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

Abstract

The present invention relates to a robot-friendly building, and a method and system for controlling a robot traveling in the building. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and system for controlling a robot such that the robot provides useful services to a person coexisting with the robot in the same space. The method for controlling a robot according to the present invention comprises the steps of: receiving a setting for a safety distance to a specific node which is included in a node map including a plurality of nodes and corresponds to a door installed in the space; monitoring the position of the robot traveling in the space along a moving path including the specific node; confirming the distance between the robot and the specific node by using the monitored result; and performing, on the basis of the confirmed result, control related to opening and closing of the door corresponding to the specific node.

Description

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

[0001] The present invention relates to a robot control method and system applicable to robot-friendly buildings. In particular, the present invention relates to a method and system for stably controlling a door when a robot passes through it.

[0002] As technology advances, various service devices are emerging, and in particular, technological development for robots that perform various tasks or services is actively underway.

[0003] 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.

[0004] 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.

[0005] 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.

[0006] 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.

[0007] Meanwhile, in order to provide various tasks or services with robots, it is very important to set a movement path to accurately move the robot to the target point.

[0008] Traditionally, node maps, which connect multiple nodes within a space to efficiently set robot movement paths, have been utilized. A node map is a map that represents the possible paths for a robot to move through, taking into account the spatial characteristics of the space and representing them through connection relationships.

[0009] In Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2018-0118500 (Method and device for creating a hierarchical structure-based map using a two-dimensional laser scanner), a configuration is disclosed for setting a robot's movement path by utilizing nodes included in a node map.

[0010] Furthermore, various facilities (e.g., doors, elevators, speed gates) can be placed in the space, and these facilities can be important factors affecting the movement of the robot.

[0011] In particular, when a robot passes through a door among the facilities placed in a space, it is very important to control the door based on whether or not the robot has passed through the door in order to prevent the robot from colliding with the door.

[0012] Accordingly, there is a need for a method of controlling a door so that the robot can move safely without colliding with the door when passing through the door while monitoring the robot passing through the door.

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

[0014] In particular, the present invention is to provide a robot control method and system that allows a robot (R) to move without colliding with doors, taking into account various doors placed within a space.

[0015] Furthermore, the present invention provides a robot control method and system capable of controlling various facilities placed in a space along with driving control for the robot (R).

[0016] In order to solve the problem discussed above, a robot control method according to the present invention is directed to a method for controlling a robot moving through a space based on a node map including a plurality of nodes, the method including: a step of setting a safety distance for a specific node included in the node map and corresponding to a door installed in the space; a step of monitoring a position of the robot moving through the space along a movement path including the specific node; a step of confirming a distance between the robot and the specific node using the monitoring result; and a step of performing control related to opening and closing of the door corresponding to the specific node based on the confirmation result.

[0017] Meanwhile, a robot control system according to the present invention relates to a system for controlling a robot moving through a space based on a node map including a plurality of nodes, the system including a control unit configured to set a safety distance for a specific node corresponding to a door installed in the space, which is included in the node map, monitor the position of the robot moving through the space along a movement path including the specific node, and confirm the distance between the robot and the specific node using the monitoring result, wherein the control unit can perform control related to opening and closing of the door corresponding to the specific node based on the confirmation result.

[0018] Meanwhile, a program according to the present invention is a program that is executed by one or more processes in an electronic device and can be stored in a computer-readable recording medium, and is included in a node map including a plurality of nodes, and may include commands that perform a step of setting a safety distance for a specific node corresponding to a door installed in the space, a step of monitoring a position of the robot moving in the space along a movement path including the specific node, a step of confirming a distance between the robot and the specific node using the monitoring result, and a step of performing control related to opening and closing of the door corresponding to the specific node based on the confirmation result.

[0019] As discussed above, the robot control method and system according to the present invention can set a safety distance for a specific node included in the node map and corresponding to a door installed in a space. This provides the user with an environment where they can easily set and manage a spatial distance that prevents collisions between the robot and the door. Furthermore, the user can set an appropriate safety distance based on the type, shape, size, and opening direction of the door.

[0020] Furthermore, the robot control method and system according to the present invention can monitor the position of a robot moving through space along a movement path that includes a specific node. Thus, the present invention can control a moving robot based on various positions along the robot's movement path.

[0021] Furthermore, the robot control method and system according to the present invention can use the monitoring results to check the distance between the robot and the specific node, and based on the check result, perform control related to the opening and closing of the door corresponding to the specific node. Through this, the present invention can ensure the safety of the robot while it is moving by performing control related to the opening and closing of the door based on the distance at which the robot and the door do not collide. In particular, the present invention can control the robot to safely pass through doors of any type, such as automatic doors as well as swing doors in narrow spaces such as conference rooms.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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.

[0024] Furthermore, the robot applied to a building according to the present invention can be implemented in a brainless format controlled by a cloud server, thereby enabling a large number of robots deployed in a building to be manufactured inexpensively without expensive sensors, and also to be controlled with high performance and high precision.

[0025] Furthermore, in a building according to the present invention, the driving is controlled to take into consideration not only the tasks and movement situations assigned to a number of robots placed in the building, but also people, so that robots and people can coexist naturally in the same space.

[0026] Furthermore, in a building according to the present invention, by performing various controls to prevent accidents caused by robots and to respond to unexpected situations, it is possible to instill in people the perception that robots are friendly and safe, rather than dangerous.

[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 conceptual diagram for explaining one embodiment of controlling the movement of a robot and a door in a robot control system according to the present invention.

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

[0034] FIG. 15a, FIG. 15b, FIG. 15c, FIG. 16, FIG. 17a, FIG. 17b, FIG. 17c, FIG. 17d, FIG. 17e, FIG. 17f, FIG. 17g and FIG. 18 are conceptual diagrams for explaining a method of controlling a robot and a door according to a safe distance in the present invention.

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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.

[0037] 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.

[0038] Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0039] 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.

