KR20210119885A - Interworking method of ordering systems and mobile robots - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are an interlocking method of an ordering system and a mobile robot, and a system thereof. The interlocking method of the ordering system and the mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a step of receiving, by a mobile robot, any one ordering information selected from among the ordering information inputted through an ordering system, wherein the ordering information comprises the destination information and the goods load information; a step of specifying a transport destination to be transported based on the destination information included in the ordering information received in advance when the goods load is loaded on the mobile robot; and a step of starting, by the mobile robot, driving for transporting to the specific transport destination. Therefore, the present invention is capable of having an effect of greatly improving an efficiency of the mobile robot.

Description

Interworking method of ordering systems and mobile robots and the system

The present invention relates to a method for interworking an order system and a mobile robot and a system therefor, and more particularly, to an order system such as a Point Of Sales (POS) system in which a mobile robot (eg, a serving robot) manages order information in a store; By interlocking and automatically receiving necessary information when serving or organizing, the clerk can move to a destination (for example, an order table, etc.) where the mobile robot is required without additional input, and can perform customer service such as explanation of menus. It is about the technical idea that makes it possible.

With the development of autonomous driving and robot technology, mobile robots that can move by themselves are widely known, and in particular, research for serving food as a serving robot is being actively conducted in stores such as restaurants.

A mobile robot such as a serving robot drives along a predetermined path in a store on behalf of a person, or recognizes obstacles on the driving path, loads a predetermined load (eg, cooked food), and serves the customer.

Conventionally, when a clerk loads food into a mobile robot and directly inputs information about the table where the food is ordered, a method in which the mobile robot serves food according to the input information is mainly used.

In this case, there is a problem in that food may be served to a table other than the table where the corresponding food was ordered due to an input mistake of the clerk.

In addition, in the case of a clerk, various information such as menu information and precautions can be delivered to customers, but in the case of mobile robots, only simple food serving is performed. There is a problem in that efficiency is limited by the introduction of mobile robots.

Therefore, by linking the store's order system and the mobile robot, the mobile robot receives order information or payment information from the order system and automatically performs necessary operations such as serving and table arrangement without the clerk directly inputting necessary information into the mobile robot. A technical idea is required to be able to perform it.

In addition, after the mobile robot arrives at the customer's table, a technical idea is required to improve the quality of service due to the introduction of the mobile robot by enabling the mobile robot to deliver detailed information on the menu ordered by the customer, if necessary.

Patent Literature 1. Korean Patent Registration (Registration No. 10-1083700, "Robot System for Restaurant Serving")

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to link the order system and the mobile robot, so that the mobile robot receives order information and/or payment information from the order system and automatically serves, without the clerk directly inputting the necessary information to the serving robot. It is to provide a technical idea that allows you to perform an operation for organizing.

In addition, after the mobile robot arrives at the customer's table, if necessary, detailed information on the menu ordered by the customer can be delivered, thereby providing a technical idea to improve the service quality following the introduction of the mobile robot.

In a method for interworking an order system and a mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above technical problem, any one order information selected from among order information input by the mobile robot through the order system - the order information is destination information and receiving information including load information. When a load is loaded in the mobile robot, specifying a transport destination to be transported based on the destination information included in the order information received in advance, and the mobile robot initiating a journey for transport to this particular said transport destination.

In addition, the interworking method between the order system and the mobile robot may further include the step of transmitting, by the mobile robot, completion information indicating that the transport of the load is completed to the ordering system after the load is received at the transport destination. can

In addition, the interlocking method between the order system and the mobile robot further includes the step of checking whether all of the plurality of loads are loaded when a plurality of loads are included in the load information, wherein the mobile robot performs the specific transport The step of starting the driving for transport to the destination may include the step of automatically starting the driving according to the confirmation result of the mobile robot.

In addition, the interworking method between the order system and the mobile robot further includes the step of receiving, by the mobile robot, a partial transport signal when a plurality of loads are included in the load information, wherein the mobile robot is directed to the specific transport destination. Starting the driving for transport may include, when the partial transport signal is input, starting the driving of the mobile robot regardless of whether the plurality of loads are loaded.

In addition, in the interlocking method between the order system and the mobile robot, when the transport of some of the plurality of loads is completed according to the partial transport signal, the mobile robot performs the transport of the remaining loads except for some of the loads for which transport is completed in the order information. It may further include the step of waiting for transport.

In addition, the step of the mobile robot starting driving for transport to the specific transport destination includes at least one of a moving speed, an acceleration, and a rotational speed of the mobile robot according to the load information included in the order information. It may include the step of selectively controlling one.

In addition, the interworking method between the order system and the mobile robot may further include outputting predetermined guide information when the mobile robot arrives at the transport destination.

