KR20220139137A - Method and system for recoverying communications disruption of robot - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and system for repairing a communication failure of a robot and, more specifically, to a method and system for repairing a communication failure of a robot which executes control commands based on wireless communication with a server. The method for repairing a communication failure according to the present invention may comprise the steps of: travelling in a space along a traveling route received from the server; measuring the intensity of signals related to communication with the server at each of a plurality of different points on the traveling route; using the measured intensity of the signal to generate a signal intensity map for the plurality of the different points; moving to a particular area in the space based on the generated signal intensity map when an event of a communication failure related to communication with the server is sensed while the robot travels on the space; and performing a repairing process for the communication failure in the particular area. Accordingly, the robot can repair the communication failure independently when the communication failure occurs in the robot.

Description

Robot communication failure recovery method and system

The present invention relates to a method and system for recovering from a communication failure of a robot, and is a method and system for recovering from a communication failure of a robot that performs a control command based on wireless communication with a server.

As technology develops, various service devices have appeared, and in particular, technology development for robots that perform various tasks or services has been actively developed in recent years.

Furthermore, in recent years, as artificial intelligence technology, cloud technology, and the like develop, the utilization of robots is gradually increasing.

Meanwhile, with the development of communication technology, attempts are being made to remotely control a plurality of robots through a server and to minimize electronic equipment built into the robots. In this case, the robot is controlled by a server based on wireless communication, and a network failure may have a fatal effect on the remote control of the robot. Accordingly, when a communication failure occurs in a remotely controlled robot, there is a need for a technology for recovering it.

Meanwhile, as in Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2014-0105782 (2014.09.02), there is a technique for generating a map based on the Wi-Fi signal strength in the prior art, but this only shows the wireless signal strength performance for each area.

Accordingly, when a communication failure occurs in a robot receiving a control command based on wireless communication, there is still a need for a technique for effectively recovering it.

The present invention is to provide a method and system for recovering from a communication failure of a robot. More specifically, the present invention is to provide a communication failure recovery method and system \ of a robot that can independently recover a communication failure when a communication failure occurs in a robot remotely controlled by a server.

Furthermore, the present invention proposes a method of creating a map for the strength of a radio signal utilized in order for the robot to independently recover from a communication failure.

Furthermore, the present invention is to provide a communication failure recovery method and system for a robot that proposes a method for recovering a communication failure using a wireless signal strength map when a communication failure occurs in the robot.

A method for recovering a communication failure of a robot according to the present invention includes the steps of: traveling in space along a preset movement path, measuring a signal strength related to communication with the server at each of a plurality of different points along the movement path; Using the measured signal strength to generate a signal strength map for the plurality of different points, a communication failure event related to communication with the server is detected while the robot is traveling in the space If it is, based on the signal strength map, moving to a specific area of the space and performing a recovery process for a communication failure in the specific area.

Furthermore, the communication failure recovery system of the robot controls the driving unit to travel through the space along the moving path received from the driving unit, the communication unit performing communication with the server, and the server, and a plurality of different A control unit for measuring signal strength related to communication with the server at each point of When a communication failure event related to communication with the server is detected while the robot is traveling in the space, it moves to a specific area of the space based on the signal strength map, and in the specific area, communication failure can perform the recovery process for

Furthermore, the program, which is executed by one or more processes in the electronic device and can be stored in a computer-readable medium, includes the steps of traveling in space, along the moving path received from the server, a plurality of different according to the moving path. Measuring the signal strength related to communication with the server at each point, generating a signal strength map for the plurality of different points by using the measured signal strength, the robot traveling in the space In the current state, when a communication failure event related to communication with the server is detected, based on the signal strength map, moving to a specific area of the space and performing a recovery process for communication failure in the specific area It may include instructions to perform the steps.

As described above, the method and system for recovering a communication failure of a robot according to the present invention generates a signal strength map after periodically measuring the signal strength while driving in space, and communicates the signal strength map when a communication failure occurs in the robot It is used to move to a point where failure recovery is possible.

Through this, according to the communication failure recovery method and system of the robot according to the present invention, even in a situation where the server cannot remotely control the robot due to a communication failure, the robot independently moves to a point for communication failure recovery, and by itself The process for communication failure recovery can be actively performed. Therefore, from the server point of view, the robot and the space can be easily monitored by receiving reports of the robot's state and the space state from the robot, and from the robot's point of view, the task given to the robot can be completed as much as possible.

Furthermore, the communication failure recovery method and system of the robot according to the present invention sets a new movement path excluding the point where the communication failure occurs after the communication failure is restored and moves to the existing destination, so that the robot may repeatedly cause communication failure. possibility can be minimized.

On the other hand, the communication failure recovery method and system of the robot according to the present invention, by utilizing the signal strength and movement path measured from different robots existing in space for communication failure recovery, communication failure even if the path that a specific robot did not directly move Make it usable for recovery. Through this, the present invention can improve the possibility of recovering from a communication failure of the robot by giving variety to the selection of a point for performing the recovery process.

1 and 2 are conceptual views for explaining a robot remote control method and system according to the present invention.
3 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a node map used for setting a movement path of a robot.
4 is a flowchart illustrating a communication failure recovery method according to the present invention.
5 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a communication failure recovery method according to the present invention.
6A and 6B are conceptual diagrams for explaining data included in a signal map according to the present invention.
7 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an embodiment of moving the robot to its original destination after recovering a communication failure that occurred while driving the robot.
8 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an embodiment of clustering unit regions corresponding to a plurality of signal strength measurement points.
9 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an embodiment of deleting some data from a signal strength map.
10A and 10B are conceptual diagrams illustrating an embodiment of performing communication recovery using signal strength measured by another robot.

