KR102654483B1 - Method and system for controlling drawer mode of autonomous driving robot - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method of controlling a drawer mode of an autonomous robot, executed by at least one processor. A method of controlling the drawer mode of a self-driving robot includes controlling the self-driving robot to move to a pick-up location to load items, in response to determining that the self-driving robot has arrived at the pick-up location, setting the drawer to an automatic mode. controlling to open, in response to determining that the drawer is fully open in the pick position, switching the drawer to a manual mode or semi-automatic mode, and determining that the drawer is fully closed in the manual mode or semi-automatic mode. In response, controlling the self-driving robot to move to a delivery location to deliver the goods, wherein the self-driving robot includes a drawer configured to operate in any one of a manual mode, an automatic mode, and a semi-automatic mode.

Description

Method and system for controlling drawer mode of autonomous driving robot {METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING DRAWER MODE OF AUTONOMOUS DRIVING ROBOT}

The present disclosure relates to a method, system, and building for controlling the drawer mode of an autonomous robot, and specifically, to a method, system, and building for controlling the operating state of a drawer included in an autonomous robot.

Self-driving robot refers to a technology that can autonomously drive a robot by recognizing the surrounding environment using radar, LIDAR (light detection and ranging), GPS, cameras, etc. Recently, a variety of self-driving robot services have been developed and utilized to provide services to people using self-driving robot technology. One of them is a service that delivers goods using self-driving robots inside a building.

Meanwhile, self-driving robots are generally developed for the purpose of operating with minimal or no human intervention. For this reason, in many self-driving robots, drawers included for loading items are set to open or close automatically. In this case, there is a problem that it is difficult to respond to various situations that may occur when providing various services using self-driving robots.

The present disclosure provides a method for controlling a drawer mode of an autonomous robot, a computer program stored in a recording medium, a system (device), and a building to solve the above problems.

The present disclosure may be implemented in various ways, including as a method, system (device), computer program stored in a readable storage medium, or building.

A method of controlling the drawer mode of a self-driving robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes controlling the self-driving robot to move to a pickup location to load goods, and responding to determining that the self-driving robot has arrived at the pickup location. Thus, controlling the drawer to open in an automatic mode, in response to determining that the drawer is fully open in the pickup position, switching the drawer to a manual mode or semi-automatic mode, and allowing the drawer to fully open in the manual mode or semi-automatic mode. In response to determining that it is in a closed state, controlling the autonomous robot to move to a delivery location to deliver the item, wherein the autonomous robot is configured to operate the drawer in any one of a manual mode, an automatic mode, and a semi-automatic mode. Includes.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer program stored in a computer-readable recording medium is provided to execute a method of controlling a drawer mode of an autonomous robot on a computer.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a robot control system is provided. The robot control system includes a communication module, a display, a memory, and at least one processor connected to the memory and configured to execute a computer-readable program included in the memory, wherein the at least one program allows the autonomous robot to load an article. Controlling the drawer to move to the pickup location, controlling the drawer to open in an automatic mode in response to the autonomous robot determining that it has arrived at the pickup location, and controlling the drawer to open in an automatic mode, and in response to determining that the drawer is fully open at the pickup location, Switching to a manual mode or semi-automatic mode, and in response to determining that the drawer is fully closed in the manual mode or semi-automatic mode, include instructions for controlling the autonomous robot to move to a delivery location to deliver the goods, The self-driving robot includes a drawer configured to operate in any one of a manual mode, an automatic mode, and a semi-automatic mode.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a building is provided. The building is arranged with at least one delivery robot that travels within the building and provides services, the at least one delivery robot is controlled by a robot control system, the robot control system is connected to a communication module, a memory, and a memory, and the memory and at least one processor configured to execute a computer-readable program, wherein the at least one program controls the autonomous robot to move to a pickup location to load the goods, and determines that the autonomous robot has arrived at the pickup location. In response to determining, controlling the drawer to open in the automatic mode, and in response to determining that the drawer is fully open in the pickup position, switching the drawer to the manual mode or semi-automatic mode, and controlling the drawer to open in the manual mode or semi-automatic mode. In response to determining that the robot is in a fully closed state, it includes instructions for controlling the autonomous robot to move to a delivery location to deliver the goods, and causes the autonomous robot to operate in any one of a manual mode, an automatic mode, and a semi-automatic mode. Includes configured drawers.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the self-driving robot includes a drawer configured to operate in any one of a manual mode, an automatic mode, and a semi-automatic mode, and controls the operation of the drawer appropriately for various situations that may occur while providing a service. , efficient delivery of goods using autonomous robots is possible.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, by providing the user with an error message and a notification message related to the operating state of the drawer, it is possible to enable the user using the self-driving robot service to take appropriate action, thereby providing an efficient service using the self-driving robot. It is possible to provide.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the robot control system determines whether the item is normally loaded in the drawer of the self-driving robot or whether the user properly removes the item, so that the item delivered to the user is delivered missing or delivered. This can prevent the self-driving robot from leaving the delivery location without completion.

The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be explained by those skilled in the art in the technical field to which this disclosure pertains from the description of the claims (hereinafter referred to as 'the person skilled in the art'). can be clearly understood.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings described below, in which like reference numerals indicate like elements, but are not limited thereto.
1 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a user receives goods using an autonomous robot traveling inside a building according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration in which a plurality of robots and a robot control system are connected to communicate through a network.
Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of a robot and a robot control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 4 shows an example of a drawer mode scenario depending on the position of the robot and the state of the drawer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 5 shows an example in which a drawer of an autonomous robot operates in a manual mode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 6 shows an example in which a drawer of an autonomous robot operates in a semi-automatic mode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 7 shows an example in which a drawer of a self-driving robot operates in an automatic mode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 8 shows an example in which two proximity sensors are placed on the bottom of a drawer of an autonomous robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 9 is a flowchart showing a method of controlling the drawer mode of an autonomous robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, specific details for implementing the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, in the following description, detailed descriptions of well-known functions or configurations will be omitted if there is a risk of unnecessarily obscuring the gist of the present disclosure.