In addition, when the mobile robot arrives at the transport destination, the step of outputting predetermined guide information may include the step of selectively outputting guide information according to the type of the load including the order information, by the mobile robot. .

In addition, when the mobile robot arrives at the transport destination, the step of outputting the predetermined guide information may include the step of the mobile robot selecting and outputting the guide information in a language corresponding to the nationality of the orderer.

In addition, the step of selecting and providing guide information in a language corresponding to the nationality of the orderer by the mobile robot includes: obtaining, by the mobile robot, the order information or language information from the user terminal; and the language obtained by the mobile robot The method may include determining a language corresponding to the nationality of the orderer based on the information.

In addition, the interworking method of the order system and the mobile robot includes the steps of: receiving, by the mobile robot, a preparation preparation signal from the order system, the preparation preparation signal including information on the destination to be arranged, and the mobile robot This may include moving to a clearance destination for clearance preparation.

In addition, the step of receiving, by the mobile robot, the arrangement preparation signal from the order system, when payment is completed by the order system, or when it is confirmed that there is no orderer at the arrangement destination, the mobile robot performs the order system It may include receiving the cleanup preparation signal from.

A computer program installed in the data processing apparatus and stored in a recording medium to perform the above-described method may be provided.

A mobile robot for interlocking an order system and a mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above technical problem, a driving unit for moving the mobile robot, a loading unit capable of loading a load, and communication with an ordering system and a communication unit capable of transmitting and receiving predetermined data and a control unit, wherein the communication unit includes any one of the order information selected from the order information input through the order system - the order information is destination information and load information receiving, the control unit, when the load is loaded in the loading unit, specifies a transport destination to transport the load based on destination information included in the order information, and performs transport to the specific transport destination It may be characterized in that the driving unit is controlled to start driving for the purpose.

In addition, the controller may control the communication unit to transmit, to the ordering system, completion information indicating that the transport of the load is completed by the mobile robot after the load is received at the transport destination.

In addition, when the load information includes a plurality of loads, the control unit checks whether all of the plurality of loads are loaded in the loading unit, and controls the driving unit to automatically start driving according to the check result. can

In addition, the communication unit, when the load information includes a plurality of loads, the mobile robot further receives a partial transport signal, the control unit, when the partial transport signal is received, only some loads of the plurality of loads The driving unit may be controlled to load the loading unit and start driving.

In addition, when the transport of some of the plurality of loads is completed according to the partial transport signal, the controller may control the driving unit to wait for transport of the remaining loads except for the partially transported loads.

Also, the controller may output predetermined guide information when the mobile robot arrives at the transport destination.

In addition, the control unit may selectively output guide information according to the type of the load including the order information, or select and output guide information in a language corresponding to the nationality of the orderer.

In addition, the control unit may be characterized in that it selectively controls at least one of a moving speed, an acceleration, and a rotation speed of the mobile robot according to the load information included in the order information.

An order system for interworking an order system and a mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above technical problem includes a communication module for communicating with at least one mobile robot, an order module for receiving order information, and payment and a payment module for performing and generating payment information, and a control module, wherein the control module includes any one of the order information selected from the order information input through the order module - the order information includes destination information and load information Controls the communication module to transmit - to any one of the at least one mobile robot, and in response to the received order information, when the load is loaded by the one mobile robot, the order information A transport destination to which the load is to be transported is specified based on the destination information included in the , and driving for transport to the specified transport destination may be started.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, by linking the order system of the store and the mobile robot, the serving robot receives order information and/or payment information from the order system and automatically receives the order information and/or payment information without the clerk directly inputting the necessary information into the mobile robot. There is an effect that can greatly improve the efficiency of the mobile robot by allowing it to perform operations for serving or cleaning up.

In addition, after the mobile robot arrives at the customer's table, it is possible to deliver detailed information on the menu ordered by the customer, if necessary, so that the mobile robot can provide a more delicate and customer-friendly service.

In order to more fully understand the drawings recited in the Detailed Description of the Invention, a brief description of each drawing is provided.
1 shows a schematic configuration of a system for implementing a method for interworking an order system and a mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 schematically shows a flow of a method for interworking an order system and a mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 to 4 are diagrams for explaining an example of a case in which the mobile robot receives order information from the order system according to the interworking method between the order system and the mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a process in which the order system updates order information based on information received from the mobile robot according to the interworking method between the order system and the mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a diagram for explaining an example of a case in which the mobile robot receives payment information from the order system according to the interworking method between the order system and the mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 shows a schematic configuration of a mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 shows a schematic configuration of an ordering system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Since the present invention can apply various transformations and can have various embodiments, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and it should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention. In describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known technology may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Terms such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various elements, but the elements should not be limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

The terms used in the present application are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In the present specification, terms such as "comprise" or "have" are intended to designate that the features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification exist, and one or more other It is to be understood that this does not preclude the possibility of addition or presence of features or numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

In addition, in the present specification, when any one component 'transmits' data to another component, the component may directly transmit the data to the other component or through at least one other component. This means that the data may be transmitted to the other component. Conversely, when one component 'directly transmits' data to another component, it means that the data is transmitted from the component to the other component without passing through the other component.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail focusing on embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals in each figure indicate like elements.

