator (204) from the robot control system (300).

[0124] 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 of the elevator (204), the operating mode, the occupancy status of the accommodation space (10), etc. Hereinafter, a method for controlling the robot (R) according to the present invention will be described in more detail.

[0125] In the present invention, a process of generating an elevator boarding event of a specific robot can be performed (S410, see FIG. 14).

[0126] Here, a boarding event occurs when a situation arises in which the robot (R) needs to board an elevator, and the occurrence of the boarding event can be recognized through various routes. For example, the control unit (330) can monitor the location of the robot (R) moving through the space in real time or at preset time intervals. Then, the control unit (330) can determine whether the robot (R) needs to board the elevator based on the monitoring results. If the determination result indicates that the robot (R) needs to board the elevator in order to move to the destination, the control unit (330) can determine that a boarding event has occurred in the robot (R). In this case, the recognition of the boarding event can be performed by the control unit (330).

[0127] Alternatively, the control unit (330) may receive information about a boarding event from the robot (R). The information about the boarding event may include information indicating that a boarding event has occurred in the robot (R). The robot (R) may move through space along a pre-planned path, and if the path includes the use of an elevator, the robot may proceed with boarding the elevator based on the pre-planned path.

[0128] The robot (R) can transmit its current location and environmental information and situation information surrounding the robot (R) to the control unit (330) in real time or at preset time intervals. At this time, if the robot (R) determines that it is necessary to use an elevator in the current situation, it can generate an elevator boarding event and transmit information about this to the control unit (330).

[0129] Furthermore, information about a boarding event can be received from an elevator or elevator system (204a). The elevator or elevator system (204a) can sense a robot (R) approaching or located around the elevator, or a robot (R) that has sent a request to use the elevator. In this case, the elevator or elevator system (204a) can determine that a boarding event has occurred for the robot (R) and transmit information about the boarding event along with identification information about the robot (R) to the control unit (330).

[0130] Meanwhile, when a riding event occurs through various routes in this way, the control unit (330) can specify the robot (R) where the riding event occurred.

[0131] In the present invention, a process of specifying an elevator for a specific robot to ride can be performed based on a riding event (S420, see FIG. 14).

[0132] The control unit (330) can receive information about a specific elevator from the elevator system (204a). The information about the specific elevator can include at least one of identification information or location information of the elevator.

[0133] To this end, the control unit (330) can request a specific robot (R) to board the elevator system (204a). The elevator system (204a) can specify one of a plurality of elevators provided in the space in response to a request for boarding of a specific robot (R). The elevator system (204a) can also specify the elevator based on the operating status of the elevator, the operating mode of the elevator (e.g., robot-only mode, shared mode), the occupancy status of the elevator receiving space (10), the current location of the robot (R), the destination of the robot (R), etc.

[0134] Furthermore, the specification of the elevator can be performed by the control unit (330). In this case, the control unit (330) can transmit information about a specific elevator to the elevator system (204a) so that the specific elevator can be operated to the floor where the robot (R) is located.

[0135] The control unit (330) can move the robot (R) to the waiting position of a specific elevator. The control unit (330) can generate a movement path from the current position to the waiting position of the specific elevator and control the movement of the robot (R) according to the movement path. The elevator system (204a) can control the operation of a specific elevator to the floor where the robot (R) is located so that the specific robot (R) can board the elevator.

[0136] In the present invention, a process of sensing an object located in a receiving space of a specific elevator may be performed based on a specific elevator stopping at a floor where a specific robot is located and a door of the specific elevator opening (S430, see FIG. 14).

[0137] As illustrated in FIG. 15, the elevator (204) may be equipped with an accommodation space (500) configured to accommodate a robot or a person. This accommodation space (500) may also be referred to as “the interior (or interior space) of the elevator (204).” Accordingly, in the present invention, the term “accommodation space (500)” may be used interchangeably with the term “interior space” or “inside” of the elevator (204). In addition, the elevator (204) may be equipped with a door (entrance door, 204d). A person, an object, or a robot may enter (board) the interior of the elevator (204) or exit (disembark) from the elevator (204) through the elevator door (204d).

[0138] The control unit (330) can sense an object (510 to 540) located in the receiving space using at least one sensor (e.g., camera 431, 501) equipped in the elevator (204) or the robot (R). Here, the object can be a person, an object, or a robot (R). The type of camera (501) installed in the elevator (204) can be diverse, and in the present invention, a closed circuit television (CCTV) can be utilized.

[0139] The robot (R) can sense objects located in the elevator receiving space from the elevator waiting position. This object sensing can be performed by the robot (R) itself or under the control of the robot control system (300). Below, the object sensing method is described with the robot (R) as the subject, but it can be understood that this is performed under the control of the robot control system (300).

