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

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and a system for controlling a robot using an elevator. The present invention may comprise the steps of: receiving, on the basis of the occurrence of an elevator-boarding event, information about a specific elevator that a robot is to board; identifying, using situation information, arrival state information related to the arrival of the specific elevator at a specific floor at which the robot is located; moving the robot to an adjacent region of the specific elevator on the basis of the arrival state information; and, on the basis of the arrival of the specific elevator at the specific floor, moving the robot from the adjacent region to the inner space of the specific elevator to board the specific elevator.

Description

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

[0001] The present invention relates to a robot-friendly building and a control method and system for a robot navigating within the building. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and system for controlling a robot using an elevator. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method and system for controlling a robot applicable to a robot-friendly building.

[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, 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.

[0008] 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.

[0009] 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.

[0010] 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.

[0011] The present invention provides a control method and system for a robot that moves within a building.

[0012] More specifically, the present invention provides a method and system for controlling a robot so that the elevator can be operated efficiently in a building where people and robots coexist.

[0013] In particular, the present invention provides a robot control method and system that can advance the timing of robot movement and elevator door control in order to shorten the time required for a robot to get on or off an elevator.

[0014] Furthermore, the present invention provides a robot control method and system that enables humans and robots to safely coexist within a building.

[0015] In order to solve the problem discussed above, the control method of a robot using an elevator in the present invention may include a step of receiving information on a specific elevator to be boarded by the robot based on occurrence of an elevator boarding event, a step of checking arrival status information related to the specific elevator arriving at a specific floor where the robot is located using situation information, a step of moving to a surrounding area of ​​the specific elevator based on the arrival status information, and a step of moving from the surrounding area to an internal space of the specific elevator to board the specific elevator based on the specific elevator arriving at the specific floor.

[0016] Meanwhile, a robot according to the present invention includes a communication unit that receives information on a specific elevator to be boarded based on occurrence of an elevator boarding event, a control unit that uses situation information to check arrival status information related to the specific elevator arriving at a specific floor where the robot is located, and a driving unit that moves to a surrounding area of ​​the specific elevator based on the arrival status information, and the control unit can control the driving unit to move from the surrounding area to an internal space of the specific elevator in order to board the specific elevator based on the specific elevator arriving at the specific floor.

[0017] Furthermore, the 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 may include instructions for performing a step of receiving information on a specific elevator that the robot is to board based on occurrence of an elevator boarding event, a step of checking arrival status information related to the specific elevator arriving at a specific floor where the robot is located using situation information, a step of moving to a surrounding area of ​​the specific elevator based on the arrival status information, and a step of moving from the surrounding area to an internal space of the specific elevator to board the specific elevator based on the specific elevator arriving at the specific floor.

[0018] As described above, the robot control method and system according to the present invention receives information on a specific elevator that the robot will board based on the occurrence of an elevator boarding event, uses situation information to determine arrival status information related to the specific elevator arriving at a specific floor where the robot is located, and moves to a surrounding area of ​​the specific elevator based on the arrival status information. By preparing to board a specific elevator in advance, the robot can shorten the elevator use time of the robot by advancing the timing of the elevator door opening and the robot moving and the timing of the door closing.

[0019] In terms of robot operation, the robot's boarding and disembarking time can be shortened, minimizing inconvenience for people using the elevator with the robot, and people can have a positive attitude toward coexistence with robots through the robot's quick boarding and disembarking time.

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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.

[0022] Figures 1, 2 and 3 are conceptual diagrams illustrating a robot-friendly building according to the present invention.

[0023] 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.

[0024] Figures 7 and 8 are conceptual diagrams for explaining the facility infrastructure provided in a robot-friendly building according to the present invention.

[0025] 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.

[0026] Figure 12 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a method of boarding and disembarking an elevator of a robot in the present invention.

[0027] Figure 13 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a robot according to the present invention.

[0028] Figure 14 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the data flow between a robot, a cloud server, an elevator system, and an elevator in the present invention.

[0029] Figure 15 is a flowchart for explaining a robot control method according to the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 16a, FIG. 16b, FIG. 16c, FIG. 16d, and FIG. 16e are conceptual diagrams for explaining a method of controlling a robot for boarding an elevator in the present invention.

[0031] Figures 17a, 17b, 17c and 17d are conceptual diagrams for explaining a method of controlling a robot for getting off an elevator in the present invention.

[0032] Figure 18 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a method of controlling a robot to give up boarding an elevator in the present invention.

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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.

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] 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.

[0045] Below, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0046] 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.

[0047] First, for convenience of explanation, we will define representative drawing symbols.

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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).

[0050] Furthermore, in the present invention, a person or human is assigned 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 movable objects.

[0051] 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.

[0052] 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.

[0053] As illustrated in Fig. 1, in a building (1000) according to the present invention, a robot can move and provide various services.