Hereinafter, the embodiments disclosed in the present specification will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the same or similar components will be given the same reference numerals regardless of reference numerals, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted. The suffixes "module" and "part" for components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of only the ease of writing the specification, and do not have distinct meanings or roles by themselves. In addition, in describing the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, if it is determined that detailed descriptions of related known technologies may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the accompanying drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and the technical idea disclosed herein is not limited by the accompanying drawings, and all changes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention , should be understood to include equivalents or substitutes.

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

When a component is referred to as being “connected” or “connected” to another component, it may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but it is understood that other components may exist in between. it should be On the other hand, when it is said that a certain element is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that the other element does not exist in the middle.

The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In the present application, terms such as “comprises” or “have” are intended to designate that a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification exists, but one or more other features It is to be understood that this does not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

The present invention provides a method and system for recovering from a communication failure of a robot, and more specifically, to provide a method and system for recovering from a communication failure of a robot that performs a control command based on wireless communication with a server. Hereinafter, together with the accompanying drawings, a robot remote control system will be described. 1 and 2 are conceptual views for explaining a robot remote control method and system according to the present invention.

For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , as technology develops, the utilization of robots is gradually increasing. Conventional robots have been utilized in special industrial fields (eg, industrial automation-related fields), but are gradually being transformed into service robots capable of performing useful tasks for humans or facilities.

The robot capable of providing various services as described above may be configured to travel in a space 10 as shown in FIG. 1 in order to perform an assigned task. There is no limitation on the type of space in which the robot travels, and it may be configured to travel in at least one of an indoor space and an outdoor space as necessary. For example, the indoor space may be various spaces such as a department store, an airport, a hotel, a school, a building, a subway station, a train station, a bookstore, and the like. The robot, as described above, may be arranged in various spaces to provide useful services to humans.

Meanwhile, in order to provide various services using a robot, it is a very important factor to accurately control the robot. Accordingly, the present invention proposes a method for more accurately controlling a robot by using a camera disposed in a space together.

As shown in FIG. 1 , a camera 20 may be disposed in a space 10 in which the robot is located. As shown, the number of cameras 20 disposed in the space 10 is not limited thereto. As shown, a plurality of cameras 20a, 20b, and 20c may be disposed in the space 10 . The types of cameras 20 disposed in the space 10 may be varied, and in particular, a closed circuit television (CCTV) disposed in the space may be utilized in the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2 , according to the present invention, in the robot control system 300 , the robot 100 can be remotely managed and controlled. However, the robot is not controlled only remotely by the robot control system 300 , and the robot 100 alone may perform at least some functions that the robot can perform without intervention of the robot control system 300 .

First, the robot 100 will be described. The robot 100 may include at least one of a communication unit 110 , a storage unit 120 , a driving unit 130 , and a control unit 140 .

The communication unit 110 may be configured to communicate with various devices disposed in the space 10 by wire or wirelessly. The communication unit 110 may communicate with the robot control system 300 as shown. The robot control system 300 remotely controls the robot 100 through data transmission/reception with the communication unit 110 included in the robot 100 .

Furthermore, the communication unit 110 may be configured to communicate with at least one external server (or external storage, 200 ). Here, the external server 200 may be configured to include at least one of the cloud server 210 and the database 220 as shown.

Meanwhile, the communication unit 110 may support various communication methods according to the communication standard of the communicating device.

For example, the communication unit 110 may include a Wireless LAN (WLAN), a Wireless-Fidelity (Wi-Fi), a Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) Direct, a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), a Wireless Broadband (WiBro), and a WiMAX (Wireless Broadband). World Interoperability for Microwave Access), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A), 5th Generation Mobile Telecommunication (5G) , Bluetooth™, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), UWB (Ultra-Wideband), ZigBee, NFC (Near Field Communication), Wi-Fi Direct, Wireless USB (Wireless Universal) Serial Bus) technology may be used to communicate with devices (including cloud servers) located inside and outside the space 20 . The above-described communication standard may also be applied to the communication unit 310 included in the robot control system 300 to be described later.

As used herein, the term “communication failure” refers to a state in which data transmission/reception through the communication unit 110 is not smooth. The communication failure may be caused by a failure of a communication network in space, a failure of the robot, and a failure of at least one of the robot control system 300 .

For example, the communication failure may mean a state in which data transmission/reception between the robot 100 and the robot control system 300 is not smooth. Here, 'data transmission/reception is not smooth' may mean that data transmission/reception is completely impossible or that data transmission/reception is difficult at a data transmission/reception speed higher than a preset level. Communication failure does not define only the failure situation caused by the communication unit included in the robot 100 or the robot control system 300, but may mean any situation in which the robot control system 300 is difficult to remotely control the robot 100. have.

On the other hand, when the robot 100 detects the communication failure situation described above in the present specification, it is expressed as "the robot detects a communication failure event". For example, the robot 100 may detect a communication failure event through a ping. The robot 100 periodically or aperiodically transmits a message to the robot control system 300 , and the robot control system 300 transmits a response message to the message to the robot 100 . When the robot 100 does not receive a response message to the message or does not receive it within a preset time, the robot 100 may detect that a communication failure event has occurred. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the robot 100 may detect a communication failure event in various methods other than the above-described method.

Next, the storage unit 120 may be configured to store various information related to the present invention. In the present invention, the storage unit 120 may be provided in the robot 100 itself. Alternatively, at least a portion of the storage unit 120 may mean at least one of the cloud server 210 and the database 220 . That is, it can be understood that the storage unit 120 is sufficient as long as a space in which information necessary for robot control according to the present invention is stored, and there is no restriction on the physical space. Accordingly, hereinafter, the storage unit 120 , the cloud server 210 , and the database 220 are not separately distinguished, and are all referred to as the storage unit 120 . However, it is self-evident that the storage unit 120 of the robot 100 described in a situation in which a communication failure occurs is the storage unit 120 provided in the robot 100 itself.