[0140] As illustrated in (a) of FIG. 16A, the robot (R) can measure the pose of the elevator (204) at the elevator waiting position. There may be various methods for measuring the elevator pose. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 16B, the robot (R) can detect feature information including at least one of a line and a vertex of an elevator door (204d) from a robot image that captures the elevator (204) of the robot (R), and measure the elevator pose based on the detected feature information. More specifically, the robot (R) can detect feature information including a left, right, top, and bottom line or four vertices (P1, P2, P3, P4) of the elevator door (204d), and measure the elevator pose based on the detected line or vertex. The storage unit (320) contains reference information used to detect lines or vertices of an elevator door (204d), and the robot (R) can detect lines of the elevator door (204d) from the robot image based on the reference information. The robot (R) can measure the pose of the elevator based on the door lines.

[0141] Specifically, the robot (R) can detect the relative position and absolute coordinates of the lines of the elevator door (204d) with respect to the robot (R). Furthermore, the robot (R) can measure the pose of the elevator by obtaining the actual length of the lines with respect to the coordinate system. For another example, the robot (R) can measure the pose of the elevator using a 3D model-based 6DoF (6 degrees of freedom) pose measurement technique. The elevator pose can be measured based on the following [Mathematical Formula 1].

[0142] [Mathematical Formula 1]

[0143]

[0144] In this case, the robot (R) can detect the line of the elevator door (204d) based on a robot image (610) including the entire elevator door (204d) or a plurality of detailed robot images (620a, 620b) including each part of the elevator door (204d). As illustrated in FIG. 16b, the robot (R) can include a first camera (also referred to as an upper / lower camera, 431a) and a second camera (also referred to as a lower camera relative to the floor, 431b) provided at different locations. The robot (R) can perform extrinsic calibration for the first camera (431a) as in [Mathematical Expression 2] below, and can perform extrinsic calibration for the first camera (431a) as in [Mathematical Expression 3].

[0145] [Equation 2]

[0146]

[0147] [Equation 3]

[0148]

[0149] Furthermore, the robot (R) can detect lines forming the elevator door (204d) from robot images on which extrinsic calibration has been performed, and perform vertical / horizontal line filtering. The robot (R) can match lines detected in the robot image (620a) of the first camera (431a) and the robot image (620b) of the second camera (431b), and based on the matching result, classify the lines into left, right, top, and bottom lines of the elevator door (204d). In addition, the robot (R) can obtain the size of the elevator door (204d) based on the detected lines, and estimate the pose of the elevator using the obtained size.

[0150] Furthermore, as illustrated in (b) of FIG. 16a, when the elevator door (204d) is opened, at least one of a human object, an object object, and a robot object located in the elevator receiving space can be detected from the robot image (630) including the elevator receiving space. There may be various methods for detecting the object. For example, the robot (R) can detect an object located in the receiving space based on an object detection model learned for object detection. The robot (R) can obtain an object position defined for the robot coordinate system {R} as in [Mathematical Formula 4] below.

[0151] [Equation 4]

[0152]

[0153] As illustrated in (c) of Fig. 16a, the robot (R) can estimate the position of an object in the elevator receiving space. As shown in [Mathematical Formula 5] below, the robot (R) can convert the object position information defined for the robot coordinate system {R} into object position information (or value) for the elevator coordinate system {E}. Then, the robot (R) can specify a certain area of ​​the receiving space as an object occupied space (or occupied area) based on the estimated object position information. In other words, the robot (R) can specify the occupied area occupied by the object in the receiving space based on the pose of the elevator.

[0154] [Equation 5]

[0155]

[0156] Meanwhile, the control unit (330) of the robot control system (300) can sense an object located in the elevator receiving space based on an elevator image received from a camera (501) installed in the elevator.

[0157] Meanwhile, in the present invention, a process of determining whether a specific robot will board a specific elevator based on the occupancy status of the object in the receiving space may be performed (S440, see FIG. 14).

[0158] If the object occupancy state corresponds to a preset occupancy state, the robot (R) may determine that it is difficult for the robot (R) to ride the elevator, or that although the robot (R) can ride the elevator, there is a possibility that the robot (R) may cause inconvenience to an object (especially, a person) already riding the elevator (interfering with the object's use of the elevator), and may decide to give up riding the elevator. On the other hand, the robot (R) may decide to ride the elevator if the object occupancy state does not correspond to a preset occupancy state.

