KR20120058182A - Robot Kit Controller Apparatus using Multiple General Purpose Input/OutputGPIO Ports - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A robot kit controller system using multiple general ports is provided to easily connect the desired number of various components to each other through multiple general ports. CONSTITUTION: A robot kit controller system(A) using multiple general ports comprises a general port unit(100), a control unit(300), a setting unit(400), and a power switch(24). The general port unit is composed of multiple general ports. The general port unit receives robot kit control information from general components and transmits the received information to the control unit. The control unit receives the information from the general port unit and controls the operation of each component. The setting unit supports the setting state of the general ports and one or more components connected to the general ports. The power switch turns on/off power for operating the units.

Description

Robot Kit Controller Apparatus using Multiple General Purpose Input / Output (GPIO) Ports}

The present invention relates to a robot kit controller device using a plurality of general-purpose ports, and more particularly, by providing a plurality of general-purpose ports to which various components can be attached, so that a user can easily connect a component suitable for a specific port and is unique to a user. It can also be connected to the universal port after the component of the, the robot kit controller device that maximizes user convenience and expandability of the robot kit controller.

Robot kits are used for a variety of purposes, including industrial, research, and educational purposes, and are typically controlled by a component connected to the port of the robot kit controller.

The port of the conventional robot kit controller is composed of dedicated ports only. According to the dedicated port-oriented robot kit controller, the number of ports is insufficient and the number of connectable components is limited, and additional components such as sensors cannot be connected or can be connected only to specific positions. There was a problem.

Accordingly, there is a problem that the type or form of the robot that can be developed by the user is very limited, and the scalability is insufficient. According to the following [Table 1], this problem can be more clearly identified.

robot Kit Input port Output port Support sensor Support output PicoCricket 4 input / output ports Light, contact, sound resistance sensor Sound, color changeable LED, numeric display LCD, motor LEGO Mindstorm NXT Four Three Touch, ultrasonic, light, sound sensor Servo motor Education media
Robot training kit 4 (IR)
2 (contact) 2 (DC)
4 (Servo) Touch, sound, light,
Infrared sensor DC motor, servo motor, LED

In Table 1, PicoCricket and LEGO mindstorm NXT of the conventional robot kit controller, the number of input ports is insufficient compared to the education media robot training kit. In addition, in view of the kind of output supported at the same time, in order to operate the robot actually running, in general, the DC motor and the servo motor must be available at the same time, this support is not provided.

In addition, in the case of the education media robot training kit, the number of input and output ports is relatively large, but there is a problem in that all ports are dedicated ports and their types are also limited. That is, in case of manufacturing a robot requiring four touch sensors, all four ports can be used as a touch sensor in PicoCricket and LEGO mindstorm NXT, but in the case of an education media robot education kit, this is not possible.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the above problems, by providing a number of general-purpose ports that can be attached to a variety of components, so that various components can be easily connected as desired according to the user's needs To facilitate it.

Another problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the above problems, to maximize the functionality of the robot kit controller by allowing the user to create a user-specific component suitable for the input and output form for any port, the user convenience To improve.

The present invention relates to a robot kit controller device using a plurality of general-purpose ports, comprising a plurality of general-purpose ports to receive the robot kit control information from a separate general-purpose component to transmit to the control unit, and receives the robot kit control signal from the control unit Universal port unit for transmitting it to a separate universal component; A control unit for receiving robot kit control information from the universal port unit, transmitting a robot kit control signal to the universal port unit, and controlling operation of each component; A setting unit configured to set any one or more of a setting state of the general-purpose port, an operating state of the robot kit, and a type of connected components; And a power switch for turning on and off an operating power source.

In this case, the robot kit control information is characterized in that the sensing information from any one or more than one sensor of temperature, humidity, distance, color, infrared, light, acceleration, and tilt sensor mounted on a separate robot kit.

In addition, the robot kit control signal is characterized in that the control signal for the DC motor or servo (servo) motor mounted in a separate robot kit.

Preferably, the general purpose port includes a COM port, a PWM / PWD port and a General PurPose port.

Also preferably, a dedicated port unit configured to receive a robot kit control signal from the control unit is configured with a plurality of dedicated ports and transmits it to a separate dedicated component; characterized in that it further comprises a.