Various information may be stored in the storage unit 120 of the robot. As an example, in the storage unit 120 of the robot, i) task information assigned to the robot 100 , ii) movement path (or travel path) information set in the robot 100 , iii) location information of the robot 100 . , iv) state information of the robot 100 (eg, power state, faulty state, battery state, etc.), v) a signal strength map including signal strength information related to communication of the robot, etc. may exist. .

Here, in order to perform a recovery process when a communication failure occurs, at least one of the moving path (or driving path) information set in the robot 100, the position information of the robot 100, and the signal strength map is provided in the robot 100 itself. It may be stored in the storage unit 120 .

Next, the driving unit 130 may include a hardware configuration that allows the robot 100 to move in space. The traveling unit 130 is configured to control at least one of a moving direction and a moving speed of the robot, and the controller controls the traveling unit 130 so that the robot can travel according to a set moving path.

The driving unit 130 may be controlled by at least one of the controller 140 included in the robot and the controller 350 included in the robot control system 300 . Unless otherwise limited herein, the control of the driving unit 130 by the control unit included in any one of the robot 100 and the robot control system 300 is also possible by the control unit included in the other one. However, in the above-described communication failure situation, the driving unit 130 may be controlled only by the control unit 140 included in the robot 100 .

Next, the controller 140 may be configured to control the overall operation of the robot 100 related to the present invention. The controller 140 may process signals, data, information, etc. input or output through the above-described components, or may provide or process information or functions appropriate to the user.

The control unit 140 included in the robot 100 performs control corresponding to a control command received from the robot control system 300 or controls the operation of the robot 100 without intervention of the robot control system 300 . can Unless otherwise limited, the control of the controller 140 included in the robot 100 may include both the control by the intervention of the robot control system 300 and the control without the intervention of the robot control system 300 . However, the control of the controller 140 in the above-described communication failure situation may include only control without intervention of the robot control system 300 .

The above-described robot 100 may be remotely controlled by the robot control system 300 through communication with the robot control system 300 . The robot control system 300 according to the present invention is an image received from a camera 20 (eg, CCTV) disposed in a space 10, an image received from the robot, information received from a sensor provided in the robot, and space By using at least one of information received from various sensors provided in the , it is possible to control the movement of the robot or to perform appropriate control of the robot.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the robot control system 300 according to the present invention controls at least one of the communication unit 310 , the storage unit 320 , the display unit 330 , the input unit 340 and the control unit 350 . may include

The communication unit 310 may be configured to communicate with various devices disposed in the space 10 by wire or wirelessly. The communication unit 310 may communicate with the robot 100 as shown. The communication unit 310 may be configured to receive an image photographed from a camera provided in the robot 100 through communication with the robot 100 .

Furthermore, the communication unit 310 may be configured to communicate with at least one external server (or external storage, 200 ). Here, the external server 200 may be configured to include at least one of the cloud server 210 and the database 220 as shown. Meanwhile, the external server 200 may be configured to perform at least a part of the control unit 350 . That is, it is possible to perform data processing or data operation in the external server 200, and the present invention does not place any particular limitation on this method.

Meanwhile, the communication unit 310 may support various communication methods according to a communication standard of a communicating device. The communication standard applied to the communication unit 310 is replaced by a description of the communication unit 110 included in the robot 100 .

Next, the storage unit 320 may be configured to store various information related to the present invention. In the present invention, the storage unit 320 may be provided in the robot control system 300 itself. Alternatively, at least a portion of the storage unit 320 may mean at least one of the cloud server 210 and the database 220 . That is, it can be understood that the storage unit 320 is a space in which information necessary for robot control according to the present invention is stored, and there is no restriction on the physical space. Accordingly, hereinafter, the storage unit 320 , the cloud server 210 , and the database 220 are not separately distinguished, and are all referred to as the storage unit 320 . In this case, the cloud server 210 may mean “cloud storage”.

First, information about the robot 100 may be stored in the storage unit 320 .

Information on the robot 100 may be very diverse, and the information on the robot 100 is an example, i) identification information for identifying the robot 100 disposed in the space 10 (eg, serial number, TAG information, QR code information, etc.), ii) task information assigned to the robot 100, iii) driving route information set in the robot 100, iv) location information of the robot 100, v) the robot ( 100) state information (eg, power state, failure or not, battery state, etc.), vi) image information received from a camera provided in the robot 100 , etc. may exist.

Next, a map (or map information) for the space 10 may be stored in the storage unit 320 . Here, the map may be formed of at least one of a two-dimensional map or a three-dimensional map. The map for the space 10 may refer to a map that can be used to determine the current location of the robot 100 or set a traveling route of the robot.

In particular, in the robot control system 300 according to the present invention, the position of the robot 100 may be determined based on an image received from the robot 100 or information received from the robot 100 . To this end, the map for the space 10 stored in the storage unit 320 may be composed of data that enables a location to be estimated based on an image or sensing information.

In this case, the map for the space 10 may be a map prepared based on Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) by at least one robot that moves the space 10 in advance.

Next, information on the camera 20 may be stored in the storage unit 320 .

The information on the camera 20 may be very diverse, and the information on the camera 20 includes: i) identification information (eg, serial number, TAG) of each camera 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d... information, QR code information, etc.), ii) arrangement position information of each camera 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d... information on whether it is positioned at a location), iii) angle of view information of each camera 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d... information about which view of the space is being photographed), iv) status information of each camera 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d... There may be image information received from the cameras 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d...

On the other hand, the above-listed information on the camera 20 may exist by matching each other based on the respective cameras 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d....