In the accompanying drawings, identical or corresponding components are given the same reference numerals. Additionally, in the description of the following embodiments, overlapping descriptions of identical or corresponding components may be omitted. However, even if descriptions of components are omitted, it is not intended that such components are not included in any embodiment.

Advantages and features of the disclosed embodiments and methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the embodiments described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various different forms. The present embodiments are merely provided to ensure that the present disclosure is complete and that the present disclosure does not convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. It is provided only for complete information.

Terms used in this specification will be briefly described, and the disclosed embodiments will be described in detail. The terms used in this specification are general terms that are currently widely used as much as possible while considering the function in the present disclosure, but this may vary depending on the intention or precedent of a technician working in the related field, the emergence of new technology, etc. In addition, in certain cases, there are terms arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in this case, the meaning will be described in detail in the description of the relevant invention. Accordingly, the terms used in this disclosure should be defined based on the meaning of the term and the overall content of the present disclosure, rather than simply the name of the term.

In this specification, singular expressions include plural expressions, unless the context clearly specifies the singular. Additionally, plural expressions include singular expressions, unless the context clearly specifies plural expressions. When it is said that a certain part includes a certain element throughout the specification, this does not mean excluding other elements, but may further include other elements, unless specifically stated to the contrary.

Additionally, the term 'module' or 'unit' used in the specification refers to a software or hardware component, and the 'module' or 'unit' performs certain roles. However, 'module' or 'unit' is not limited to software or hardware. A 'module' or 'unit' may be configured to reside on an addressable storage medium and may be configured to run on one or more processors. Thus, as an example, a 'module' or 'part' refers to components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components and task components, processes, functions and properties. , procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, or variables. Components and 'modules' or 'parts' may be combined into smaller components and 'modules' or 'parts' or further components and 'modules' or 'parts'. Could be further separated.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a 'module' or 'unit' may be implemented with a processor and memory. 'Processor' should be interpreted broadly to include general-purpose processors, central processing units (CPUs), microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), controllers, microcontrollers, state machines, etc. In some contexts, 'processor' may refer to an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), programmable logic device (PLD), field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc. 'Processor' refers to a combination of processing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a combination of a plurality of microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors in combination with a DSP core, or any other such combination of configurations. You may. Additionally, 'memory' should be interpreted broadly to include any electronic component capable of storing electronic information. 'Memory' refers to random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable-programmable read-only memory (EPROM), May also refer to various types of processor-readable media, such as electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), flash memory, magnetic or optical data storage, registers, etc. A memory is said to be in electronic communication with a processor if the processor can read information from and/or write information to the memory. The memory integrated into the processor is in electronic communication with the processor.

In the present disclosure, 'system' may include at least one of a server device and a cloud device, but is not limited thereto. For example, a system may consist of one or more server devices. As another example, a system may consist of one or more cloud devices. As another example, the system may be operated with a server device and a cloud device configured together.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a user 110 receives an article 142 using an autonomous robot 130 traveling inside a building according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The self-driving robot 130 can autonomously drive within a building and deliver the goods 142 using a drawer 140 (or robot loading box) capable of loading the goods 142. The movement and operation of the self-driving robot 130 may be controlled by a robot control system. The self-driving robot 130 may include one or more drawers.

Since the self-driving robot 130 drives autonomously with minimal or no human intervention, it is necessary to appropriately control the state of the drawer to prevent delivery items from being damaged or contaminated by other people or obstacles. For example, when the self-driving robot 130 loads goods in a hygienically managed space (e.g., kitchen), the robot control system controls the drawer 140 to open in automatic mode to load the goods, After items are loaded, the drawer can be controlled to operate in manual or semi-automatic mode so that it can be quickly closed. Additionally, the robot control system may control the self-driving robot 130 to maintain a locked state to prevent the items from being stolen or accidentally removed while the autonomous robot 130 moves with the items 142 loaded on it. In addition, when the autonomous robot 130 arrives at the delivery location and determines that the user 110 has completed user authentication through the user terminal 120, the robot control system controls the drawer to open in automatic mode. You can.

Meanwhile, since the self-driving robot 130 operates with minimal human intervention, it is necessary to control the drawer 140 so that it can operate in response to various exceptional situations. For example, if the drawer 140 encounters an obstacle while being opened in automatic mode for loading goods, the robot control system may switch the drawer 140 to manual mode so that a person can control it. In one embodiment, when the above failure situation occurs, the robot control system transmits a drawer open error message to the user terminal associated with the user loading the items or sends a drawer open error message to the user terminal of the self-driving robot 130 so that the user can take appropriate action. You can control the display/speaker to display an open error message.