[0159] Here, the object occupancy status is based on the type of object (e.g., person object, thing object, robot object) located in the elevator receiving space, the occupancy position, and the occupancy area, which can mean what type of object is located in the receiving space, where the area occupied by the object is located, and what the size of the area occupied is.

[0160] A detailed description of how to determine whether to board the robot (R) based on the object occupancy status will be provided later.

[0161] The robot (R) can transmit information regarding whether or not to board to at least one of the robot control system (300) and the elevator system (204a). For example, if a decision to refuse boarding is made, the robot (R) can transmit the decision to refuse boarding to the robot control system (300) and the elevator system (204a).

[0162] Meanwhile, in the present invention, the decision on whether the robot (R) will ride the elevator can also be made by the robot control system (300). The robot control system (300) can determine the object occupancy status in the elevator receiving space based on at least one of the robot image received from the robot (R) and the elevator image received from the elevator system (204a). In addition, the robot control system (300) can determine whether the robot (R) will ride the elevator based on the object occupancy status. Prior to this, the data processing performed by the robot (R) can also be described as being performed by the robot control system (300). Hereinafter, the decision on whether the robot (R) will ride the elevator will be described without separately distinguishing whether it is performed by the robot (R) itself or by the robot control system (300).

[0163] In the present invention, a process of controlling a specific robot may be performed depending on whether or not a specific robot is boarded (S450, see FIG. 14).

[0164] The control unit (330) of the robot control system (300) can perform different controls on the robot (R) depending on which of the boarding decision and boarding refusal decision of the robot (R) is made.

[0165] As illustrated in (a) of FIG. 17, the control unit (330) may perform first data processing to allow the robot (R) to perform a boarding refusal interaction (e.g., “Go first” voice output) and board another elevator based on the robot (R)’s decision to refrain from boarding. On the other hand, as illustrated in (b) of FIG. 17, the control unit (330) may perform second data processing to allow the robot (R) to board the elevator based on the robot (R)’s decision to board.

[0166] When a decision is made to abandon boarding by the robot (R), the control unit (330) can control the robot (R) to perform a boarding abandonment interaction so that users already riding the elevator can recognize that the robot (R) has abandoned boarding. The control unit (330) can control the robot (R) not to enter the elevator's receiving space, but to output guidance information (message) to users already riding the elevator to abandon boarding. For example, the control unit (330) can control the robot (R) to output boarding abandonment guidance information (e.g., "Go first~") through audio (442) from the waiting position (see (a) of FIG. 18) or to output boarding abandonment guidance information (e.g., "Go first, I'll get on next") through the display (441) (see (b) of FIG. 18). For another example, the control unit (330) may control the robot (R) to perform an action corresponding to abandoning boarding (e.g., shaking the head left and right, turning in the opposite direction of the elevator door (204d) from the waiting position, or moving backward) while the robot (R) outputs boarding refusal guidance information (e.g., go first) through at least one of the audio (442) and the display (441) (see (c) of FIG. 18). In this case, the robot (R) may perform an action corresponding to abandoning boarding while outputting a sound effect corresponding to abandoning boarding.

[0167] Furthermore, the control unit (330) can provide guidance information (message) guiding the robot (R) to give up boarding through an interface (e.g., display or speaker) provided in the elevator. The control unit (330) can transmit the robot (R)'s decision to give up boarding to the elevator system (204a). In response to the robot (R)'s decision to give up boarding, the elevator system (204a) can output guidance information ("The robot will use the next elevator") guiding the robot (R) to give up boarding to an interface provided in the elevator receiving space.

[0168] Interactions resulting from the robot (R) abandoning the ride can be accomplished using any of the methods described above, or a combination of them. Furthermore, the above methods are merely examples, and various methods can be used to intuitively convey to the user that the robot (R) has abandoned the ride.

[0169] Meanwhile, the control unit (330) can determine whether to perform a boarding abandonment interaction of the robot (R) based on the object type (human object, object object, and robot object) of the object located in the elevator receiving space. For example, the control unit (330) can control the boarding abandonment interaction of the robot (R) to be performed only when at least one human object is located in the receiving space.

[0170] Meanwhile, the control unit (330) can perform different first data processing and second data processing depending on whether the robot (R) is riding.

[0171] As illustrated in FIG. 19, the control unit (330) can determine whether the robot (R) will board the elevator or abandon boarding (S711) based on the opening of the elevator door (204d) (S710). Based on the decision to abandon boarding, the control unit (330) can transmit a control command to the robot (R) so that the robot (R) performs an abandon boarding interaction (S712). In addition, the control unit (330) can notify the elevator system (204a) of the robot (R)'s abandonment of boarding.