For example, in the storage 320 , at least one of identification information, location information, angle of view information, state information, and image information of the specific camera 20a may be matched to exist as matching information. Such matching information may be usefully used to specify a camera at a corresponding position when a position at which an image is to be viewed is specified later.

Meanwhile, in addition to the types of information listed above, various types of information may be stored in the storage unit 320 .

Unless otherwise limited, the storage unit may be at least one of the storage unit 120 included in the robot 100 and the storage unit 320 included in the robot control system 300 . Even if only the storage unit included in any one of the robot 100 and the robot control system 300 is mentioned, it is obvious that it can be applied to the storage unit included in the other one. However, the storage unit described in the communication failure situation refers to the storage unit 120 included in the robot 100 .

Next, the display unit 330 may be configured to output an image received from at least one of a camera provided in the robot 100 and a camera 20 disposed in the space 10 . The display unit 330 is provided in a device of an administrator who remotely manages the robot 100 , and may be provided in the remote control room 300a as shown in FIG. 2 . Furthermore, differently from this, the display unit 330 may be a display provided in a mobile device. As such, the present invention does not limit the type of the display unit.

Next, the input unit 340 is for input of information input from the user (or administrator), and the input unit 340 may be a medium between the user (or the administrator) and the robot control system 300 . More specifically, the input unit 340 may refer to an input means for receiving a control command for controlling the robot 100 from a user.

At this time, the type of the input unit 340 is not particularly limited, and the input unit 340 is a mechanical input means (or a mechanical key, for example, a mouse, a joy stick, a physical button, It may include at least one of a dome switch, a jog wheel, a jog switch, etc.) and a touch input means. As an example, the touch input means consists of a virtual key, a soft key, or a visual key displayed on the touch screen through software processing, or a part other than the touch screen. It may be made of a touch key (touch key) disposed on the. On the other hand, the virtual key or the visual key, it is possible to be displayed on the touch screen while having various forms, for example, graphic (graphic), text (text), icon (icon), video (video) or these can be made by a combination of In this case, when the input unit 340 includes a touch screen, the display unit 330 may be configured as a touch screen. In this case, the display unit 330 may perform both a role of outputting information and a role of receiving information.

Next, the control unit 350 may be configured to control the overall operation of the robot control system 300 related to the present invention. The controller 350 may process signals, data, information, etc. input or output through the above-described components, or may provide or process information or functions appropriate to the user.

In particular, the controller 350 may set a movement path of the robot using pre-stored map information, and may perform a control necessary to perform a recovery process when a communication failure occurs.

Unless otherwise limited, in this specification, that the controller controls the robot 100 means the control by the controller 140 included in the robot 100 and the control of the controller 350 included in the robot control system 300 . may include all of them. Even if only the control unit included in any one of the robot 100 and the robot control system 300 is mentioned, it is obvious that it can be applied to the control unit included in the other one. However, in a communication failure situation, only the controller 140 included in the robot 100 may control the operation of the robot 100 .

Meanwhile, as described above, according to the present invention, the movement path of the robot can be set in space by using map information previously stored in the storage unit 320 .

3 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a node map used for setting a movement path of a robot.

The controller 350 may control the robot 100 to move from its current location to a specific destination. Specifically, the present invention specifies the current position information and the destination position information of the robot, sets a path to reach the destination, and controls the robot to move according to the set path to reach the destination.

Accordingly, the present invention proposes map information for efficiently setting a movement path of a robot. However, the map information to be described later only describes an example of map information used to set the movement path of the robot, and the robot remote control method according to the present invention is not performed only by the map information to be described later.

As described above, the storage unit 320 may store a map (or map information) for the space 10 . Referring to FIG. 3 , a map of the space 10 stored in the storage unit 320 may be formed in the form of a two-dimensional plan view, but is not limited thereto.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 3 , the map information may include a plurality of nodes (nodes 411 , 421 , 431 ). In this specification, a 'node' refers to a point or area that is a unit target for movement of the robot. A node may contain two pieces of information.

First, a node contains coordinate information. A single node specifies a specific coordinate or range of coordinates on the map. For example, the node may be configured to designate a circular area having a predetermined area on the map. To this end, the coordinate information included in the node may consist of specific coordinates or a coordinate range.

Second, the node contains connection information. A single node contains information defining other nodes the robot can move from that node. The connection information may include a unique number of another node that the robot can move from a corresponding node or coordinate information designated by the other node.

The control unit controls the robot to move from one node to another, and repeats this process to control the robot to reach the target point. In this specification, moving the robot to a specific node means that the robot moves within the coordinate information or coordinate range specified by the specific node.

The present invention sets a movement path for moving the robot from the current position (S) to the destination (A) by using the above-described location information estimation method and map information, and then transmits it to the robot. However, the method using the node map corresponds to an example of controlling the movement of the robot, and the present invention can set the movement path of the robot using a method other than the above-described node map. That is, the implementation method of a map (map) for setting the movement path of the robot may be very diverse.

The present invention proposes a robot control method and system capable of recovering a communication failure when a communication failure occurs while the robot moves along a preset movement path.

In the present invention, when a communication failure occurs while a specific robot is driving, and data transmission and reception with the robot control system 300 (hereinafter referred to as a server) becomes difficult, the specific robot is moved to an area for communication failure recovery, so that the communication failure can be recovered. It is possible to provide a communication failure recovery method and system. Hereinafter, it will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a communication failure recovery method according to the present invention, FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a communication failure recovery method according to the present invention, and FIGS. 6A and 6B are data included in the signal map according to the present invention. It is a conceptual diagram to explain.

First, a step in which the robot 100 travels in space along a preset movement path is performed (S110).

