KR101287474B1 - Mobile robot, and system and method for remotely controlling the same - Google Patents

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention, by connecting the terminal device and the mobile robot through a network to enable the mobile robot to be controlled in more various ways. In addition, embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to check the status of the house in real time from the outside, and to be able to quickly respond to the state of the mobile robot. Further, embodiments of the present invention automatically update the control program included in the mobile robot so that the mobile robot always has the latest control program.

Description

MOBILE ROBOT, AND SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REMOTELY CONTROLLING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a remotely controllable mobile robot, a terminal device for remotely controlling the mobile robot, and a remote control system and method for a mobile robot including the same.

In general, robots have been developed for industrial use and have been a part of factory automation. In recent years, medical robots, aerospace robots, and the like have been developed, and household robots that can be used in ordinary homes are being developed.

A representative example of the domestic robot is a robot cleaner, which is a kind of electronic equipment that sucks dust and foreign matter around while driving a certain area by itself. Such a robot cleaner is generally equipped with a rechargeable battery and has an obstacle sensor capable of avoiding obstacles during traveling, so that it can run and clean by itself.

On the other hand, a method for controlling the mobile robot includes a method using a remote control which is a user interface, a method using a button provided in the mobile robot body. In addition, mobile robots having magnetic location recognition and mapping functions have been developed using cameras or various sensors.

SUMMARY Embodiments of the present invention provide a mobile robot that can be controlled remotely using a terminal device and has an automatic update function of an embedded control program.

Embodiments of the present invention have a further object to provide a terminal device capable of remotely controlling a mobile robot and checking the state of the mobile robot in real time.

Embodiments of the present invention can remotely control a mobile robot, can remotely monitor the surroundings of the mobile robot, and remote control consisting of a mobile robot and a terminal device to respond quickly by checking the status of the mobile robot in real time Another object is to provide a system and method.

The mobile robot according to an embodiment may include a storage unit that stores a control program for driving the mobile robot, a communication unit that receives a control signal from an external terminal device, and transmits update information of the control program to the terminal device; And a control unit for extracting an update command from the control signal and updating the control program according to the update command.

The remote control system of a mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure transmits update information of a control program, updates the control program according to an update command, and controls the mobile robot using a control command, and updates the control program. And a terminal device generating the update command according to the information and transmitting the updated command to the mobile robot.

In a remote control method of a mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, a mobile robot having a self-driving device having a control program and a terminal device for controlling the mobile robot are provided. Receiving a control signal from a terminal device, extracting an update command from the control signal by the mobile robot, connecting the mobile robot to a server in which update data for the control program is stored, and And performing an update using the update data.

The mobile robot according to the embodiments of the present invention can be easily controlled by using a terminal device such as a mobile terminal from the outside by embedding a communication means for remote control.

The mobile robot according to embodiments of the present invention may access the server with update data for the control program and update the control program at any time.

The mobile robot according to embodiments of the present invention transmits state information to a terminal device in real time, so that a user or the like can easily check the state of the mobile robot using the terminal device. In addition, the mobile robot checks the state of the battery from time to time during cleaning or movement to perform a charging operation.

The terminal device according to the embodiments of the present invention executes a remote control program to easily control a mobile robot from a remote location, and allows a user or the like to check the status or surrounding conditions of the mobile robot in real time. In addition, the terminal apparatus checks the update information of the control program provided in the mobile robot so that the mobile robot can always have the latest control program version.

The remote control system and method according to the embodiments of the present invention enable the mobile robot to be controlled in more various ways by connecting the terminal device and the mobile robot through a network. In addition, the remote control system and method, it is possible to check the situation of the house in real time from the outside, and to be able to respond quickly according to the state of the mobile robot.

Embodiments of the present invention may improve the convenience of the user and increase the operational efficiency and stability of the mobile robot. In addition, embodiments of the present invention, when connecting to the mobile robot through the terminal device, it is possible to prevent the abuse of the mobile robot by performing the connection authentication operation.