[0054] 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).

[0055] 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).

[0056] 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.

[0057] 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.

[0058] 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.

[0059] 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.

[0060] 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.

[0061] 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.

[0062] 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.

[0063] 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.

[0064] In this way, robots controlled by the cloud server (20) can move around the building (1000) and provide various services.

[0065] 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.

[0066] 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.

[0067] 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.

[0068] 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.

[0069] 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.

[0070] 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.

[0071] 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, and can be configured to drive within a building (1000) or provide a service corresponding to an assigned task.

[0072] 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, guidance information (3) related to the driving of the robot may be output. 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 provided in the robot. The cloud server (20) may control the robot so that the robot moves within the building (1000) while avoiding obstacles based on information received through various sensors provided in the robot (e.g., a camera (image sensor), a proximity sensor, an infrared sensor, etc.).

[0073] 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.

[0074] 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.

[0075] 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.

[0076] 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.

[0077] 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).

[0078] However, in this specification, brainless robots are not named separately, but are all referred to as “robots.”

[0079] The present invention relates to a method and system for controlling a robot to enhance user convenience in a building where people and robots coexist. In particular, the present invention can alleviate the inconvenience of elevator delays by shortening the time it takes a robot (R) to board and disembark an elevator.

[0080] The building (1000) according to the present invention can be equipped with various facility infrastructures that can be used by robots, and as shown 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.

[0081] 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).

[0082] Elevators (204) can be used by both robots and people, but in this case, people may experience inconvenience or delays in getting on and off the elevator due to the robot. Therefore, the present invention proposes a method for controlling a robot to reduce the time required for the robot to get on and off the elevator (204).

[0083] In the present invention, the robot (R) can recognize in advance the expected arrival of the elevator on a specific floor, and prepare to board or disembark the elevator before the elevator stops on the specific floor and the elevator door opens. Furthermore, as illustrated in (a) and (b) of FIG. 12, the robot (R) in the present invention can transmit its own elevator boarding or disembarkation information to the elevator system (204a) so that the elevator door (204d) closes as soon as it passes through the elevator door (204d).

[0084] That is, in the present invention, the elevator door is kept open until the robot (R) passes through the elevator door and occupies a specific area of ​​the interior space of the elevator, but the door can be controlled to close immediately when the robot (R) passes through the elevator door.

[0085] Hereinafter, a robot control method and system for using an elevator according to the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. Fig. 13 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a robot according to the present invention. Fig. 14 is a conceptual diagram for explaining data flow among a robot, a cloud server, an elevator system, and an elevator according to the present invention, Fig. 15 is a flowchart for explaining a robot control method according to the present invention, Figs. 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d, and 16e are conceptual diagrams for explaining a method for controlling a robot for boarding an elevator according to the present invention, Figs. 17a, 17b, 17c, and 17d are conceptual diagrams for explaining a method for controlling a robot for getting off an elevator according to the present invention, and Fig. 18 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a method for controlling a robot for giving up boarding an elevator according to the present invention.

[0086] As illustrated in FIG. 13, the robot (R) according to the present invention may be configured to include at least one of a communication unit (410), a storage unit (420), a sensing unit (430), an output unit (440), a driving unit (450), and a control unit (460). The robot (R) uses an elevator based on at least one of the above configurations, and in the present invention, the robot (R) may also be referred to as a robot control system.

[0087] The communication unit (410) may be configured to perform communication with at least one of the cloud server (20) and the elevator system (204a). The communication unit (410) may receive information about tasks assigned to the robot (R) from the cloud server (20) and various control commands for performing the tasks. The communication unit (410) may support various communication methods. 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).

[0088] The storage unit (420) may be configured to store various information related to the present invention. For example, the storage unit (420) may store a map (or map information or node map) of the space (10), task information assigned to the robot (R), and various information for elevator use.

[0089] The sensing unit (430) may be configured to sense information about the surrounding environment surrounding the robot (R). The sensing unit (430) may include at least one of a vision sensor (e.g., a camera, 431), a motion sensor (e.g., a gyro sensor), an acoustic sensor (e.g., a microphone), and a tag detection sensor (e.g., an RFID reader).

[0090] The output unit (440) is configured to output various information and may include at least one of a display (441) and audio (442). The output unit (440) may output information corresponding to the current status of the robot (R) (e.g., scheduled to board the elevator, currently boarding the elevator, scheduled to disembark from the elevator, etc.). Through this, the robot (R) may interact with people.

[0091] The driving unit (450) is provided on the robot's main body and can be configured to enable the robot to move within space. More specifically, the driving unit (450) includes a motor and a plurality of wheels, which, when combined, perform the functions of driving, changing direction, and rotating the robot (R). In the present invention, the driving unit (450) may also be referred to as a driving unit.