[0172] In the elevator system (204a), upon receiving a signal from the robot (R) to refuse to board, the door (204d) of the elevator designated for the robot (R) to board can be switched from an open state to a closed state, and the elevator can be controlled to move to another floor (S713). As described above, if a robot (R) is assigned to board a specific elevator, the elevator system (204a) can monitor the robot (R)'s boarding of the elevator, and close the elevator door (204d) upon completion of the robot (R)'s boarding of the elevator. In other words, the elevator system (204a) can maintain the elevator door (204d) in an open state until the robot (R) completes boarding the elevator. Accordingly, the control unit (330) transmits the robot (R)'s decision to abandon boarding to the elevator system (204a) so that the elevator operates in conjunction with the robot (R)'s decision to abandon boarding, and the elevator system (300) can close the elevator door (204d) even if the robot (R) has not completed boarding.

[0173] The elevator system (204a) can cancel the assignment of a robot (R) and a specific elevator previously assigned to the robot (R) (S714). This cancellation can be performed before or simultaneously with closing the elevator door (204d). In addition, the elevator system (300) can re-specify and assign a new elevator for the robot (R) to ride (S715). In this case, the elevator system (204a) can specify an elevator that is boardable from the robot (R)'s standby position as the new elevator for the robot (R) to ride. The elevator system (204a) can control the elevator so that the newly specified elevator stops at the floor where the robot (R) is located, and can provide information about the newly specified elevator to the robot control system (300). If another newly specified elevator stops at the floor where the specific robot is located, the robot control system (300) can control the robot so that the robot boards a different elevator.

[0174] Meanwhile, based on the decision of the robot (R) to board the elevator, the elevator system (204a) can monitor the robot (R) boarding the elevator (S716). There may be various methods for monitoring the robot (R) boarding the elevator. For example, the elevator system (204a) can monitor the robot (R) boarding the elevator using elevator images captured by cameras (431) installed around the elevator and in the receiving space. As another example, the elevator system (204a) can monitor a boarding completion signal received from at least one of the robot control system (300) and the robot (R). When the robot (R) boards the elevator, at least one of the robot control system (300) and the robot (R) can transmit a boarding completion signal to the elevator system (204a).

[0175] The elevator system (204a) can control the operation of the elevator by determining whether the robot (R) has completed boarding (S717). If the robot (R) has not completed boarding the elevator, the elevator system (204a) can continue to monitor the robot (R) boarding the elevator (S716). On the other hand, the elevator system (204a) can close the elevator door (204d) and control the elevator to move to another floor based on the robot (R) having completed boarding the elevator (S718). The robot (R) can vertically move to another floor within the building (1000) while boarding the elevator, and can disembark from the elevator when the elevator stops at the disembarkation floor corresponding to the robot (R)'s destination (S719).

[0176] Meanwhile, in the present invention, it is possible to determine whether or not the robot (R) will board the elevator based on the object occupancy state. The control unit (330) may give up the robot (R) from boarding the elevator if it is difficult (impossible) for the robot (R) to board the elevator, or if the robot (R) can board the elevator but there is a possibility that the robot (R) will cause inconvenience to an object (particularly, a person) already boarding the elevator. This object occupancy state may be referred to as a preset occupancy state or a state in which the object occupancy state corresponds to a boarding abandonment condition in the present invention. Hereinafter, an object occupancy state corresponding to a boarding abandonment condition of the robot (R) will be described.

[0177] If there is no remaining space (or robot-accessible space) in the elevator receiving space based on the object occupancy status, the control unit (330) may determine that it is difficult for the robot (R) to board the elevator and may give up boarding the robot (R) in the elevator. The remaining space may be determined based on the floor area of ​​the elevator receiving space.

[0178] For example, as illustrated in (a) of Fig. 20, if an object corresponding to a garden is already riding in the elevator's receiving space, or if the total weight of objects riding in the elevator receiving space corresponds to the elevator's boarding weight limit, the control unit (330) may determine that it is difficult for the robot (R) to ride in the elevator and may give up on the robot (R) riding in the elevator.

[0179] For another example, as illustrated in (b) of FIG. 20, if the number of robots (R) currently riding in the elevator receiving space corresponds to the maximum number of robots that can ride (ex: “6”), the control unit (330) may determine that it is difficult for the robot (R) to ride the elevator and may give up on the robot (R) riding the elevator.

[0180] Meanwhile, the control unit (330) may, even if there is a remaining space in the elevator demand space, give up riding the robot (R) in the elevator if it is determined that the robot (R) will be inconvenienced when riding the elevator based on at least one of i) the type of the object (e.g., stroller, wheelchair, cart, etc.) located in the elevator, ii) the size (or dimensions) of the object, iii) the robot boarding / disembarkation path, the robot type, and iv) the object boarding / disembarkation path.

