Robot operable to disembark from escalator and method of controlling same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12422851-B2
Application number	US-202318383129-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2023
Priority date	Aug 24, 2022
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

Provided is a robot and method of controlling same, where the robot includes: a sensor; a driver; a memory storing an instruction; and a processor configured to execute the instruction to: identify, through the sensor, a height difference between a first stair and a second stair of an escalator, identify whether the robot is adjacent to a disembarkment area of the escalator based on the identified height difference, based on identifying that the robot is adjacent to the disembarkment area, identify, through the sensor, whether an object is located within a first distance of the robot in a movement direction of the escalator, and based on identifying the object located within the first distance of the robot in the movement direction of the escalator, control the driver to cause the robot to move on the escalator in a direction opposite to the movement direction of the escalator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robot comprising:
at least one sensor;
a driver;
at least one memory storing at least one instruction; and
at least one processor configured to execute the at least one instruction to:
identify, through the at least one sensor, a height difference between a first stair and a second stair of an escalator,
identify whether the robot is adjacent to a disembarkment area of the escalator based on the identified height difference,
based on identifying that the robot is adjacent to the disembarkment area, identify, through the at least one sensor, whether an object is located within a first distance of the robot in a movement direction of the escalator, and
based on identifying the object located within the first distance of the robot in the movement direction of the escalator, control the driver to cause the robot to move on the escalator in a direction opposite to the movement direction of the escalator.

2. The robot of claim 1 ,
wherein the second stair is a stair adjacent to the first stair in the movement direction of the escalator, and
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the at least one instruction to identify that the robot is adjacent to the disembarkment area of the escalator based on identifying that the identified height difference is less than a predetermined value.

3. The robot of claim 1 , further comprising:
a communication interface,
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the at least one instruction to:
based on the driver causing the robot to move in the direction opposite to the movement direction of the escalator, identify, through the at least one sensor, whether a second object is located within a second distance of the robot in the direction opposite to the movement direction of the escalator, and
based on identifying the second object located within the second distance of the robot in the direction opposite to the movement direction of the escalator, transmit a control signal for stopping the escalator through the communication interface.

4. The robot of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the at least one instruction to control the driver to cause the robot to move in the direction opposite to the movement direction of the escalator at a movement speed of the escalator.

5. The robot of claim 4 , further comprising:
a camera,
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the at least one instruction to:
acquire a plurality of images of the escalator through the camera,
based on identifying that the robot is adjacent to the disembarkment area of the escalator, identify a boundary line between the first stair and the second stair based on the acquired plurality of images, and
identify the movement speed of the escalator based on a movement speed of the identified boundary line.

6. The robot of claim 4 ,
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the at least one instruction to:
identify a third stair of the escalator based on the robot being positioned on the third stair,
identify a fourth stair of the escalator based on the fourth stair being adjacent to the third stair in the movement direction of the escalator, and
identify the movement speed of the escalator based on an elapsed time between a first time corresponding to identifying an initial height difference between the third stair and the fourth stair and a second time corresponding to identifying a maximum height difference between the third stair and the fourth stair.

7. The robot of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the at least one instruction to:
while the robot moves in the direction opposite to the movement direction of the escalator, based on identifying, through the at least one sensor, that the object located in the movement direction of the escalator is no longer located within the first distance of the robot, control the driver to cause the robot to move in the movement direction of the escalator and to enter the disembarkment area.

8. The robot of claim 1 ,
wherein the driver comprises a plurality of wheels, and
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the at least one instruction to:
while the robot moves in the direction opposite to the movement direction of the escalator, control the driver to cause at least one of the plurality of wheels to be located within the disembarkment area and to cause a remainder of the plurality of wheels to be located on the escalator, and control the driver to cause the remainder of the plurality of wheels to rotate in the direction opposite to the movement direction of the escalator.

9. A method of controlling a robot, the method comprising:
identifying, through at least one sensor of the robot, a height difference between a first stair and a second stair of an escalator;
identifying whether the robot is adjacent to a disembarkment area of the escalator based on the identified height difference;
based on identifying that the robot is adjacent to the disembarkment area, identifying whether an object is located within a first distance of the robot in a movement direction of the escalator; and
based on identifying the object located within the first distance of the robot in the movement direction of the escalator, controlling a driver of the robot to cause the robot to move on the escalator in a direction opposite to the movement direction of the escalator.

10. The method of claim 9 ,
wherein the second stair is a stair adjacent to the first stair in the movement direction of the escalator, and
wherein the identifying whether the robot is adjacent to the disembarkment area further comprises identifying that the robot is adjacent to the disembarkment area based on identifying that the identified height difference is less than a predetermined value.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
based on the driver causing the robot to move in the direction opposite to the movement direction of the escalator, identifying, through the at least one sensor, whether a second object is located within a second distance of the robot in the direction opposite to the movement direction of the escalator; and
based on identifying the second object located within the second distance of the robot in the direction opposite to the movement direction of the escalator, transmitting a control signal for stopping the escalator through a communication interface of the robot.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the controlling the driver further comprises controlling the driver to cause the robot to move in the direction opposite to the movement direction of the escalator at a movement speed of the escalator.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
acquiring a plurality of images of the escalator through a camera of the robot;
based on identifying that the robot is adjacent to the disembarkment area of the escalator, identifying a boundary line between the first stair and the second stair based on the acquired plurality of images; and
identifying the movement speed of the escalator based on the movement speed of the identified boundary line.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
identifying a third stair of the escalator based on the robot being positioned on the third stair;
identifying a fourth stair adjacent to the third stair in the movement direction of the escalator; and
identifying the movement speed of the escalator based on an elapsed time between a first time corresponding to identifying an initial height dif

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hong Hyunki
• Koh Youngil

Classifications

• B25J19/02

  Sensing devices · CPC title

• B25J13/08

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

• B25J9/16

  Program controls (total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, G05B19/418) · CPC title

• B25J5/00

  Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages (B25J1/00 takes precedence; programme-controlled manipulators B25J9/00 {; vehicle aspects B60, B62, e.g. remote-controlled steering for motor vehicles B62D1/24; control of position of vehicles G05D1/00}) · CPC title

• G05D1/435

  resulting in a change of level, e.g. negotiating lifts or stairs · CPC title