[0092] The control unit (460) may be configured to control the components discussed above. The control unit (460) processes signals, data, information, etc. input or output through the components, thereby determining when the elevator will arrive and what preparations must be made for boarding the elevator, and controls the operation of the robot (R) accordingly.

[0093] In the present invention, based on the linkage of a robot (R), a cloud server (20), and an elevator system (204a), appropriate control can be performed so that the robot (R) can travel within a building (1000) using an elevator.

[0094] As illustrated in Fig. 14, the cloud server (20) can request boarding of the robot (R) to the elevator system (204a) based on the occurrence of an elevator boarding event (or boarding event) of the robot (R) (S410).

[0095] The robot (R)'s elevator boarding event can be triggered based on the need for vertical movement of the robot (R) (moving from a specific floor where the robot is located to another floor).

[0096] The elevator system (204a) can assign (specify or allocate) a specific elevator for the robot (R) to ride among a plurality of elevators provided in the building (1000) based on receiving a request for robot boarding from the cloud server (20) (S420, see FIG. 14).

[0097] The cloud server (20) can transmit information about a specific elevator (e.g., location information, identification information, etc. of a specific elevator) to the robot (R) based on receiving information about a specific elevator from the elevator system (100) (S430, see FIG. 14).

[0098] The robot (R) can move to the "Ulala" area of ​​a specific elevator and wait to board the specific elevator. The robot (R) can board the specific elevator based on the arrival of the specific elevator at the floor where the robot (R) is located (S440, see FIG. 14). Upon completing boarding the elevator, the robot (R) transmits information on the completion of boarding the elevator to the cloud server (20), and the cloud server (20) can confirm the robot (R)'s boarding of the elevator based on the information received from the robot (R) (S450, see FIG. 14).

[0099] Based on the verification result, the cloud server (20) transmits information on the robot (R)'s completion of boarding the elevator to the elevator system (204a), and the elevator system (204a) can control the operation of the elevator based on the robot (R)'s completion of boarding a specific elevator (S460, see FIG. 14). For example, the elevator system (204a) can close the elevator door (204d) and control the elevator (204) to move to the destination floor. The elevator (204) can be operated under the control of the elevator system (204a) (S470).

[0100] Below, a method for controlling the robot (R) to reduce the time required for boarding (getting on) and getting off the elevator (204) of the robot (R) will be described in detail.

[0101] In the present invention, a process of receiving specific elevator information for the robot to board may be performed based on the occurrence of an elevator boarding event of the robot (S510, see FIG. 15).

[0102] As described above, the robot (R) can receive information about a specific elevator assigned to the robot (R) (e.g., location information, identification information, etc. of a specific elevator) from at least one of the cloud server (20) and the elevator system (204a).

[0103] In the present invention, a process of checking arrival status information related to a specific elevator arriving at a specific floor where a robot is located can be performed using situation information (S520, see FIG. 15).

[0104] In the present invention, “arrival status information” can be understood as information about whether a specific elevator is scheduled to arrive (stop) at the floor where the robot (R) is currently located, or whether a specific elevator is scheduled to operate in the direction of the destination floor based on the floor where the robot (R) is located.

[0105] The robot (R) can check the situation information about the situation (or environment) in which at least one of a specific elevator and the robot is linked, and decide whether to perform a boarding preparation action (or a boarding attempt action) for boarding the specific elevator, or to continue waiting for the specific elevator.

[0106] In the present invention, “situation information” refers to information on various situations that occur in relation to elevator use while the robot (R) is driving within a building (1000), and may include, for example, at least one of i) operation situation information of a specific elevator (e.g., current floor, operation direction (upward or downward), etc.), ii) operation situation information of the robot (R) (e.g., robot location, etc.), and iii) surrounding situation information of the robot (R) (e.g., video taken of the surroundings, sounds generated in the surroundings, etc.).

[0107] This situational information can be received from at least one of a cloud server (20), an elevator system (204a), and a sensor placed in space (e.g., CCTV, infrared sensor, RFID tag, etc.). Additionally, the situational information can be sensed through a sensing unit (430) equipped in the robot (R).

[0108] More specifically, the robot (R) may receive situation information including arrival forecast information for a specific elevator from the cloud server (20). In this case, the situation information may be understood to include arrival status information for the specific elevator. Upon receiving the situation information from the cloud server (20), the robot (R) may check the arrival status information for the specific elevator included in the situation information and, based on this, perform one of the following actions: waiting for the specific elevator or preparing to board.

[0109] Furthermore, the robot (R) can sense visual situation information or auditory situation information using the sensing unit (430) equipped in the robot (R) while waiting for a specific elevator, and can check the arrival status information of the specific elevator from the sensed situation information.