As another example, if the drawer 140 is loaded with goods in manual mode and is not closed for a long time, the robot control system may switch the drawer 140 to automatic mode and control the drawer 140 to close. In addition, the robot control system allows the user 110 to complete user authentication through the user terminal 120, etc. when the self-driving robot 130 arrives at the delivery location, so that the drawer is opened in automatic mode and the drawer is left open for a long time. If the item is not emptied and the item remains loaded, the drawer 140 may be controlled to close in an automatic mode to prevent theft of the item 142. In this case, the robot control system can control the self-driving robot 130 to stop at the corresponding location and send a notification message to the user terminal 120 associated with the user receiving the item to take appropriate action. Additionally, if the drawer 140 encounters an obstacle while being opened in automatic mode at the receiving position, the robot control system may switch the drawer 140 to manual mode so that a person can control it. Additionally, the robot control system may control the drawer 140 to open in an automatic mode if the drawer 140 is not closed due to an obstacle or the like while being closed in an automatic mode at the receiving position. In this case, when the drawer 140 is completely opened, the robot control system transmits an error message to the user terminal 120 so that the user can take appropriate action, or outputs an error message from the display/speaker of the self-driving robot 130. You can control it.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration in which a plurality of robots 212_1, 212_2, and 212_3 and a robot control system 230 are connected to communicate through a network 220. The robot control system 230 may be configured to control the movement and/or operation of a plurality of robots 212_1, 212_2, and 212_3 through the network 220. According to one embodiment, the robot control system 230 includes computer executable programs (e.g., downloadable applications) and data related to controlling the movement and/or operation of a plurality of robots 212_1, 212_2, and 212_3. It may include one or more server devices and/or databases capable of storing, providing and executing, or one or more distributed computing devices and/or distributed databases based on cloud computing services. The robot control system 230 may be located inside the building 100 where the robot 212 is located or outside the building 100.

A plurality of robots 212_1, 212_2, and 212_3 can travel inside the building 210 and communicate with the robot control system 230 through the network 220. The network 220 may be configured to enable communication between a plurality of robots 212_1, 212_2, and 212_3 and the robot control system 230. Depending on the installation environment, the network 220 may be, for example, a wired network 220 such as Ethernet, a wired home network (Power Line Communication), a telephone line communication device, and RS-serial communication, a mobile communication network, or a WLAN (Wireless Network). It may be comprised of a wireless network 220 such as LAN), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and ZigBee, or a combination thereof. The communication method is not limited, and may include a communication method utilizing a communication network that the network 220 may include (e.g., a mobile communication network, wired Internet, wireless Internet, broadcasting network, satellite network, etc.), as well as a communication method using a plurality of robots (212_1, 212_2, 212_3), short-range wireless communication may also be included. For example, the network 220 may include a personal area network (PAN), a local area network (LAN), a campus area network (CAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a wide area network (WAN), and a broadband network (BBN). , may include one or more arbitrary networks among the networks 220, such as the Internet. Additionally, the network 220 may include any one or more of network topologies including a bus network, star network, ring network, mesh network, star-bus network, tree or hierarchical network, etc. Not limited.

In FIG. 2, the goods/food delivery robot 212_1, the guidance robot 212_2, and the beverage delivery robot 212_3 are shown as examples of robots, but they are not limited thereto, and the plurality of robots 212_1, 212_2, and 212_3 may use wireless communication. It can be any robot capable of autonomous driving. In addition, in FIG. 2, three robots (212_1, 212_2, 212_3) are shown communicating with the robot control system 230 through the network 220, but this is not limited to this, and a different number of robots (212_1, 212_2, 212_3) may be configured to communicate with the robot control system 230 via the network 220.

According to one embodiment, the robot control system 230 may receive location information from at least one robot 212_1, 212_2, and 212_3. Robot control system 230 then, in response to determining that robots 212_1, 212_2, 212_3 are located within a pick-up location or within a delivery location, or that robots 212_1, 212_2, 212_3 are moving, robot 212_1 , 212_2, 212_3) can control the operation of the drawer. That is, the robot control system 230 provides location information and status information (moving, item loading complete, drawer empty, drawer open/close error due to obstacle, user authentication completed, etc.) of the robots 212_1, 212_2, and 212_3. Based on this, the drawer operation mode (automatic mode, semi-automatic mode, manual mode, lock mode, etc.) of the robots 212_1, 212_2, and 212_3 can be controlled.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the robot 212 and the robot control system 230 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The robot 212 may refer to any traveling device capable of executing a robot application, wired/wireless communication, and autonomous driving, for example, the goods/food delivery robot 212_1 and the guide robot 212_2 in FIG. 2 ) and a beverage delivery robot (212_3). As shown, the robot 212 may include a memory 312, a processor 314, a communication module 316, and an input/output interface 318. Similarly, the robot control system 230 may include a memory 332, a processor 334, a communication module 336, and an input/output interface 338. As shown in FIG. 3, the robot 212 and the robot control system 230 may be configured to communicate information and/or data over a network 220 using respective communication modules 316 and 336. You can. Additionally, the input/output device 320 may be configured to input information and/or data to the robot 212 or output information and/or data generated from the robot 212 through the input/output interface 318.

Memories 312 and 332 may include any non-transitory computer-readable recording medium. According to one embodiment, the memories 312 and 332 are non-perishable mass storage devices such as random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), disk drive, solid state drive (SSD), and flash memory. It may include a (permanent mass storage device). As another example, non-perishable mass storage devices such as ROM, SSD, flash memory, disk drive, etc. may be included in the robot 212 or the robot control system 230 as a separate persistent storage device that is distinct from memory. In addition, the memories 312 and 332 include an operating system and at least one program code (for example, a robot application installed and driven in the robot 212 or a robot control application installed and driven in the robot control system 230, etc. code) can be saved.

These software components may be loaded from a computer-readable recording medium separate from the memories 312 and 332. These separate computer-readable recording media may include recording media directly connectable to the robot 212 and the robot control system 230, for example, floppy drives, disks, tapes, and DVD/CD-ROMs. It may include computer-readable recording media such as drives and memory cards. As another example, software components may be loaded into the memories 312 and 332 through a communication module rather than a computer-readable recording medium. For example, at least one program is a computer program (e.g., robot application, robot control application) installed by files provided through the network 220 by developers or a file distribution system that distributes installation files for the application. Based on this, it can be loaded into the memories 312 and 332.