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] 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.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] Below, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0048] FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 are conceptual diagrams illustrating a robot-friendly building according to the present invention, and FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 are conceptual diagrams illustrating a system for controlling a robot that moves around a robot-friendly building according to the present invention and various facilities equipped in the robot-friendly building. Furthermore, FIGS. 7 and 8 are conceptual diagrams illustrating facility infrastructure equipped in a robot-friendly building according to the present invention.

[0049] First, for convenience of explanation, we will define representative drawing symbols.

[0050] In the present invention, a building is given the drawing symbol “1000”, and a space (indoor space or indoor area) of the building (1000) is given the drawing symbol “10” (see Fig. 8). Furthermore, indoor spaces corresponding to a plurality of floors constituting the indoor space of the building (1000) are given drawing symbols 10a, 10b, 10c, etc. (see Fig. 8). In the present invention, the indoor space or indoor area refers to 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.

[0051] 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).

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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.

[0055] As illustrated in Fig. 1, in a building (1000) according to the present invention, a robot can move and provide various services.

[0056] 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).

[0057] 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).

[0058] 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.

[0059] 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.

[0060] Meanwhile, looking more specifically at the cloud server (21) and the edge server (22), the edge server (22) is an electronic device that can operate as the brain of the robot (R). That is, each edge server (22) can wirelessly control at least one robot (R). At this time, the edge server (22) can control the robot (R) based on a set control cycle. The control cycle can be determined as the sum of the time given to process data related to the robot (R) and the time given to provide control commands to the robot (R). The cloud server (21) can manage at least one of the robot (R) or the edge server (22). At this time, the edge server (22) can operate as a server in response to the robot (R) and as a client in response to the cloud server (21).

[0061] The robot (R) and the edge server (22) can communicate wirelessly, and the edge server (22) and the cloud server (21) can communicate wiredly or wirelessly. At this time, the robot (R) and the edge server (22) can communicate via a wireless network that enables ultra-reliable and low latency communications (URLLC). For example, the wireless network may include at least one of a 5G network or WiFi-6 (WiFi ad / ay). Here, the 5G network may have features that enable not only ultra-reliable and low latency communications, but also enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and massive machine type communications (mMTC). For example, the edge server (22) may include an MEC (mobile edge computing, multi-access edge computing) server and may be deployed at a base station. Through this, the latency time due to communication between the robot (R) and the edge server (22) can be shortened. At this time, as the time given to provide control commands to the robot (R) in the control cycle of the edge server (22) is shortened, the time given to process data can be extended. Meanwhile, the edge server (22) and the cloud server (21) can communicate via a wireless network, such as the Internet.

[0062] Meanwhile, in some cases, multiple edge servers may be connected via a wireless mesh network, and the functions of the cloud server (21) may be distributed across the multiple edge servers. In this case, for a certain robot (R), one of the edge servers may operate as an edge server (22) for the robot (R), and at least one other of the edge servers may operate as a cloud server (21) for the robot (R) in cooperation with one of the edge servers.

[0063] A network or communication network formed in a building (1000) according to the present invention may include communication between at least one robot (R) configured to collect data, at least one edge server (22) configured to wirelessly control the robot (R), and a cloud server (21) connected to the edge server (22) and configured to manage the robot (R) and the edge server (22).

[0064] The edge server (22) can be configured to wirelessly receive the data from the robot (R), determine a control command based on the data, and wirelessly transmit the control command to the robot (R).

[0065] According to various embodiments, the edge server (22) may be configured to determine whether to cooperate with the cloud server (21) based on the data, and if it is determined that there is no need to cooperate with the cloud server (21), determine the control command and transmit the control command within a set control cycle.

[0066] According to various embodiments, the edge server (22) may be configured to communicate with the cloud server (21) based on the data and determine the control command when it is determined that cooperation with the cloud server (21) is required.

[0067] 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.

[0068] 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.

[0069] 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.

[0070] 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.

[0071] 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.

[0072] 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.

[0073] In this way, robots controlled by the cloud server (20) can move around the building (1000) and provide various services.

[0074] 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.

[0075] 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.

[0076] 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.

[0077] 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.

[0078] 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.

[0079] 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.

[0080] 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.

[0081] 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.).

[0082] 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.

[0083] 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.

[0084] 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, food 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.

[0085] 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.

[0086] 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).

[0087] However, in this specification, brainless robots are not named separately, but are all referred to as “robots.”

[0088] FIG. 12 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a robot control system according to the present invention, and FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram for explaining one embodiment of controlling the movement of a robot and a door in the robot control system according to the present invention.

[0089] As illustrated in FIG. 12, the robot control system (300) according to the present invention may include at least one of a communication unit (310), a storage unit (320), and a control unit (330).

[0090] The communication unit (310) may be configured to perform communication with at least one of i) various robots (R) placed within the building (1000), ii) various facility infrastructures (200) placed within the building (1000), iii) a cloud server (20), iv) a building system (1000b), v) an external server (not shown), and vi) a control system (not shown). For example, the communication unit (310) may be configured to transmit a control command for controlling the robot (R) to the robot (R) through communication with the robot (R).

[0091] The communication unit (310) can receive robot (R) information from each of the multiple robots (R) deployed within the building (1000). In addition, the communication unit (310) can receive robot (R) information for each of the multiple robots (R) deployed within the building (1000) from the cloud server (20).

[0092] Here, “robot information” may include various information that can confirm the operating status of each robot (R). For example, the robot information may include at least one of: i) identification information of the robot (R) that transmitted the robot information (e.g., ID, serial number, etc.), ii) information on the task assigned to the robot (R), iii) status information of the robot (R), vi) location information of the robot (R), v) information related to the communication status of the robot (R), and vi) information related to the battery of the robot (R).

[0093] Furthermore, the communication unit (310) can collect facility information for each of the plurality of facility infrastructures (200) deployed within the building (1000). The communication unit (310) can receive facility information for each facility infrastructure from the facility control system (201a, 202a, 203a, 204a, …) of each facility infrastructure. In addition, the communication unit (310) can receive facility information for each facility infrastructure from the building system (1000a).