[0110] The sensed situation information may include at least one of the following for a specific elevator: i) location floor information, ii) direction of travel (upward or downward), iii) operating status (whether in motion, stopped, or with doors open, etc.), and iv) expected arrival.

[0111] As illustrated in (a) of FIG. 16A, the robot (R) can sense visual situational information of at least one of a display (611), a lighting device (e.g., a hall lantern, a light, 612), and a call button (613) linked to a specific elevator using a camera (431). The sensed situational information includes at least one of current location floor information of the specific elevator (e.g., “5th floor”, 611a), direction information (upward or downward), and expected arrival information (e.g., determining arrival based on whether a lighting device is turned on or a call button is turned on or off), and the robot (R) can check the arrival status information of the specific elevator based on the situational information. For example, the robot (R) can check that the specific elevator is expected to arrive based on the number displayed on the display (611) approaching the number of the specific floor where the robot (R) is located or the hall lantern (612) being turned on. Although not shown, the robot (R) can use the camera (431) to capture video footage containing situational information (e.g., a person moving toward an elevator door) that includes a person's intention to board a specific elevator, and based on this, determine that a specific elevator is about to arrive. The robot (R) can then perform a specific elevator boarding preparation action in conjunction with the person's actions.

[0112] As illustrated in (b) of Fig. 16a, the robot (R) can sense a sound (e.g., arrival notification sound, arrival guidance voice, etc., 614) associated with a specific elevator using an acoustic sensor (e.g., microphone), and based on this, perform one of the actions of waiting for or preparing to board the specific elevator.

[0113] Meanwhile, the robot (R) can primarily receive situation information from the cloud server (20). Secondarily, the robot (R) can sense situation information on its own based on the fact that situation information is not received from the cloud server (20). In addition, the robot (R) can check the arrival status information of a specific elevator from either the situation information received from the cloud server (20) or the situation information sensed on its own, or use all of them (e.g., comparison or combination, etc.) to check the arrival status information of a specific elevator.

[0114] In the present invention, a process of moving to a surrounding area of ​​a specific elevator can be performed based on arrival status information (S530, see FIG. 15).

[0115] Based on arrival status information, the robot (R) can move to the surrounding area of ​​a specific elevator, independently of whether the specific elevator has arrived at the specific floor where the robot (R) is located. In other words, the robot (R) can perform boarding preparation (or attempt to board) actions for a specific elevator in advance based on the confirmation of its expected arrival, even if the specific elevator has not yet arrived.

[0116] As illustrated in (a) of FIG. 16b, when the robot (R) confirms the expected arrival of a specific elevator from the arrival status information, it may perform a boarding preparation operation (or boarding attempt operation) of moving toward a specific elevator door (204d) and moving to a surrounding area (622) of the specific elevator. The surrounding area (622) may correspond to an area located close to the elevator door (204d) and may include, for example, an entry / exit node (or boarding preparation node, boarding attempt node, boarding waiting node, etc.) that must be passed through for boarding and disembarking from the elevator.

[0117] The robot (R) can prepare to board a specific elevator by moving to the surrounding area (622) of the specific elevator before the specific elevator arrives. That is, the robot (R) can be positioned in the surrounding area (622) before the elevator arrives so that it can board the elevator immediately upon arrival. In addition, the robot (R) can interact with the user by outputting boarding guidance information (“I am about to board”, 623a) through at least one of the display (441) and audio (442) provided in the robot (R) while moving to the surrounding area (622). Furthermore, as illustrated in (b) of FIG. 16B, the surrounding area (622) can be positioned in a location (e.g., on the side of the elevator door) that does not interfere with people getting on and off the elevator.

[0118] In the present invention, a process of moving from a surrounding area to the interior of a specific elevator to board a specific elevator may be performed based on the arrival of a specific elevator at a specific floor (S540, see FIG. 15).

[0119] The robot (R) can check the open / close status information of a specific elevator door (204d) based on the situation information that occurs while the robot is located in the surrounding area (“622”).

[0120] As described above, the situation information can be received from a cloud server (20) or sensed through a sensing unit (430) equipped in the robot (R), and the robot (R) can check the open / close status information of a specific elevator door (204d) from at least one of the received situation information (e.g., including door opening start information) and the sensed situation information.

[0121] As a result of the verification, the robot (R) can continuously check the open / closed status information of the specific elevator door (204d) while positioned in the surrounding area (622) if the door of the specific elevator remains closed. On the other hand, the robot (R) can perform a boarding action of moving from the surrounding area (622) to the interior space (630) of the specific elevator in conjunction with the door of the specific elevator starting to change from the closed state to the open state.

[0122] The sensed situational information may be diverse. The robot is equipped with sensors including at least one of a vision sensor, a gyro sensor, a motion sensor, a camera, and a microphone, and can sense situational information through at least one of the sensors.