[0181] The control unit (330) can determine whether or not the robot (R) gets on the elevator based on the type of object located in the elevator receiving space. The storage unit (320) may have information on important object objects (e.g., baby strollers, wheelchairs, carts) that define the types of objects that are difficult to get off the elevator when the robot (R) gets on the elevator. As illustrated in (c) of Fig. 20, if the object located in the elevator receiving space is an important object (811, 812), the control unit (330) may determine that a situation will cause inconvenience in getting off the object when the robot (R) gets on the elevator, and may give up the robot (R) from getting on the elevator, even if there is remaining space in the elevator receiving space.

[0182] Although not shown, the control unit (330) can determine whether or not the robot (R) rides the elevator based on the size (or size) of the object. For example, if an object (e.g., a cart carrying a large amount of parcels) larger than the size (or size) of a specific robot (R) to ride the elevator is located in the elevator accommodation space, the control unit (330) can determine that the object will cause inconvenience to the robot (R) when riding the elevator, and can give up riding the robot (R) in the elevator even if there is remaining space in the elevator accommodation space.

[0183] If the control unit (330) determines that a situation will cause inconvenience to the object when the robot (R) boards the elevator if the boarding path of the robot (R) is not secured even though there is remaining space in the elevator, the control unit (330) may give up boarding the robot (R). For example, as shown in (d) of FIG. 20, if an object (830) is located around the elevator door (204d) and the object (830) needs to move in order for the robot (R) to board the target occupied location (remaining space or target space, 830), the control unit (330) may determine that the boarding path of the robot (R) is not secured and give up boarding the robot (R).

[0184] In the present invention, path securing means that path specification (or path generation) is possible, and it can be understood that the path is not secured if the path for boarding or alighting from the elevator is blocked by an obstacle (robot or object).

[0185] The control unit (330) may give up on the robot (R) boarding the elevator if the robot (R)'s disembarkation path is not secured (unspecified) or the object's disembarkation path is not secured (unspecified), even if the robot (R)'s boarding path is secured (unspecified).

[0186] Specifically, as illustrated in Fig. 21, the control unit (330) can check whether the elevator boarding path of the robot (R) is secured (S911) based on the opening of the elevator door (204d) (S910). If the boarding path of the robot (R) is not secured as a result of the check, the control unit (330) can decide to give up boarding of the robot (R) (S912).

[0187] In contrast, the control unit (330) can check whether the disembarkation path of the robot (R) is secured based on the robot type once the boarding path of the robot (R) is secured. In the present invention, the robot (R) may correspond to either a first type of robot (R) capable of rotating in place or a second type of robot (R) incapable of rotating in place.

[0188] The control unit (330) can check whether the robot (R) is a type that can rotate in place (S913). If the result of the check is that the robot (R) is a first type robot (R) that can rotate in place, it can be determined that the robot (R)'s disembarkation path has also been secured. For example, as illustrated in (a) of FIG. 22, the first type robot (R) can move along the boarding path (1000a) to the target occupied location (1000) within the elevator, rotate at the target occupied location (1000), and disembark again along the boarding path (1000a).

[0189] Accordingly, the control unit (330) determines that when the boarding path of the first type of robot (R) is secured, the disembarkation path is also secured, and can check whether the disembarkation path of the object is secured when the robot (R) boards the elevator (S914).

[0190] The control unit (330) can determine whether the robot (R) will board the elevator if the object's disembarkation path is secured (S915). In the present invention, securing the object's disembarkation path can be understood as meaning that even if the robot (R) is located at the target occupied location, there is a path through which the object can exit the receiving space via the elevator door (204d).

[0191] When an object is disembarked, the control unit (330) may determine that the object's disembarkation path is not secured (i.e., the disembarkation path is blocked) when movement of at least one of the robot (R) and another object is required (e.g., movement within the receiving space or re-boarding after disembarking from the receiving space is required).

[0192] For example, as illustrated in (a) of FIG. 23, when a robot (R) is positioned at a target occupied location (1100), a specific object (1101) that was previously on board may have its disembarkation path blocked by the robot (R). In order for the specific object (1101) to disembark, the robot (R) must disembark and re-board the elevator, or other objects (1102, 1103) must move. In this case, the control unit (330) may determine that the object's disembarkation path is blocked (or not secured) due to the robot (R) boarding the elevator, and may decide to give up boarding the robot (R) even if there is remaining space in the elevator and a boarding path for the robot (R) exists.