[0094] Here, “facility information” may include various information that can confirm the operating status of each facility infrastructure (200). For example, the facility information may include at least one of: i) identification information that can identify the facility infrastructure (200) (e.g., ID, serial number, etc.), ii) information on the function or type of the facility infrastructure (200), iii) status information of the facility infrastructure (200), vi) location information of the facility infrastructure (200), v) information related to the communication status of the facility infrastructure (200), and vi) information related to the battery of the facility infrastructure (200).

[0095] Furthermore, the communication unit (310) can support various communication methods according to the communication standards of the communicating device.

[0096] For example, the communication unit (110) may be configured to communicate with devices (including cloud servers) located inside and outside the building (1000) using at least one of 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) technologies.

[0097] Meanwhile, the storage unit (320) may also be referred to as a database (DB) and 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. In addition, at least a part of the storage unit (320) may refer to at least one of a cloud server (20), an external database and storage unit (140) of the building system (1000a), and a storage unit (not shown) of the control system. That is, the storage unit (320) may be sufficient as long as it is a space where information required for the robot control system (300) according to the present invention is stored, and it may be understood that there are no restrictions on the physical space. Hereinafter, the cloud server (or cloud storage, 20), the storage unit (140) of the external database and building system (1000a), and the storage unit (not shown) of the control system will not be separately distinguished, and will all be referred to as the storage unit (320).

[0098] The storage unit (320) can store robot (R) information received from each of a plurality of robots (R) and facility information for each of a plurality of facility infrastructures (200) placed within a building (1000).

[0099] Furthermore, a map (or map information) of a space within a building (1000) may be stored in the storage unit (320). Here, the map of a space within the building (1000) may refer to a map that can be used to determine the current location of the robot (R) or to set a movement path of the robot (R).

[0100] 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 information received from the robot (R). To this end, the map of the space stored in the storage unit (320) can be composed of data that enables location estimation based on images or sensing information.

[0101] That is, the map of the space within the building (1000) stored in the storage unit (320) may correspond to a node map (M) including a plurality of nodes.

[0102] Meanwhile, the control unit (130) may perform a role of controlling the overall operation of the robot control system (300) related to the present invention. The control unit (130) may process signals, data, information, etc. input or output through the components discussed above, or perform a series of data processing to provide or process appropriate information and functions to the user.

[0103] In the present invention, the control unit (330) may be used interchangeably with the cloud server (20). As described above, the cloud server (20) may perform integrated control for a plurality of robots (R) moving around a building (1000). The cloud server (20) may i) monitor a plurality of robots (R) located within the building (1000), ii) assign tasks (or work) to the plurality of robots (R), and iii) control the movement and behavior (operations) of the robots (R) so that the plurality of robots (R) successfully perform the tasks. Accordingly, the robot control system (300) according to the present invention may be understood as a part of the cloud server (20), and in particular, the robot control system (300) may be understood as data processing performed under the control of the cloud server (20).

[0104] The control unit (330) can use the node map (M) to generate a movement path from a node corresponding to the current location of the robot (R) to another node corresponding to the destination. More specifically, the control unit (330) can specify at least one transit node that the robot (R) must pass through to reach the destination in order to perform a task. The control unit (330) can generate a movement path by connecting a starting node, a transit node, and a destination node. The control unit (330) can transmit a control command to the robot (R) so that the robot (R) moves according to the generated movement path.

[0105] In addition, the control unit (330) can provide an editing interface (or monitoring information) that can monitor the operating status of the robot (R) in the building (1000) at a glance by using at least some of the robot information received from each of the plurality of robots (R) deployed in the building (1000) and the facility information collected from the plurality of facility infrastructures (200).

[0106] Furthermore, the control unit (330) can control the robot (R) moving along a preset movement path to use at least one facility arranged along the movement path. For example, as illustrated in Fig. 12, the robot (R) can move while passing through a door (D) among the facilities arranged along the movement path according to the control command of the control unit (330).

[0107] At this time, when the robot (R) passes through the door (D), if the control related to the opening and closing of the door (D) is not performed stably, a situation may occur in which the robot (R) collides with the closed door (D) when the door (D) closes without the robot (R) having passed through the entire open door (D).

[0108] Accordingly, the control unit (330) can perform monitoring of the robot (R) passing through the open door (D), and perform control related to the opening and closing of the door (D) so that the robot (R) can move safely without colliding with the door (D) when passing through the open door (D).

[0109] For example, as illustrated in FIG. 13, the control unit (330) can control the open door (D) to remain open without being closed when the robot (R) passes through the open door (D), and can perform control related to the closing of the door (D) so that the open door (D) is closed when it is confirmed that the robot (R) has passed through the preset safety distance (400).

[0110] That is, the control unit (330) can control the door (D) to remain open without being closed even when the robot (R) passes through the open door (D) if the robot (R) is located within the safe distance (400), and can perform control related to the closing of the door (D) so that the open door (D) is closed when it is confirmed that the robot (R) is out of the safe distance (400).

[0111] Hereinafter, based on the configuration of the robot control system (300) discussed above, a method for setting a safety distance related to the opening and closing of a door and controlling the door and the robot in conjunction with each other according to the safety distance will be described in more detail. Fig. 14 is a flowchart for explaining a robot control method according to the present invention, and Figs. 15a, 15b, 15c, 16, 17a, 17b, 17c, 17d, 17e, 17f, 17g and 18 are conceptual diagrams for explaining a method for controlling a robot and a door according to the safety distance in the present invention.

[0112] Meanwhile, in the present invention, a process of setting a safety distance for a specific node corresponding to a door installed in a space and included in a node map may be performed (S410, see FIG. 14).

[0113] The control unit (330) may output to the editing interface (500) information so that the user can set a safety distance for a specific node corresponding to a door. More specifically, the control unit (330) may, in response to receiving a map editing request for a specific floor among multiple floors of a building from a user terminal, provide an editing interface including at least a portion of the node map corresponding to the specific floor on a display unit of the user terminal. The control unit (330) may, based on editing information received from the user terminal, assign at least one node to the node map included in the editing interface. The control unit (330) may, based on the editing information, assign a specific node corresponding to the door to the node map. The control unit (330) may update the node map to a cloud server so that the robot drives to a specific floor, based on the node type of the node assigned to the node map.

