Smart robot apparatus and dynamic service providing method using same

• US 9,840,006 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2011
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KT Corporation
• Original Assignee: KT Corporation
• Inventors: Kim, Hyun-Ho, Kim, Jong Cheol
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, III, Edwin
• Application Number:
  US13/994,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20130268116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,391 Days
• Field of Search: 340 105, 340 1251, 340 1253, 341176
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/16 Programme controls programme controls in general G05B19/00, e.g. numerical pogramme controls G05B19/18; recording or playback systems G05B19/42
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link

Abstract

A smart robot apparatus and a dynamic service providing method using same for controlling an external device by using a certain code recognizer provided on the robot without needing an additional operation from a user and for providing various services desired by the user and described in various codes. The smart robot apparatus and the dynamic service providing method using same may conveniently control an external device without inconveniencing the user by needing to operate an additional input interface. Further, since the smart robot apparatus includes various wire or wireless network interfaces, not only indoor devices under a ubiquitous environment but also external devices such as smart phones and cell phones for mobile communication can be controlled.

Claims

1. A smart robot apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to extract control information of at least one external device from a quick response (QR) code stored on a tangible medium; and

a network interface configured to modulate the control information extracted by the processor based on a type of a communication module of the external device and output the modulated control information to the external device,

wherein the QR code is generated on the tangible medium in response to a user request to control the external device, and

wherein, in response to the control information instructing the smart robot apparatus to perform video calling or text messaging with a mobile terminal, as the external device, through a wireless communication network according to portable terminal number information of the mobile terminal included in the QR code, the processor implements the video calling or text messaging.

2. The smart robot apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a control result process receiver configured to receive, from the external device, a control result provided based on the output control information; and

a control result outputter configured to output the received control result.

3. The smart robot apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control information is included in one of a one-dimensional barcode, a two-dimensional barcode, and an RFID tag.

4. The smart robot apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is a barcode reader or an RFID reader.

5. The smart robot apparatus of claim 1, wherein the type of the communication module of the external device is one of a wired communication module and a wireless communication module.

6. The smart robot apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external device is one of a home network appliance, a remote device, and the mobile terminal.

7. The smart robot apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network interface comprises:

a connector configured to set a connection to the external device based on at least the home network address of the external device, wherein the external device is at least one of a home network appliance, a remote device, and the mobile terminal;

a modulator configured to modulate the extracted control information based on the type of the communication module of the external device; and

an outputter configured to output the modulated control information to the external device.

15. The smart robot apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a code recognizer which reads the control information from an approaching medium and a memory which stores instructions for executing the extracting and modulating.

16. The smart robot apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the code recognizer is at least one of a barcode reader or an RFID reader and comprises at least one of a sensor and a camera.

17. The smart robot apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the network interface comprises a determiner configured to determine the type of communication module of a communication method for the external apparatus from a plurality of types of communication modules of the communication methods comprising an Internet communication network, a cellular network, and a home network, and a modulator configured to differently modulate the control information based on the different determined types of the communication modules of the communication methods.

18. The smart robot apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor switches the smart robot apparatus to a code recognition enable state when a computer readable recording medium having the control information recorded thereon, approaches the smart robot apparatus.

19. The smart robot apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external device is an indoor appliance connected to a home network and wherein the control information comprises an instruction to the indoor appliance to execute at least one function without further input.

20. The smart robot apparatus of claim 1, wherein the QR code comprises a home network address of the at least one external device.

21. The smart robot apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control information comprises a network address of the external device, and

wherein the tangible medium is remote from the external apparatus.

23. The smart robot apparatus of claim 1, wherein the QR code is printed on the tangible medium.

24. The smart robot apparatus of claim 1, wherein the QR code is displayed by a device which received the QR code via a network connection.

25. The smart robot apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a motion controller comprising any of a motor and a wheel configured to control motion of the smart robot apparatus.

26. The smart robot apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network interface is further configured to output the modulated control information to the external device according to the home network address extracted from the QR code.

27. The smart robot apparatus of claim 1, wherein the smart robot apparatus and the at least one external device are connected to the home network.

28. The smart robot apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in response to the control information instructing the smart robot apparatus to perform video calling with the mobile terminal, the processor performs the video calling to the mobile terminal according to the portable terminal number information included in the QR code.

8. A dynamic service providing method using a smart robot apparatus, the method comprising:

extracting control information of at least one external device from a quick response (QR) code stored on a tangible medium;

modulating the extracted control information according to a type of a communication module of the external device; and

outputting the modulated control information to the external device; and

executing, in response to the control information instructing the smart robot apparatus to perform video calling or text messaging with a mobile terminal, as the external device, through a wireless communication network according to portable terminal number information of the mobile terminal included in the QR code, the video calling or text messaging,

wherein the QR code is generated, on the tangible medium, in response to a user request to control the external device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a control result from the external device based on the output extracted control information; and

displaying the received control result.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the control information is included in one of a one-dimensional barcode, a two-dimensional barcode, and an RFID tag.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the extracting is performed by a barcode reader or an RFID reader.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the external device comprises at least one of a remote device, a home network appliance, and the mobile terminal.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the modulating and outputting further comprises:

setting a connection to the external device based on at least the home network address of the external device, wherein the external device is at least one of a remote device, a home network appliance, and the mobile terminal;

modulating the extracted control information based on the type of the communication module of the external device; and

outputting the modulated control information to the external device.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the type of the communication module of the external device is one of a wired communication module and a wireless communication module.

22. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

causing the tangible medium, on which the QR code is stored, to approach a code recognizer of the smart robot apparatus,

wherein the modulated control information is output to the external device remote from the tangible medium and the smart robot apparatus and comprises a command to control the external device.