The server remotely controls the robot 100 . The server transmits a control command to the robot 100 so that the robot 100 performs an operation corresponding to the control command. For example, the server transmits a movement path to the robot 100 so that the robot travels to a specific point in space. The robot 100 travels in space along the received movement path.

However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the movement path of the robot 100 may be set through the controller 140 included in the robot. Specifically, the movement path of the robot is set through the control unit 140 included in the robot, and the server may transmit a driving control command necessary for the robot 100 to move to the preset movement path to the robot 100 .

In one embodiment, referring to FIG. 5 , the robot R receives a movement route from the server to a destination via N5, N2, N3, and N6 in N4, and travels along the movement route. In the drawings attached to this specification, one embodiment of controlling the traveling of a robot using a node is described, but the method of controlling the traveling of the robot is not limited to a method using a node.

Next, a step of measuring the signal strength related to communication with the server at each of a plurality of different points along the movement path of the robot is performed (S120).

The robot measures the signal strength related to communication with the server according to a preset standard while driving the movement path received from the server. For example, the robot may measure the signal strength for communication with the server.

On the other hand, the reference for the robot 100 to measure the signal strength is a preset interval, a partitioned area in space (eg, a node), a preset time interval, a communication environment (eg, a sudden change in signal strength, communication a combination of at least one of a method change, a cell change). The robot 100 measures the signal strength whenever a preset condition is satisfied.

The robot 100 may match the signal strength information with at least one of signal strength measurement time information, signal strength measurement position information, and area information corresponding to the signal strength measurement position and store the matching.

In one embodiment, referring to FIG. 5 , the robot may measure the signal strength at each location corresponding to the node defined in the map information. Accordingly, the robot 100 measures the signal strength at positions corresponding to N4, N5, N2, N3, and N6.

Next, a step of generating a signal strength map for a plurality of different points by using the measured signal strength is performed (S130).

In the signal strength map, information on the signal strength measured at each of a plurality of different points, information on when the signal strength is measured at each of the plurality of different points, and location information of each of the different points are matched with each other. matching information may be included.

Meanwhile, the signal strength map may include unit area information related to the signal strength measurement point. A unit area refers to a partial area in a space representing a specific signal strength measurement point.

As an example, the unit area may be the node described with reference to FIG. 3 , but is not limited thereto. The unit area may be a fixed area like the fixed node, or a variable area based on a signal strength measurement point.

The unit area information may include at least one of location information defining a location of the unit area in space and an identification number of the unit area.

In an embodiment, the signal strength measured at a specific point may represent the entire unit area. Specifically, in the signal strength map, all signal strengths within a specific unit area may be defined as the same.

However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the signal strength may be different for each point within the unit area. For example, in the signal strength map, the signal strength within a specific unit region may be defined as a signal strength decreasing as the distance from the signal strength measurement point increases.

In the present specification, an area (or area) corresponding to a specific signal strength measurement point means a unit area corresponding to the specific signal strength measurement point.

In an embodiment, referring to FIG. 6A , the signal strength map may include information in which a node number is matched with a signal strength measurement location, a signal strength, and a signal strength measurement time. The robot extracts a signal strength measurement location and searches for a node corresponding to the extracted location. Thereafter, the signal strength measurement position and the searched node information may be matched and stored.

Next, when a communication failure event is detected while the robot 100 is traveling in space, a step of moving to a specific area of the space is performed based on the signal strength map ( S120 ).

The specific area is an area for performing a recovery process for a communication failure, and may be specified based on signal strength measured at each of the different points included in the signal strength map.

In an embodiment, in the step of specifying the specific region, any one point at which the largest signal strength is measured among the signal strengths measured at each of the plurality of different points (hereinafter, the signal strength measurement points) is included. area can be specified.

In another embodiment, in the step of specifying a specific area, a signal strength measurement point located within a preset distance from the point where the communication failure event occurs is specified, and the highest signal strength measured at each of the specified signal strength measurement points The specific region may be specified so that any one point at which a large signal strength is measured is included.

The specific region may be a region related to any one of the plurality of different points. For example, the specific area may be a unit area corresponding to any one of a plurality of signal strength measurement points.

In an embodiment, the specific area may be any one of a plurality of nodes defined in map information.

In another embodiment, the specific area may be a unit area temporarily generated based on a signal strength measurement point.

The control unit 140 included in the robot 100 controls the traveling unit 130 to move the robot 100 to a point within the specific area. The controller 140 may extract location information matched to any one of a plurality of signal strength measurement points from the signal strength map, and control the traveling unit of the robot to move to the specific area based on the location information. .

Specifically, the control unit 140 generates a recovery path of the robot to move from the point where the communication failure event occurs to the specific area, and the driving unit 130 so that the robot moves to the specific area according to the recovery path. control

Here, the starting point of the recovery path may be a point at which a communication failure event is detected, and the destination may be a point corresponding to location information extracted from the signal strength map and matched to the any one point.

In an embodiment, the recovery path may include a passing point passing through at least some of a plurality of signal strength measurement points. The recovery path may include at least a portion of a path that the robot traveled to a point where the communication failure event occurred.

In one embodiment, referring to FIG. 5 , when the robot R detects a communication failure event 530 while driving, the controller 140 creates a recovery path. In this case, the recovery path 540 is generated to include at least a portion of the movement path 510 that the robot moves to the point where the communication failure event occurs. The robot R may travel to the specific point along the path it traveled in the past before the communication failure event was detected.

Meanwhile, the robot may measure the signal strength according to a preset standard even while driving along the recovery path. For example, referring to FIG. 5 , the robot may measure signal strength at each node while driving along a recovery path reaching N5 using N6, N3, and N2 as a waypoint. In this process, the signal strength map may be updated.

Specifically, when the signal strength is measured a plurality of times at a position corresponding to a specific point among different signal strength measurement points, the controller 140 may update the signal strength map so that information on the signal strength of the specific point is updated. have.