[0114] For example, as illustrated in FIG. 15a, the control unit (330) can control the editing interface (500) so that a node map (M) including a plurality of nodes is output to the first area (510) of the editing interface (500).

[0115] Here, a specific facility may be understood as at least one facility including a door. As an example, a specific facility including a door may include at least one of a door located in each specific space (e.g., conference room, restaurant, cafe, etc.) within a building (1000), a door of a passenger elevator, and a door of a freight elevator. Hereinafter, specific facilities including doors will not be separately distinguished, and will all be referred to as "doors" or "doors."

[0116] In addition, the safety distance is set to prevent the robot (R) from colliding with the door (D) while the robot (R) passes through the door, and can be understood as a value set to open or close (open / close) the door (D) depending on whether the robot (R) is located within the safety distance even if the robot (R) passes through all of the open doors (D). For example, even if the robot (R) passes through an open door (D), it can be understood as a value set to control the door (D) to be kept open (or open) if it is located within the safety distance, and to be closed (or closed) if it is confirmed that the robot (R) has passed through all of the safety distances.

[0117] In the following, for convenience of explanation, the node assigned to the area corresponding to where the door (D) is located is named “door node” or “equipment node.”

[0118] Furthermore, a standby node may be assigned to the previous node of the door node. The standby node may refer to a node assigned to a location where the robot (R) must wait until the door (D) corresponding to the door node is completely opened. For example, when the robot (R) arrives at the standby node, the control unit (330) may control the robot (R) to wait at the standby node until the door (D) corresponding to the door node is completely opened, and then move after the door (D) is completely opened. As another example, a standby time may be set for the standby node considering the opening time when the door (D) corresponding to the door node is completely opened. In this case, the robot (R) may arrive at the open standby time node, wait for the set standby time, and then move to the door node after the standby time has elapsed.

[0119] The allocation of standby nodes and the setting of the standby time for an open standby node may be set by a user or by the robot control system (300) itself. When the standby time is set by the robot control system (300) itself, the robot control system (300) may consider different opening times of doors corresponding to each of a plurality of door nodes and set a standby time for each standby node located before each door node, taking into account different opening times. More specifically, the robot control system (300) may specify, based on the moving direction of the robot, a node located before a specific node corresponding to a door among a plurality of nodes included in the moving path of the robot as a standby node.

[0120] In this regard, the time associated with opening and closing the door may be preset or may be variously set (or changed) by the user or the robot control system (300). Hereinafter, the above-described cases will be described without being separately distinguished.

[0121] Meanwhile, the control unit (330) may provide setting information that can set a safety distance related to the closing of the door (D) based on the user's selection of a door node corresponding to a specific facility among a plurality of nodes included in the node map. For example, as illustrated in 15a, the control unit (330) may control the editing interface (500) so that, based on the user's selection of the first door node (511), a plurality of setting information (521, 522) that can set a safety distance related to the closing of the door (D) is output to the second area (520) of the editing interface (500).

[0122] The user can set a safety distance related to the closing of the door (D) by entering an ID (ex: “5c5b0158-f314-43cf-9…”, 521a) that controls the door in the first setting information (ex: “Node ID”, 521) and entering a distance including a safety margin that does not collide with the robot when the door is closed (ex: “RADIUS_300CM”, 522a) in the second setting information (ex: “Attribute”, 524).

[0123] Meanwhile, in addition to a method of setting a safety distance by selecting a door node, the present invention can provide a method for users to set a safety distance more easily and conveniently. The control unit (330) can set a safety distance (or safety area) based on a user input specifying an area including a specific node on a node map provided in the editing interface.

[0124] For example, as illustrated in FIG. 15b, the control unit (330) may provide a user interface in the editing interface (500) that allows the user to set a safety distance through a shape mapping method.

[0125] The shape mapping method can refer to a method of mapping a range corresponding to a stable distance in a node map into a shape. More specifically, the shape mapping method can be understood as mapping a range (or radius) corresponding to a stable distance in the surrounding area of ​​a door node into a shape.

[0126] In this shape mapping method, since the opening / closing form and the opening / closing direction of the door (D) are all different depending on the type of door (D), the method of inputting a distance including a safety margin can be supplemented.

[0127] In the present invention, the door (D) can be classified into a plurality of types, a first type and a second type, depending on the opening and closing form of the door (D) and the opening and closing direction of the door (D). However, in the present invention, the plurality of door (D) types are described as “the first type” and “the second type”, but are not necessarily limited thereto.

[0128] Specifically, in the present invention, a door having a form that can be pushed and pulled forward and backward (e.g., a swing door) can be classified as a first type, and a door having a form that can be pushed and pulled left and right (e.g., a sliding door) can be classified as a second type.

[0129] Depending on whether the type of the door (D) corresponding to the door node belongs to the first type or the second type, the shape of the shape mapped to the surrounding area of ​​the door node may be different. For example, as illustrated in (a) of FIG. 15c, in the case of the first type door (D) included in the first door node (N1), the opening and closing range of the door (D) is not large, so the shape of the shape may be mapped as a semicircle. For another example, as illustrated in (b) and (c) of FIG. 15c, in the case of the second type door (D) included in the second door node (N2) and the third door node (N3), the opening and closing range of the door (D) is large, so the shape of the shape may be mapped as at least one of a circle or a square. However, the shape of the shape mapped to the node map is not limited to the above-described cases, and may also be input in various shapes such as a triangle, a diamond, and a hexagon.

[0130] The control unit (330) may receive, from the user, information on setting a safe distance through shape mapping based on the shape being mapped to the surrounding area of ​​a door node. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 15b, the control unit (330) may receive information on setting a safe distance through shape mapping based on the shape being mapped to the surrounding area of ​​each of a plurality of door nodes (531, 532, 533) in the node map (M) included in the first area (510).

[0131] When safety distance setting information through shape mapping is received, the control unit (330) can control the door node to be set as the center point of the shape, and a value corresponding to the range (or radius) of the shape is set as the safety distance value. For example, the control unit (330) can set a value (ex: “RADIUS_140cm”, 523a) corresponding to the range of the shape (ex: semicircle) mapped to the area around the first door node (531) with the first door node (531) as the center point of the shape, as the safety distance value of the first door node (531).

