Service providing apparatus providing in-vehicle service and control method of the apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12269386-B2
Application number	US-202318717965-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2023
Priority date	Jan 25, 2023
Publication date	Apr 8, 2025
Grant date	Apr 8, 2025

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle service providing apparatus, the apparatus including a module unit including service modules configured to provide services, a rail part including a rail stretched into a cabin of a vehicle, a moving part onto which one of the service modules is seated and fixed, and which is configured to move along the rail; and a processor configured to: identify a request for a service that may be provided through one of the service modules, detect a first service module corresponding to the identified service request, and determine a service providing position and control the module unit to seat the first service module onto the moving part, and control the moving part onto which the first service module is seated to move to the determined service providing position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An in-vehicle service providing apparatus comprising:
a module unit comprising a plurality of service modules configured to provide services different from each other;
a rail part comprising a rail stretched into a cabin of a vehicle;
a moving part onto which one of the plurality of service modules is seated and fixed, and which is configured to move along the rail; and
a processor configured to: identify a request for a service that may be provided through one of the plurality of service modules, detect a first service module corresponding to the identified service request, determine a service providing position based on a position of a service requester who made the identified service request in the cabin, control the module unit to seat the first service module onto the moving part, and control the moving part onto which the first service module is seated to move to the determined service providing position.

2. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the module unit comprises:
a first frame stretched in a direction intersecting the rail and located at a certain height from the rail;
a second frame disposed below the first frame, stretched in a direction parallel to a direction of the first frame, and connected to different service modules at a constant interval along the direction of being stretched; and
a frame moving part connected to the second frame and configured to move the connected second frame along the first frame,
wherein the processor moves the second frame by controlling the frame moving part to align the first service module with a base position in which the first frame intersects the rail.

3. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second frame and each of the plurality of service modules are connected through tension portions corresponding to the plurality of service modules, respectively,
the tension portions are configured to be stretchable in a downward direction, and comprise a tension head coupled to a service module corresponding to the tension head and configured to fix the coupled service module, and
when the first service module is aligned with the base position according to the movement of the second frame, the processor controls a tension portion corresponding to the first service module to stretch the tension head to seat the first service module on the moving part disposed in the base position.

4. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the service module comprises:
a service module body;
a first coupling portion disposed at an upper end of the service module body, and configured to be coupled and fixed to the tension head; and
a second coupling portion disposed at a lower end of the service module body, and configured to be coupled and fixed to the moving part.

5. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the tension head and at least one part of an upper end of the moving part comprise an electromagnet configured to generate magnetic force when power is supplied, and
the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion of the service module are made of a metallic material adsorbed onto the electromagnet due to attractive force generated by magnetic force when the magnetic force is generated from the electromagnet.

6. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the processor supplies power to one of a first electromagnet disposed in the tension head of the tension portion corresponding to the first service module and a second electromagnet disposed at the upper end of the moving part, and
changes an electromagnet to which the power is supplied based on whether the first service module is seated on the moving part, and whether the service module seated on the moving part has returned to the base position.

7. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor extracts a voice feature from the identified service request, identifies the service requester from the extracted voice feature, estimates a seat position or a seated position of the identified service requester from a pre-stored seat map or a cabin image obtained by sensing passengers in the cabin, and determines one position located on the rail to be adjacent to the estimated seat position or seated position as the service providing position.

8. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the processor detects face feature information corresponding to the identified service requester from pre-stored face feature information of different people and detects a passenger corresponding to the detected face feature information from the cabin image to estimate the seated position of the service requester.

9. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising an interface unit configured to receive the cabin image obtained from at least one camera disposed in the vehicle,
wherein the processor obtains the cabin image by controlling the interface unit.

10. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising an interface unit connected to a control unit of the vehicle or a communication unit configured to perform a communication connection to a preset external server,
wherein the processor transmits voice information corresponding to the identified service request to the control unit of the vehicle or the external server, and, in response to the transmitting, receives information about an estimated seat position or seated position of the identified service requester.

11. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the vehicle or the external server is configured to: comprise a voice information database in which voice feature information for each of a plurality of people related to the vehicle is stored, and a face information database in which face feature information for each of the plurality of people related to the vehicle, and
identify, when the voice information corresponding to the identified service request is received from the processor, a service requester corresponding to a voice feature of the voice information based on the voice information database, detect face feature information corresponding to the identified service requester based on the face information database, detect a seated position of a particular passenger corresponding to the detected face feature information among passengers in the cabin comprised in the cabin image obtained by sensing the passengers in the cabin, and transmit information about the detected seated position of the particular passenger, in response to the voice information.

12. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a maintenance module configured to provide cold air or hot air to a lower portion of the base position,
wherein the processor detects a service module that needs heating or cooling among the plurality of service modules and heats or cools the detected service module by moving the detected service module to the base position.

13. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processor places the moving part in the base position, controls the module unit to seat the service module that needs heating or cooling on the moving part located in the base position, and drives the maintenance module when the service module is seated on the moving part to transfer cold air or hot air discharged from the maintenance module to the seated service module via the moving part.

14. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the moving part comprises at least one

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Cho Sungil
• Cho Jaehoon

Classifications

• G07F13/10

  with associated dispensing of containers, e.g. cups or other articles · CPC title

• G06Q30/06

  Buying, selling or leasing transactions · CPC title

• B65G47/90

  Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials · CPC title

• B60R11/04

  Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle · CPC title

• B60R7/04

  in driver or passenger space {, e.g. using racks (B60R7/005, B60R7/08 take precedence)} · CPC title