[0193] The control unit (330) can determine whether the disembarkation paths for all objects (1101 to 1104) riding the elevator are not blocked (i.e., secured) when the robot (R) boards the target occupancy location (1100). If the disembarkation path of any one of the objects (1101 to 1104) is blocked, the control unit (330) can decide to give up boarding the robot (R), and if the disembarkation paths of all objects (1101 to 1104) are not blocked, the control unit can decide to board the robot (R).

[0194] For another example, as illustrated in (b) of FIG. 23, if the robot (R) is scheduled to get off on the next floor (the floor immediately above or below) of the current floor on which it is boarding, it is determined that the getting off path of the object (1101) is not blocked (unsecured) due to the boarding of the robot (R), and the boarding of the robot (R) can be decided. Specifically, if the robot (R) is scheduled to get off on the floor immediately above (“6th floor”) after boarding on the current floor (e.g. “5th floor”), the getting off path of the object (1101) is secured again due to the getting off of the robot (R), and in this case, since movement of other objects or getting off / re-boarding of the robot (R) does not occur, the control unit (330) can decide to board the robot (R).

[0195] Meanwhile, the control unit (330) can decide to give up boarding the elevator only when the object's disembarkation path is blocked due to the robot (R) boarding the elevator (204).

[0196] The control unit (330) can determine whether to allow the robot (R) to board the elevator (204) if the disembarkation path of objects that were previously boarding the elevator (204) does not already exist before the robot (R) boards the elevator (204), and thus the disembarkation path of the objects is not blocked by the robot (R) boarding the elevator (204).

[0197] More specifically, if multiple objects are already boarding the elevator (204) and the disembarkation path of a specific object is already blocked by another object, the disembarkation path of the specific object may not be secured regardless of the robot (R) boarding the elevator (204). That is, since the disembarkation path of the specific object is already blocked before the robot (R) boards the elevator (204), the control unit (330) can determine the boarding of the robot based on the fact that even if the robot (R) boards the elevator (204), an obstruction situation in which the robot (R) blocks the disembarkation of the specific object does not occur. Meanwhile, the control unit (330) can check whether the boarding path of the robot (R) is secured and whether the disembarkation path of the robot (R) is secured if the robot (R) is a second robot (R) that cannot rotate due to a stop (S916).

[0198] As illustrated in (b) of Fig. 22, even if the second type robot (R) moves to the target occupancy location (1000) within the elevator along the boarding path (1000a), another boarding path (1000b) connecting the target occupancy location (1000) to the outside of the elevator accommodation space is required for boarding. Accordingly, the control unit (330) can check whether both the boarding path and the boarding path of the second type robot (R) are secured.

[0199] The control unit (330) may determine that the disembarkation path of the second type robot (R) is not secured if movement of an object already on board is required for the second type robot (R) to disembark at the target occupancy location (1000). If the disembarkation path of the second type robot (R) is not secured, the control unit (330) may decide to abandon boarding of the robot (R) (S912).

[0200] On the other hand, if the disembarkation path of the second type robot (R) is secured, the control unit (330) can check whether the object's disembarkation path is secured (S914). The control unit (330) can determine whether the second type robot (R) can board the vehicle based on whether the object's disembarkation path is secured. This is the same as the case of the first type robot (R), so detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0201] Meanwhile, in the present invention, the receiving space may be composed of multiple areas, and the robot (R) may be located in at least some of the multiple areas. Each of these multiple areas may have an area sufficient to accommodate one robot (R) and may be arbitrarily divided. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 15, the receiving space (500) may be composed of multiple areas divided into a grid shape.

[0202] The remaining space (or robot-accessible space) can be understood as an area among multiple areas that is not occupied by an object.

[0203] If there are multiple consecutive remaining spaces in the elevator, the control unit (330) can determine whether the boarding and disembarking paths of the robot (R) and the disembarking paths of the objects are secured based on each of the multiple remaining spaces.

[0204] As a result of the judgment, among the plurality of remaining spaces, a specific remaining space where both the boarding and disembarking paths of the robot (R) and the disembarking paths of the objects are secured can be specified as the target occupied position for the robot (R) to board. The control unit (330) can control the movement of the robot (R) by generating a movement path from the waiting position of the robot (R) to the target occupied position.

[0205] Furthermore, if there are multiple remaining spaces where the robot (R) can board and the objects can disembark, the control unit (330) can specify a target occupancy location among the multiple remaining spaces based on a predetermined priority. The priority can be determined in various ways. For example, the priority can be determined based on learning or survey results.

[0206] Meanwhile, if the occupancy status of the elevator receiving space corresponds to the robot (R) giving up boarding, the control unit (330) can determine whether or not the robot (R) will board the elevator by considering the urgency of the task assigned to the robot (R).