[0132] Furthermore, the range (or numerical value) of the safety distance mapped to a shape may be changed to a value desired by the user. For example, the control unit (330) may output a graphic object (523b) configured to allow the range value of the safety distance to be modified in the second area (520) based on the selection of a shape input to the surrounding area of ​​the first door node (531) among the shapes mapped to the surrounding areas of each of the plurality of door nodes (531, 532, 533). The user may input a desired value into the graphic object (523b) to modify the safety distance. In this case, if the modified value is larger than the value before being modified, the size of the shape may increase in proportion to the modified value, and if the modified value is smaller than the value before being modified, the size of the shape may decrease in proportion to the modified value.

[0133] Meanwhile, depending on the type of door (D) corresponding to each of the plurality of door nodes, the safety distance may be set differently and stored in the storage unit (320).

[0134] As explained above, the types of the door (D) can be divided into the first type and the second type depending on the opening and closing form and opening and closing direction of the door (D).

[0135] The control unit (330) may provide a user environment in which the safety distance can be set differently depending on which type of the door (D) corresponding to the door node belongs to among multiple types. As an example, the control unit (330) may provide the user with safety distance recommendation information according to the type of the door (D) included in each of the multiple door nodes, so that the safety distance can be set differently for each type of door (D). The control unit (330) may provide the recommended safety distance information according to the door type of the door to the editing interface (500). For example, if the door corresponding to a specific node is a sliding door type, the control unit (330) may provide a first safety distance as recommended safety distance information, and if the door is a hinged door type, the control unit (330) may provide a second safety distance greater than the first safety distance as recommended safety distance information. In this case, the recommended information may be provided as a safety distance margin value or may be provided in the form of a mapped graphic.

[0136] Furthermore, the control unit (330) can update the node map to the cloud server so that the door's opening / closing status is controlled according to the safety distance set for a specific node. In this case, the safety distances set differently for each of the multiple door nodes can be stored in the storage unit (320).

[0137] The control unit (330) can match the type information of the door (D) corresponding to each of the plurality of door nodes and the information related to the set safety distance and store them in the storage unit (320). For example, as illustrated in (a) of FIG. 16, the control unit (330) can store at least one of i) opening / closing time information (ex: “open 5 seconds / closed: 10 seconds”) for a first type of door (ex: “swing door”) corresponding to the first door node (610), ii) safety distance information (ex: “100 CM”) set for the first door node (610), and iii) radius area information (ex: “200 CM”) for the set safety distance in the storage unit (320). For another example, as illustrated in (b) of FIG. 16, the control unit (330) may store at least one of i) opening / closing time information (ex: “open 10 seconds / closed: 10 seconds”) for a second type of door (ex: “sliding door”) corresponding to the second door node (620), ii) safety distance information set for the second door node (620) (ex: “150 CM”), and iii) radius area information for the set safety distance (ex: “300 CM”) in the storage unit (320).

[0138] Meanwhile, the safety distance may be set differently depending on the specifications of the robot (R) deployed within the building (1000).

[0139] Here, the specifications of the robot (R) may include at least one of the size, weight, and movement speed of the robot (R).

[0140] The control unit (330) may provide a user environment in which the safety distance can be set differently for each of the multiple robots (R) deployed within the building (1000) according to different specifications. As an example, the control unit (330) may provide the user with safety distance recommendation information based on the specifications of the robots, so that the safety distance can be set differently for each of the multiple robots according to different specifications.

[0141] Furthermore, safety distances set differently for each of the plurality of robots (R) can be stored in the storage unit (320).

[0142] The control unit (330) can match the specification information of the robot (R) corresponding to each of the plurality of robots (R) and the information related to the set safety distance and store them in the storage unit (320). For example, as illustrated in (c) of FIG. 16, the control unit (330) can store at least one of i) type information corresponding to the first robot (630) (ex: “first type”, “small and medium-sized”), ii) size and weight information for the first robot (630) (ex: “900 x 900 x 400 mm / 20KG”), iii) driving speed information of the first robot (630) (ex: “minimum 0.5 m / s ~ maximum 1.5 m / s”), and set safety distance information for the first robot (ex: “100CM”) in the storage unit (320). For another example, as illustrated in (d) of FIG. 16, the control unit (330) may store at least one of i) type information corresponding to the second robot (640) (ex: “second type”, “large”), ii) size and weight information for the second robot (640) (ex: “1200 x 1200 x 700 mm / 40KG”), iii) driving speed information of the second robot (640) (ex: “minimum 0.1 m / s ~ maximum 1.0 m / s”), and safety distance information set for the second robot (ex: “200CM”) in the storage unit (320).

[0143] That is, the control unit (330) assigns information related to specifications and safety distances for each of the plurality of robots (R) as attribute values ​​of the door node, so that when each of the plurality of robots (R) passes through the door (D) corresponding to the door node, the time related to the opening and closing of the door (D) is controlled differently based on the safety distance set according to different specifications (or types), thereby providing an environment in which robots (R) with different specifications can pass through the door (D) without colliding.

[0144] Meanwhile, in the present invention, a process of monitoring the position of the robot moving through space along a movement path including a specific node may be performed (see FIG. 14, S420).

[0145] The control unit (330) can receive location information of a robot moving through space along a movement path. The control unit (330) can receive location information of the robot (R) from any one of i) the robot (R), ii) a sensing unit (120, see FIG. 6) provided in the building (1000), and iii) a sensing unit (201b, 202b, 203b, 204b, see FIG. 4) provided in the facility. The control unit (330) can obtain current location information of the robot (R) from any one of i) to iii) or a combination of at least two of them.

[0146] More specifically, the control unit (330) can receive real-time location information of the robot (R) from the robot (R). In this case, the location information is information including the current location of the robot (R), and may correspond not only to information directly specifying the current location of the robot (R), but also to various pieces of information used to specify the current location of the robot (R).

