Home networking system using self-moving robot

• US 20070021867A1
• Filed: 02/01/2006
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Woo, Chun-Kyu
• Application Number:
  US11/344,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20070021867A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/00 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 Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A home networking system using a self-moving robot is provided. The self-moving robot and household devices connected via a network can be wirelessly controlled indoors or outdoors. The self-moving robot receives an operating command transmitted from a wireless operating unit, transmits information, indicating whether or not the command has been received, to the operating unit, executes a task corresponding to the command, and outputs a control signal to an accessible household device. Each signal transmission device is driven according to a drive signal transmitted within a specific range from the robot, transmits its state information including identification information to the robot when driven, and transmits a direction change signal for the robot in a specific direction. The operating unit displays the command reception information and/or state information of the signal transmission device transmitted from the self-moving robot and outputs a control signal to an accessible household device through the robot.

Claims

1. A home networking system using a self-moving robot, the home networking system comprising:

at least one external device;

a self-moving robot for executing a task corresponding to a wirelessly received operating command, transmitting a drive signal within a specific range, and outputting a control signal to an accessible external device; and

a wireless operating unit for wirelessly transmitting an operating command input by a user to the self-moving robot, and outputting a control signal for controlling an accessible external device to the accessible external device, accessibility information of the accessible external device being provided from the self-moving robot.

2. The home networking system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of signal transmission devices, each of which detects a drive signal transmitted from the self-moving robot, and is driven according to the drive signal, transmits state information including identification information of the signal transmission device to the self-moving robot when the signal transmission device is driven, and transmits a direction change signal for the self-moving robot in a specific direction.

3. The home networking system according to claim 2, wherein the self-moving robot includes:

a wireless communication module for transmitting and receiving data to and from the wireless operating unit and/or the signal transmission device;

a signal detector for detecting the direction change signal transmitted from the signal transmission device; and

a microprocessor for controlling overall operations of the self-moving robot, including an operation for changing the direction of the self-moving robot, an operation for performing communication with the wireless operating unit and/or the signal transmission device, and an operation for performing communication with the external device.

4. The home networking system according to claim 3, wherein the microprocessor includes:

a movement controller for controlling movement of the self-moving robot;

a direction change processor for outputting a control signal for allowing the self-moving robot to change a movement direction thereof to the movement controller according to a direction change signal output from the signal detector;

a command code extractor for receiving and analyzing an operating command transmitted from the wireless operating unit and extracting a command code from the operating command;

a command processor for driving the self-moving robot according to the command code extracted by the command code extractor and outputting task execution result information to the wireless operating unit; and

a reception confirmation signal transmitter for transmitting information, indicating whether or not the operating command has been received, to the wireless operating unit through the wireless communication module.

5. The home networking system according to claim 4, wherein the microprocessor further includes:

a state information transmitter for receiving state information transmitted from the signal transmission device and transmitting the received state information to the wireless operating unit through the wireless communication module;

an external device accessibility information collector for receiving accessibility information of an accessible external device according to an external device search command from the wireless operating unit or receiving and providing the accessibility information to the wireless operating unit; and

an external device control processor for receiving an external device control signal including identification information of an external device transmitted from the wireless operating unit and outputting the external device control signal to the external device corresponding to the identification information.

6. The home networking system according to claim 2, wherein the signal transmission device includes:

a first wireless communication unit for receiving a drive signal transmitted from the self-moving robot and transmitting and receiving data to and from the self-moving robot;

a signal transmitter for transmitting a direction change signal for the self-moving robot in a specific direction; and

a signal transmission device controller for driving the signal transmission device according to the drive signal, transmitting state information including identification information of the signal transmission device to the self-moving robot when the signal transmission device is driven, and controlling overall operations of the signal transmission device.

7. The home networking system according to claim 6, wherein the signal transmission device further includes a battery level detection circuit for detecting the level of a battery of the signal transmission device at intervals of a specific period and outputting a charging request signal to the signal transmission device controller when the detected battery level is a predetermined level or less, and

wherein the signal transmission device controller transmits state information including battery charging information to the self-moving robot according to the charging request signal output from the battery level detection circuit.

8. The home networking system according to claim 6, wherein the signal transmission device further includes an environment information collector that detects environment information including at least one of information indicating temperature of an area where the signal transmission device is located, information indicating humidity thereof, and information indicating whether or not the self-moving robot is passing through the area, and

wherein the signal transmission device controller transmits state information including environment information collected by the environment information collector to the self-moving robot.

9. The home networking system according to claim 2, wherein the wireless operating unit includes:

an input unit for receiving an operating command from a user;

a display unit for displaying an operating command received from the input unit, and information indicating whether or not an operating command has been received and state information of the signal transmission device, both of which have been transmitted from the self-moving robot;

a second wireless communication unit for transmitting and receiving data to and from the self-moving robot; and

an operating unit controller for controlling overall operations of the wireless operating unit.

