Method and device for controlling a robot, and robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11565419-B2
Application number	US-201816637995-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2018
Priority date	Aug 22, 2017
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

Abstract

A method and device for controlling a robot, and a robot. The device detects whether there is an article being put into or taken out from a storage container of a robot, and if it is detected that an article is put into or taken out from the storage container, an information list is updated according to the article being put into or taken out, the information list recording relevant information about articles in the storage container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a shopping robot, wherein an annular sensor strip is provided at an entrance of a storage container of the shopping robot, comprising:
detecting whether there is an article being put into or taken out from the storage container of the shopping robot using a put-into and take-out sensor provided on the annular sensor strip;
extracting relevant information about the article being put into or taken out from the storage container using an electronic tag identifier provided on the annular sensor strip;
updating an information list according to the article being put into or taken out from the storage container if it is detected that an article is put into or taken out from the storage container, wherein the information list records relevant information about articles in the storage container, and the information list is used to collect information about the articles purchased by a user; and
sending the information list to a charging platform for payment after a shopping end instruction is received.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
updating an information list according to the article being put into or taken out from the storage container comprises:
extracting relevant information about the article being put into the storage container if it is detected that an article is put into the storage container; and
recording the relevant information about the article being put into the storage container in the information list.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
updating an information list according to the article being put into or taken out from the storage container comprises:
extracting relevant information about the article being taken out from the storage container if it is detected that an article is taken out from the storage container; and
deleting the relevant information about the article being taken out from the storage container from the information list.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a path for the robot to move from a current position of the robot to a predetermined parking place after receiving the shopping end instruction; and
driving the robot to move along the determined path so as to lead a user to the predetermined parking place.

5. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
controlling a robotic arm to take articles out from the storage container after the robot reaches the predetermined parking place.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a storage place of a specified article according to the shopping instruction after receiving a shopping instruction;
determining a path for the robot to move from the current position to the storage place; and
driving the robot to move along the determined path so as to lead a user to the storage place.

7. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
controlling a robotic arm to grab the specified article to put it into the storage container after the robot reaches a predetermined parking place.

8. A device for controlling a robot, comprising:
a memory for storing computer instructions; and
a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to implement the method for controlling a robot according to claim based on the computer instructions stored in the memory.

9. A non-volatile computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions, which when executed by a processor implement the method for controlling a robot according to claim 1 .

10. A shopping robot, comprising:
a storage container, wherein an annular sensor strip is provided at an entrance of the storage container;
a put-into and take-out sensor provided on the annular sensor strip configured to detect whether there is an article being put into or taken out from a storage container;
an electronic tag identifier provided on the annular sensor strip configured to extract relevant information about an article being put into or taken out from the storage container;
a device for controlling a robot configured to:
determine whether there is an article being put into or taken out from the storage container according to a detection result of the put-into and take-out sensor,
update an information list according to relevant information about the article being put into or taken out from the storage container that is extracted by the electronic tag identifier if there is an article being put into or taken out from the storage container, wherein the information list records relevant information about articles in the storage container and the information list is used to collect information about the articles purchased by a user, and
send the information list to a charging platform for payment after a shopping end instruction is received.

11. The shopping robot according to claim 10 , further comprising:
an image collector configured to collect a current environment image of the robot;
a moving mechanism configured to drive the robot to move;
the device for controlling a robot is further configured to determine a current position of the robot according to the image collected by the image collector, determine a path for the robot to move from the current position to a target place, and drive the moving mechanism to move along the determined path to lead a user to the target place.

12. The shopping robot according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a robotic arm configured to put an article into the storage container or take an article out from the storage container based on the control of the device for controlling a robot.

13. The shopping robot according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a weight sensor configured to measure a current weight of the storage container;
wherein the device for controlling a robot is further configured to compare the current weight of the storage container with a weight when the storage container is empty to determine whether there is still any article in the storage container according to a measurement result of the weight sensor, so as to send a notification message.

14. The shopping robot according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a user interface configured to receive instructions input by a user.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the put-into and take-out sensor is a light detector, a video detector, or an electromagnetic wave detector.

16. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting whether there is still any article in the storage container after articles are taken out from the storage container by the user; and
sending a notification message if there is still any article in the storage container.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein detecting whether there is still any article in the storage container comprises:
detecting a current depth value of storage space of the storage container using a depth detector, wherein the current depth value is a distance from the entrance to a bottom of the storage container; and
comparing the current depth value with a depth value when the storage container is empty to determine whether there is still any article in the storage container.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein detecting whether there is still any article in the storage container comprises:
detecting a current weight of the storage container using a weight sensor; and
comparing the current weight of the storage container with a weight when the storage container is empty to determine whether there is still any article in the storage container.

Assignees

• Beijing Jingdong Shangke Information Technology Co Ltd
• Beijing Jingdong Century Trading Co Ltd

Inventors

• Cheng Hui

Classifications

• B25J9/1664

  characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning · CPC title

• B25J9/162

  Mobile manipulator, movable base with manipulator arm mounted on it · CPC title

• B25J9/1679 Primary

  characterised by the tasks executed · CPC title

• B25J9/1635

  flexible-arm control · CPC title

• G05B2219/40039

  Robot mounted or sliding inside vehicle, on assembly line or for test, service · CPC title