[0147] As an example, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the control unit (330) according to the present invention may be configured to receive an image of a space (10) using a camera (not shown) equipped in the robot (R) and perform Visual Localization to estimate the location of the robot from the received image. At this time, the camera is configured to capture (or sense) an image of the space (10), that is, an image of the surroundings of the robot (R). Hereinafter, for the convenience of explanation, an image acquired using a camera equipped in the robot (R) will be referred to as a “robot image.” In addition, an image acquired through a camera placed in the space (10) will be referred to as a “space image.”

[0148] The control unit (330) is configured to acquire a robot image (910) through a camera (not shown) equipped on the robot (R), as illustrated in (a) of Fig. 9. In addition, the control unit (330) can estimate the current location of the robot (R) using the acquired robot image (910).

[0149] The control unit (330) can compare the robot image (910) with the map information stored in the database, and extract the location information corresponding to the current location of the robot (R) (e.g., “3rd floor, Zone A (3, 1, 1)”), as shown in (b) of FIG. 9.

[0150] As previously discussed, the map for the space (10) in the present invention may be a map created based on Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) by at least one robot moving through the space (10) in advance. In particular, the map for the space (10) may be a map created based on image information.

[0151] That is, the map for space (10) may be a map generated by vision (or visual)-based SLAM technology.

[0152] Accordingly, the control unit (330) can specify coordinate information (e.g., (3rd floor, area A (3, 1, 1,)) for the robot image (910) acquired from the robot (R) as shown in (b) of FIG. 9. In this way, the specified coordinate information can become the current location information of the robot (R).

[0153] At this time, the control unit (330) can estimate the current location of the robot (R) by comparing the robot image (910) obtained from the robot (R) with a map generated by vision (or visual)-based SLAM technology. In this case, the control unit (330) can specify the location information of the robot (R) by i) using an image comparison between the robot image (910) and images constituting the previously generated map to specify the image most similar to the robot image (910), and ii) obtaining location information matched to the specified image.

[0154] In this way, when a robot image (910) is acquired from a robot (R), as illustrated in (a) of FIG. 9, the control unit (330) can use the acquired robot image (910) to determine the current location of the robot. As previously described, the control unit (330) can extract location information (e.g., coordinate information) corresponding to the robot image (910) from map information (e.g., which can also be named a “reference map”) stored in a database.

[0155] The control unit (330) can estimate the current location of the robot (R) using a spatial image acquired from a camera (121) installed in the building (1000). The camera (121) installed (placed) in the building (1000) may be a closed circuit television (CCTV). The fact that the camera (121) is placed in the building (1000) may mean that the camera (121) is placed in an indoor space (10) of the building (1000).

[0156] The control unit (330) can extract location information corresponding to the current location of the robot (R) by comparing the spatial image with map information stored in the database. In this case, the control unit (330) can also consider the placement of the camera (121) that captured the spatial image. Since the method of utilizing the spatial image may be the same as the method of utilizing the robot image described above, a detailed description will be omitted.

[0157] As another example, the position estimation of a robot moving in an indoor space (10) can be performed based on a tag (1010) provided in the indoor space (10), as shown in (a) of FIG. 10.

[0158] Referring to FIG. 10, a tag (1010) may have location information corresponding to the point where the tag (1010) is attached, as illustrated in FIG. 10 (b). That is, tags (1010) having different identification information may be provided at different points in the indoor space (10) of a building (1000). The identification information of each tag and the location information of the point where the tag is attached may be matched with each other and exist in a database.

[0159] Furthermore, the tags (1010) may be configured to include location information matching each tag (1010).

[0160] The robot (R) can recognize a tag (1010) provided in a space (10) using a sensor provided in the robot (R). The control unit (330) can determine the current location of the robot (R) by extracting location information included in the tag (1010) received from the robot (R).

[0161] The robot (R) can recognize a tag (1010) provided in a space (10) using a sensor provided in the robot (R). Through this recognition, the robot (R) or the control unit (330) can extract the location information included in the tag (1010) to determine the current location of the robot (R). Accordingly, the control unit (330) of the robot control system (300) can monitor the locations of robots moving in the building (20) based on the location information received from the robot (R) that sensed the tag. The term for the tag (1010) described above can be variously named. For example, the tag (1010) can be variously named as a QR code, a barcode, an identification mark, etc. Meanwhile, the term for the tag discussed above can be used instead of “marker.”

[0162] In the present invention, a process of verifying the distance between a robot and a specific node can be performed using the monitoring results (S430, see FIG. 14). Furthermore, in the present invention, a process of performing control related to the opening and closing of a door corresponding to a specific node can be performed based on the verification results (S440, see FIG. 14).

[0163] The control unit (330) can monitor the location information of the robot (R) to determine the node where the robot (R) is located. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 17a, the control unit (330) can confirm that the robot (R), which moves along a preset movement path (e.g., to the right), is located at the first node (N1) among a plurality of nodes (N1, N2, N3, N4).

[0164] Here, the third node (N3) can be understood as a door node corresponding to the door (D). Accordingly, the control unit (330) can set the second node (N2) located before the third node (N3) as a standby node where the robot (R) must wait until the door (D) is opened. As described above, the control unit (330) can specify, based on the movement direction of the robot, one node located before a specific node corresponding to the door among a plurality of nodes included in the movement path of the robot as a standby node.

[0165] Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the third node (N3) is expressed as a “door node (N3)” and the second node (N2) is expressed as a “standby node (N2)”.

[0166] If the position information of the robot (R) is located at the standby node (N2), the control unit (330) can control the robot (R) to stop at the standby node (N2). In addition, the control unit (330) can control the robot (R) to wait at the standby node (N2) until the door (D) corresponding to the door node (N3) is completely opened. For example, as illustrated in Fig. 17b, the control unit (330) can control the robot (R) to wait until the door (D) corresponding to the door node (N3) is completely opened based on the robot (R) being located at the standby node (N2).

[0167] In this case, information related to the waiting time of the robot (R) may be preset in the waiting node (N2). As previously explained, the waiting time set for the open waiting time may be set by considering the opening time for the door (D) corresponding to the door node to be fully opened.