At this time, each dedicated port of the dedicated port portion is characterized in that the servo motor can be connected.

The setting unit may include a function of displaying a setting state of the universal port and receiving change information about the setting state of the universal port and transmitting the received change information to the controller.

Also preferably, it further comprises an operation display unit for displaying the operation state of the robot kit controller.

At this time, the operation display unit is an LCD panel, the LCD panel is characterized in that it comprises a function for displaying the operation state by the symbol, number or color.

In addition, preferably, a switch for receiving the ID information of the robot kit from a separate robot kit and transmits to the control unit to enable the control unit to recognize the specific robot kit; characterized in that it further comprises.

And, preferably, the sound source generator for generating a sound source of a predetermined frequency when the robot kit controller is operating normally.

According to the present invention, by providing a plurality of universal ports that can be attached to a variety of components, it is possible to easily connect a variety of components as desired according to the user's needs to facilitate the development of various robots.

According to the present invention, it is possible to maximize the function of the robot kit controller by allowing the user to make a user-specific component suitable for the input and output form for any port, and also has the effect of improving user convenience.

1 is a block diagram of a robot kit controller device using a plurality of universal ports according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a photograph of the front portion of the robot kit controller according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a photograph of the rear part of the robot kit controller according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a photograph showing a plurality of component locations on the front photo of the robot kit controller according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 to 7 are photographs of various components according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a port setting screen and a wireless communication control screen in a setting unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a photograph of an icon in a setting unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a circuit diagram of a robot kit controller according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a circuit diagram of a general-purpose port according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Prior to describing the specific details for carrying out the invention, the terminology or words used in this specification and claims may properly define the concept of a term in order for the inventor to best describe his or her invention. It should be interpreted as meaning and concept corresponding to the technical idea of the present invention on the basis of the principle.

In addition, when it is determined that the detailed description of the known function and its configuration related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, it should be noted that the detailed description is omitted.

Hereinafter, a robot kit controller device using a plurality of universal ports according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11.

As shown in FIG. 1, a robot kit controller A using a plurality of universal ports according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a universal port unit 100, a dedicated port unit 200, a control unit 300, and a setting unit. The unit 400, a power switch 24, an operation display unit 25, a switch 26, and a sound source generator 27 are included.

First, the universal port unit 100 is composed of a plurality of universal port to receive the robot kit control information from a separate universal component to transmit to the control unit 300, and receives the robot kit control signal from the control unit 300 to separate Send to a universal component of.

The robot kit control information refers to various information necessary for controlling the separate robot kit, and may be sensing information from various sensors such as temperature, humidity, distance, color, infrared light, light, acceleration, and tilt sensor.

The robot kit control signal is a signal required for the operation of a separate robot kit, and may be a control signal for a DC motor or a servo motor.

4, 10, and 11, the general purpose port number of the general purpose port unit 100 is preferably 15. Specific dedicated functions for each general purpose port and connectable components are shown in the following [Table 2]. ], But of course the present invention is not limited thereto.

Port number Dedicated feature Connectable Components One COM0 RS232 / MSPI Zigbee ISD4003 TC77 SHT11 SRF01 2 PWM / PWD0 DC motor TC77 SHT11 SRF01 3 PWM / PWD2 DCmotor TCS230 TC77 SHT11 SRF01 4 GENERAL
PURPOSE0 TC77 SHT11 SRF01 MMA7260 LPR550 IR Cds LHI878 LY550 SA1 5 GENERAL
PURPOSE1 TC77 SHT11 SRF01 MMA7260 LPR550 IR Cds LHI878 LY550 SA1 6 GENERAL
PURPOSE2 TC77 SHT11 SRF01 LPR550 IR Cds LHI878 LY550 SA1 7 GENERAL
PURPOSE3 TC77 SHT11 SRF01 LPR550 IR Cds LHI878 LY550 SA1 8 GENERAL
PURPOSE4 TC77 SHT11 SRF01 LPR550 IR Cds LHI878 LY550 SA1 9 GENERAL
PURPOSE5 TC77 SHT11 SRF01 IR Cds LHI878 LY550 SA1 10 GENERAL
PURPOSE6 TC77 SHT11 SRF01 IR Cds LHI878 LY550 SA1 11 GENERAL
PURPOSE7 TC77 SHT11 SRF01 IR Cds LHI878 LY550 SA1 12 COM1 RS232 / MSPI Zigbee ISD4003 TC77 SHT11 SRF01 13 COM2 RS232 / MSPI Zigbee ISD4003 TC77 SHT11 SRF01 14 PWM / PWD1 DCmotor TC77 SHT11 SRF01 15 PWM / PWD3 DCmotor TCS230 TC77 SHT11 SRF01