[0123] For example, the robot (R) can capture a specific elevator door (204d) using a camera (431) in the surrounding area (622). The robot (R) can check the door's open / closed status information from the image including the door (204d). As another example, the robot (R) can check the door's open / closed status information based on sounds sensed through a microphone (e.g., door opening notification sound, sound generated when the door is opened / closed, etc.).

[0124] The robot (R) can simultaneously move into the interior space of the elevator (630) and output boarding guidance information (“Boarding”, 623b) to inform people of its boarding. In addition, the robot (R) can determine its driving speed based on the opening / closing speed (or opening / closing time) of the elevator door (204d) to prevent collision with the elevator door.

[0125] Meanwhile, as illustrated in (a) and (b) of FIG. 16c, the robot (R) can transmit a boarding completion signal to the cloud server (20) so that the specific elevator door (204d) is closed based on passing through the door (204d) of the specific elevator.

[0126] The robot (R) can move from the surrounding area (622) to the interior space (630) of a specific elevator and monitor whether a specific elevator door (204d) passes through it.

[0127] There may be various methods for monitoring passage through a specific elevator door (204d). The robot may determine whether the robot has passed through the door based on sensing at least one of the following: a specific elevator interior space, a movement generated when the robot passes through a specific elevator door, or a sound, through at least one of the sensors provided on the robot.

[0128] More specifically, the robot (R) can determine whether to pass through a specific elevator door (204d) based on situation information sensed through a sensor while moving into the interior space (630) of a specific elevator. As illustrated in (a) of FIG. 16d, the robot (R) can capture surrounding space images (640a, 650a) corresponding to the movement path of the robot (R) through a camera (431) provided in the robot (R). For example, the robot (R) can capture a ceiling image (640a, see (b) of FIG. 16d) using a camera facing the ceiling surface (650), and can capture a floor image (650a, see (c) of FIG. 16d) using a camera facing the floor surface (650). The robot (R) can detect spatial feature information (e.g., ceiling line, ceiling tag, specific image (landmark), floor line, wall, etc.) from the surrounding space image (640a, 650a) and monitor whether a specific elevator door has passed based on this. For another example, the robot (R) can sense sound information (e.g., “clunk”) generated when passing through an elevator door through a microphone, or determine whether the door has passed based on information sensed based on a motion sensor such as a gyro sensor. For another example, the robot (R) can monitor whether a specific elevator door has passed based on communication with sensors (e.g., CCTV, infrared sensor, NFC) placed within a space within a building (1000) or an interior space of an elevator.

[0129] Furthermore, the robot (R) can determine whether it has passed through a specific elevator door (204d) based on the location information. The robot (R) can determine that it has passed through a specific elevator door (204d) based on its location in a specific elevator interior space (630). More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 16e, a boarding node (671, 672) that must be passed through when boarding the elevator may be allocated and exist in a specific elevator interior space (630). These boarding nodes (671, 672) may be allocated around the elevator door (204d) in the interior space (630). The robot (R) can determine that it has passed through a specific elevator door (204d) based on its location in the boarding node (671, 672) or passing through the boarding node (671, 672).

[0130] As a result of the verification (or monitoring), when the robot (R) confirms passage of a specific elevator door (204d), it can transmit a boarding completion signal to the cloud server (20) so that the specific elevator door (204d) is switched to a closed state.

[0131] The cloud server (20) transmits a boarding completion signal of the robot (R) to the elevator system (204a), and a specific elevator door can be switched to a closed state under the control of the elevator system (204a).

[0132] The elevator system (204a) can control the elevator door (204) to be switched to a closed state in response to a boarding completion signal from the robot (R). In this case, if there is a person boarding or disembarking a specific elevator, the elevator system (204a) can switch the elevator door (204d) to a closed state based on the person's completion of boarding or disembarking a specific elevator.

[0133] Meanwhile, the robot (R) can move to a target occupied location within a specific elevator interior space (530) independently of the transition of a specific elevator door (204d) to a closed state. The robot (R) can determine the target occupied location as a location that does not overlap with other objects (people, other robots, objects, etc.) based on the occupancy status of the specific elevator interior space (630). The robot (R) can transmit a boarding completion signal to the cloud server (20) based on passing through a specific elevator door (204d), and at the same time, move to the target occupied location within the specific elevator interior space (630).

[0134] In this way, in the present invention, the robot (R) transmits a boarding completion signal to the cloud server (20) so that the specific elevator door (204d) is closed even if there is still movement remaining to the target occupied location in the internal space (630) of the specific elevator based on passing through the door (204d) of the specific elevator, thereby reducing the time required for the robot (R) to board the elevator.

[0135] The robot (R) can check the arrival status information related to the arrival of a specific elevator (204) to the destination floor while riding in the interior space (630) of a specific elevator.

