US-12619263-B2 - Robot control system and robot control method

US12619263B2US 12619263 B2US12619263 B2US 12619263B2US-12619263-B2

Abstract

A method performed by a server configured to communicate with a plurality of robots, can include forming a queue of the plurality of robots, assigning a task to at least one of the plurality of robots within the queue, releasing a queue mode of the task-assigned robot when the task-assigned robot departs from a queue of the plurality of robots, and shifting at least one or more robots among the plurality of robots within the queue forward by checking an occupancy rate for a forward part of the queue, in response to the departure of the task-assigned robot from the queue.

Inventors

Byungki Kim
Eunkyoung HONG

Assignees

LG ELECTRONICS INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20240122
Priority Date: 20230519

Claims (17)

1 . A method performed by a server configured to communicate with a plurality of robots, the method comprising: forming a queue of the plurality of robots; assigning a task to a task-assigned robot among the plurality of robots within the queue; releasing a queue mode of the task-assigned robot when the task-assigned robot departs from the queue of the plurality of robots; shifting at least one or more robots among the plurality of robots within the queue forward by checking an occupancy rate for a forward part of the queue, in response to a departure of the task-assigned robot from the queue; computing an average State of Charge (SoC) of robots within a queue area corresponding to the queue; generating a list of robots to be charged, each robot on the list of robots to be charged having a SoC less than the average SoC; determining a movement method for moving away at least one of the robots to be charged from the queue area so that a minimum number of neighboring robots of the at least one of the robots to be charged move; controlling the at least one of the robots to be charged within the list of robots to be charged to move away from the queue area by the movement method, wherein the controlling the at least one of the robots comprises: controlling the at least one of the robots to be charged within the list of robots to be charged to move in a direction departing from the queue towards a neighboring robot, wherein the at least one of the robots to be charged moves together with the neighboring robot of at least one neighboring queue based on a mounting area of the at least one of the robots to be charged according to the movement method; and controlling the neighboring robot, after departing from the at least one neighboring queue, to enter an end of the at least one neighboring queue or an end of the queue while the at least one robot to be charged moves along a designated direction after departing from the queue area.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the releasing the queue mode of the robot comprises: sensing a generation of a movement start event by the task-assigned robot; and releasing the queue mode of the task-assigned robot by checking a departed distance of the task-assigned robot from a mounting area, in response to the sensing the generation of the movement start event.
3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising: sensing that the task-assigned robot is to enter the queue after completion of the task; and assigning a mounting area within the queue, in which the task-assigned robot is to be located after completion of the task, according to a preset condition, wherein, after the task-assigned robot completes the task, the task-assigned robot moves to the assigned mounting area and switches into the queue mode.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the preset condition is related to at least one of the occupancy rate of the robots within the queue and a current position of the task-assigned robot to enter.
5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising; controlling the task-assigned robot to return to the queue area after completion of the task.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the controlling is configured to control the at least one of the robots to be charged within the list of robots to be charged to depart from the queue area by moving between adjacent queues within the queue area when a space in which a distance between the adjacent queues is equal to or greater than a threshold distance.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after the controlling: controlling the at least one of the robots to be charged within the list of the robots to be charged to sequentially move toward a charging dock to charge the at least one of the robots to be charged until the robot is completely charged and becomes a completely-charged robot; and controlling the completely-charged robot to return to the queue within the queue area.
8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising: setting a SoC threshold range by computing a reduction of battery levels of the robots remaining within the queue area while the robots within the list of the robots to be charged are charged; adding robots among the robots remaining within the queue area having a SoC value within the SoC threshold range to the list of the robots to be charged; and repeatedly performing a charging process of the robots to be charged within the list of robots to be charged by setting a target SoC based on a subsequent task start time when the charging of the robots included in the list of the robots to be charged is completed.
9 . A robot control system comprising: a plurality of robots; and a server configured to communicate with the plurality of robots, wherein the plurality of robots are configured to be arranged into a queue within a queue area, and wherein the server is configured to: assign a task to a task-assigned robot among the plurality of robots, release a queue mode of the task-assigned robot when the task-assigned robot departs from the queue, and shift at least one or more robots among the plurality of robots within the queue forward by checking an occupancy rate for a forward part of the queue, in response to a departure of the task-assigned robot from the queue, compute an average State of Charge (SoC) of robots within the queue area, generate a list of robots to be charged, each robot on the list of robots to be charged having a SoC less than the average SoC, determine a movement method for moving away at least one of the robots to be charged from the queue area so that a minimum number of neighboring robots of the at least one robot to be charged move; control the at least one of the robots to be charged within the list of robots to be charged to move away from the queue area by the movement method, wherein the movement method comprises: controlling the at least one of the robots to be charged within the list of robots to be charged to move in a direction departing from the queue towards a neighboring robot, wherein the at least one of the robots to be charged moves together with the neighboring robot of at least one neighboring queue based on a mounting area of the at least one robot to be charge according to the movement method, and controlling the neighboring robot, after departing from the at least one neighboring queue, to enter an end of the at least one neighboring queue or an end of the queue while the at least one robot to be charged moves along a designated direction after departing from the queue area.
10 . The robot control system of claim 9 , wherein the server is further configured to: sense a generation of a movement start event by the task-assigned robot, and release the queue mode of the task-assigned robot by checking a departed distance of the robot from a mounting area, in response to sensing the generation of the movement start event.