10. The home networking system according to claim 9, wherein the operating unit controller includes:

an operating command transmitter for allowing an operating command received from the input unit to be transmitted to the self-moving robot and displaying information indicating whether or not an operating command has been received and task execution result information of a task corresponding to the operating command, both of which have been received from the self-moving robot, on the display unit;

a state information output unit for generating display information corresponding to state information of the signal transmission device received from the self-moving robot and outputting the generated display information to the display unit;

an external device accessibility information registration unit for transmitting an external device search command to the self-moving robot and receiving and storing external device accessibility information provided by the self-moving robot;

an external device controller for generating an external device control signal according to an external device operating command input by the user and transmitting the external device control signal to the self-moving robot.

11. A home networking system using a self-moving robot, the home networking system comprising:

at least one external device;

a self-moving robot for executing a task corresponding to a wirelessly received operating command, transmitting a drive signal within a specific range, and outputting a control signal to an accessible external device; and

a host device connected to a user terminal through a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), the host device transmitting an operating command input through the user terminal to the self-moving robot, and transmitting information received from the self-moving robot, which indicates whether or not the operating command has been received, to the user terminal.

12. The home networking system according to claim 11, further comprising:

a plurality of signal transmission devices, each of which detects a drive signal transmitted from the self-moving robot, and is driven according to the drive signal, transmits state information including identification information of the signal transmission device to the self-moving robot when the signal transmission device is driven, and transmits a direction change signal for the self-moving robot in a specific direction.

13. The home networking system according to claim 12, wherein the self-moving robot includes:

a wireless communication module for transmitting and receiving data to and from the host device and/or the signal transmission device;

a signal detector for detecting the direction change signal transmitted from the signal transmission device; and

a microprocessor for controlling overall operations of the self-moving robot, including an operation for changing the direction of the self-moving robot, an operation for performing communication with the host device and/or the signal transmission device, and an operation for performing communication with the external device.

14. The home networking system according to claim 13, wherein the microprocessor includes:

a movement controller for controlling movement of the self-moving robot;

a direction change processor for outputting a control signal for allowing the self-moving robot to change a movement direction thereof to the movement controller according to a direction change signal output from the signal detector;

a command code extractor for receiving and analyzing an operating command transmitted from the host device and extracting a command code from the operating command;

a command processor for driving the self-moving robot according to the command code extracted by the command code extractor and outputting task execution result information to the host device; and

a reception confirmation signal transmitter for transmitting information, indicating whether or not the operating command has been received, to the host device through the wireless communication module.

15. The home networking system according to claim 14, wherein the microprocessor further includes:

a state information transmitter for receiving state information transmitted from the signal transmission device and transmitting the received state information to the host device through the wireless communication module;

an external device accessibility information collector for receiving accessibility information of an accessible external device or receiving and providing the accessibility information to the host device; and

an external device control processor for receiving an external device control signal including identification information of an external device transmitted from the host device and outputting the external device control signal to the external device corresponding to the identification information.

16. The home networking system according to claim 13, wherein the signal transmission device includes:

a first wireless communication unit for receiving a drive signal transmitted from the self-moving robot and transmitting and receiving data to and from the self-moving robot;

a signal transmitter for transmitting a direction change signal for the self-moving robot in a specific direction; and

a signal transmission device controller for driving the signal transmission device according to the drive signal, transmitting state information including identification information of the signal transmission device to the self-moving robot when the signal transmission device is driven, and controlling overall operations of the signal transmission device.

17. The home networking system according to claim 16, wherein the signal transmission device further includes a battery level detection circuit for detecting the level of a battery of the signal transmission device at intervals of a specific period and outputting a charging request signal to the signal transmission device controller when the detected battery level is a predetermined level or less, and

wherein the signal transmission device controller transmits state information including battery charging information to the self-moving robot according to the charging request signal output from the battery level detection circuit.

18. The home networking system according to claim 16, wherein the signal transmission device further includes an environment information collector that detects environment information including at least one of information indicating temperature of an area where the signal transmission device is located, information indicating humidity thereof, and information indicating whether or not the self-moving robot is passing through the area, and

wherein the signal transmission device controller transmits state information including environment information collected by the environment information collector to the self-moving robot.

19. The home networking system according to claim 13, wherein the host device includes:

a second wireless communication unit for transmitting and receiving data to and from the self-moving robot through wireless communication;

an external device accessibility information registration unit for transmitting an external device search command to the self-moving robot and receiving and storing external device accessibility information provided by the self-moving robot;

a Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) signal detector for detecting a DTMF signal input from an external user telephone through a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN);

a network communication unit for transmitting and receiving data to and from an external user terminal through the Internet; and

a command detector for detecting an operating command input from the external user terminal through the network communication unit.

20. The home networking system according to claim 19, wherein the host device further includes:

an external command processor for converting a DTMF signal detected by the DTMF signal detector or an operating command detected by the command detector into a control signal suitable for the self-moving robot and transmitting the control signal to the self-moving robot; and

a result transmitter for transmitting, to the user telephone or the user terminal, information indicating whether or not an operating command has been received and state information of a signal transmission device driven by the self-moving robot, both of which have been transmitted from the self-moving robot.