Robot system and operation method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11518648-B2
Application number	US-201916587589-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2019
Priority date	Aug 16, 2019
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

Disclosed are a robot system and an operation method thereof. The robot system includes a central controller, a robot configured to communication with the central controller and capable of autonomous driving, and a first sensing module configured to communicate with the central controller, to be mounted inside an elevator, and configured to measure an electric power of a communication radio wave emitted by a mobile communication device inside the elevator. The robot may transmit or receive a wireless signal on a mobile communication network established according to 5G communication.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robot system comprising:
a computing device;
a robot configured to move autonomously; and
a first sensor provided at an elevator, and configured to measure a strength of signals emitted by one or more user devices in the elevator,
wherein the computing device determines a quantity of the user devices in the elevator based on the strength measured by the first sensor, and
the robot determines whether to move into the elevator based on the quantity of the user devices in the elevator.

2. The robot system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device determines a quantity of people in the elevator based on the quantity of the user devices in the elevator, the quantity of people corresponding to the quantity of the user devices in the elevator.

3. The robot system of claim 1 , further comprising a signal repeater, and a second sensor configured to measure a strength of signals received by the signal repeater.

4. The robot system of claim 3 , wherein the computing device is configured to activate the first sensor to measure the strength of the signals emitted by the user devices in the elevator when the strength of signals measured by the second sensor is greater than or equal to a set value.

5. The robot system of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor measures a strength of signals emitted by the user devices to communicate with a wireless communication base station through a random access channel (RACH).

6. The robot system of claim 5 , wherein a frequency band is set for the RACH, and
wherein the first sensor measures the strength of signals in the frequency band set for the RACH.

7. The robot system of claim 6 , wherein the computing device stores information associating quantities of the user devices with respective signal strengths or ranges of signal strengths of signals in the frequency band corresponding to the RACH, and determines the quantity of the user devices in the elevator based on the stored information.

8. The robot system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is included in the robot.

9. The robot system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further configured to determine data identifying respective detected signal strength levels as a quantity of the user devices in the elevator increases from one to a maximum quantity of persons that the elevator can accommodate.

10. The robot system of claim 9 , wherein the computing device determines the data while a mounting position of the first sensor is changed in the elevator.

11. The robot system of claim 10 , wherein the data includes information identifying signal strength levels and corresponding quantity of the user devices according to the mounting position of the first sensor in the elevator.

12. The robot system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device stores data associating quantities of the user devices with respective signal strengths or ranges of signal strengths, and determines the quantity of the user devices in the elevator based on comparing the strength of the signals measured by the first sensor with the respective signal strengths or ranges of signal strengths in the stored data,
wherein the stored data is derived by machine learning,
wherein the machine learning includes:
estimating a quantity of persons boarding the elevator based on an input value,
measuring an quantity of persons boarding the elevator using a vision sensor included on the robot,
correcting the estimated quantity of persons boarding the elevator with the measured quantity of persons boarding the elevator, and
storing information identifying a quantity of user devices corresponding to the measured quantity of persons on the elevator.

13. The robot system of claim 12 , wherein the input value is a signal strength measured by the first sensor and a total weight of persons boarding the elevator measured by a weight sensor in the elevator.

14. A method of operating a robot,
measuring an aggregate signal strength within an elevator;
determining a quantity of user devices in the elevator based on the aggregate signal strength measured in the elevator; and
determining whether the robot should move into the elevator based on the quantity of the user devices in the elevator.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the aggregate signal strength within the elevator is measured by a first sensor in the elevator; and wherein the method further comprises:
determining, by a second sensor associated at a signal repeater in the elevator, whether the aggregate signal strength within the elevator is greater than a set value; and
activating the first sensor to measure the aggregate signal strength within the elevator when the aggregate signal strength within the elevator is greater than or equal to the set value.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the robot determines to not move into the elevator when more than a set quantity of user devices are present in the elevator.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein measuring the aggregate signal strength within the elevator includes measuring a strength of signals emitted by the user devices to communicate with a wireless communication base station through a random access channel (RACH).

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein a frequency band is set for the RACH, and
wherein aggregate signal strength is measured for signals in the frequency band set for the RACH.

19. The robot system of claim 18 , wherein determining the quantity of the user devices in the elevator based on the aggregate signal strength includes:
storing information associating quantities of the user devices with respective signal strengths or ranges of signal strengths of signals in the frequency band set for the RACH, and
determining the quantity of the user devices in the elevator based on comparing the aggregate signal strength to the respective signal strengths or ranges of signal strengths in the stored information.

20. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
estimating a quantity of persons on the elevator based on aggregate signal strength and a total weight of persons on the elevator;
measuring an quantity of persons boarding the elevator using a vision sensor included on the robot; and
correcting the estimated quantity of persons boarding the elevator with the measured quantity of persons boarding the elevator,
wherein the robot determines whether to move into the elevator based on the corrected estimated quantity of persons in the elevator.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Shin Chang Eui

Classifications

• B25J9/1679

  characterised by the tasks executed · CPC title

• B25J9/1694

  characterised by use of sensors other than normal servo-feedback from position, speed or acceleration sensors, perception control, multi-sensor controlled systems, sensor fusion · CPC title

• B25J19/02

  Sensing devices · CPC title

• B66B2201/4669

  using passenger condition detectors · CPC title

• B25J9/1602 Primary

  characterised by the control system, structure, architecture · CPC title