1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a mobile robot according to embodiments of the present invention;
2 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of a mobile robot according to an embodiment;
3 is a schematic view of a remote control system of a mobile robot according to one embodiment;
4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a terminal device according to an exemplary embodiment;
5A to 5F illustrate screens of a terminal device for explaining an operation of updating a control program of a mobile robot;
6 is a diagram illustrating a screen of a terminal device on which an error message occurring while performing the update operation of FIG. 5 is displayed;
7 and 8 are flowcharts schematically illustrating a remote control method of a mobile robot according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 3, a remote control system of a mobile robot according to an exemplary embodiment may include a mobile robot 100 for transmitting update information of a control program and updating the control program according to an update command, and using a control command. And a terminal device 200 for controlling the mobile robot 100 and generating the update command according to the update information and transmitting the generated update command to the mobile robot 100.

The terminal device is divided into a mobile terminal and a stationary terminal according to whether the mobile terminal is mobile or not, and includes both a mobile terminal and a fixed terminal. The terminal device is divided into a handheld terminal and a vehicle mount terminal according to whether the user can move directly or not, and includes both a mobile terminal and a stationary terminal. For example, the terminal device may be a cellular phone, a PCS phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), a PMP (Portable Multimedia Player) Navigation). The remote control system can be changed according to the type of the terminal device. For example, the remote control system may use a mobile communication network such as 3G, CDMA, WCDMA, etc. in the case of a mobile phone or a smart phone, and the mobile robot and the terminal device transmit a radio signal to a base station, an external terminal, a server, and the like on the mobile communication network. Send and receive

Referring to FIG. 2, the mobile robot 100 according to an embodiment includes a communication unit 110, a control unit 120, and a storage unit 130. The communication unit 110 receives a control signal from an external terminal device 200 and transmits a response signal to the control signal. The communication unit 110 transmits updater information of a control program for controlling the mobile robot to the terminal device.

The communication unit 110 is connected to the terminal device via one of the wired, wireless, and satellite communication methods, that is, one of the currently available communication methods, and transmits and receives signals and data. The communication unit 110 receives a control signal from the terminal device. The communication unit 110 transmits state information, obstacle information, location information, image information, an internal map (cleaning map), and the like of the mobile robot. The communication unit 110 may be connected to the terminal device in one of the short range wireless communication methods such as radio frequency (RF) communication, Bluetooth, infrared communication (IrDA), wireless LAN (LAN), ZigBee, Communication can be performed. For example, when the terminal device is a smartphone, the mobile robot may include a communication unit according to the communication scheme available for the smartphone.

The storage unit 130 stores control information for controlling (driving) the mobile robot, and update information such as data, program version, and the like, according to the control program. The storage unit 130 may further store image information, obstacle information, location information, an internal map, a cleaning area, a cleaning map, and the like. In addition, the storage unit 130 may store a cleaning method and a traveling method. The storage unit 130 mainly uses a nonvolatile memory. Here, a non-volatile memory (NVM, NVRAM) is a storage device that keeps stored information even when power is not supplied. Non-volatile memory includes ROM, flash memory, magnetic computer storage devices (e.g., hard disk, diskette drive, magnetic tape), optical disk drive, magnetic RAM, PRAM, and the like.

The control unit 120 controls the mobile robot according to the control signal, and generates the response signal according to the control result. The control unit 120 extracts an update command from the control signal and updates the control program according to the update command. As an example, the control unit 120 connects to the server in which the update data for the control program is stored according to the update command, and downloads the update data. As another example, the control unit 120 may access the server in which the update data for the control program is stored at a predetermined time period, and check the update information to perform the update.

As another example, the communication unit 110 may receive update data for the control program from the terminal device 200. The control unit 120 may update the control program using the update data received by the communication unit. In this case, the terminal apparatus checks the update information of the control program of the connected mobile robot, connects to the server where the update data is stored, downloads the update data, and transmits it to the mobile robot.

The update of the control program can be set such that the mobile robot is only performed during charging at the charging station. At this time, even when receiving the update command, the control unit 120 performs the update only during charging. This is to prevent a control program error that may occur by performing an update when another command is executed. In addition, when performing the update, the control unit 120 may terminate the connection with the terminal device and set to update the control program.