The processors 314 and 334 may be configured to process instructions of a computer program by performing basic arithmetic, logic, and input/output operations. Instructions may be provided to the processors 314 and 334 by memories 312 and 332 or communication modules 316 and 336. For example, the processors 314 and 334 may be configured to execute instructions received according to program codes stored in a recording device such as the memory 312 and 332.

Communication modules 316 and 336 may provide configuration or functionality for the robot 212 and the robot control system 230 to communicate with each other via the network 220, and may provide a configuration or function for the robot 212 and/or the robot control system ( 230) may provide a configuration or function for communicating with other robots or other systems (for example, a separate cloud system, etc.). For example, information generated by the processor 314 of the robot 212 according to the program code stored in a recording device such as the memory 312 (e.g., data on location information, drawer status information, drawer operation information, failure Notification information) may be transmitted to the robot control system 230 through the network 220 under the control of the communication module 316. Conversely, a control signal or command provided under the control of the processor 334 of the robot control system 230 is transmitted to the robot through the communication module 316 of the robot 212 through the communication module 336 and the network 220. It can be received at (212). For example, the robot 212 may receive robot control information, drawer control information, error messages, failure notification display commands, etc. from the robot control system 230 through the communication module 316.

The input/output interface 318 may be a means for interfacing with the input/output device 320. As an example, the input device may include devices such as a camera including an image sensor, a keyboard, a microphone, and a mouse, and the output device may include devices such as a display, a speaker, and a haptic feedback device. As another example, the input/output interface 318 may be a means for interfacing with a device that has components or functions for performing input and output, such as a touch screen, integrated into one. For example, when the processor 314 of the robot 212 processes commands of a computer program loaded in the memory 312, it uses information and/or data provided by the robot control system 230 or another robot 212. A service screen constructed using the service screen may be displayed on the display through the input/output interface 318. In FIG. 3 , the input/output device 320 is shown not to be included in the robot 212, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be configured as a single device with the robot 212. Additionally, the input/output interface 338 of the robot control system 230 may be connected to the robot control system 230 or means for interfacing with a device (not shown) for input or output that the robot control system 230 may include. It can be. In FIG. 3, the input/output interfaces 318 and 338 are shown as elements configured separately from the processors 314 and 334, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the input/output interfaces 318 and 338 may be configured to be included in the processors 314 and 334. there is.

Robot 212 and robot control system 230 may include more components than those of FIG. 3 . However, there is no need to clearly show most prior art components. According to one embodiment, the robot 212 may be implemented to include at least some of the input/output devices 320 described above. Additionally, the robot 212 may further include other components such as a transceiver, a Global Positioning system (GPS) module, a camera, various sensors, and a database. For example, if the robot 212 is a delivery-only robot, it may include components that delivery robots typically include, such as an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a proximity sensor, a weight detection sensor, etc. Various components such as various sensors, camera modules, various physical buttons, buttons using a touch panel, input/output ports, and vibrators for vibration may be implemented to be further included in the robot 212.

According to one embodiment, the processor 314 of the robot 212 may be configured to drive autonomously under the control of the robot control system 230. At this time, the program code associated with this may be loaded into the memory 312 of the robot 212. While the robot 212 is traveling, the processor 314 of the robot 212 receives information and/or data provided from the input/output device 320 through the input/output interface 318 or controls the robot through the communication module 316. Information and/or data may be received from system 230 and the received information and/or data may be processed and stored in memory 312 . Additionally, such information and/or data may be provided to the robot control system 230 through the communication module 316.

While the robot is running, the processor 314 inputs or selects text, images, videos, etc. through input devices such as a touch screen, keyboard, camera including an audio sensor and/or an image sensor, and a microphone connected to the input/output interface 318. Voice, etc. can be received, and the received text, image, video, and/or voice, etc. can be stored in the memory 312 or provided to the robot control system 230 through the communication module 316 and network 220. there is. For example, the processor 314 may receive information about user authentication, etc. through an input device such as a touch screen or keyboard. Accordingly, the received request and/or information may be provided to the robot control system 230 via the communication module 316 and network 220.

The processor 314 of the robot 212 is configured to manage, process, and/or store information and/or data received from the input/output device 320, other robots, the robot control system 230, and/or a plurality of external systems. It can be. Information and/or data processed by processor 314 may be provided to robot control system 230 via communication module 316 and network 220. The processor 314 of the robot 212 may transmit and output information and/or data to the input/output device 320 through the input/output interface 318. For example, the processor 314 may display the received information and/or data on the screen of the robot 212.

The processor 334 of the robot control system 230 may be configured to manage, process, and/or store information and/or data received from a plurality of robots 212 and/or a plurality of external systems. Information and/or data processed by processor 334 may be provided to robot 212 via communication module 336 and network 220. In FIG. 3, the robot control system 230 is shown as a single system, but it is not limited to this and may be composed of a plurality of systems/servers.

The processor 334 of the robot control system 230 processes the robot 212 through the output device 320, such as a display output capable device (e.g., touch screen, display, etc.) and a voice output capable device (e.g., speaker). It may be configured to output information and/or data. For example, processor 334 of robot control system 230 may, in response to receiving drawer operation error information, transmit data related to control commands of the drawer to robot 212 and send an error message to robot 212. ) can be configured to output through a display output capable device, etc.

Figure 4 shows an example of a drawer mode scenario 400 according to the position of the robot and the state of the drawer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. According to one embodiment, the scenario 400 may define a drawer control method (eg, drawer mode) associated with the operation of the drawer according to the position of the traveling robot and the state of the drawer. For example, the location of the traveling robot may include a loading location (or pickup location) where the goods are loaded, and a receiving location (or delivery location) where the goods are delivered to the recipient. Additionally, the state of the drawer may include an obstacle detection state, an item loading state, an empty state, etc.