11 . The robot control system of claim 10 , wherein the server is configured to: sense that the task-assigned robot is to enter the queue after completion of the task, and assign a mounting area of within the queue, in which the robot to enter is to be located after completion of the task, according to a preset condition, and wherein, after the task-assigned robot completes the task, the task-assigned robot moves to the assigned mounting area and switches into the queue mode.
12 . The robot control system of claim 11 , wherein the preset condition is related to at least one of the occupancy rate of the robots within the queue and a current position of the task-assigned robot to enter.
13 . The robot control system of claim 9 , wherein the server is configured to: control the task-assigned robot to return to the queue of a queue area after completion of the task.
14 . The robot control system of claim 9 , wherein the server is configured to control the at least one of the robots to be charged within the list of robots to be charged to depart from the queue area by moving between adjacent queues within the queue area when a space in which a distance between the adjacent queues is equal to or greater than a threshold distance.
15 . The robot control system of claim 9 , wherein the server is configured to: control the at least one of the robots to be charged within the list of the robots to be charged to sequentially move toward a charging dock to charge the at least one of the robots to be charged until the robot is completely charged and becomes a completely-charged robot, and control the completely-charged robot to return to the queue within the queue area.
16 . The robot control system of claim 15 , wherein the server is configured to: set a SoC threshold range by computing a reduction of battery levels of the robots remaining within the queue area while the robots within the list of the robots to be charged are charged, add robots among the robots remaining within the queue area having a SoC value within the SoC threshold range to the list of the robots to be charged, and repeatedly perform a charging process of the robots to be charged within the list of robots to be charged by setting a target SoC based on a subsequent task start time when the charging of the robots included in the list of the robots to be charged is completed.
17 . A robot control system comprising: a plurality of robots; and a server configured to communicate with the plurality of robots, wherein the plurality of robots are configured to be arranged into a plurality of queues within a preset queue area, and wherein the server is configured to: assign a task to a task-assigned robot among the plurality of robots, release a queue mode of the task-assigned robot when the task-assigned robot departs from a queue among the plurality of queues, move forward at least one or more robots among the plurality of robots within the queue by comparing location coordinates of pre-registered areas within the queue with a current location of a robot that has occupied the pre-registered areas in response to a departure of the task-assigned robot from the queue, and when a length of a queue among the plurality of queues is zero (0) or close to 0, a rear robot in an adjacent queue among the plurality of queues moves to another queue among the plurality of queues to continuously maintain the plurality of queues.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 119 (a), this application claims the benefit of the earlier filing date and the right of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0065032, filed on May 19, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a robot travel control system and a robot control method, and more particularly, a robot control system and a robot control method, capable of controlling a plurality of robots in a queuing manner. BACKGROUND A robot means a machine capable of autonomously traveling to carry out a given task by itself, and is being used in various fields. The robot can travel while avoiding obstacles, by virtue of a plurality of sensors disposed to avoid such obstacles during traveling. Meanwhile, various technologies for controlling a plurality of robots more efficiently are under development. For example, robots that carry out tasks at a warehouse, an airport, or the like temporarily stand by at designated areas for distribution picking tasks or passengers within the airport, and sequentially perform designated tasks. In this instance, it can be preferable that the robots which wait at the designated areas are prepared in advance to perform corresponding tasks immediately. In this regard, Korean Registration Patent No. 10-2040218 (hereinafter, ‘Patent Document 1’) discloses a technology that each robot recognizes a queue through a camera thereof, and searches for a position to stand by before and after performing a task. However, in Patent Document 1, since each robot determines its position based on an area recognized by the camera, accuracy is lowered and there is a limitation in integrated control of the plurality of robots in a queuing manner. In addition, in Patent Document 1, when charging is required, each robot should move to a charging dock by self-determining whether or not charging is needed or should be individually moved through a manual input directly applied by a user. This causes a difficulty in expecting an efficient charging process. If charging docks are insufficiently provided upon operating the plurality of robots, it is not easy to efficiently charge the robots. SUMMARY Therefore, one aspect of the present disclosure according to an embodiment is to provide a robot travel control system and a robot control method, capable of more efficiently controlling a plurality of robots within a queue and performing charging processes in an integrated manner upon operating the plurality of robots within a designated space. Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a robot travel control system and a robot control method, including a logic in which when a robot to which a task has been assigned is out of a queue, another robot to which a next task is to be assigned is automatically ready in an optimal state, and such state is visually identified. Still another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a robot travel control system and a robot control method, including a logic in which robots which have completely performed tasks sequentially enter a queue to perform next tasks or charging, and such state is visually identified. Still another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a robot travel control system and a robot control method, capable of providing an optimal charging process to a plurality of robots within a queue in consideration of battery states and next task time of the plurality of robots. Still another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a robot travel control system and a robot control method, capable of optimally selecting a robot in a queue to be necessarily charged and selectively providing various moving manners to the identified robot such that the robot can move out of the queue to go to a charging dock in an appropriate manner for a current state of the queue. In a robot control system and a robot control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a server can sequentially assign tasks to a plurality of robots included in a queue through communication, and control a movement of a subsequent robot within the queue so as to assign a subsequent task quickly and accurately. In this instance, when a robot within the queue performs an operation for a movement start, in response to an assignment of a task, it is determined that the robot has departed from the queue, and a queue mode of the robot is released. Afterwards, robots within the queue sequentially shift forward based on an occupancy rate for a front mounting area with in the queue. Specifically, a robot control method, which is performed by a server communicating with a plurality of robots, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes forming queues of a plurality of robots, assigning a task to at least one of the plurality of robots, releasing a queue mode of the task-assigned robot when the robot departs from