In FIG. 4 and [Table 2], reference numeral 0 denotes a dedicated port for downloading the robot kit control software from a separate user computer to the control unit 300.

Reference numerals 1, 12, and 13 are COM ports, and input / output is composed of 4 digital / mspi.

Reference numerals 2, 3, 14, and 15 are PWM / PWD ports, and input / output is composed of 2 pwm / digital + 1 pwd / digital + battery power.

Reference numerals 4 and 5 denote General PurPose ports, and the input / output is 3 analog / digital.

Reference numerals 6, 7, 8, and 9 are General PurPose ports, and the input / output is 2 analog / digital + 1 digital.

Reference numerals 10 and 11 denote General PurPose ports and the input / output is composed of 1 analog / digital + 2 digital.

In addition, the dedicated port unit 200 is composed of a plurality of dedicated ports to receive the robot kit control signal from the control unit 300 and transmits it to a separate dedicated component.

The dedicated port of the dedicated port unit 200 is composed of eight and each dedicated port is preferably connectable to the servo motor.

In Fig. 4, reference numerals 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23 denote dedicated ports, which are dedicated servo motor ports.

Looking at the components that can be removable in the general-purpose port unit 100 or the dedicated port unit 200 by model name, required pin functions are as shown in the following [Table 3], of course, the present invention is not limited thereto.

model name component
(Sensor / Actuator) Type Required pin function DC motor DC motor 2 pwm + battery power Servo motor Servo motor 1 pwm + battery power ISD4003 Voice recording and playback device 4 digital (+ 3 digital) TC77 temperature Senser 3 digital SHT11 Temperature and humidity sensor 2 digital SRF01 Ultrasonic distance sensor 1 digital TCS230 Color sensor 1 pwd + 2 digital IR Infrared sensor 1 analog + 1 digital CDs Light sensor 1 analog LHI878 Infrared human body detection sensor 1 analog LY550 Single Axis Gyroscope 1 analog LPR550 2-axis gyroscope 2 analog SA1 Tilt sensor 1 analog MMA7260 3-axis acceleration sensor 3 analog XeeBee Zigbee 2mspi + 2digital

In addition, the controller 300 receives the robot kit control information from the universal port unit 100 or the dedicated port unit 200, and transmits the robot kit control signal to the universal port unit 100 or the dedicated port unit 200. , Controls the operation of each component constituting the robot kit controller according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and stores various control related information.

The controller 300 controls the separate robot kit according to the embedded robot kit control software, and is preferably composed of an AVR2560 chip.

In addition, the setting unit 400 supports setting or changing a setting state of a general-purpose port or a dedicated port, an operating state of a robot kit, a type of a connected component, and an operating state of a robot kit control software.

The user can change the setting state of the port through the setting unit 400, and if the robot kit control software supports XML, the user can manage various robot kits by modifying XML only.

In addition, since the user can easily grasp the data transmission and reception method of each port through the setting unit 400, the user can check the protocol of the port and directly create and add a component suitable for the protocol.

8 and 9, the display screen of the setting unit 400 is simply configured so that even a beginner with a robot kit can easily grasp. Using the icons of Figure 9, it is easy to determine the operating state of the robot kit control software or which components are used.

In addition, the power switch 24 turns on and off the operating power of the robot kit controller according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

In addition, the operation display unit 25 displays the operation state of the robot kit controller according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is composed of an LCD panel can be displayed by distinguishing whether the normal operation by symbols, numbers or colors.

In addition, when the plurality of robot kits are controlled through the universal port unit 100 or the dedicated port unit 200, the switch 26 receives the ID information from the robot kit so that the controller 300 may recognize the specific robot kit. To help.

In addition, the sound source generator 27 generates a sound source of a predetermined frequency during normal operation to be able to easily determine whether the robot kit controller according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and may be set to a buzzer.