[0168] The control unit (330) can perform control related to the opening of the door (D) so that the door (D) corresponding to the door node (N3) is opened while the robot (R) is waiting at the standby node (N2). The control unit (330) can control the opening / closing state of the door so that the door (D) is switched from a closed state to an open state in conjunction with the robot (R) stopping at the standby node (N2). For example, as illustrated in FIG. 17b, the control unit (330) can control the door (D) included in the door node (N3) to be opened based on the robot (R) waiting at the standby node (N2).

[0169] Furthermore, the control unit (330) can control the robot (R) located at the standby node (N2) to resume driving along the movement path based on the door being opened. When the door (D) is completely opened, the control unit (330) can control the driving of the robot (R) so that the robot (R) waiting at the standby node (N2) moves to the door node (N3) and passes through the opened door (D). For example, as illustrated in FIG. 17c, the control unit (330) can control the driving of the robot (R) so that the robot (R) moves to the door node (N3) and passes through the opened door (D).

[0170] Meanwhile, the control unit (330) can perform control related to the opening of the door (D) so that even if the robot (R) passes through the open door (D), the door (D) is not closed but maintained in an open state if the robot (R) is located within a safe distance range preset to the door node (N3). The door (D) can be maintained in an open state if the distance between the robot (R) and the door node (N3) is within a safe distance even if the robot (R) passes through the door (D). For example, as illustrated in FIG. 17c, the control unit (330) can control the open door (D) to not be closed but maintained in an open state based on the fact that the robot (R) that passed through the door (D) is located within a safe distance range (700).

[0171] In this case, even if the opening / closing time of the door (D) included in the door node (N3) is preset, the control unit (330) can control the door (D) not to be closed without considering the opening / closing time of the door (D) if the robot (R) is located within a safe distance.

[0172] Furthermore, the control unit (330) can control the opening / closing state of the door (D) from an open state to a closed state based on the robot (R) being located at a point a safe distance away from the door node (N3).

[0173] When it is confirmed that the robot (R) that passed through the door (D) has completely passed the safety distance (700), the control unit (330) can perform control related to the closing of the door (D) so that the door (D) that was maintained in an open state is closed. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 17d, the control unit (330) can control the door (D) that was maintained in an open state to be closed based on the fact that the robot (R) that passed through the door (D) has completely passed the safety distance (700).

[0174] In this way, the present invention can provide an environment in which the robot (R) can move stably without colliding while passing through the door (D) by performing control related to the closing of the door (D) according to the set safety distance.

[0175] Meanwhile, when a request to open the same door (D) included in a specific door node is received from a plurality of robots (R), the control unit (330) can control the door (D) to be opened in response to the request to open from the plurality of robots (R).

[0176] The control unit (330) can receive an opening request for the same door (D) corresponding to the door node from a plurality of robots (R1, R2) located in the standby node. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 17e, the control unit (330) can control the plurality of robots (R1, R2) to stand by in the standby node based on the fact that the plurality of robots (R1, R2) are located in the standby node (N2) (or respectively located in consecutive N1, N2), and can control the door (D) corresponding to the door node (N3) to be opened in response to the opening request received from the plurality of robots (R1, R2).

[0177] The control unit (330) can determine the order in which each of the plurality of robots (R) passes through the open door (D) and control the plurality of robots (R) to move sequentially according to the determined order.

[0178] The control unit (330) can determine the order in which each of the plurality of robots (R1, R2) passes through the door (D) in order to sequentially allow the plurality of robots (R1, R2) to pass through the door (D). As an example, in the order in which the plurality of robots (R1, R2) pass through the door (D), the robot (R) that first transmitted a request related to opening the door (D) among the plurality of robots (R1, R2) can be set to pass through the door (D) with priority. As another example, when the plurality of robots (R1, R2) simultaneously transmit a request related to opening the door (D), the order in which the plurality of robots (R1, R2) pass through the door (D) can be set according to the specifications of each of the plurality of robots (R1, R2). In the present invention, the order in which the plurality of robots (R1, R2) pass through the door (D) can be set in various ways.

[0179] The control unit (330) can control each of the plurality of robots (R1, R2) to sequentially pass through the door (D) according to a determined passage order. For example, let's assume that the first robot (R1) among the plurality of robots (R) is set to pass through the door (D) first. As illustrated in Fig. 17f, the control unit (330) can control the movement of the first robot (R) so that the first robot (R1) among the plurality of robots (R1, R2) passes through the open door (D) first.

[0180] When it is confirmed that the first robot (R1) has passed through the door (D), the control unit (330) can control the second robot (R2) to pass through the door (D).

[0181] The control unit (330) can perform control related to opening and closing of the open door (D) depending on whether a plurality of robots (R1, R2) pass the safe distance.

[0182] Specifically, even if a plurality of robots (R1, R2) sequentially pass through the door (D), if at least one robot (R) among the plurality of robots (R1, R2) is located within a safe distance, the control unit (330) can control the open door (D) to remain open. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 17f, the control unit (330) can control the door (D) included in the door node (N3) to not be closed and remain open based on the fact that the second robot (R2) among the plurality of robots (R1, R2) that sequentially pass through the door (D) is located within a safe distance (700).

[0183] Furthermore, if it is confirmed that all of the plurality of robots (R) have passed the safety distance, the control unit (330) can control the door (D) that was open to be closed. That is, the control unit (330) can control the opening / closing state of the door (D) from the open state to the closed state based on the fact that both the first robot (R1) and the second robot (R2) are positioned at a point spaced apart from the door node (N3) by the safety distance. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 17g, the control unit (330) can control the door (D) that was open to be closed based on the fact that both the first robot (R1) and the second robot (R2) have passed the door (D) and gone beyond the safety distance (700).

[0184] In this way, the present invention can provide an environment in which each of the plurality of robots (R) can move sequentially without colliding with the door (D), even if an opening request for the same door (D) is received from a plurality of robots (R).