Referring to FIG. 2, the mobile robot is configured to face upward or forward, and further includes an image detection unit 141 that includes an upper camera sensor and detects image information by capturing the periphery of the mobile robot. . When the image detecting unit 141 includes a plurality of upper camera sensors, the camera sensors may be formed on the top or side surfaces of the mobile robot at a predetermined distance or at an angle. The image detection unit 141 may be used as another type of location recognition unit. The image detecting unit 141 may further include a camera photographing the subject, a lens connected to the camera to focus the subject, an adjusting unit adjusting the camera, and a lens adjusting unit adjusting the lens. The lens uses a lens having a wide angle of view so that all the surrounding areas, for example, all areas of the ceiling can be photographed even at a predetermined position. The control unit 120 may extract a feature point from the image information captured by the image detection unit, recognize the position of the mobile robot using the feature point, and generate a cleaning map for the cleaning area.

Referring to FIG. 2, the mobile robot further includes an obstacle detection unit 142 that includes one or more sensors and detects obstacles around the vehicle using the detection signal of the sensor and outputs obstacle information. Here, the control unit 120 generates a cleaning map using the obstacle information.

The obstacle detecting unit 142 includes a first sensor installed in front of the mobile robot, that is, at a predetermined interval on the outer circumferential surface as shown in FIG. 1. In addition, the obstacle detecting unit 142 may include a second sensor installed to have a surface protruding to the outside of the main body. The position and type of the first sensor and the second sensor may vary according to the type of the mobile robot, and the obstacle detecting unit may include more various sensors. The first sensor detects an object in the moving direction of the mobile robot, in particular an obstacle, and transmits detection information to the control unit 120. That is, the first sensor detects protrusions, household appliances, furniture, walls, wall edges, etc. existing on the movement path of the mobile robot and transmits the information to the control unit. The first sensor may be an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a RF sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, or the like. The second sensor senses an obstacle present on the front or side and transmits the obstacle information to the control unit. That is, the second sensor detects protrusions, household appliances, furniture, walls, wall edges, etc. existing on the movement path of the mobile robot and transmits the information to the control unit. The second sensor may be an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an RF sensor, a position sensitive device (PSD) sensor, or the like.

The obstacle detection unit 142 may be installed on the bottom surface (bottom surface) of the main body, and may further include a cliff sensor for detecting an obstacle on the bottom surface, for example, a cliff. The cliff sensor is configured to obtain a stable measurement value regardless of the reflectance and color difference of the bottom surface, and may be in the form of an infrared module such as a PSD sensor.

In addition, the obstacle detecting unit may further include a charging signal sensor for receiving a guide signal from the charging station. The mobile robot checks the position and direction of the charging station by receiving a guide signal generated by the charging station using the charging signal sensor. The charging station sends a guide signal indicating the direction and distance so that the mobile robot can return. The mobile robot receives the signal from the charging station to determine the current position, sets the direction of movement, and returns to the charging station. The charging signal sensor may be an infrared ray sensor, an ultrasonic sensor (Ultra Sonic Sensor), an RF sensor (Radio Frequency Sensor), or the like. In general, an infrared sensor is used. The charging signal sensor is provided at one side of the inside or outside of the mobile robot, and may be installed at, for example, a lower portion of the output unit 160 or a periphery of the image detection unit 141.

Referring to FIG. 2, the mobile robot further includes a location recognizing unit 143 that includes one or more sensors and recognizes the location of the mobile robot itself by using the detection signal of the sensor and outputs location information. . Here, the control unit 120 corrects the cleaning map using the location information recognized by the location recognizing unit 143.

The position recognition unit 143 is provided on the rear surface of the mobile robot, and includes a lower camera sensor which photographs the lower side, that is, the bottom surface and the surface to be cleaned during the movement. The lower camera sensor is an optical flow sensor, and converts a downward image input from an image sensor provided in the sensor to generate image data of a predetermined format. The lower camera sensor may detect the position of the mobile robot regardless of the sliding of the mobile robot. The control unit 120 calculates a moving distance and a moving direction by comparing and analyzing the image data photographed by the lower camera sensor with time, thereby calculating the position of the mobile robot. By observing the lower side of the mobile robot by using the lower camera sensor, the control unit can correct the sliding against the position calculated by other means.

The position recognizing unit 143 further includes an acceleration sensor for detecting a change in a moving speed due to a change in speed of the mobile robot, for example, start, stop, change of direction, collision with an object, and the like. The acceleration sensor is attached to the adjacent position of the main wheel or the auxiliary wheel, and can detect slippage or idle of the wheel. In this case, the speed may be calculated using the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor, and the position of the mobile robot may be checked or corrected by comparing with the command speed. However, in general, the acceleration sensor is embedded in the control unit 120 to sense a speed change of the mobile robot itself generated when cleaning and moving. That is, the acceleration sensor detects the impact amount according to the speed change and outputs a voltage value corresponding thereto. Thus, the acceleration sensor can perform the function of an electronic bumper.

