Control system of moving agent group and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021360367-A1
Application number	US-201916487393-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 17, 2019
Priority date	Apr 17, 2019
Publication date	Nov 18, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is a method for controlling a moving agent group platooning within a building, the method comprising: a sensing step in which a first moving agent among a plurality of moving agents senses an occurrence of a predetermined event during the plurality of moving agents are platooning, wherein the first moving agent leads the platooning of the plurality of moving agents; and a transferring step in which the first moving agent transfers a group control authority to a second moving agent among the plurality of moving agents, wherein the second moving agent just follows the first moving agent; wherein the second moving agent having the group control authority leads movement of remaining moving agents following the second moving agent.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for controlling a moving agent group platooning within a building, the method comprising:
a sensing step in which a first moving agent among a plurality of moving agents senses an occurrence of a predetermined event during the plurality of moving agents are platooning, wherein the first moving agent leads the platooning of the plurality of moving agents; and a transferring step in which the first moving agent transfers a group control authority to a second moving agent among the plurality of moving agents, wherein the second moving agent just follows the first moving agent; wherein the second moving agent having the group control authority leads movement of remaining moving agents following the second moving agent.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises a report step in which, upon transferring the group control authority from the first moving agent to the second moving agent, the first moving agent acting as a third moving agent transmits event-related information to a server, wherein the event-related information is about the sensed event.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the method further comprises a joining step in which the third moving agent joins, as a second moving agent, into one of moving agent groups currently platooning.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the event-related information includes at least one of an event occurrence position, an image of the position, and a type of the event.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensing step includes:
a group formation step in which a server assigns the group control authority to one of the plurality of moving agents and transmits travel-related information to the moving agent having the group control authority assigned thereto; a platooning step in which while the first moving agent as the moving agent having the group control authority is positioned at a frontmost position, the first moving agent travels according to the travel-related information, and a second moving agent as a remaining moving agent free of the group control authority follows the first moving agent; and a sensing step in which the first moving senses the occurrence of the predetermined event during being traveling according to the travel-related information.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein in the group formation step, the server grants the group control authority to each of two or more moving agents among the plurality of moving agents and transmits the travel-related information to each of the two or more moving agents as the first moving agent having the group control authority assigned thereto, thereby form a plurality of moving agent groups,
wherein each group control authority includes information about the second moving agent belonging to each of the moving agent groups.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein each group control authority includes information about the second moving agent free belonging to each of the moving agent groups,
wherein in the platooning step, the first moving agent sends platooning-related information to the second moving agent belonging to a corresponding group according to the group control authority, and the second moving agent travels according to the platooning-related information.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the platooning-related information includes at least one of an ID, a current position, a current operation of the first moving agent.

9 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the platooning step is configured such that the first moving agent determines whether a pre-set group reconstruction requirement is met during is travelling and sends the determination result to the server,
wherein the method further includes a group reconstruction step in which, upon determination that the group reconstruction requirement is met, the server additionally grants the group control authority to at least one of the plurality of moving agents.

10 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the sensing step includes:
a data collection step in which the first moving agent generates travel data and transmits the travel data to the server; and a map creation step in which the server uses the travel data to create a 3D map within the building; wherein the travel data includes at least one of a map of a travel path of the first moving agent and an image acquired using the travel path.

11 . A system for controlling a moving agent group monitoring an interior of a building, the system comprising:
a plurality of moving agents platooning along an internal path of the building; and a server in wireless communication with the plurality of moving agents, wherein the sever is configured to control the plurality of moving agents, wherein the plurality of moving agents includes: a first moving agent having a group control authority and travelling while positioned at a frontmost position of the plurality of moving agents; and at least one second moving agent following the first moving agent, wherein when the first moving agent detects that a predetermined event has occurred while moving along the path, the first moving agent transfers the group control authority to a just following second moving agent, wherein the just following second moving agent has the group control authority and leads movement of following remaining moving agents.

12 . A method for controlling a moving agent platooning together with a plurality of other moving agents within a building, the method comprising:
a first step of determining whether the moving agent has a group control authority; a second step in which upon determination that the moving agent does not have the group control authority, the moving agent operate as a second moving agent following another moving agent having the group control authority among the plurality of other moving agents; a third step in which upon determination that the moving agent has the group control authority, the moving agent operate as a first moving agent to control the platooning while being positioned in front of the plurality of other moving agents; a fourth step in which when the first moving agent detects a preset event during being travelling, the first moving agent transfers the group control authority to a just next following moving agent among the other moving agents.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises:
a fifth step in which upon transferring the group control authority, the first moving agent transmits event-related information to a server, wherein the event-related information is about the detected event; and a sixth step in which the first moving agent joins, as the second moving agent, a moving agent group currently platooning.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein in the third step, the first moving agent generates travel data thereof and transmits the travel data to the server, wherein the travel data includes at least one of a map of a travel path of the first moving agent and an image acquired using the travel path.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein in the third step, the first moving agent determines whether a pre-set group reconstruction requirement is met during being travelling, and sends the determination result to the server,
wherein whether the group reconstruction requirement is met is determined based on an area inside the building, a complexity inside the building, and a total number of moving agents.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Taehyun
• Kim Beomoh
• Maeng Jichan
• Chae Jonghoon

Classifications

• G05D1/2465

  using a 3D model of the environment · CPC title

• G05D1/227

  Handing over between remote control and on-board control; Handing over between remote control arrangements · CPC title

• G05D1/695

  for maintaining a fixed relative position of the vehicles, e.g. for convoy travelling or formation flight · CPC title

• G01C21/3804

  Creation or updating of map data · CPC title

• G05D1/6985 Primary

  using a lead vehicle, e.g. primary-secondary arrangements · CPC title