1 shows a schematic configuration of a system for implementing a method for interworking an order system and a mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 , in order to implement a method of interworking between an order system and a mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, a mobile robot 100 and an order system 200 for transmitting and receiving predetermined data by interworking with the mobile robot 100 ) may be provided with an order system including an interlocking system (hereinafter referred to as an interlocking system) of the mobile robot.

The mobile robot 100 may mean a robot capable of movement including a driving unit. For example, the mobile robot 100 may be a robot that can set a route according to a destination, including an autonomous driving function, and drive itself along the set route.

Hereinafter, a case in which the mobile robot 100 is a serving robot that serves food to customers in a predetermined store such as a restaurant will be described as an example, but the scope of the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. For example, the mobile robot 100 may be implemented as a delivery robot that can load a predetermined item, travel an outdoor route as well as an indoor such as a store, and deliver it to a customer or a predetermined destination. It can also be implemented as a robot that moves between floors and performs predetermined tasks (eg, cleaning, newspaper delivery, etc.).

Also, in one embodiment, the ordering system 200 may refer to a point of sales (POS) provided in a store, such as a restaurant. According to an embodiment, the order system 200 includes the POS, a predetermined order confirmation system interlocked with the POS (eg, a table order order confirmation system of a restaurant, etc.), and/or a KDS (Kitchen Display System). it could mean The order confirmation system and/or the KDS is a system that mirrors POS information, and is generally used in the form of a monitor in a kitchen, unlike a POS provided at a checkout counter in a store. In general, the KDS and/or the order confirmation system excludes the payment function provided in the POS, checks the order information input through the POS in the kitchen, and cooks food (menu) matching the order information, the cooking order, etc. It may be a system used to verify

If the mobile robot 100 is implemented as a delivery robot, etc., rather than a serving robot, as described above, the order system 200 receives order information and/or transportation information for the goods to be delivered, and transmits it to the delivery robot. It may refer to a predetermined transport system that is assigned (transmitted) to a robot.

As described above, in this specification, for convenience of explanation, the mobile robot 100 is a serving robot and the order system 200 is a POS and/or KDS system provided in a predetermined store as an example. , the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto.

Also, in the present specification, when the mobile robot 100 interworks with the order system 200, performs communication, and/or transmits and receives predetermined data, the mobile robot 100 is POS and/or KDS. It may refer to being connected to at least one system through a predetermined network to perform communication or to transmit/receive data.

The mobile robot 100 and the ordering system 200 may be connected in various ways to transmit and receive data necessary to implement the technical idea of the present invention while performing communication.

For example, the mobile robot 100 and the ordering system 200 may communicate with each other through a wireless network. In this case, the mobile robot 100 and the ordering system 200 may directly communicate with each other or may communicate through a predetermined AP.

The wireless network may be WiFi, but is not limited thereto, and all wireless-based networks such as a general mobile network may be used for communication between the mobile robot 100 and the ordering system 200 according to embodiments.

Alternatively, the mobile robot 100 and the order system 200 are connected through a predetermined external server 300 to transmit and receive various data necessary to implement the technical idea of the present invention through the server 300. may be

The server 300 may be a system managed by a store in which the order system 200 is provided, or may be included in a system managed by a service subject providing a service according to the mobile robot interlocking system according to the present invention. it may have been

In any case, according to the present invention, the technical idea of the present invention can be implemented while the mobile robot 100 and the ordering system 200 are interlocked to communicate with each other and transmit and receive necessary data.

According to an embodiment, when the mobile robot 100 and the order system 200 communicate with each other as described above and are interlocked, an interface between the mobile robot 100 and the order system 200 may be interlocked.

For example, information (eg, order information and/or payment information, etc.) of the order system 200 may be checked on a display device (interface) provided in the mobile robot 100, and the mobile robot 100 Information input or updated through may be reflected to the order system 200 in real time. For example, as will be described later, when the mobile robot 100 completes serving food to the customer and 'serving complete' processing is performed on the serving robot, the order system 200 also corresponds to the corresponding destination (eg, table). Order information may be updated to reflect that the serving of food has been completed.