The position recognition unit 143 may further include a gyro sensor that detects a rotation direction and detects a rotation angle when the mobile robot moves, patrols or cleans. The gyro sensor detects the angular velocity of the mobile robot and outputs a voltage value proportional to the angular velocity. The control unit 120 calculates the rotation direction and the rotation angle using the voltage value output from the gyro sensor.

The position recognizing unit 143 may further include a wheel sensor connected to the left and right main wheels to detect the rotation speed of the main wheel. The wheel sensor mainly uses a rotary encoder, and detects and outputs the number of revolutions of the main wheels on the left and right sides when the moving robot is cleaned or moved. The control unit 120 can calculate the rotational speeds of the left and right wheels using the number of rotations.

The control unit 120 can accurately recognize the position using the detection information of the acceleration sensor, the gyro sensor, the wheel sensor, the lower camera sensor, and the image information of the image detection unit. Further, the control unit 120 can precisely generate the cleaning map using the obstacle information detected by the obstacle detecting unit and the position recognized by the image detecting unit. The communication unit 110 transmits data including video information, obstacle information, location information, cleaning map, and cleaning area to the terminal device 200.

Referring to FIG. 2, the mobile robot further includes an input unit 150 that directly receives a control command. Further, the user or the like may input a command through the input unit to output one or more pieces of information stored in the storage unit. The input unit 150 may be formed of one or more buttons. For example, the input unit 150 may include a confirmation button and a setting button. The confirmation button inputs a command for confirming obstacle information, location information, image information, a cleaning area or a cleaning map, a cleaning path, a moving path, a patrol path, and the like. The setting button inputs a command for setting the above information. The input unit may include a reset button, a delete button, a cleaning start button, a stop button, and the like for inputting a command for resetting the information. As another example, the input unit 150 may include a button for setting or deleting reservation information. In addition, the input unit 150 may further include a button for setting or changing a cleaning mode. In addition, the input unit 150 may further include a button for receiving a command to return to the charging station. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the input unit 150 may be installed on an upper portion of the mobile robot by a hard key, a soft key, a touch pad, or the like. In addition, the input unit 150 may have a form of a touch screen together with the output unit.

The output unit 160 is provided in the upper part of a mobile robot, as shown in FIG. Of course, the installation location and installation type may vary. For example, the output unit 160 displays reservation information, battery status, intensive cleaning, space expansion, a cleaning method such as zigzag driving, or a driving method on the screen. The output unit 160 may output the current state of each unit constituting the mobile robot, the current cleaning state, and update information of the control program. In addition, the output unit 160 may display obstacle information, location information, image information, an internal map, a cleaning area, a cleaning map, a cleaning path, a moving path, a patrol path, and the like on the screen. The output unit 160 may be any one of a light emitting diode (LED), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display panel, and an organic light emitting diode (OLED). It can be formed as an element of. The output unit 160 may further display the battery remaining amount on the screen. In addition, the terminal device 200 may receive the state of charge of the battery and the remaining amount of battery from the mobile robot 100 and display the state of charge of the battery and the remaining amount of battery on one side of the screen of the display unit.

Referring to FIG. 2, the mobile robot further includes a power supply unit 170. The power supply unit 170 includes a rechargeable battery to supply power to the mobile robot. The power supply unit supplies driving power to each unit, and operating power for moving, patrolling, or cleaning the mobile robot. If the remaining power is insufficient, the power supply unit is charged to receive a charging current. The mobile robot further includes a battery detection unit that detects a charging state of the battery and transmits a detection result to the control unit 120. The battery is connected to the battery sensing unit so that the battery remaining amount and the charging state are transmitted to the control unit 120. The battery remaining amount can be displayed on the screen of the output unit. The battery may be located at the lower center of the mobile robot, or may be located at either the left or the right side so that the dust container is located at the bottom of the main body. In the latter case, the mobile robot may further comprise a counterweight to eliminate the weight bias of the battery.