In an embodiment, referring to FIG. 6B , the signal strength measured while the robot moves along the recovery path may be updated in the signal strength map. At this time, when the signal strength is measured at a point P5 in the node N6 corresponding to the point P4, the controller 140 determines that the signal strength corresponding to the point N6 is measured multiple times, and the most recently measured signal strength is measured. The signal strength map may be updated with the signal strength S5 at P5. In this case, the signal strength P4 information measured in P4 may be deleted. Similarly, the controller 140 may update the signal strength map with the signal strengths S6, S7, and S8 measured at points P6, P7, and P8 corresponding to N3, N2, and N5. Accordingly, the signal strength information measured at P3, P2, and P1 may be deleted from the signal strength map.

Meanwhile, in FIG. 6B , for convenience of explanation, it is described that the signal strength measurement positions measured at different points in the same node are different, but the robot can always measure the signal strength at the same point when measuring the signal strength at a specific node. In this case, the signal strength measurement positions at the same node may always be the same.

In an embodiment, when at least some of the plurality of different points at which signal strengths are measured are included on the path moving from the point where the communication failure event occurs to the specific area, the controller 140 may A recovery process for the communication failure may be performed at the at least some points.

As a result of the recovery process for the communication failure being performed at the at least some points, when the recovery for the communication failure is made, the controller 140 may cancel the movement plan of the robot to the specific area. That is, the controller 140 prevents unnecessary movement of the robot by performing a recovery process for a communication failure even while the robot moves to the specific area.

Finally, a step of performing a recovery process for a communication failure in a specific area is performed (150).

During the recovery process, the control unit 140 transmits communication failure information indicating that the communication failure event has occurred to the server. When the server receives the communication failure information, it transmits a response message to the robot. When the robot receives the response message, the robot determines that the communication failure has been restored.

On the other hand, when the control unit 140 does not receive a response message to the communication failure information from the server, it can move by setting a new recovery path.

As described above, the robot according to the present invention generates a signal strength map after periodically measuring signal strength while traveling in space, and when a communication failure occurs in the robot, the signal strength map is moved to a point where communication failure recovery is possible. use it to Through this, the present invention enables the robot to independently perform communication recovery even in a situation where the server cannot remotely control the robot due to a communication failure.

Hereinafter, after the recovery process for the communication failure proceeds, a method for controlling the robot will be described.

7 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an embodiment of moving the robot to its original destination after recovering a communication failure that occurred while driving the robot.

When the communication failure is recovered, the server performs a control for moving the robot to a destination corresponding to a movement path preset in the robot, or performs a control for recovering a failure occurring in the robot. To this end, the server may utilize the communication failure information received from the robot when performing the recovery process.

The communication failure information may include location information on the point where the communication failure event occurs. When the recovery process is performed in the specific area, the server generates a modified movement path for the destination corresponding to the movement path preset in the robot, and transmits it to the robot.

In this case, the creation of a new moving path of the server may be made based on the point at which the communication failure recovery is made. To this end, the communication failure information may further include location information of the robot on which the communication failure recovery process is performed.

In an embodiment, the point where the communication failure event occurs may be excluded from the modified movement path. Through this, the present invention can minimize the possibility of repeated communication failure in the robot by excluding the location where the communication failure occurs from the movement path of the robot.

On the other hand, the server determines whether the communication failure event is due to the failure of the communication network in the space in which the robot was driving, whether due to the failure of the robot, or the failure of the server.

When the communication failure event is generated based on the failure of the communication network in the space, the server generates a modified movement path for the destination corresponding to the movement path preset in the robot, and transmits it to the robot. The robot receives the new travel route and travels to the destination.

On the other hand, when the communication failure event occurs based on the failure of the robot, the server generates a task withdrawal command for withdrawing the task assigned to the robot, and transmits it to the robot. The control unit 140 receives the task withdrawal command from the server, and withdraws the previously assigned task. The robot may wait at the current position of the robot until it receives a separate control command from the server, or may move to a preset position for repair of the robot.

In one embodiment, referring to FIG. 7 , the robot R travels in space along preset movement paths 710a and 710b. The robot R measures the signal strength whenever it passes the area corresponding to the node while traveling in space. Accordingly, the signal strengths at N1, N2, and N3 are measured.

When the robot R reaches N7, the communication failure event 730 is detected, and the control unit 140 creates a recovery path 740 . In this case, the controller 140 generates a recovery path 740 that moves to N2 having the largest signal strengths 721 , 722 , and 723 among a plurality of signal strength measurement positions included in the signal strength map.

After the robot R' moves to N2, it performs a recovery process 750, and then transmits communication failure information to the server. After the server generates a new movement path 760 to reach the destination (G) by avoiding the point where the communication failure event occurred based on the location information on the point where the communication failure event occurred included in the communication failure information, A new movement path 760 is transmitted to the robot R'. The robot moves to the destination G along the new movement path 760 .

As described above, the present invention allows the robot to continue to perform a pre-assigned task after the recovery process for the communication failure is performed, or to solve the failure occurring in the robot.

On the other hand, the present invention makes it possible to efficiently set the movement path of the robot when setting the recovery path for the recovery process.

8 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an embodiment of clustering unit regions corresponding to a plurality of signal strength measurement points.

When some points located within a preset distance among a plurality of signal strength measurement points satisfy a predetermined condition, the robot may cluster the unit areas for each of the some points into one unit area.

When clustering a plurality of unit regions, the controller 140 calculates signal strengths representing the plurality of unit regions, and updates the signal strength map by matching the calculated signal strength with location information indicating the location of the clustered region. . Accordingly, signal strength information corresponding to each of the plurality of clustered unit regions in the signal strength map is deleted, and the signal strength corresponding to the clustered region is updated.