According to one embodiment, the scenario 400 may define a drawer mode associated with the operation of the drawer at the loading location. For example, the robot control system may control the drawer to open in automatic mode when it is determined that the autonomous robot has arrived at the pickup location. The drawer can then be switched to manual mode or semi-automatic mode when it is determined that the drawer is fully open in the pickup position to allow the user to place items in the drawer and quickly push it closed. For semi-automatic mode, the robot control system can control the robot to close the drawer to the fully closed state even if the user pushes the drawer closed a threshold distance (e.g., 1/5 of the maximum travel distance). Additionally, after switching to manual or semi-automatic mode, if it is determined that the drawer is not fully closed within a predetermined period of time (e.g., 3 minutes) after items have been loaded, the robot control system will place the drawer in automatic mode. You can control the drawer to close by switching to .

According to one embodiment, the scenario 400 may define a drawer mode associated with the operation of the drawer at the receiving location. For example, the robot control system may keep the drawer closed in automatic mode or place it in locked mode to prevent the drawer from being opened once the self-driving robot has started moving to the delivery location and until the recipient of the item completes user authentication. It can be maintained. Thereafter, the robot control system may control the robot's drawer to open in automatic mode when it is determined that the recipient of the item at the delivery location has completed user authentication. When it is detected that the item recipient has received the item, the robot control system can control the robot's drawer to close in automatic mode. Additionally, after the recipient of the items at the delivery location completes user authentication, if the items remain loaded for a predetermined period of time (e.g. 5 minutes), the robot control system will cause the robot's drawer to close in automatic mode. can be controlled. In this case, the robot control system can control the autonomous robot to wait at the delivery location and send a notification message to the terminal of the recipient of the product so that the recipient can take appropriate action. Additionally or alternatively, the robot control system may output guidance messages through the self-driving robot's display/speakers.

According to one embodiment, the scenario 400 may define a drawer mode associated with the operation of the drawer according to obstacle detection. For example, if the robot control system determines that the drawer is not closed due to an obstacle while closing the drawer in automatic mode at the delivery location, the robot control system may control the drawer to open in automatic mode. Then, when it is determined that the drawer is fully open, the robot control system can switch the drawer to manual mode so that the item recipient can inspect the drawer and open and close it directly. In this case, the robot control system may transmit a drawer closing error message to the terminal of the recipient of the product so that the recipient can take appropriate action. Additionally or alternatively, the robot control system may output guidance messages through the self-driving robot's display/speakers. Additionally, if the robot control system determines that the drawer of the self-driving robot has hit an obstacle while opening in automatic mode at the pickup location, it may switch the drawer to manual mode. In this case, the robot control system may transmit a drawer open error message to the product provider's terminal so that the product provider can take appropriate action. Additionally or alternatively, the robot control system may output an error message through the self-driving robot's display/speaker.

Figure 5 shows an example in which the drawer of the self-driving robot 500 operates in manual mode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. According to one embodiment, the autonomous robot 500 may include one or more drawers 510, 520, and 530. The robot control system may control one or more drawers 510, 520, and 530 of the self-driving robot 500 to operate in any one of a manual mode, an automatic mode, and a semi-automatic mode. In this case, the robot control system can control one or more drawers 510, 520, and 530 of the self-driving robot 500 to operate in the same operating state. Additionally, the robot control system can control each of the one or more drawers 510, 520, and 530 of the self-driving robot 500 to operate in different operating states. For example, in the example shown in Figure 5, the robot control system is controlled so that one drawer 510 operates in manual mode and the remaining two drawers 520 and 530 remain closed in automatic mode. You can.

According to one embodiment, the robot control system may control the drawer 510 of the self-driving robot 500 to operate in a manual mode. When the drawer 510 of the self-driving robot 500 operates in a manual mode, the drawer 510 of the self-driving robot 500 may be opened and closed by the user 540. For example, the user 540 may open the drawer 510 by pulling it until it is fully open. Here, the fully open state of the drawer may indicate a state in which the drawer has moved by the maximum moving distance in the opening direction. Additionally, the user 540 can close the drawer 510 by pushing it until it is completely closed. Here, the fully closed state of the drawer may indicate a state in which the drawer has moved by the maximum moving distance in the closing direction.

Figure 6 shows an example in which a drawer of an autonomous robot operates in a semi-automatic mode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. According to one embodiment, the robot control system may control the drawer 612 of the self-driving robot to operate in a semi-automatic mode.

For example, the drawer 612 of the self-driving robot may operate in a semi-automatic mode and open and close through the first to fourth states 610, 620, 630, and 640. The first state 610 and the second state 620 represent an example of a state in which the drawer of the self-driving robot operates in a semi-automatic mode and opens. When the user 614 pulls and opens the drawer 612 of the self-driving robot by a threshold distance (e.g., 1/5 of the maximum movement distance), the robot control system keeps the drawer 612 of the self-driving robot fully open. It can be controlled to open until . Here, the fully open state may represent a state in which the drawer has moved by the maximum moving distance in the opening direction.

The third state 630 and the fourth state 640 represent an example of a state in which the drawer of the self-driving robot operates in a semi-automatic mode and closes. When the user 614 closes the drawer 612 of the self-driving robot by pushing it a threshold distance (e.g., 1/5 of the maximum movement distance), the robot control system closes the drawer 612 of the self-driving robot in a fully closed state. It can be controlled to close until . Here, the fully closed state may indicate a state in which the drawer has moved by the maximum moving distance in the closing direction.

Figure 7 shows an example in which a drawer of a self-driving robot operates in an automatic mode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. According to one embodiment, the robot control system may control the drawer 712 of the self-driving robot to operate in an automatic mode.