The control unit 120 previously sets a reference value (remaining battery level), and compares the remaining battery level with a reference value. As a result of the comparison, if the detection result is less than or equal to the reference value, the control unit 120 moves the mobile robot to the charging station to perform charging. In one example, the control unit 120 may stop the other operation according to the charging command from the terminal device and move the charging operation to the charging station to perform charging. As another example, the control unit 120 may extract a charge command, perform a charge command according to a result of comparison between the remaining battery level and the reference value, or perform the previous operation as it is.

The mobile robot has left and right main wheels which are movable on both lower sides thereof. On either side of the main wheel, a handle may be provided to facilitate user's grip. The driving unit 180 is connected to the left and right main wheels and includes a predetermined wheel motor for rotating the wheels to move the mobile robot by driving the wheel motor. The wheel motors are respectively connected to the main wheels so that the main wheels rotate, and the wheel motors operate independently of each other and can rotate in both directions. In addition, the mobile robot is provided with one or more auxiliary wheels on the rear side to support the main body, to minimize friction between the lower surface and the bottom surface (cleaned surface) of the main body and to facilitate the movement of the mobile robot.

When the mobile robot is a robot cleaner, the mobile robot may further include a cleaning unit (not shown). The cleaning unit includes a dust container in which dust collected is stored, a suction fan providing power to suck dust in the cleaning area, and a suction motor rotating the suction fan to suck air, thereby removing surrounding dust or foreign matter. Inhale.

Referring to FIG. 4, a terminal device according to an embodiment includes a wireless communication unit 210, a controller 220, and a display 230.

The wireless communication unit 210 transmits a control signal generated by the controller 220 to the mobile robot 100, and receives one or more data and a response signal according to the control signal from the mobile robot 100. Here, the one or more data includes image information, obstacle information, location information, an internal map (cleaning map), a cleaning area, state information, update information of a control program, and the like. The wireless communication unit 210 includes one or more modules that enable wireless communication between the terminal device 200 and the wireless communication system, between a plurality of terminal devices, or between a network located between the terminal device and the mobile robot 100. can do. For example, the wireless communication unit 210 may include a broadcast receiving module, a mobile communication module, a wireless Internet module, a short distance communication module, and a location information module.

The broadcast receiving module receives broadcast signals and / or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management server through a broadcast channel. Mobile communication module Transmits and receives radio signals to and from a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network. The wireless signal may include various types of data depending on a voice call signal, a video call signal or a text / multimedia message transmission / reception. The wireless Internet module refers to a module for wireless Internet access, and may be built in or enclosed in a terminal device. Wireless Internet technologies may include Wireless LAN (Wi-Fi), Wireless Broadband (Wibro), World Interoperability for Microwave Access (Wimax), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), and the like. The short-range communication module literally means a module for short-range communication. Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), infrared data association (IrDA), Ultra Wideband (UWB), ZigBee, and the like can be used as a short range communication technology.

The display 230 is provided with a touch recognition area for receiving a control command including an update command. In addition, the display unit 230 may display a touch recognition area further including a first area having a predetermined size on which a control screen is displayed and receiving the control command and a second area having a size smaller than or equal to the first area. Can be. Of course, in the case of a mobile phone or a notebook computer having no touch screen (touch pad), the touch recognition area is not formed, and an input part for receiving a control command instead of touch recognition and an output part for displaying a control screen can be distinguished.

The display unit 230 displays information processed by the terminal device. That is, the display unit 230 displays a control screen. For example, when the terminal device is in the call mode, a UI (User Interface) or GUI (Graphic User Interface) associated with the call is displayed. The display unit 230 may be a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode, a flexible display, a three-dimensional display 3D display).

In the case where the display unit 230 and the touch sensor that detects the touch operation form a mutual layer structure, the display unit 230 may be a touch screen that can be input in addition to the output. The touch sensor may have the form of, for example, a touch film, a touch sheet, a touch pad, or the like. The touch sensor may be configured to convert a change in a pressure applied to a specific part of the display part 230 or a capacitance generated in a specific part of the display part 230 into an electrical input signal. The touch sensor can be configured to detect not only the position and area to be touched but also the pressure at the time of touch. The touch sensor may be a proximity sensor capable of performing proximity-touch in which a pointer is not actually touched on the screen but approaches a predetermined distance from the screen. The proximity sensor refers to a sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object approaching a predetermined detection surface or a nearby object without mechanical contact using the force of an electromagnetic field or infrared rays. In the present invention, the touch recognition is a proximity touch that allows the user to recognize that the pointer is positioned on the touch screen without being touched on the touch screen, and the pointer is actually touched on the touch screen. It includes both contact touch.

