Guidance robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10744641-B2
Application number	US-201715853587-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2017
Priority date	Dec 23, 2016
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

A guidance robot comprises a driving unit that includes wheels and a motor for moving; a body that is provided on the driving unit and includes sensors for autonomous driving; a display unit that is coupled to the body; a stationary unit that is coupled to the top of the body; a circular rotary unit that has an opening and is provided over the stationary unit to rotate about the central axis of the stationary unit; and a stopper that extends upward from the stationary unit through the opening of the circular rotary unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A guidance robot comprising:
a drive section that includes wheels and a motor to rotate at least one;
a body that is provided over the drive section and includes at least one sensor for autonomous movement;
a display unit that is coupled to the body;
a stationary plate that is coupled to a top of the body;
a rotary disc that has an opening and is provided over the stationary plate to rotate about a central axis of the stationary plate; and
a stopper that extends upward from the stationary plate through the opening of the rotary disc.

2. The guidance robot of claim 1 , wherein the rotary disc is provided in parallel with the stationary plate, and the stopper limits rotation of the rotary disc by coming in contact with an inner side of the opening when the rotary disc is rotated.

3. The guidance robot of claim 2 , further comprising:
a rotary motor provided over the stationary plate; and
a motor mount that is coupled to the rotary motor, wherein the rotary disc is coupled to the rotary motor to rotate on the motor mount.

4. The guidance robot of claim 3 , wherein the rotary disc includes:
an arm that laterally extends over the motor mount with a first end coupled to a rotary shaft of the rotary motor; and
a rim that forms a circular ring by circumferentially extending from a second end of the arm.

5. The guidance robot of claim 4 , wherein the arm is positioned at a same height as the stopper or lower than the stopper.

6. The guidance robot of claim 4 , further comprising:
a sensing target that is provided at the arm; and
a location sensor that is provided at the motor mount to sense the sensing target.

7. The guidance robot of claim 6 , wherein when the location sensor senses the sensing target, operation of the rotary motor is stopped.

8. The guidance robot of claim 6 , wherein the location sensor includes:
a first location sensor that is provided on a first side of the motor mount; and
a second location sensor that is provided on a second side of the motor mount that is opposite to the first location sensor.

9. The guidance robot of claim 6 , wherein the location sensor includes a limit switch, and the sensing target selectively comes in contact with the limit switch when the arm is rotated.

10. The guidance robot of claim 6 , wherein the location sensor includes a hall sensor, and the sensing target has a magnet that is sensed by the hall sensor.

11. The guidance robot of claim 6 , wherein the location sensor includes a proximity sensor or an optical sensor, and the sensing target protrudes or is open to be sensed by the proximity sensor or the optical sensor.

12. The guidance robot of claim 6 , wherein the sensing target is formed on a bottom of the arm, and the location sensor is provided on a bottom of the motor mount.

13. The guidance robot of claim 1 , further comprising a top cover that is coupled to the rotary disc.

14. The guidance robot of claim 13 , wherein the top cover has a semispherical shape and a user interface is provided on a side formed by partially cutting the top cover.

15. The guidance robot of claim 14 , wherein the user interface includes a touch monitor inclined to receive touch input.

16. The guidance robot of claim 14 , wherein when the guidance robot moves, the user interface faces a movement direction of the guidance robot, and the display unit faces a direction opposite to the movement direction.

17. The guidance robot of claim 14 , further comprising at least one of a 2D camera or an RGBD (Red Green Blue Depth) sensor for discriminating a person or an object.

18. The guidance robot of claim 1 , further comprising a shell that forms an external shape of the guidance robot and increases in diameter from a top of the body to a bottom of the body.

19. The guidance robot of claim 18 , wherein the shell includes:
a top cover that is rotatably coupled to the rotary disc;
a cylindrical middle cover that is provided under the top cover; and
a cylindrical bottom cover that is provided under the middle cover,
wherein the middle cover increases in diameter as the middle cover extends downward, and the bottom cover decreases in diameter as the bottom cover extends downward.

20. The guidance robot of claim 19 , wherein the middle cover includes:
a first middle cover that has a cylindrical shape; and
a second middle cover that is provided under the first middle cover and has a cylindrical shape having a larger diameter than the first middle cover, and
wherein the display unit extends from a top to a bottom of the first middle cover and has a concave shape curved with a predetermined curvature.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Yang Sunho
• Choi Haemin

Classifications

• B25J5/007 Primary

  mounted on wheels · CPC title

• B25J9/0003

  Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use · CPC title

• B25J9/0009

  Constructional details, e.g. manipulator supports, bases · CPC title

• B25J19/00

  Accessories fitted to manipulators, e.g. for monitoring, for viewing; Safety devices combined with or specially adapted for use in connection with manipulators (safety-devices in general F16P; protection against radiation in general G21F) · CPC title

• B25J13/08

  by means of sensing devices, e.g. viewing or touching devices · CPC title