[0136] As previously described, the robot (R) can receive situation information (e.g., operation situation information on the location, stop floor, etc. of a specific elevator) for a specific elevator (204) from a cloud server (20). In addition, the robot (R) can sense situation information (visual situation information or auditory situation information) using a sensing unit (430) provided in the robot (R) or the interior space (630) of a specific elevator.

[0137] In the present invention, “situation information” refers to information on various situations that occur in relation to elevator use while the robot (R) is driving within a building (1000), and may include, for example, at least one of i) operation situation information of a specific elevator (e.g., current floor, operation direction (upward or downward), etc.), ii) operation situation information of the robot (R) (e.g., robot location, etc.), and iii) surrounding situation information of the robot (R) (e.g., video taken of the surroundings, sounds generated in the surroundings, etc.).

[0138] The robot (R) can check arrival situation information, such as which floor the specific elevator (204) is currently located on and whether it is scheduled to arrive (stop) at the robot (R)'s destination floor, based on situation information received or sensed while located in a specific elevator interior space (630).

[0139] More specifically, the robot (R) receives situation information including the arrival forecast information of a specific elevator on the destination floor from the cloud server (20), and can confirm that the specific elevator is scheduled to arrive at the destination floor from the received situation information.

[0140] Furthermore, as illustrated in (a) of FIG. 17a, the robot (R) can sense visual situation information of at least one of a floor information display (631) and a floor button (632) arranged in a specific elevator interior space (630) using a camera (431). In addition, as illustrated in (b) of FIG. 17a, the robot (R) can sense visual situation information (ex: arrival notification sound, arrival guidance voice, “10th floor”, 633) associated with a specific elevator using an acoustic sensor (ex: microphone). The sensed situation information includes current location floor information of a specific elevator (ex: “10th floor, 631, arrival floor (stop floor) information), and the robot (R) can confirm arrival status information related to the destination floor of the specific elevator from the situation information.

[0141] The robot (R) can prepare to disembark at the destination floor based on the arrival status information of a specific elevator.

[0142] The robot (R) can prepare to disembark from a specific elevator to a destination floor, independently of whether the specific elevator has arrived at the destination floor, based on the arrival status information.

[0143] As illustrated in (a) of FIG. 17b, the robot (R) can prepare to disembark by moving in advance from the target occupied position (711) occupied in the specific internal elevator receiving space (630) to the vicinity of the specific elevator door (204d). In addition, the robot (R) can prepare to disembark by performing a rotation based on the movement path from the target occupied position (711). For example, as illustrated in (b) of FIG. 17b, the robot (or the front of the robot) can perform a rotation in place in a direction corresponding to the movement path in the elevator door (204d) or the internal space from the target occupied position (713).

[0144] In this case, the robot (R) can indicate to people its intention to get off by outputting disembarkation guidance information (“Get off on the next floor”, 714a) through at least one of the display (441) and audio (442) along with at least one of moving around the elevator door (204) or rotating in place.

[0145] The robot (R) can disembark from the interior space (630) of a specific elevator to the destination floor based on the arrival of the specific elevator at the destination floor. In this case, the robot (R) can transmit an disembarkation completion signal to the cloud server (20) so that the specific elevator door (204d) is closed based on passing through the specific elevator door (204d).

[0146] The robot (R) can check the open / close status information of a specific elevator door (204d) on the destination floor and, based on the check result, perform an disembarkation operation to move from the interior space of the elevator (630) to the destination floor.

[0147] As described above, the robot (R) can check the opening / closing status information of a specific elevator door (204d) based on the situation information, and the situation information related to the opening / closing status of the door (204d) can be received from a cloud server (20) or sensed from a sensing unit (430) provided in the robot (R) or a sensor (ex: CCTV) located in the elevator receiving space (630).

[0148] As illustrated in (a) of Fig. 17c, the robot (R) may perform an disembarkation operation to move from a specific elevator interior space (630) to a destination floor in conjunction with a specific elevator door (204d) starting to change from a closed state to an open state while the specific elevator is stopped at the destination floor. In this case, the robot (R) may output disembarkation guidance information (e.g., “Disembarking.”, 713b).

[0149] The robot (R) can sense situational information related to a specific elevator door (204d) while moving to a destination floor through the interior space (630) of a specific elevator. Based on the sensed situational information, the robot can determine whether to pass through a specific elevator door (204d). As illustrated in (b) of Fig. 17c, the robot (R) can transmit an exit completion signal to the cloud server (20) so that the specific elevator door (204d) is switched to a closed state based on confirmation of passage through the specific elevator door (204d).