Of course, the function of the sound source generator 27 is not limited thereto, and may generate a sound source having a specific frequency during abnormal operation, or may generate a preset sound source according to various operating conditions of the robot kit.

As described above, according to the robot kit controller according to the present invention, it is possible to implement a highly complex robot because it is much more scalable than the conventional robot kit controller.

In addition, while the conventional robot kit merely maintains a degree of operation of detecting and avoiding an object using an infrared sensor, the robot kit controller according to the present invention can generate a wide variety of actions.

For example, a car or the like may transmit a tilt of the ground as the road progresses, or may detect a light in a specific direction at night and move in that direction, or may chase an object of a specific color, and may adjust the speed and rotation of the object. The sensor may generate a map of a route traveled by a car or the like.

As such, by attaching various components to the robot kit controller according to the present invention, various robots can be manufactured. If the component provided by the user is not enough, the robot can be strengthened in the direction desired by the user by making and attaching the component directly based on the protocol for each port. In addition, beginners in the field of robots may accumulate hardware and software knowledge about robots.

As described above and described with reference to a preferred embodiment for illustrating the technical idea of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to the configuration and operation as shown and described as described above, it is a deviation from the scope of the technical idea It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, all such suitable changes, modifications, and equivalents should be considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

100: general purpose port 200: dedicated port
300: control unit 400: setting unit
24: power switch 25: operation display
26: switch 27: sound source generator
1,12,13: COM port 2,3,14,15: PWM / PWD port
4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11: General PurPose port
16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23: dedicated port

Claims (11)

In the robot kit controller device using a plurality of universal ports,
It is composed of a plurality of universal port to receive the robot kit control information from a separate universal component to transmit to the control unit 300, and receives a robot kit control signal from the control unit 300 and transmits it to a separate universal component Part 100;
A control unit 300 for receiving robot kit control information from the universal port unit 100, transmitting a robot kit control signal to the universal port unit 100, and controlling operation of each component;
A setting unit 400 supporting one or more settings of the setting state of the general-purpose port, the operating state of the robot kit, and the type of connected components; And
Robot kit controller device using a plurality of general purpose ports including; power switch 24 for turning on and off the operating power.
The method of claim 1,
The robot kit control information is a plurality of general-purpose ports, characterized in that the sensing information from any one or more of the temperature, humidity, distance, color, infrared, light, acceleration, and tilt sensor mounted on a separate robot kit sensor. Robot kit controller using the device.
The method of claim 1,
The robot kit control signal is a robot kit controller device using a plurality of universal ports, characterized in that the control signal for a DC motor or a servo (servo) motor mounted in a separate robot kit.
The method of claim 1,
The universal port is a robot kit controller device using a plurality of universal ports, characterized in that it comprises a COM port, PWM / PWM port and General PurPose port.
The method of claim 1,
A robot using a plurality of general purpose ports further comprises; a dedicated port unit 200 configured to receive a robot kit control signal from the control unit 300 and transmit it to a separate dedicated component. Kit controller unit.
The method of claim 5,
Each dedicated port of the dedicated port unit 200 is a robot kit controller device using a plurality of universal ports, characterized in that the connection of the servo motor.
The method of claim 1,
The setting unit 400 displays a setting state of the universal port, and receives a change information on the setting state of the universal port, and transmits the received information to the controller 300. Robot kit controller using the device.
The method of claim 1,
Robot kit controller device using a plurality of universal ports, characterized in that it further comprises an operation display unit 25 for displaying the operation status of the robot kit controller.
The method of claim 8,
The operation display unit (25) is an LCD panel, wherein the LCD panel is a robot kit controller device using a plurality of universal ports, characterized in that it comprises a function for displaying the operation status by the symbol, number or color.
The method of claim 1,
Receiving the ID information of the robot kit from a separate robot kit and transmits to the control unit 300 so that the control unit 300 can recognize a specific robot kit; a plurality further comprising a Robot kit controller device using the universal ports of the.
The method of claim 1,
Robot kit controller device using a plurality of universal ports, characterized in that it further comprises; sound source generator 27 for generating a sound source of a predetermined frequency when the robot kit controller is operating normally.

Images