In an embodiment, when the difference between signal strengths corresponding to two signal strength measurement points located within a preset distance is within a predetermined range, the controller 140 separates the unit regions corresponding to the two signal strength measurement points from each other. to cluster. In this case, the controller 140 calculates the average value of the signal strength corresponding to the two signal strength measurement points as the representative signal strength of the clustered region. The controller 140 deletes information on two signal strength measurement points from the signal strength map, and updates the representative signal strength of the clustered region and the location of the clustered region.

Meanwhile, the signal strength measurement location corresponding to the clustered area may be a signal strength measurement point matching the most recent signal strength measurement time among the signal strength measurement times corresponding to each of the plurality of clustered unit areas. Also, the signal strength measurement time corresponding to the clustered region may be the most recent signal strength measurement time among the signal strength measurement times corresponding to each of the plurality of clustered unit regions.

When specifying a specific area for performing a recovery process for communication failure, a clustered area can be considered as one area. When the robot selects any one of the plurality of unit areas, the clustered area is treated as one area.

In one embodiment, referring to FIG. 8 , when a communication failure event 830 is detected in the robot R, the robot R specifies a specific area in the signal strength map. At this time, the controller 140 selects the one having the greatest signal strength among the signal strength information 821, 822, 823, 824, and 825 included in the signal strength map, and a recovery path ( 840) is created.

At this time, when the signal strength 821 corresponding to the clustered area is the largest, the robot creates a recovery path 840 that moves to the signal strength measurement position corresponding to the clustered area.

Meanwhile, the robot may delete some information included in the signal strength map based on the signal strength measurement time information included in the pre-stored signal strength map.

9 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an embodiment of deleting some data from a signal strength map.

The controller 140 compares the current time point with the specific signal strength measurement time information stored in the signal strength map, and corresponds to the specific signal strength measurement time information when the current time point and the specific signal strength measurement time information exceed a preset time interval Information that is used can be deleted from the signal strength map.

In an embodiment, comparing FIGS. 8 and 9 , when a time difference between a signal strength measurement time corresponding to N1 and N2 and a current time exceeds a preset time interval, the controller 140 corresponds to N1 and N2 Deleted information from the signal strength map.

Thereafter, when a communication failure event is detected in the robot (R), the control unit 140 compares the signal strengths 822, 823, 824, and 825 corresponding to each other node except for N1 and N2, and the signal strength is the highest. Create a recovery path 940 that goes to large N4, and perform a recovery process 950 at N4.

As described above, the present invention can improve the reliability of the signal strength map by deleting old information included in the signal strength map.

On the other hand, the present invention can utilize the signal strength measured by another robot to generate a signal map.

10A and 10B are conceptual diagrams illustrating an embodiment of performing communication recovery using signal strength measured by another robot.

The robot 100 transmits at least one of information on the measured signal strength, information on the signal strength measurement point, and information on the signal strength measurement time to the server, or the signal strength map stored in the storage unit 120 of the robot. It can be sent to the server periodically. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, information on signal strength generated from another robot and transmitted to a specific robot, information on a signal strength measurement point, information on a signal strength measurement time, and a signal strength map are signals generated from other robots. It is called century-related information.

The server may transmit signal strength related information received from another robot to a specific robot. When a specific robot receives signal strength-related information generated from another robot, the signal strength map may be updated using the received information.

Meanwhile, the server may match the movement path of the other robot with the signal strength-related information generated from the other robot and transmit it to a specific robot. Here, the movement path of the other robot refers to a path traveled by the other robot while generating signal strength-related information.

A specific robot can utilize the movement path of another robot to create a recovery path for communication failure recovery.

In one embodiment, referring to FIG. 10A , the second robot R2 receives the signal strength related information generated from the first robot R1 and updates the signal strength map. At the same time, the second robot R2 receives the movement path 1011 of the first robot R1 from the server. Accordingly, in the storage unit 120 of the second robot R2, the signal strength information 1025, 1026, 1027, 1028 corresponding to N1, N2, N3, and N7 measured by the second robot and the first robot R1 ), signal strength information 1021 , 1022 , 1023 , 1024 corresponding to the measured N9, N6, N3, and N4 is stored. In addition, the movement path 1012 of the second robot R2 and the movement path 1011 of the first robot R1 are stored in the storage unit 120 of the second robot R2 .

Referring to FIG. 10B , when a communication failure event 1030 is detected in the second robot R2, the second robot R2 compares the signal strengths measured by the first and second robots R1 and R2, respectively. Thus, N9 having the largest signal strength is specified as an area for performing the recovery process.

Thereafter, the second robot R2 creates a recovery path for moving to a specific point of N9. At this time, the second robot R2 generates a recovery path by utilizing the movement path 1011 of the first robot and the movement path 1012 of the second robot. Specifically, the second robot R2 uses the movement path 1012 of the second robot R2 to generate a recovery path 1012' moving to N7, and the movement path 1011 of the first robot R1. ) to create a recovery path 1011' moving to N9. The second robot R2 moves to N9 along the generated recovery path and performs a recovery process 1050 .

As described above, the present invention utilizes a signal strength measured from another robot and a movement path of another robot for communication failure recovery, so that even a path that the robot did not move can be utilized for communication failure recovery. Through this, the present invention can improve the possibility of recovering from a communication failure of the robot by giving variety to the selection of a point for performing the recovery process.

Meanwhile, the present invention described above may be implemented as a program storable in a computer-readable medium, which is executed by one or more processes in a computer.

Furthermore, the present invention as seen above can be implemented as computer-readable codes or instructions on a medium in which a program is recorded. That is, the present invention may be provided in the form of a program.