As such, when the mobile robot 100 and the order system 200 are interlocked to communicate with each other, services using the mobile robot 100 can be more delicate and diversified. Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

2 schematically shows a flow of a method for interworking an order system and a mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2 , when at least one piece of order information is input (s100) to the mobile robot 100 through the order system 200 in the interworking method between the order system and the mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, the input at least It is possible to receive (s110) any one of the order information selected from the one order information from the order system (200).

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the order information may include destination information and/or load information.

The destination information may include information on the destination to which the mobile robot 100 will transport the load, for example, information on the location of the destination and/or destination identification information for identifying the destination. For example, when the mobile robot 100 is the above-described serving robot, the destination information includes information on a table to which the mobile robot 100 should serve food, for example, an identification number of a table and/or a location of the table. may contain information. According to an embodiment, when a plurality of destinations (ie, tables) exist within a predetermined range, such as a store, the mobile robot 100 has location information for each table in advance and is included in the order information. A serving table to be served by the mobile robot 100 may be specified as a destination by using the identification number of the corresponding table.

The load information may refer to information about the load, such as the type of the load, characteristics of the load, and the like. For example, when the mobile robot 100 is a serving robot, the load may be food to be served by the mobile robot 100, and the load information may mean menu information for each of the menus in the store. have. In this case, the menu information may include information on the type of menu and characteristics of each type (eg, temperature of the menu, whether broth is included, how to eat, etc.). As will be described later, after the mobile robot 100 arrives at the serving table, it may be necessary to output guide information about the menu to the orderer (customer).

According to an embodiment, the order information may include language information on a language corresponding to the nationality of the orderer (customer). This may have the effect of providing a more customer-friendly service by enabling the mobile robot 100 to output guide information suitable for the language mainly used by the orderer. This will be described later.

And when the load is loaded, the mobile robot 100 may specify (s120) a transport destination to transport the loaded load as described above, based on the destination information included in the order information received in advance. .

For example, when the mobile robot 100 is a serving robot, when food cooked from the kitchen is loaded, the mobile robot 100 serves as a serving table to serve the loaded food based on table information included in the order information. can be specified.

When the transport destination is specified, the mobile robot 100 may start driving (s130) for transport (eg, serving) to the specified transport destination (eg, serving table).

Meanwhile, the mobile robot 100 may specify the transport destination when the load is loaded, but may also specify a transport destination corresponding to the order information received at the time of receiving the order information according to an embodiment.

Afterwards, when the mobile robot 100 moves to the specified transport destination and serving is completed, the mobile robot 100 may transmit ( s140 ) completion information indicating that the serving is completed to the ordering system 200 . Then, by the order system 200, the completion of the transport to the transport destination may be updated (s150) in the order information. For example, when the mobile robot 100 loads food and completes serving, and transmits the completion information to the ordering system 200 , the ordering information indicates that serving on the corresponding table is completed by the ordering system 200 . can be updated.

Depending on the embodiment, the mobile robot 100 may differently control the moving speed, acceleration, and/or rotational speed of the mobile robot 100 based on load information included in the order information, in particular, the type of load. may be

For example, when the type of load included in the order information is food containing broth, the mobile robot 100 has a relatively small acceleration or reduced movement speed compared to other types of load, and rotates at a corner or a fork in the road. By lowering the speed, it is possible to prevent the broth from overflowing from the loaded food.

Conversely, depending on the type of load, the mobile robot 100 may move at the maximum possible moving speed, or may enable movement such as rapid acceleration or rapid deceleration.

In this case, the mobile robot 100 may have an effect of enabling efficient operation and transportation according to the type of load.

Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, the process according to the interlocking method of the order system and the mobile robot of the present invention will be described in detail.

3 to 4 are diagrams for explaining an example of a case in which the mobile robot receives order information from the order system according to the interworking method between the order system and the mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, referring to FIG. 3 , the order system 200 may receive at least one piece of order information as described above.

As described above, the order information may include load information on the load ordered by the orderer and/or destination information on a transport destination to which the load is to be transported.

The order system 200 may transmit (assign) any one of the at least one piece of order information to the one of the at least one mobile robot 100 .

Then, the mobile robot 100 may specify a transport destination based on the destination information included in the order information, and start driving for transport to the specified transport destination. At this time, the mobile robot 100 may specify the transport destination and start driving after the load is loaded, or specify the transport destination after receiving the order information, and then start driving when the load is loaded. may be

According to an example, when the mobile robot 100 starts driving, it may be when a driving signal is received from the order system 200 . For example, after a load is loaded onto the mobile robot 100 by an employee or a predetermined loading system, a driving signal is transmitted to the mobile robot 100 by the ordering system 200 to drive the mobile robot 100 . this can start

Alternatively, after the employee loads the load into the mobile robot 100 , the employee may directly input a driving signal to the mobile robot 100 .