[0207] The control unit (330) can decide to give up boarding a specific elevator if the urgency of the task assigned to the robot (R) is such that it is possible to give up boarding a specific elevator.

[0208] For example, if the task assigned to the robot (R) is a delivery task and it is possible to arrive at the destination within the task time by taking an elevator other than a specific elevator, the control unit (330) can determine that the level of urgency of the task assigned to the robot (R) is such that it is possible to give up taking the specific elevator.

[0209] In contrast, if the level of urgency of the task assigned to the robot (R) is such that it is impossible to give up boarding a specific elevator, the control unit (330) can decide to allow the robot (R) to board the specific elevator even if boarding the robot (R) causes inconvenience to the object.

[0210] For example, if the robot (R) cannot reach the destination within the delivery time if it does not board a specific elevator, the control unit (330) may determine that the urgency of the task assigned to the robot (R) is such that it is impossible to give up boarding the specific elevator.

[0211] In this case, the control unit (330) can output guidance information (or understanding information, for example, “I’m sorry, but I’ll board because it’s an urgent delivery”) to users through the output unit (display, speaker, 441, 442) of the robot (R). In addition, if the control unit (330) detects an attempt by an object to get off at a different stop, the control unit (330) can control the robot (R) to get off the elevator and then get back on so as not to disturb the object getting off.

[0212] Meanwhile, the control unit (330) initially determines whether the robot (R) will abandon the elevator ride, and, once the abandonment decision has been made, can withdraw the abandonment decision and decide to board based on sensing information sensed from the elevator receiving space. The sensing information for which the abandonment decision is withdrawn may vary.

[0213] For example, if a change in the object occupancy status is sensed based on at least one of a robot image and an elevator image (e.g., when people discover the robot and give up space), the control unit (330) can withdraw the boarding waiver and decide to allow the robot (R) to board the elevator, and control the robot to board the elevator.

[0214] For another example, when a boarding refusal interaction is output through the output unit (display, speaker, 441, 442) of the robot (R), and information recommending boarding of the robot (R) (ex: voice information such as “It’s okay”, “Please give me a seat”) is sensed, the control unit (330) can decide to withdraw the boarding refusal and allow the robot (R) to board the elevator.

[0215] When the control unit (330) cancels the robot (R)'s entry into the elevator, it can decide to allow the robot (R) to enter the elevator even if the robot (R)'s entry into the elevator blocks the disembarkation path of an object already on board. This is to reflect the wishes of users who understand that this may be an inconvenient situation.

[0216] And the control unit (330) can output guidance information (or thank-you information, for example, “Thank you. I will board”) to users through the output unit (display, speaker, 441, 442) of the robot (R) to ask for their understanding (or gratitude) about boarding the robot (R). If the control unit (330) detects an attempt by an object to get off at a different stop floor, the control unit (330) can control the robot (R) to get off the elevator and then get on again so as not to disturb the object getting off.

[0217] The building, the method for controlling a robot navigating a building, and the system according to the present invention can determine whether or not a robot will board an elevator based on the elevator's occupancy status. More specifically, the present invention senses objects located in the elevator's reception space and, based on the object's occupancy status, determines whether the robot is in a situation where it is difficult to board the elevator or gives up boarding the elevator, thereby providing an environment where robots and people can safely coexist.

[0218] Furthermore, the robot control method and system according to the present invention can provide convenience to people by giving up riding the robot in the elevator if there is a situation where riding the robot in the elevator would cause inconvenience to people, even if the robot can ride in the elevator accommodation space.

[0219] At this time, in the present invention, if it is determined that the robot will not cause inconvenience to users even if it rides the elevator, it is possible to maximize the time efficiency of the robot by deciding to ride the elevator.

[0220] 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.

[0221] 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.

[0222] 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.

[0223] 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.

[0224] 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.

[0225] 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.

[0226] 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.

[0227] 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. The stage where an elevator boarding event of a specific robot occurs; A step of specifying a specific elevator for the specific robot to ride based on the above riding event; A step of sensing an object located in a receiving space of the specific elevator based on the specific elevator stopping at the floor where the specific robot is located and the door of the specific elevator opening; A step of determining whether a specific robot boards a specific elevator based on the occupancy status of the object in the above-mentioned receiving space; and A robot control method, characterized by comprising a step of controlling the specific robot according to the above decision.

2. In paragraph 1, The above object includes any one of a human object, a thing object, and a robot object, In the step of deciding whether to ride the above, There is no remaining space that can be occupied by the above specific robot, or A robot control method characterized in that, even if the remaining space exists, if the boarding of the specific robot interferes with the use of the specific elevator by the object, the boarding of the specific robot is decided to be abandoned.