Meanwhile, the computer-readable medium includes all types of recording devices in which data readable by a computer system is stored. Examples of computer-readable media include Hard Disk Drive (HDD), Solid State Disk (SSD), Silicon Disk Drive (SDD), ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage device, etc. There is this.

Furthermore, the computer-readable medium may be a server or a cloud storage that includes a storage and that an electronic device can access through communication. In this case, the computer may download the program according to the present invention from a server or cloud storage through wired or wireless communication.

Furthermore, in the present invention, the computer described above is an electronic device equipped with a processor, that is, a CPU (Central Processing Unit, Central Processing Unit), and there is no particular limitation on the type thereof.

On the other hand, the above detailed description should not be construed as limiting in all respects, but should be considered as exemplary. The scope of the present invention should be determined by a reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all modifications within the equivalent scope of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims (18)

A method for recovering from a communication failure of a robot traveling in space based on communication with a server, the method comprising: traveling in the space along a preset movement path;
measuring a signal strength related to communication with the server at each of a plurality of different points along the moving path;
generating a signal strength map for the plurality of different points by using the measured signal strength;
moving to a specific area of the space based on the signal strength map when a communication failure event related to communication with the server is detected while the robot is traveling in the space; and
In the specific area, the communication failure recovery method of the robot comprising the step of performing a recovery process for the communication failure. According to claim 1,
Moving to a specific area of the space comprises:
Based on the signal strength measured at each of the plurality of different points included in the signal strength map, comprising the step of specifying the specific region,
The specific area is a communication failure recovery method of a robot, characterized in that the area related to any one of the plurality of different points. 3. The method of claim 2,
Moving to a specific area of the space comprises:
generating a recovery path of the robot to move from the point where the communication failure event occurred to the specific area; and
According to the recovery path, the robot communication failure recovery method further comprising the step of controlling the driving unit of the robot so that the robot moves to the specific area. 4. The method of claim 3,
The recovery path of the robot is,
Communication failure recovery method of a robot, characterized in that it includes a waypoint through at least some of the different plurality of points. 3. The method of claim 2,
In the step of specifying the specific region,
Communication failure recovery method of a robot, characterized in that the specific area is specified so that any one point at which the largest signal strength is measured among the signal strengths measured at each of the plurality of different points is included. 4. The method of claim 3,
In the step of specifying the specific region,
specifying at least one signal strength measurement point located within a preset distance from a point where the communication failure event occurs among the plurality of different points,
The specific area is
Communication failure recovery method, characterized in that it includes a point at which the highest signal strength is measured among the specified signal strength measurement points. 3. The method of claim 2,
The signal strength map is
Matching information in which information on the signal strength measured at each of the plurality of different points, information on when the signal strength is measured at each of the plurality of different points, and location information of each of the different points are matched with each other Communication failure recovery method of the robot comprising a. 8. The method of claim 7,
In the step of moving to the specific area,
The method for recovering a communication failure of a robot, characterized in that extracting location information matched to the one point from the signal strength map, and controlling the driving unit of the robot to move to the specific area based on the location information. 8. The method of claim 7,
When the signal strength is measured a plurality of times at a position corresponding to a specific point among the plurality of different points,
Communication failure recovery method of the robot further comprising the step of updating the signal strength map so that the information on the signal strength of the specific point is updated. According to claim 1,
When the recovery process is performed in the specific area, further comprising the step of receiving a modified movement path for the destination corresponding to the movement path of the robot from the server,
Communication failure recovery method of a robot, characterized in that the point where the communication failure event occurs is excluded from the modified movement path. According to claim 1,
The recovery process is
Transmitting communication failure information indicating that the communication failure event has occurred to the server,
The communication failure information,
Communication failure recovery method of a robot, characterized in that it includes location information on the point where the communication failure event occurred. 12. The method of claim 11,
The communication failure event, the communication failure recovery method of the robot, characterized in that generated based on at least one of the failure of the communication network in the space or the failure of the robot. 13. The method of claim 12.
When the communication failure event occurs based on the failure of the communication network in the space, receiving a modified movement path to the destination corresponding to the movement path of the robot from the server. How to recover from a communication failure. 13. The method of claim 12,
When the communication failure event occurs based on the failure of the robot, the task previously assigned to the robot is withdrawn based on the task withdrawal command received from the server. According to claim 1,
In the step of performing the recovery process,
When at least some of the plurality of different points at which signal strengths are measured are included on the path moving from the point where the communication failure event occurs to the specific area,
Communication failure recovery method of a robot, characterized in that performing a recovery process for the communication failure at the at least some points. 16. The method of claim 15,
As a result of performing the recovery process for the communication failure at the at least some points, if the communication failure is recovered, the robot's movement plan to the specific area is canceled. Way. driving part;
a communication unit for communicating with the server; and
A control unit for controlling the traveling unit to travel in space along a preset movement path, and measuring a signal strength related to communication with the server at each of a plurality of different points along the movement path,
The control unit is
Using the measured signal strength to generate a signal strength map (map) for the plurality of different points,
When a communication failure event related to communication with the server is detected while the robot is driving in the space, it moves to a specific area of the space based on the signal strength map,
In the specific area, the robot, characterized in that performing a recovery process for communication failure. A program that is executed by one or more processes in an electronic device and can be stored in a computer-readable medium,
The program is
traveling in space along a preset movement path;
measuring a signal strength related to communication with the server at each of a plurality of different points along the moving path;
generating a signal strength map for the plurality of different points by using the measured signal strength;
moving to a specific area of the space based on the signal strength map when a communication failure event related to communication with the server is detected while the robot is traveling in the space; and
A program storable in a computer-readable medium, characterized in that it includes instructions for performing the step of performing a recovery process for a communication failure in the specific area.

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