Meanwhile, depending on the embodiment, there may exist a case in which a plurality of loads are included in the order information.

For example, customers seated at a specific table in a store may order a plurality of menus. In this case, there may be a plurality of loads to be transported (served) to one destination (table).

When there are a plurality of loads corresponding to one destination, the mobile robot 100 checks whether all of the plurality of loads are loaded, and as a result of the check, only when the plurality of loads are loaded, driving for transportation is performed. can start

A method in which the mobile robot 100 checks the loading of a load may be implemented in various ways. For example, an employee who loads the load on the mobile robot 100 directly inputs whether to load the loads into the mobile robot 100 It may be transmitted from the order system 200 to the mobile robot 100 .

Alternatively, the mobile robot 100 is provided with a weight sensor capable of detecting the weight of the loads, and when the weight corresponding to the plurality of loads is sensed, it can be confirmed that all the loads are loaded. In this case, the mobile robot 100 may pre-store weight information on the weight of each load or may receive the weight information from the ordering system 200 .

According to another example, the mobile robot 100 may check the loading of the loads from image information captured by a camera installed at a place where the loads are loaded. In this case, the mobile robot 100 or the ordering system 200 may include a predetermined image analysis system capable of analyzing image information captured by the camera, or by a separate image analysis system. The mobile robot 100 may receive only the analyzed image analysis result.

In any case, when a plurality of loads to be transported to one destination need to be loaded, the mobile robot 100 checks whether all loads are loaded, and transports the loads to be transported to the one destination. can do.

Of course, the plurality of loads may not necessarily be transported at once. That is, even if the plurality of loads are not all loaded and transported in one mobile robot 100 at once, the mobile robot 100 may transport the plurality of loads several times.

In this case, the mobile robot 100 may receive a partial transport signal from the ordering system 200 . According to an embodiment, the partial transport signal may be directly input to the mobile robot 100 by the employee.

In this way, when the partial transport signal is transmitted to the mobile robot 100, the mobile robot 100 transports only a portion of the loaded loads to the transport destination even if all loads corresponding to the received order information are not loaded. You can start driving to

And when transport of some of the loads is completed, the mobile robot 100 may update the order information for transport of the remaining loads except for some loads that have been transported first among the received order information.

According to another embodiment, the mobile robot 100 transmits partial completion information to the ordering system 200 when the transportation of some loads is completed by the partial transportation signal, and the ordering system 200 provides the order information It is also possible to update the information on the load that has been transported and transmit it back to the mobile robot 100 .

As such, when the mobile robot 100 moves to the transport destination by the partial transport signal, the mobile robot 100 returns to the place where the loads are loaded for loading and transport of the remaining loads after the transport is completed. You can wait for the rest of the load to be loaded.

Meanwhile, when the mobile robot 100 arrives at the transport destination (eg, Table A in the drawing), it may output predetermined guide information.

According to an example, the guide information may be implemented in the form of voice information. Depending on the embodiment, the guide information may be implemented in the form of text information or image information displayed through a display device provided in the mobile robot 100 . Of course, while audio information is output, text or an image may be displayed through the display device at the same time.

The guide information may simply be information indicating that the food ordered by the customer has arrived (eg, "the food you ordered (menu name) has arrived") as shown in the drawing.

Depending on the embodiment, the guide information is not only the notification of arrival as described above, but also the type (eg, menu type) or state (eg, the temperature of the loaded menu, spicyness, etc.) It may be an informational message for information (eg, "The food is hot, be careful", "The soup is hot, be careful not to splash or spill", "Enjoy it", etc.), or a guide message to explain how to use the load (For example, information on how to eat the food (eg, "This menu tastes better when eaten with XX served together", etc.) may be further included.

Alternatively, the guide information may further include a predetermined response message specified in advance according to external conditions (eg, weather, season, etc.). Beat the heat", etc.)

As such, the mobile robot 100 can output various guide information to the customer, thereby providing a more advanced and detailed service, thereby being friendly to the customer.

Meanwhile, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the guide information output by the mobile robot 100 may be output in various languages.

For example, the mobile robot 100 may output selected guide information in a language corresponding to the country of the orderer according to the nationality of the orderer. For example, if the nationality of the orderer is the United States, guide information in English may be selectively output, and if the nationality of the orderer is China, guide information in Chinese may be selectively output.

To this end, the mobile robot 100 may acquire language information.

The language information may be included in the order information when the order system 200 receives the order information. For example, the order system 200 may include language information when receiving order information.

According to an embodiment, the order system 200 is a predetermined user terminal (eg, a mobile terminal such as a tablet or a smart phone, etc. The user terminal may be provided in a store, or may be a terminal owned by the user carried by the user. order information may be inputted or received from the In this case, a predetermined application for ordering may be pre-installed in the user terminal.