For example, the drawer 712 of the self-driving robot may operate in an automatic mode and open and close through the first to fourth states 710, 720, 730, and 740. The first state 710 is a state in which the drawer 712 of the self-driving robot operates in an automatic mode and remains closed (or locked) while items 714 are loaded in the drawer 712 of the self-driving robot. Shows an example. After the goods 714 are loaded into the drawer 712 of the autonomous robot at the pickup location, the robot control system can control the drawer 712 of the autonomous robot that has arrived at the delivery location to remain closed in automatic mode. .

The second state 720 represents an example of a state in which the drawer 712 of the self-driving robot operates in an automatic mode and opens after the first state 710. If the robot control system determines that the recipient of the goods has completed user authentication at the delivery location, the drawer 712 of the self-driving robot may be controlled to open to a fully open state. Here, the fully open state may represent a state in which the drawer has moved by the maximum moving distance in the opening direction.

The third state 730 and the fourth state 740 represent an example of a state in which the item 714 is closed by operating in an automatic mode after the user takes out the item 714 in the second state 720. When the robot control system determines that the drawer 712 of the self-driving robot is empty, the robot control system may control the drawer 712 of the self-driving robot to close in automatic mode until it is fully closed. Here, the fully closed state may indicate a state in which the drawer has moved by the maximum moving distance in the closing direction.

The first state 710 and the second state 720 of FIG. 7 illustrate an example in which the drawer 712 of the self-driving robot loaded with goods operates in an automatic mode at the delivery location, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the robot control system may control the drawer 712 of the self-driving robot to open until it is fully open in order to load items at the pickup location.

The third state 730 and fourth state 740 of FIG. 7 show an example of operating in automatic mode when the user takes out an item from the delivery location and the drawer 712 of the self-driving robot is determined to be empty. However, it is not limited to this. For example, if the drawer 712 of the self-driving robot is not fully closed within a predetermined time (e.g., 3 minutes) after the items are loaded at the pickup location, the robot control system may open the drawer (712) of the self-driving robot. 712) can be controlled to close until it is completely closed.

FIG. 8 shows an example in which two proximity sensors 820 and 830 are disposed on the bottom of a drawer 800 of an autonomous robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The self-driving robot can use two proximity sensors 820 and 830 disposed in the drawer 800 to determine whether items are normally loaded in the drawer 800. In this case, the two proximity sensors 820 and 830 may be arranged to detect the item no matter where it is loaded in the drawer 800. For example, it may be placed at two points on one of two virtual diagonals connecting opposing vertices of the bottom of the drawer 800, which has a square shape. Through this configuration, even if an item with a volume greater than a predetermined threshold (e.g., 50% of the loadable volume) is loaded at any location on the bottom of the drawer, the first proximity sensor 820 and/or the second proximity sensor 830 It can be detected by

The self-driving robot can use two proximity sensors placed in the drawer 800 to determine whether items have been properly loaded in the drawer and transmit the determination result to the robot control system. For example, if it is determined that the item is not loaded in the drawer 800 at the pickup location, the robot control system sends a warning message to the item provider (user terminal associated with the item provider) that the item is not loaded in the specific drawer 800. can be transmitted. In addition, when items are loaded in the drawer 800 and it is determined that the drawer 800 is not fully closed within a predetermined time (e.g., 3 minutes), the robot control system places the drawer 800 in automatic mode. It can be controlled to close with .

The self-driving robot can use two proximity sensors placed in the drawer to determine whether the drawer is empty and transmit the determination result to the robot control system. For example, if the drawer is determined to be empty after the user takes out the item from the delivery location, the robot control system may control the drawer 800 to close in an automatic mode.

With this configuration, the robot control system can determine whether items are properly loaded in the drawer of the self-driving robot, prevent items from being delivered to the user in a missing state, and determine whether the item is empty in the drawer. By controlling to close in automatic mode, the self-driving robot can operate efficiently.

Additionally or alternatively, a weight sensor may be placed in drawer 800. In this case, the self-driving robot can transmit the measurement results of the weight sensor to the robot control system. The robot control system may determine whether all the items assigned to the drawer 800 are loaded using the received weight sensor measurement result. If it is determined that all the items assigned to the drawer 800 are not loaded, the robot control system may send a warning message to the item provider (user terminal associated with the item provider) that all the items are not loaded in the specific drawer 800. there is. On the other hand, when it is determined that all the items assigned to the drawer 800 are loaded, the robot control system can control the autonomous robot to move to the delivery location.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method 900 of controlling the drawer mode of an autonomous robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Method 900 may be performed by at least one processor of a robot control system (or autonomous robot). According to one embodiment, the method 900 may be initiated by the processor controlling the autonomous robot to move to a pick-up location to load the goods (S910). Here, the self-driving robot may include a drawer configured to operate in any one of a manual mode, an automatic mode, and a semi-automatic mode.

Afterwards, when the processor determines that the self-driving robot has arrived at the pickup location, the processor may control the drawer to open in automatic mode (S920). Additionally, the processor may switch the drawer to manual mode if it determines that the drawer has hit an obstacle while opening in automatic mode. In this case, the processor may transmit a drawer open error message to the first user terminal associated with the loading of the article.

If the processor determines that the drawer is fully open in the pickup position, the processor may switch the drawer to manual mode or semi-automatic mode (S930). Additionally, after the drawer has been switched to the manual mode or semi-automatic mode, if the processor determines that the drawer has not been fully closed within a first predetermined time from the time the drawer was loaded with items, the processor may return the drawer to the automatic mode. You can control the drawer to close by switching.

In one embodiment, the processor may determine whether the drawer is loaded with items using a proximity sensor disposed on the drawer. In another embodiment, the processor may use a weight sensor disposed on the drawer to determine whether the drawer is loaded with items.

After the drawer is switched to manual mode or semi-automatic mode, the provider of the goods can load the goods and close the drawer. If the processor determines that the drawer is fully closed in manual mode or semi-automatic mode, the processor may control the autonomous driving robot to move to the delivery location to deliver the goods (S940).