[0150] As described above, the robot can capture a video using at least one of a camera (431) installed in the robot (R), a camera (CCTV) installed inside the elevator, and a camera (CCTV) installed on the destination floor, and monitor whether a specific elevator door (204d) has been passed through the video. For another example, the robot (R) can sense sound information (e.g., “clunk”) generated when passing through an elevator door through a microphone, or determine whether the robot has passed through the door based on information sensed based on a motion sensor such as a gyro sensor. For another example, the robot (R) can monitor whether the robot has passed through a specific elevator door based on communication with a sensor (e.g., CCTV, infrared sensor, NFC) installed inside a space of a building (1000) or inside an elevator.

[0151] Furthermore, based on the location information, the robot (R) can determine whether it has passed through a specific elevator door (204d). As illustrated in Fig. 17d, multiple nodes (N1 to N5) are allocated and exist on the destination floor, and one of these nodes (N3) can be set as an exit node (N3) that the robot (R) must pass through when getting off the elevator. The robot (R) can determine whether it has passed through a specific elevator door (204d) based on being located at the exit node (N3) or passing through the exit node (N3).

[0152] As a result of the verification (or monitoring), when the robot (R) confirms passage of a specific elevator door (204d), it can transmit a boarding completion signal to the cloud server (20) so that the specific elevator door (204d) is switched to a closed state.

[0153] The cloud server (20) transmits a boarding completion signal of the robot (R) to the elevator system (204a), and a specific elevator door can be switched to a closed state under the control of the elevator system (204a).

[0154] The elevator system (204a) can control the elevator door (204) to be switched to a closed state in response to a boarding completion signal from the robot (R). In this case, if there is a person boarding or disembarking a specific elevator, the elevator system (204a) can switch the elevator door (204d) to a closed state based on the person's completion of boarding or disembarking a specific elevator.

[0155] The robot (R) can move to the destination independently of the specific elevator door (204d) being switched to the closed state.

[0156] In this way, the robot (R) can perform an alighting preparation operation in advance in a specific elevator interior space (630) if it is predicted (expected) that a specific elevator (204) will soon arrive at the destination floor even if the specific elevator (204) has not yet arrived at the destination floor. In addition, the robot (R) can transmit a disembarkation completion signal to the server based on passing through the elevator door (204d), thereby shortening the elevator boarding and disembarkation time and the elevator door (204d) operation time, and as a result, the robot (R) can shorten the total time required to use the elevator.

[0157] Meanwhile, as illustrated in (a) and (b) of FIG. 18, if the robot (R) determines that boarding a specific elevator is difficult during a specific elevator boarding process, it may decide to give up boarding and transmit a boarding refusal signal to the cloud server (20) so that the specific elevator door (204d) closes in accordance with the boarding refusal.

[0158] A robot (R) can sense an object located within a specific elevator based on the fact that the elevator stops at the floor where the robot is located and the door of the specific elevator opens. The robot (R) can determine whether to board a specific elevator based on the occupancy status of objects within the specific elevator.

[0159] If the object occupancy state corresponds to a preset occupancy state, the robot (R) may determine that it is difficult to board the elevator, or that boarding the elevator is possible but there is a possibility that boarding the elevator may cause inconvenience to objects (especially, people) already in the elevator (interfering with the object's use of the elevator), and may decide to give up boarding the elevator. On the other hand, if the object occupancy state does not correspond to a preset occupancy state, the robot (R) may decide to board the elevator.

[0160] The robot (R) can perform different controls depending on the boarding decision. As described above, the robot (R) can perform a boarding action to move into the interior space (630) of the elevator depending on the boarding decision.

[0161] On the other hand, if a decision to abandon boarding is made, the robot (R) provides boarding abandonment guidance information (ex: “

[0162] It can interact with people by outputting at least one of a camera and audio ("I'll take it next time") and send a signal to the cloud server to abandon boarding so that a specific elevator door is closed.

[0163] The cloud server (20) transmits a signal for the robot (R) to abandon boarding to the elevator system (204a), and a specific elevator door can be switched to a closed state under the control of the elevator system (204a).

[0164] The elevator system (204a) can control the elevator door (204) to close in response to a boarding completion signal from the robot (R). Furthermore, the elevator system (204a) can reassign a new elevator to the robot (R). The robot can receive information about the reassigned elevator via the cloud server (20) and perform operations for boarding and disembarking from the reassigned elevator.

[0165] As described above, the robot control method and system according to the present invention receives information on a specific elevator that the robot will board based on the occurrence of an elevator boarding event, uses situation information to determine arrival status information related to the specific elevator arriving at a specific floor where the robot is located, and moves to a surrounding area of ​​the specific elevator based on the arrival status information. By preparing to board a specific elevator in advance, the robot can shorten the elevator use time of the robot by advancing the timing of the elevator door opening and the robot moving and the timing of the door closing.

[0166] In terms of robot operation, the robot's boarding and disembarking time can be shortened, minimizing inconvenience for people using the elevator with the robot, and people can have a positive attitude toward coexistence with robots through the robot's quick boarding and disembarking time.