Then, the language information can be known from the country of the orderer set in the application or the language set in the application, and such language information can be included in the order information.

Eventually, when the mobile robot 100 completes all transport to one transport destination, the mobile robot 100 transmits completion information indicating that transport is completed to the ordering system 200 as shown in FIG. 5 . can In addition, the order system 200 may update the corresponding order information according to the completion information transmitted from the mobile robot 100 .

Meanwhile, as described above, the mobile robot 100 may obtain information on the type of load from the order information received from the order system 200 , and according to the type of the load, the mobile robot 100 may It is also possible to control the movement speed, acceleration, and/or rotation speed differently.

For example, when the type of load included in the order information is food containing broth, the mobile robot 100 has a relatively small acceleration or reduced movement speed compared to other types of load, and rotates at a corner or a fork in the road. By lowering the speed, it is possible to prevent the broth from overflowing from the loaded food.

Conversely, according to the type of load, the mobile robot 100 moves at the maximum possible moving speed, or enables movement such as rapid acceleration or rapid deceleration, so that the mobile robot 100 can operate efficiently and transport may be possible.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a process in which the order system updates order information based on information received from the mobile robot according to the interworking method between the order system and the mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5 , completion information indicating that transport (serving) is completed may be transmitted to the ordering system 200 from the mobile robot 100 that has completed transport (serving) as described above.

Then, the order system 200 can update the order information by classifying the serving complete item (loaded material, that is, the menu) from the order information served by the mobile robot 100 among the at least one order information as serving complete. .

In this way, when the mobile robot 100 and the order system 200 are interlocked, the load from one destination to another is erroneously transported (eg, the menu of another table is incorrectly served on one table) , it may prevent omission of transportation and provide smooth service.

6 is a diagram for explaining an example of a case in which the mobile robot receives payment information from the order system according to the interworking method between the order system and the mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6 , the ordering system 200 may receive payment by an orderer who has completed a meal and receive payment information. The payment information may include information on the location where the menu ordered by the orderer was first served, that is, the transport destination (eg, serving table).

In particular, in a store such as a restaurant, when an orderer, that is, a customer leaves the store after completing a meal, it is necessary to arrange empty tableware or leftover food on the table where the customer ate.

Conventionally, there is a difficulty in that an employee has to go to the table in person with a tray, etc., and carry the empty tableware and the like.

According to the technical idea of the present invention, the mobile robot 100 not only transports the load ordered by the first orderer to the transport destination, but also assists the employee for cleaning up in the store as described above, thereby increasing the work efficiency of the employees. can increase significantly.

To this end, the mobile robot 100 may receive an arrangement preparation signal from the order system 200 .

The arrangement preparation signal may include arrangement destination information for the destination included in the payment information and/or the payment information.

The mobile robot 100 that has received the arrangement preparation signal may move to the arrangement destination corresponding to the arrangement destination information included in the arrangement preparation signal and perform arrangement preparation.

For example, after customers who have finished eating at a specific table pay and leave, a clean-up preparation signal is transmitted to the mobile robot 100, and the mobile robot 100 that receives the clean-up preparation signal moves to the specific table and waits. can do. Then, the employees can load items to be organized, such as empty dishes, on the mobile robot 100 , instead of organizing empty dishes on a tray they own as in the prior art.

Thereafter, when the arrangement of the corresponding arrangement destination is completed, the mobile robot 100 may transport the items arranged in advance to a predetermined place. For example, the mobile robot 100, which has been cleaned and loaded with empty dishes, may transport the loaded empty dishes to the kitchen.

However, in any case, it may be preferable that the arrangement preparation signal is transmitted to the mobile robot 100 after the orderer (ie, customer) is completely vacant.

For example, the arrangement preparation signal may be transmitted to the mobile robot 100 when payment is completed by the order system 200, or when the orderer leaves the store, the mobile robot 100 ) can also be transmitted.

In the former case, the order system 200 may be a case where the payment is received near the entrance of the store. This is because the payment may be performed after the transportation destination, that is, the customer who is the orderer from the serving table has already moved to the ordering system 200 .

However, there may exist a case where only some of the plurality of customers make a payment and the rest of the customers are waiting at the serving table.

Accordingly, as described above, after confirming that all customers who are orderers have departed from the serving table (transport destination), the mobile robot 100 may receive an arrangement preparation signal.

To this end, as described above, the image information photographed through the camera provided in advance is analyzed, and after it is confirmed that the customers leave the room as a result of the analysis, the arrangement preparation signal may be transmitted to the mobile robot 100 . have.