After the self-driving robot begins moving to the delivery location, the processor can control the drawer to not be opened until the recipient of the item completes user authentication. If the processor determines that the recipient of the item at the delivery location has completed user authentication, the processor may control the drawer to be opened in automatic mode (S950). Additionally, if the processor determines that the drawer has hit an obstacle while opening in automatic mode, the processor may switch the drawer to manual mode. In this case, the processor may transmit a drawer open error message to the second user terminal associated with the recipient of the item.

When the drawer is open, the recipient of the item can take it out. In one embodiment, the processor may use a proximity sensor disposed on the drawer to determine whether the drawer is empty. For example, two proximity sensors may be placed on the bottom of a drawer. In this case, the two proximity sensors can be arranged to detect items with a volume greater than a predetermined threshold no matter where they are placed in the drawer. If the processor determines that the drawer is empty after the recipient of the item takes out the item, the processor may control the drawer to close in automatic mode (S960).

In another embodiment, the processor may use a weight sensor disposed on the drawer to determine whether the drawer is empty. If the processor determines that the drawer is empty after the recipient of the item removes the item, the processor may control the drawer to close in an automatic mode.

Additionally, if the processor determines that the drawer is not closed by an obstacle while closing the drawer in automatic mode, the processor may control the drawer to open in automatic mode. Afterwards, if the processor determines that the drawer is fully open, it can switch to a manual mode where the drawer can be opened and closed manually. In this case, the processor may transmit a drawer closure error message to the second user terminal associated with the recipient of the item.

According to one embodiment, after the recipient of the items completes user authentication, if the processor determines that the items will remain loaded for a second predetermined period of time, the processor may control the drawer to close in an automatic mode. there is. The processor can then control the autonomous robot to wait at the delivery location. Additionally, the processor may transmit a notification message to a second user terminal associated with the recipient of the item.

The above-described method may be provided as a computer program stored in a computer-readable recording medium for execution on a computer. The medium may continuously store a computer-executable program, or may temporarily store it for execution or download. In addition, the medium may be a variety of recording or storage means in the form of a single or several pieces of hardware combined. It is not limited to a medium directly connected to a computer system and may be distributed over a network. Examples of media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks and magnetic tapes, optical recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, And there may be something configured to store program instructions, including ROM, RAM, flash memory, etc. Additionally, examples of other media include recording or storage media managed by app stores that distribute applications, sites or servers that supply or distribute various other software, etc.

The methods, operations, or techniques of this disclosure may be implemented by various means. For example, these techniques may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. Those skilled in the art will understand that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the disclosure herein may be implemented in electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchange of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and design requirements imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementations should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

In a hardware implementation, the processing units used to perform the techniques may include one or more ASICs, DSPs, digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs). ), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, electronic devices, and other electronic units designed to perform the functions described in this disclosure. , a computer, or a combination thereof.

Accordingly, the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with this disclosure may be general-purpose processors, DSPs, ASICs, FPGAs or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or It may be implemented or performed as any combination of those designed to perform the functions described in. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other configuration.

For firmware and/or software implementations, techniques include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), and PROM ( on computer-readable media such as programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), flash memory, compact disc (CD), magnetic or optical data storage devices, etc. It can also be implemented with stored instructions. Instructions may be executable by one or more processors and may cause the processor(s) to perform certain aspects of the functionality described in this disclosure.

Although the above-described embodiments have been described as utilizing aspects of the presently disclosed subject matter in one or more standalone computer systems, the disclosure is not limited thereto and may also be implemented in conjunction with any computing environment, such as a network or distributed computing environment. . Furthermore, aspects of the subject matter of this disclosure may be implemented in multiple processing chips or devices, and storage may be similarly effected across the multiple devices. These devices may include PCs, network servers, and portable devices.

Although the present disclosure has been described in relation to some embodiments in this specification, various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as can be understood by a person skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. Additionally, such modifications and changes should be considered to fall within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

110: user
120: user terminal
130: Self-driving robot
140: drawer
142: Goods

Claims (14)