Referring to FIG. 6, the terminal device may further include a memory 240. The memory 240 may store a program for the operation of the control unit 220. The memory 240 may also store input / output data (e.g., phonebook, message, still image, moving picture, etc.). The memory 240 may pre-pattern and store a control signal for controlling the mobile robot and a control command corresponding thereto. The memory 240 may further store update data for the control program of the connected mobile robot.

The terminal apparatus may further include an A / V (Audio / Video) input unit, a user input unit, a sensing unit, an interface unit, and a power supply unit.

The A / V (Audio / Video) input unit is for inputting an audio signal or a video signal, and may include a camera and a microphone. The user input unit generates input data for controlling the operation of the terminal device by the user. The user input unit may include a key pad, a dome switch, a touch pad (static / static), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like. In particular, when the touch pad has a mutual layer structure with the display unit 230, it is referred to as a touch screen. The sensing unit senses the state of the terminal device such as the open / close state of the terminal device, the position of the terminal device, the presence of the user, the orientation of the terminal device, and the acceleration / deceleration of the terminal device, and generates a sensing signal for controlling the operation.

The interface unit serves as a pathway to all the external devices connected to the terminal device 200. The interface unit receives data from an external device, receives power from the external device, transfers the data to each component in the terminal device, or allows data in the terminal device to be transmitted to the external device. The power supply unit receives external power and internal power under the control of the controller 220 and supplies power necessary for operation of the respective components.

The control unit 220 generally controls the overall operation of the terminal device. For example, in the case of a mobile phone or smart phone, it performs related control and processing for voice call, data communication, video call, and the like. In addition, the control unit 220 can perform pattern recognition processing that can recognize the handwriting input or drawing input performed on the display unit 230 as characters and images, respectively.

The controller 220 generates a control signal corresponding to a control command for the mobile robot 100, and generates a control screen using data and a response signal. Here, the control command includes a cleaning command, a moving command, a patrol command, a charging command, a setting change, an update command, and the like.

For example, the terminal device may generate an update command by checking whether the update information of the control program of the mobile robot received through the wireless communication unit is the latest information.

Referring to FIG. 7, a method of remotely controlling a mobile robot according to an embodiment may include: receiving, by the mobile robot, a control signal from the terminal device; extracting, by the mobile robot, an update command from the control signal; And (S130) the mobile robot accesses a server storing update data for the control program, and the mobile robot performs an update using the update data (S140). Hereinafter, a configuration of a remote control system for a mobile robot including a mobile robot and a terminal device for controlling the mobile robot will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

The terminal device 200 receives a control command and generates a control signal accordingly. Here, the control command includes a cleaning command, a moving command, a patrol command, a charging command, a setting change, an update command, and the like. If the terminal apparatus checks the update information of the control program of the mobile robot, and if it is not the latest information, generates a control signal corresponding to the update command in accordance with the communication protocol, and transmits the control signal to the mobile robot 100 through the network. After receiving the control signal, the mobile robot terminates the connection with the terminal device if the command written in the control signal is an update command (S120). Then, the mobile robot accesses the server where the update data is stored (S130), downloads the update data, and performs an update command (S140).

The remote control method may further include the step of the terminal device confirming update information of the control program (S110), and the terminal device generating the control signal according to the update information.

After completing the update, the mobile robot transmits a connection confirmation signal to the terminal device again. The terminal device generates and displays a control screen using one or more data from the mobile robot (S160 and S170), receives a control command, and transmits a control signal to the mobile robot to control the mobile robot (S180 and S190).

As another example, the terminal device may access a server storing update data for a control program through a wireless communication unit, download the update data, and transmit the updated data to the mobile robot.

Referring to FIG. 8, in a remote control method of a mobile robot according to another exemplary embodiment, the terminal device accesses the server to download the update data (S221, S222), and the terminal. The apparatus further comprises the step of transmitting the update data to the mobile robot (S230).