Meanwhile, the mobile robot receiving the preparation preparation signal may be the same mobile robot 100 as the mobile robot that performed transport according to the first order information to the transport destination corresponding to the preparation preparation signal, but at least one of the mobile robots It may be another mobile robot that is waiting without currently serving. In the present specification, for convenience of explanation, a case in which the mobile robot 100 that has received the order information for the first time also receives the arrangement preparation signal will be described as an example.

Also, the sorting destination included in the sorting preparation signal is not necessarily the same as the transport destination where the load was transported according to the initial order information. The transport destination and the arrangement destination may be the same, but may be different destinations (eg, a table) according to a payment order or a customer's exit confirmation order.

That is, in the present specification, the transportation destination for transportation after ordering and the arrangement destination for arrangement after payment simply have different names to distinguish the purpose of the destination, and may be the same as or different from the transportation destination and the arrangement destination. Of course it could be.

In addition, the payment information may also correspond to the first order information, but the payment information is a payment corresponding to other order information for other menus in a table other than the payment for the order information received by the mobile robot 100 initially It could be information. As described in the above-mentioned destination classification, order information and payment information received by the mobile robot 100 may not necessarily match one destination (eg, table).

On the other hand, depending on the embodiment, the mobile robot interlocked with the order system 200 may automatically operate according to a predetermined condition as described above, but if necessary, by a control signal operated through the order system 200 It might work.

For example, if cooked food comes out of the kitchen and the mobile robot is located at a distance, the employee may control the mobile robot to move in front of the kitchen counter through the ordering system 200 , for example, the KDS system.

After all, according to the technical idea of the present invention, it is possible to provide a more delicate and customer-friendly service through the linkage between the mobile robot 100 and the order system 200 that serve in the store, and improve the work efficiency of the employees. may have beneficial effects.

7 shows a schematic configuration of a mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7 , the mobile robot 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a driving unit 110 for moving the mobile robot 100 and a loading unit 120 for loading loads such as food or tableware. , the communication unit 130 that communicates with the order system 200 and/or the external server 300 and transmits and receives predetermined data, and location information (eg, each table) of the destinations to which the mobile robot 100 will move. A location unit 140 that stores location information for each identification number, information on a loading location to load a load, location information on a waiting place to wait when there is no work, etc.), and a configuration different from the mobile robot 100 It may include a control unit 150 for controlling the operation and function of the elements.

8 shows a schematic configuration of an ordering system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8 , the order system 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention performs communication with the mobile robot 100 , an external server 300 and/or a predetermined external system (eg, a card company system, etc.). A control module for controlling functions and resources of the communication module 210 for, the order module 220 for receiving order information, the payment module 230 for performing payment and generating payment information, and/or other components (240).

In this specification, a module may mean a functional and structural combination of hardware for carrying out the technical idea of the present invention and software for driving the hardware. For example, the module may mean a logical unit of a predetermined code and a hardware resource for executing the predetermined code, and does not necessarily mean physically connected code or a single type of hardware. It can be easily deduced to an average expert in the art of the present invention.

On the other hand, the interlocking method between the order system and the mobile robot according to the embodiment of the present invention may be implemented in the form of a computer readable program command and stored in a computer readable recording medium, and the control according to the embodiment of the present invention The program and the target program may also be stored in a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium includes all types of recording devices in which data readable by a computer system is stored.

The program instructions recorded on the recording medium may be specially designed and configured for the present invention, or may be known and available to those skilled in the software field.

Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks and magnetic tapes, optical recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, floppy disks, and hardware devices specially configured to store and execute program instructions, such as magnetro-optical media, and ROM, RAM, flash memory, and the like. In addition, the computer-readable recording medium may be distributed in a network-connected computer system, so that the computer-readable code may be stored and executed in a distributed manner.

Examples of the program instruction include not only machine code such as generated by a compiler, but also a device for electronically processing information using an interpreter or the like, for example, a high-level language code that can be executed by a computer.

The hardware devices described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the present invention, and vice versa.

The above description of the present invention is for illustration, and those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can understand that it can be easily modified into other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the present invention. will be. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. For example, each component described as a single type may be implemented in a distributed manner, and likewise components described as distributed may be implemented in a combined form.

The scope of the present invention is indicated by the following claims rather than the above detailed description, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention. .