A method for controlling a drawer mode of an autonomous robot, executed by at least one processor, comprising:
Controlling the self-driving robot to move to a pickup location to load items, wherein the self-driving robot includes a drawer configured to operate in any one of a manual mode, an automatic mode, and a semi-automatic mode;
In response to determining that the autonomous robot has arrived at the pickup location, controlling the drawer to open in an automatic mode;
In response to determining that the drawer is fully open in the pickup position, switching the drawer to a manual mode or semi-automatic mode; and
In response to determining that the drawer is fully closed in a manual mode or semi-automatic mode, controlling the autonomous robot to move to a delivery location to deliver the item.
Including,
In response to determining that the autonomous robot has arrived at the pickup location, controlling the drawer to open in an automatic mode includes:
In response to determining that the drawer has hit an obstacle while opening in the automatic mode, switching the drawer to a manual mode.
A method for controlling the drawer mode of an autonomous robot, including a. delete According to paragraph 1,
In response to determining that the autonomous robot has arrived at the pickup location, controlling the drawer to open in an automatic mode includes:
Transmitting a drawer open error message to a first user terminal associated with loading of the article
A method for controlling the drawer mode of an autonomous robot, further comprising: According to paragraph 1,
In response to determining that the drawer has not been fully closed within a first predetermined time from the time the item was loaded into the drawer after switching to the manual mode or semi-automatic mode, switching the drawer to an automatic mode Controlling the drawer to close
A method for controlling the drawer mode of an autonomous robot, further comprising: According to paragraph 1,
After the self-driving robot starts moving to the delivery location, controlling the drawer not to open until the recipient of the item completes user authentication.
A method for controlling the drawer mode of an autonomous robot, further comprising: According to paragraph 1,
In response to determining that a recipient of the item at the delivery location has completed user authentication, controlling the drawer to open in an automatic mode; and
In response to determining that the drawer is empty, controlling the drawer to close in an automatic mode.
A method for controlling the drawer mode of an autonomous robot, further comprising: According to clause 6,
Two proximity sensors are placed at the bottom of the drawer,
The two proximity sensors are arranged to detect items with a volume greater than a predetermined threshold no matter where they are placed in the drawer,
A method of controlling a drawer mode of an autonomous robot, determining whether the drawer is empty using the two proximity sensors. According to clause 6,
After the recipient of the item completes user authentication, in response to determining that the item will remain loaded for a second predetermined period of time, controlling the drawer to close in an automatic mode;
Controlling the self-driving robot to wait at the delivery location; and
Transmitting a notification message to a second user terminal associated with the recipient of the article
A method for controlling the drawer mode of an autonomous robot, further comprising: A method for controlling a drawer mode of an autonomous robot, executed by at least one processor, comprising:
Controlling the self-driving robot to move to a pickup location to load items, wherein the self-driving robot includes a drawer configured to operate in any one of a manual mode, an automatic mode, and a semi-automatic mode;
In response to determining that the autonomous robot has arrived at the pickup location, controlling the drawer to open in an automatic mode;
In response to determining that the drawer is fully open in the pickup position, switching the drawer to a manual mode or semi-automatic mode;
In response to determining that the drawer is fully closed in a manual mode or semi-automatic mode, controlling the autonomous robot to move to a delivery location to deliver the item.
In response to determining that a recipient of the item at the delivery location has completed user authentication, controlling the drawer to open in an automatic mode; and
In response to determining that the drawer is empty, controlling the drawer to close in an automatic mode.
Including,
In response to determining that a recipient of the item at the delivery location has completed user authentication, controlling the drawer to open in an automatic mode, comprising:
In response to determining that the drawer has hit an obstacle while opening in the automatic mode, switching the drawer to a manual mode.
A method for controlling the drawer mode of an autonomous robot, including a. A method for controlling a drawer mode of an autonomous robot, executed by at least one processor, comprising:
Controlling the self-driving robot to move to a pickup location to load items, wherein the self-driving robot includes a drawer configured to operate in any one of a manual mode, an automatic mode, and a semi-automatic mode;
In response to determining that the autonomous robot has arrived at the pickup location, controlling the drawer to open in an automatic mode;
In response to determining that the drawer is fully open in the pickup position, switching the drawer to a manual mode or semi-automatic mode;
In response to determining that the drawer is fully closed in a manual mode or semi-automatic mode, controlling the autonomous robot to move to a delivery location to deliver the item.
In response to determining that a recipient of the item at the delivery location has completed user authentication, controlling the drawer to open in an automatic mode; and
In response to determining that the drawer is empty, controlling the drawer to close in an automatic mode.
Including,
In response to determining that the drawer is empty, controlling the drawer to close in an automatic mode comprising:
In response to determining that the drawer is not closed by an obstacle while closing the drawer in an automatic mode, controlling the drawer to open in an automatic mode;
In response to determining that the drawer is in a fully open state, switching to a manual mode where the drawer can be manually opened and closed; and
Transmitting a drawer closure error message to a second user terminal associated with the recipient of the article.
A method for controlling the drawer mode of an autonomous robot, including a. A computer program stored in a computer-readable recording medium for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 and 3 to 10 on a computer. As a robot control system,
communication module;
Memory; and
At least one processor connected to the memory and configured to execute at least one computer-readable program included in the memory
Including,
The at least one program is,
Controlling an autonomous robot to move to a pickup location to load items, wherein the autonomous robot includes a drawer configured to operate in any one of a manual mode, an automatic mode, and a semi-automatic mode,
In response to determining that the autonomous robot has arrived at the pickup location, control the drawer to open in an automatic mode,
In response to determining that the drawer is fully open in the pickup position, switch the drawer to a manual mode or a semi-automatic mode,
In response to determining that the drawer is fully closed in a manual mode or semi-automatic mode, instructions for controlling the autonomous robot to move to a delivery location to deliver the item,
In response to determining that the autonomous robot has arrived at the pickup location, controlling the drawer to open in an automatic mode includes:
A robot control system comprising: switching the drawer to a manual mode in response to determining that the drawer has hit an obstacle while opening in the automatic mode. In the building,
At least one autonomous robot is deployed to drive within the building and provide services,
The at least one autonomous robot is controlled by a robot control system,
The robot control system is,
communication module;
Memory; and
At least one processor connected to the memory and configured to execute at least one computer-readable program included in the memory
Including,
The at least one program is,
Controlling the self-driving robot to move to a pickup location to load items, wherein the self-driving robot includes a drawer configured to operate in any one of a manual mode, an automatic mode, and a semi-automatic mode,
In response to determining that the autonomous robot has arrived at the pickup location, control the drawer to open in an automatic mode,
In response to determining that the drawer is fully open in the pickup position, switch the drawer to a manual mode or a semi-automatic mode,
In response to determining that the drawer is fully closed in a manual mode or semi-automatic mode, instructions for controlling the autonomous robot to move to a delivery location to deliver the item,
In response to determining that the autonomous robot has arrived at the pickup location, controlling the drawer to open in an automatic mode includes:
In response to determining that the drawer has encountered an obstacle while opening in automatic mode, switching the drawer to a manual mode. According to clause 13,
The at least one program is,
In response to determining that a recipient of the item at the delivery location has completed user authentication, control the drawer to open in an automatic mode,
In response to determining that the drawer is empty, the building further comprises instructions for controlling the drawer to close in an automatic mode.

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