3. In paragraph 2, A robot control method characterized in that if the type of the above-mentioned thing object corresponds to a predefined important object, it is determined that the thing object interferes with the use of the specific elevator, and a decision is made to give up boarding the specific robot.

4. In paragraph 2, In the step of deciding whether to ride the above, If the size of the above object is greater than a certain standard, it is determined that the object is interfering with the use of the specific elevator, and a decision is made to give up boarding the specific robot. A robot control method, characterized in that the above schedule criterion is based on the size of the specific robot.

5. In paragraph 2, further comprising a step of specifying at least a portion of the remaining space as a target occupancy location of the specific robot; In the step of deciding whether to ride the above, A robot control method characterized in that it is determined to give up boarding of the specific robot if there is no boarding path of the specific robot for the target occupied location.

6. In paragraph 5, The above specific robot corresponds to either a first type of robot capable of rotating in place or a second type of robot incapable of rotating in place, In the step of deciding whether to ride the above, A robot control method characterized in that, if the above boarding path exists and the specific robot is a robot of the first type, boarding of the specific robot is determined.

7. In paragraph 6, A robot control method characterized in that, if the disembarkation path of at least some of the above objects is blocked due to the boarding of the specific robot to the target occupied location, it is determined to give up the boarding of the specific robot.

8. In paragraph 6, In the step of deciding whether to ride the above, A robot control method characterized in that, if the above boarding path exists and the specific robot is the second type of robot, an alighting path of the specific robot that is different from the boarding path is checked, and if the alighting path does not exist, it is determined to give up boarding of the specific robot.

9. In paragraph 2, When deciding to give up riding the specific robot, in the step of controlling the specific robot, Controlling the specific robot so that a ride abandonment interaction is performed by the specific robot; The above ride abandonment interaction is, A robot control method characterized by outputting guidance information for guiding abandonment of boarding through at least one of the display and audio of the specific robot.

10. In paragraph 2, The door of the above elevator is preset to close based on the completion of boarding of the specific robot. A robot control method characterized in that, when it is decided to abandon boarding of the specific robot, the boarding abandonment decision is transmitted to an elevator system that controls the elevator so that the door of the elevator closes even if boarding of the specific robot is not completed.

11. In paragraph 10, Based on the above decision to abandon the ride, a step of specifying another elevator for the specific robot to ride; and A robot control method, characterized in that it further includes a step of controlling the specific robot to board the other elevator when the other elevator stops at the floor where the specific robot is located.

12. In paragraph 1, further comprising a step of measuring the pose of the specific elevator; In the step of measuring the above pose, At the waiting position of the specific elevator, feature information including at least one of the door line and vertex of the specific elevator is detected from image information captured using a camera equipped on the specific robot, A robot control method characterized by measuring the pose of the specific elevator based on the above characteristic information.

13. In paragraph 12, In the step of sensing the above object, A robot control method characterized by specifying an occupied area occupied by an object in the receiving space based on the pose of the specific elevator.

14. In paragraph 9, A robot control method characterized in that, in response to the ride abandonment interaction being performed by the specific robot, when a change in the occupancy status in the reception space is sensed, the ride abandonment decision is withdrawn and the specific robot is controlled to board the specific elevator.

15. In paragraph 1, In the step of deciding whether to ride the above, A robot control method characterized by further considering the degree of urgency of a task assigned to said specific robot.

16. Based on the elevator boarding event of a specific robot, specify a specific elevator to be boarded by the specific robot, When the specific elevator stops at the floor where the specific robot is located and the door of the specific elevator opens, an object located in the receiving space of the specific elevator is sensed, A control unit is included that determines whether or not a specific robot will board a specific elevator based on the occupancy status of the object in the above-mentioned receiving space. The above control unit, A robot control system characterized by controlling the specific robot according to the above decision.

17. In a robot that moves around a building, entity; A driving unit provided in the above main body; A sensing unit provided in the above main body and sensing the surroundings of the above main body; A communication unit that communicates with a cloud server; and A control unit is included that controls the driving unit to drive the building based on at least one of the information received from the cloud server and the information collected through the sensing unit. The above sensing part, When a specific elevator that the robot is to board stops at the floor where the robot is located, and the door of the specific elevator opens, an object located in the receiving space of the specific elevator is sensed, The above control unit, Based on the occupancy status of the object in the above-mentioned receiving space, a decision is made as to whether the robot will board the specific elevator and the decision is transmitted to the cloud server. A robot characterized in that the robot is controlled based on information received in response to the decision from the cloud server.

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