Claims (22)

receiving, by the mobile robot, any one order information selected from among the order information input through the order system, the order information including destination information and load information;
specifying a transport destination to be transported based on the destination information included in the order information received in advance when the load is loaded in the mobile robot; and
and starting, by the mobile robot, a driving for transport to the specific transport destination.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the interlocking method between the order system and the mobile robot comprises:
and transmitting, by the mobile robot, completion information indicating that the transport of the load is completed, to the ordering system after the load is received at the transport destination.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the interlocking method between the order system and the mobile robot comprises:
When a plurality of loads are included in the load information, further comprising the step of checking whether all of the plurality of loads are loaded;
The step in which the mobile robot starts driving for transport to the specific transport destination comprises:
and wherein the mobile robot automatically starts driving according to a result of the confirmation.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the interlocking method between the order system and the mobile robot comprises:
When the load information includes a plurality of loads, the method further comprising the step of receiving, by the mobile robot, a partial transport signal,
The step in which the mobile robot starts driving for transport to the specific transport destination comprises:
and when the partial transport signal is input, the mobile robot starts driving regardless of whether the plurality of loads are loaded.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the interlocking method between the order system and the mobile robot comprises:
When the transport of some of the plurality of loads is completed according to the partial transport signal, the mobile robot further comprises the step of waiting for transport of the remaining loads except for some of the loads for which transport is completed in the order information; Interlocking method of mobile robot.
The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of starting, by the mobile robot, driving for transport to the specific transport destination comprises:
and selectively controlling, by the mobile robot, at least one of a moving speed, an acceleration, and a rotational speed of the mobile robot according to the load information included in the order information.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the interlocking method between the order system and the mobile robot comprises:
and outputting predetermined guide information when the mobile robot arrives at the transport destination.
The method of claim 7, wherein the step of outputting predetermined guide information when the mobile robot arrives at the transport destination comprises:
and selectively outputting, by the mobile robot, guide information according to the type of the load including the order information.
The method of claim 7, wherein the step of outputting predetermined guide information when the mobile robot arrives at the transport destination comprises:
and the mobile robot selecting and outputting guide information in a language corresponding to the nationality of the orderer.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of selecting and providing guide information in a language corresponding to the nationality of the orderer by the mobile robot comprises:
obtaining, by the mobile robot, the order information or language information from a user terminal; and
and determining, by the mobile robot, a language corresponding to the nationality of the orderer based on the acquired language information.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the interlocking method between the order system and the mobile robot comprises:
receiving, by the mobile robot, a preparation preparation signal from the ordering system, wherein the preparation preparation signal includes information on a destination to be arranged; and
and moving the mobile robot to a cleanup destination to prepare for sorting.
The method of claim 11, wherein the step of receiving, by the mobile robot, a preparation preparation signal from the order system,
that can be transmitted to the mobile robot when payment is completed by the order system, or when it is confirmed that the arrangement destination is empty
A computer program installed in a data processing apparatus and stored in a recording medium to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.
In the mobile robot for interlocking the order system and the mobile robot,
a driving unit for moving the mobile robot;
a loading unit capable of loading a load;
a communication unit that communicates with the ordering system and transmits and receives predetermined data; and
includes a control unit,
The communication unit,
Receives any one of the order information selected from the order information input through the order system - the order information includes destination information and load information -
The control unit is
When the load is loaded in the loading unit, specifying a transport destination to transport the load based on the destination information included in the order information, and controlling the driving unit to start driving for transport to the specific transport destination Characterized by a mobile robot.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the control unit,
After the load is received at the transport destination, the mobile robot controls the communication unit to transmit completion information indicating that the transport of the load is completed to the ordering system.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the control unit,
When the load information includes a plurality of loads, the mobile robot checks whether all of the plurality of loads are loaded in the loading unit, and controls the driving unit to automatically start driving according to a result of the check.
The method of claim 16, wherein the communication unit,
When the load information includes a plurality of loads, the mobile robot further receives a partial transport signal,
The control unit is
When the partial transport signal is received, the mobile robot controls the driving unit to load only some of the plurality of loads into the loading unit and start driving.
The method of claim 17, wherein the control unit,
When the transport of some of the plurality of loads is completed according to the partial transport signal, the mobile robot controls the driving unit to wait for transport of the remaining loads except for some of the loads that have been transported.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the control unit,
and outputting predetermined guide information when the mobile robot arrives at the transport destination.
The method of claim 19, wherein the control unit,
A mobile robot that selectively outputs guide information according to the type of the load including the order information, or selects and outputs guide information in a language corresponding to the nationality of the orderer.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the control unit,
The mobile robot, characterized in that selectively controlling at least one of a moving speed, an acceleration, and a rotation speed of the mobile robot according to the load information included in the order information.
In the order system for interlocking the order system and the mobile robot,
a communication module for performing communication with at least one mobile robot;
an order module for receiving order information;
a payment module for performing payment and generating payment information; and
including a control module,
The control module is
The communication module is configured to transmit any one of the selected order information among the order information input through the order module, the order information includes destination information and load information, to any one of the at least one mobile robot. control,
In response to the received order information, when the load is loaded by any one of the mobile robots, a transport destination to which the load will be transported is specified based on the destination information included in the order information, and transported to the specified transport destination Ordering system, characterized in that starting the driving for.

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