The terminal device 200 receives a control command and generates a control signal accordingly. Here, the control command includes a cleaning command, a moving command, a patrol command, a charging command, a setting change, an update command, and the like. If the terminal apparatus checks the update information of the control program of the mobile robot, and if it is not the latest information, generates a control signal corresponding to the update command in accordance with the communication protocol, and transmits the control signal to the mobile robot 100 through the network. At this time, if the connected mobile robot needs an update, the terminal device connects to the server where the update data is stored (S221), downloads the update data, and transmits it to the mobile robot (S222).

After completing the update, the mobile robot transmits a connection confirmation signal to the terminal device again. The terminal device receives a control command (S281), generates a control signal according to the control command, and transmits the control signal to the mobile robot (S282, S283). The mobile robot executes a control command and transmits a response signal to the terminal device (S290, S291), and the terminal device displays a control screen on the screen of the display unit (S292).

Referring to FIG. 7 or 8, a method of remotely controlling a mobile robot may include: requesting, by the terminal device, to the mobile robot (S10), authenticating, by the mobile robot, (S20), and The mobile robot may further include the step of approving and confirming the connection of the terminal device (S30), and the step of displaying the initial control screen by the terminal device (S40).

First, when a terminal device executes a remote control program for remotely controlling a mobile robot, a login window for inputting login information for the mobile robot is generated. The remote control program may be stored in the memory of the terminal device or downloaded from a server storing the remote control program. For example, in the case of a smartphone, a remote control program is downloaded in the form of an app (App.), Displayed on the screen of the display unit in the form of an icon, and then executed when the user touches the icon. When the user inputs the login information, the terminal device requests a connection to the corresponding mobile robot (S10). The mobile robot performs authentication on the login information, and the terminal device may display a message on the screen during the connection.

The terminal device may be connected to one of the plurality of mobile robots. The display unit displays a plurality of connectable mobile robots in the form of a list or an icon. When the user or the like selects one of the plurality of mobile robots, the mobile robot performs authentication on the terminal device.

The mobile robot transmits an access confirmation signal to the terminal device after authentication (S30), and the terminal device displays an initial control screen (S40). The initial control screen may be displayed including the option menu, or only data such as image information and cleaning map may be displayed. In the latter case, when the touch input to the first area is received, the display unit can display the option menu. The control unit may display the data after the display unit temporarily displays the option menu on the initial control screen.

If the login information does not match the stored authentication information, the mobile robot transmits a connection rejection signal to the terminal device. Then, the terminal device 'does not match the ID or password. Please check and try again. " If the mobile robot to be connected is connected to another terminal device or the mobile robot to be connected is being used by another user, the display unit may display an error message. The terminal device can display the guidance message according to the communication method. If the mobile robot selected by the user is not registered or the network is not connected, an error message may be displayed.

Referring to FIG. 5A, the controller 220 generates a control screen using data received by the wireless communication unit 210 from the mobile robot, for example, an internal map, image information, obstacle information, location information, and status information. . The control screen may be divided into one or more regions as shown in FIG. 5A. Referring to FIG. 5A, the display unit 230 may divide the touch recognition area into three areas, and may receive image information in the first area, an internal map in the second area, and a control command in the third area. Displays icons and the like.

As illustrated in FIG. 5A, when the mobile robot is performing a control command or is waiting, when the touch is input to the first area, the display unit displays an option menu. The configuration of the option menu may vary depending on the design. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 5A, the option menu may include menus such as recording, interphone, lighting, cleaning schedule, setting, and the like. The display unit may further display an icon that enables manual operation of the mobile robot. When the cleaning command is input through the manual operation, the terminal device generates a control signal and transmits it to the mobile robot. When the terminal device detects a touch input for a setting icon from a user or the like as illustrated in FIG. 5A, the terminal device starts to change the setting of the mobile robot.

Referring to FIG. 5B, the display unit displays user and cleaner information on a screen. This includes the user information currently connected, the product name, the version currently in use and the latest version of the control program. If the versions of the control program are different, an update command can be automatically generated and sent to the mobile robot. In addition, when the user or the like confirms that the versions of the control programs are different, and then touches the update button, the terminal device may generate and transmit an update command to the mobile robot.