[0167] 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.

[0168] 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.

[0169] 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.

[0170] 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.

[0171] 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.

[0172] Meanwhile, the detailed description above 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. In a control method of a robot using an elevator, A step of receiving specific elevator information for the robot to board based on the occurrence of an elevator boarding event; A step of using situation information to check arrival status information related to the specific elevator arriving at the specific floor where the robot is located; A step of moving to a surrounding area of ​​the specific elevator based on the above arrival status information; A robot control method characterized by comprising a step of moving from the surrounding area to the interior space of the specific elevator to board the specific elevator based on the specific elevator arriving at the specific floor.

2. In paragraph 1, Movement to the above surrounding area is, A robot control method characterized in that it is performed independently of whether the specific elevator has arrived at the specific floor.

3. In paragraph 2, The above situation information is, Contains information about the operation of the specific elevator received from the server or sensed through a sensor equipped in the robot, Movement to the above surrounding area is, A robot control method characterized in that it is performed before the specific elevator arrives at the specific floor based on the above situation information.

4. In paragraph 4, A robot control method, characterized in that the sensed situation information includes at least one of arrival forecast information and floor information displayed on a display linked to the specific elevator.

5. In paragraph 1, The step of moving to the interior space of the above specific elevator is: A step of checking the open / closed status of the specific elevator door while located in the above surrounding area; and A robot control method characterized in that it includes a step of departing from the surrounding area in connection with the confirmation result that the specific elevator door starts to change from a closed state to an open state.

6. In paragraph 5, The step of moving to the interior space of the above specific elevator is: A robot control method characterized in that it further includes a step of transmitting a boarding completion signal to a server so that the specific elevator door is closed based on the robot passing through the specific elevator door.

7. In paragraph 6, In the interior space of the above specific elevator, a boarding node that must be passed through when boarding the above specific elevator is allocated, A robot control method characterized in that the confirmation of whether the above door has passed is performed based on the above boarding node.

8. In paragraph 6, The robot has a sensor including at least one of a vision sensor, a gyro sensor, a motion sensor, a camera, and a microphone, To confirm whether the above statement has been passed, A robot control method characterized in that the robot is controlled based on sensing of the specific elevator interior space and the robot's door passage movement through a sensor provided in the robot.

9. In paragraph 6, The step of moving to the interior space of the above specific elevator is: A robot control method characterized in that it moves to a target occupied position in the interior space of the specific elevator independently of the elevator door being switched to a closed state.

10. In paragraph 9, A step of checking arrival status information related to the arrival of the specific elevator to the destination floor while riding in the interior space of the specific elevator; and A robot control method further comprising a step of preparing to disembark at the destination floor based on the arrival status information.

11. In paragraph 10, The above preparations for getting off are, A robot control method characterized in that it moves from the target occupied position to the vicinity of the specific elevator door in the interior space of the specific elevator or rotates in place at the target occupied position.

12. In paragraph 11, Further comprising a step of getting off from the interior space of the specific elevator to the destination floor based on the specific elevator arriving at the destination floor; A robot control method characterized in that, based on passing through the specific elevator door, a signal for completion of disembarkation is transmitted to the server so that the specific elevator door is closed.

13. In paragraph 1, In the step of moving to the above surrounding area, A robot control method characterized in that guidance information for guiding the boarding schedule of the specific elevator is output through at least one of a display and audio provided in the robot.

14. In paragraph 1, A step of sensing an object located in the interior space of the specific elevator based on the specific elevator stopping at the floor where the robot is located and the door of the specific elevator opening; A step of determining whether to give up boarding the specific elevator based on the occupancy status of the object in the internal space; and A robot control method characterized in that it further includes a step of transmitting a boarding abandonment signal to a server so that the specific elevator door is closed according to the boarding abandonment decision.

15. A communication unit that receives information on a specific elevator to be boarded based on the occurrence of an elevator boarding event; Using the situation information, a control unit is included to check the arrival status information related to the specific elevator arriving at the specific floor where the robot is located. Based on the above arrival status information, a driving unit is included that moves to the surrounding area of ​​the specific elevator, The above control unit, A robot characterized in that, based on the arrival of the specific elevator at the specific floor, the driving unit is controlled to move from the surrounding area to the interior space of the specific elevator in order to board the specific elevator.

16. 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 receiving specific elevator information for the robot to board based on the occurrence of an elevator boarding event of the robot; A step of using situation information to check arrival status information related to the specific elevator arriving at the specific floor where the robot is located; A step of moving to a surrounding area of ​​the specific elevator based on the above arrival status information; A robot control method characterized in that it includes commands including a step of moving from the surrounding area to the interior space of the specific elevator to board the specific elevator based on the specific elevator arriving at the specific floor.

Images