Mobile electronic device and navigation method thereof

• US 10,551,839 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2017
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jeong, Jinhong, Goo, Jamin, Kim, Hyungwoo, Park, Jihyun, Shin, Seungwoo, Yu, Seunghyuk, Lee, Dongkyu, Lee, Kyunghee, Lee, Juyeong
• Primary Examiner(s): Shudy, Angelina
• Application Number:
  US15/815,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20180136661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 701 2
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

A mobile electronic device and navigation method thereof. An electronic device of the present disclosure includes a communication module, a camera module, a sensor module, a driving module, a memory, and a processor that is functionally connected to the communication module, the camera module, the sensor module, the driving module, and the memory, the processor determining at least one service and a goal location of the electronic device for providing the at least one service, planning a path towards the goal location, and controlling the electronic device to move along the path. However, other embodiments are possible as well.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a communication interface;

a camera;

a sensor;

a driving controller;

a memory; and

a processor that is functionally connected to the communication interface, the camera, the sensor, the driving controller, and the memory, the processor being configured to;

receive a voice command from a user;

identify, based on the voice command, at least one service;

obtain service distance information corresponding to the identified service, the service distance information including a grid map indicating distances from a location of the user, each cell of the grid map comprising a number indicating a level of preference according to a position of the electronic device for serving the identified at least one service to the user;

identify, based on the obtained service distance information, a goal location and a path towards the goal location; and

control, based on the path towards the goal location, the electronic device to move to the goal location,

wherein a plurality of service distance information is stored and each service distance information corresponds to one of the plurality of services.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect a condition change of at least one object in an area space covered by the grid map,

determine the goal location according to the condition change, and

update the path.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the condition change includes at least one of a change of condition of the user of the electronic device and a change of condition of an object in the area space, and at least one of service distance information and keep-out zone information is updated according to the condition change.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one service includes at least one of a voice command service, a photo shoot service, a health care service, a concierge service, and a housemaid service.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine the goal location based on the service distance information and keep-out zone information including information on locations inappropriate for the electronic device to execute the service.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify a first number of the service distance information corresponding to a first cell of the grid map;

identify a first number of the keep-out zone information corresponding to the first cell of the grid map;

sum a value of the first number of the service distance information and the first number of the keep-out zone information corresponding to the first cell of the grid map; and

identify a cell where a summed value is equal to or less than a predetermined value as the goal location.

7. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify a first number of the service distance information corresponding to a first cell of the grid map;

identify a first number of the keep-out zone information corresponding to the first cell of the grid map;

sum a value of the first number of the service distance information and the first number of the keep-out zone information corresponding to the first cell of the grid map; and

exclude a cell where a summed value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value from the path.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify the goal location based on keep-out zone information including information on locations inappropriate for the electronic device to execute the service.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

acquire the keep-out zone information from a user input,

receive the keep-out zone information from an external server, or

acquire the keep-out zone information from heat distribution information collected by at least one of a communication module, a camera module, and a sensor module.

10. A method of an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving a voice command from a user;

identifying, based on the voice command, at least one service;

obtaining service distance information corresponding to the identified, the service distance information including a grid map indicating distances from a location of the user, each cell of the grid map comprising a number indicating a level of preference according to a position of the electronic device for serving the identified at least one service to the user;

identifying, based on the obtained service distance information, a goal location and a path towards the goal location; and

controlling, based on the path towards the goal location, the electronic device to move to the goal location,

wherein a plurality of service distance information is stored and each service distance information corresponds to one of the plurality of services.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein identifying the goal location and the path towards the goal location includes:

detecting a condition change of at least one object in an area space covered by the grid map;

determining the goal location according to the condition change; and

updating the path.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the condition change includes at least one of a change of condition of the user of the electronic device and a change of condition of an object in the area space, and at least one of service distance information and keep-out zone information is updated according to the condition change.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one service includes at least one of a voice command service, a photo shoot service, a health care service, a concierge service, and a housemaid service.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the goal location is determined based on the service distance information and keep-out zone information including information on locations inappropriate for the electronic device to execute the service.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein identifying the goal location includes:

identifying a first number of the service distance information corresponding to a first cell of the grid map;

identifying a first number of the keep-out zone information corresponding to the first cell of the grid map;

summing a value of the first number of the service distance information and the first number of the keep-out zone information corresponding to the first cell of the grid map; and

identifying a cell where a summed value is equal to or less than a predetermined value as the goal location.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein identifying the goal location includes:

identifying a first number of the service distance information corresponding to a first cell of the grid map;

identifying a first number of the keep-out zone information corresponding to the first cell of the grid map;

summing a value of the first number of the service distance information and the first number of the keep-out zone information corresponding to the first cell of the grid map; and

excluding a cell where a summed value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value from the path.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the goal location is identified based on keep-out zone information including information on locations inappropriate for the electronic device to execute the service.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein identifying the goal location based on the keep-out zone information includes at least one of:

acquiring the keep-out zone information from a user input;

receiving the keep-out zone information from an external server; and

acquiring the keep-out zone information from heat distribution information collected by at least one of a communication module, a camera module, and a sensor module.