As illustrated in FIG. 5C, the display unit may display a message corresponding to performing an update on the screen. In addition, as shown in FIG. 5D, the display unit may display a message indicating that the mobile robot cannot be used on the screen. In this case, it can be seen that the connection between the mobile robot and the terminal device is terminated. As shown in Fig. 5E, when there are several connectable mobile robots, it can be displayed as a list or an icon, and it can be seen that the connection between the mobile robot and the terminal device is terminated during the update. In this case, the display unit may display a guide message such as 'check the network connection status' on the screen.

When the update of the control program of the mobile robot is completed, as shown in FIG. 5F, the display unit displays a completion message of 'update is complete' on the screen. In this case, it can be seen that the mobile robot and the terminal device are connected again.

6 shows a case where the control program update of the mobile robot is set to be performed only during charging. That is, even if the update command is transmitted while the mobile robot is performing a control command other than charging, the mobile robot does not perform the update command. In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the display unit may display an error message on the screen.

As described above, embodiments of the present invention enable the mobile robot to be controlled in various ways by connecting the terminal device and the mobile robot through a network. In addition, embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to check the status of the house in real time from the outside, and to be able to quickly respond to the state of the mobile robot. Further, embodiments of the present invention automatically update the control program included in the mobile robot so that the mobile robot always has the latest control program.

100: mobile robot 200: terminal device
110: communication unit 120: control unit
130: storage unit 141: image detection unit
142: obstacle detection unit 143: position recognition unit
150: input unit 160: output unit
170: power supply unit 180: drive unit
210: wireless communication unit 220: control unit
230: display unit 240: memory

Claims (15)

A storage unit for storing a control program for driving the mobile robot;
A communication unit for receiving a control signal from an external terminal device and transmitting update information of the control program to the terminal device; And
And a control unit extracting an update command from the control signal and updating the control program according to the update command.
Wherein the control unit comprises:
The mobile robot updating the control program only when it is charging. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the control unit comprises:
A mobile robot, characterized in that for accessing a server storing update data for the control program and downloading the update data. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the control unit comprises:
A mobile robot, characterized in that connected to the server every predetermined time period, and confirming the update information. The method according to claim 1,
The communication unit comprising:
Receiving update data for the control program from the terminal device,
Wherein the control unit comprises:
And the control program is updated using the update data. The method of claim 1, wherein the control unit,
And if not charging, generating an error message indicating that the control program cannot be updated according to the update command. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the control unit comprises:
The mobile robot, characterized in that for disconnecting the terminal device and updating the control program. A mobile robot that transmits update information of a control program and updates the control program according to an update command; And
And a terminal device for controlling the mobile robot using a control command and generating the update command according to the update information and transmitting the generated update command to the mobile robot.
The mobile robot,
Updating the control program only when it is charging. The method of claim 7, wherein
The terminal apparatus comprises:
A wireless communication unit transmitting a control signal to the mobile robot and receiving one or more data including the update information from the mobile robot;
A controller configured to generate the control signal using the control command or the update command and to generate a control screen using the data; And
And a display unit configured to receive the control command or the update command, and to display the control screen. The method of claim 8,
The touch recognition area may further include a first area having a predetermined size on which the control screen is displayed and receiving the control command, and a second area having a size smaller than or equal to the first area. Remote control system. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9,
The terminal apparatus comprises:
A remote control system of a mobile robot, characterized in that connected to the server that stores the update data for the control program, and downloads the update data to the mobile robot. In a remote control system of a mobile robot including a mobile robot having a control program to drive itself, and a terminal device for controlling the mobile robot,
Receiving, by the mobile robot, a control signal from the terminal device;
Extracting, by the mobile robot, an update command from the control signal;
Accessing, by the mobile robot, a server storing update data for the control program; And
Performing the update by the mobile robot using the update data;
Performing the update,
Determining whether the mobile robot is being charged;
The remote control method of the mobile robot to perform the update only when the charging is determined as a result. 12. The method of claim 11,
Confirming, by the terminal device, update information of the control program; And
Generating, by the terminal device, the control signal according to the update information. The method of claim 12,
The terminal device accessing the server and downloading the update data; And
And transmitting, by the terminal device, the update data to the mobile robot. The method of claim 11, wherein performing the update comprises:
And generating an error message indicating that the control program cannot be updated according to the update command when the mobile robot is not charging. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13,
And terminating the connection with the terminal device before the mobile robot performs the update.

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