[0185] Meanwhile, in the present invention, the standby node (N2) may be located at a point further than the safe distance from the door node (N3). If the standby node located before the door node is included in the safe distance, the control unit (330) may change a node not included in the safe distance to a standby node. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 18, if the standby node (N2) is included in the set safe distance (700), the control unit (330) may assign the attribute value assigned to the standby node (N2) included in the safe distance (700) to the node (N1) not included in the safe distance.

[0186] When the attribute value assigned to the standby node (N2) is assigned to the node (N1), the standby node where the robot (R) waits to transmit a request related to opening the door (D) of the door node (N3) can be changed from the existing standby node (N2) to a node (N1) located outside the safe distance. Accordingly, the robot (R) can wait at the changed node (N1) until the door (D) corresponding to the door node (N3) is completely opened.

[0187] As discussed above, the robot control method and system according to the present invention can set a safety distance for a specific node included in the node map and corresponding to a door installed in a space. This provides the user with an environment where they can easily set and manage a spatial distance that prevents collisions between the robot and the door. Furthermore, the user can set an appropriate safety distance based on the type, shape, size, and opening direction of the door.

[0188] Furthermore, the robot control method and system according to the present invention can monitor the position of a robot moving through space along a movement path that includes a specific node. Thus, the present invention can control a moving robot based on various positions along the robot's movement path.

[0189] Furthermore, the robot control method and system according to the present invention can use the monitoring results to check the distance between the robot and the specific node, and based on the check result, perform control related to the opening and closing of the door corresponding to the specific node. Through this, the present invention can ensure the safety of the robot while it is moving by performing control related to the opening and closing of the door based on the distance at which the robot and the door do not collide. In particular, the present invention can control the robot to safely pass through any type of door, such as not only automatic doors but also swing doors in narrow spaces such as conference rooms.

[0190] 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 (or recording medium) that can be read by the computer.

[0191] Furthermore, the present invention discussed above can be implemented as computer-readable code or instructions on a program-recorded medium. In other words, the present invention can be provided in the form of a program.

[0192] 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.

[0193] 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.

[0194] 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.

[0195] Meanwhile, the above detailed description should not be construed as limiting in any respect and should be considered illustrative. The scope of the present invention should be determined by a reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all modifications within the equivalent scope of the present invention are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a robot moving through space based on a node map including a plurality of nodes, A step of setting a safety distance for a specific node corresponding to a door installed in the space and included in the above node map; A step of monitoring the position of the robot moving through the space along a movement path that includes the specific node; A step of using the above monitoring results to check the distance between the robot and the specific node; and A robot control method, characterized by including a step of performing control related to opening and closing of the door corresponding to the specific node based on the verification result.

2. In paragraph 1, The robot is controlled to stop at a waiting node for the door among the plurality of nodes included in the movement path, The above waiting node is, A robot control method characterized in that the robot is located before a specific node based on the movement direction of the robot.

3. In paragraph 2, The above door, A robot control method characterized in that the robot is controlled to change from a closed state to an open state in conjunction with the robot stopping at the above waiting node.

4. In paragraph 3, The robot located in the above waiting node, A robot control method characterized in that the robot is controlled to resume driving along the movement path based on the door being opened.

5. In paragraph 4, The above door, A robot control method characterized in that the door is maintained in an open state if the distance between the robot and the specific node is within the safe distance even when the robot passes through the door.

6. In paragraph 5, The above door, A robot control method characterized in that the robot is controlled from an open state to a closed state based on the robot being located at a point spaced apart from the specific node by the safe distance.

7. In paragraph 6, The robots passing through the above door include a first robot and a second robot different from the first robot, The above door, A robot control method characterized in that both the first robot and the second robot are controlled from an open state to a closed state based on being positioned at a point spaced apart from the specific node by the safety distance.

8. In paragraph 2, The above waiting node is, A robot control method characterized in that the robot is located at a point further than the safe distance from the specific node.

9. In paragraph 1, Further comprising a step of providing an editing interface including the node map including the specific node on the display unit of the user terminal, A robot control method, characterized in that the safety distance for the specific node is set through the editing interface.

10. In paragraph 9, A robot control method characterized in that the safety distance is set based on a user input specifying an area including the specific node on the node map.

11. In paragraph 9, In the above editing interface, A robot control method characterized by providing recommended safety distance information according to the door type of the above door.

12. In paragraph 11, If the above door is a sliding door type, the first safety distance is provided as the recommended safety distance information, A robot control method characterized in that, if the door is a hinged door type, a second safety distance greater than the first safety distance is provided as the recommended safety distance information.

13. In paragraph 9, A robot control method, characterized in that it further includes a step of updating the node map to a cloud server so that the open / close state of the door is controlled according to the safety distance set for the specific node.

14. In paragraph 1, A step of receiving a map editing request for a specific floor among multiple floors of a building; In response to the above editing request, a step of providing an editing interface including at least a part of the node map corresponding to the specific layer on a display unit of a user terminal; A step of allocating at least one node on the node map included in the editing interface based on editing information received from the user terminal; and A robot control method, characterized by including a step of updating the node map to a cloud server so that the robot drives on the specific floor according to the node type of the node allocated on the node map.

15. In paragraph 14, On the above node map, based on the above editing information, A robot control method, characterized in that a specific node corresponding to the door is allocated.

16. In a system for controlling a robot moving through space based on a node map including multiple nodes, A safety distance is set for a specific node corresponding to a door installed in the space, which is included in the above node map, Monitor the position of the robot as it moves through the space along a path that includes the specific node; Using the above monitoring results, a control unit is included to check the distance between the robot and the specific node, The above control unit, A robot control system characterized in that, based on the above verification result, control related to the opening and closing of the door corresponding to the specific node is performed.

17. A program that is executed by one or more processes in an electronic device and stored in a computer-readable recording medium, The above program is, A step of setting a safety distance for a specific node corresponding to a door installed in a space, the node being included in a node map including a plurality of nodes; A step of monitoring the position of a robot moving through the space along a movement path that includes the specific node; A step of using the above monitoring results to check the distance between the robot and the specific node; and A program stored in a computer-readable recording medium, characterized in that it includes commands for performing a step of performing control related to opening and closing of the door corresponding to the specific node based on the above verification result.

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