Apparatus and method for calling mobile robot

• US 20060025887A1
• Filed: 01/06/2005
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Jin-Seok
• Granted Patent: US 7,693,605 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals

Abstract

An apparatus for calling a mobile robot includes a generator installed at a remote controller, and generating an RF signal and infrared signal for calling a mobile robot when a call signal is inputted by a user; and a controller installed at the mobile robot, calculating a direction of the remote controller based on a position of an infrared ray receiver that receives the infrared signal when an RF signal is received, rotating the mobile robot in the calculated direction, and then making the mobile robot to go straight ahead. When a user calls the mobile robot from a specific place, the mobile robot can move by itself to the specific space, thereby enhancing users'"'"' convenience.

Claims

1. An apparatus for calling a mobile robot comprising:

a generator installed at a remote controller, and generating an RF signal and infrared signal for calling a mobile robot when a call signal is inputted by a user; and

a controller installed at the mobile robot, calculating a direction of the remote controller based on a position of an infrared ray receiver that receives the infrared signal when the RF signal is received, rotating the mobile robot in the calculated direction, and then making the mobile robot to go straight ahead.

2. An apparatus for calling a mobile robot comprising:

a generator installed at a remote controller, receiving a call signal from a user, and generating an RF signal and ultrasonic signal for calling a mobile robot; and

a controller installed at the mobile robot, calculating a direction of the remote controller based on a position of an ultrasonic receiver which has received the ultrasonic signal when the RF signal was received, calculating a distance between the remote controller and the mobile robot based on time when the ultrasonic signal reaches the ultrasonic receiver, rotating the mobile robot in the calculated direction, and then making the mobile robot go straight ahead as long as the calculated distance.

3. An apparatus for calling a mobile robot comprising:

an RF generator installed at a remote controller and generating an RF signal for calling a mobile robot when a call signal is inputted by a user;

an infrared ray generator installed at the remote controller and generating an infrared signal for indicating a direction of the remote controller when the call signal is inputted;

an RF receiver installed at the mobile robot and receiving the RF signal generated from the RF generator;

a plurality of infrared ray receivers installed at the mobile robot and receiving the infrared signal generated from the infrared ray generator; and

a controller installed at the mobile robot, recognizing a direction of the remote controller based on a position of an infrared ray receiver that has received the infrared signal, among the plurality of infrared ray receivers, when the RF receiver receives the RF signal, rotating the mobile robot in the recognized direction, and making the mobile robot go straight ahead.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller rotates the front side of the mobile robot in the recognized direction and then makes the mobile robot go straight ahead.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the controller calculates the direction (y) of the remote controller through equation shown below:

y=2(π

/n)×

x,

wherein ‘

n’

is the total number of the plurality of infrared ray receivers installed at the mobile robot, and ‘

x’

is the position number of the infrared ray receiver that has received the infrared signal generated from the infrared ray generator.

6. A method for calling a mobile robot comprising:

a step in which when a call signal is inputted to a remote controller, an RF signal and an infrared signal for calling a mobile robot are generated through the remote controller;

a step in which when the RF signal is received by the mobile robot, an operation mode of the mobile robot is switched to a call mode and a direction of the remote controller is calculated based on a position of an infrared ray receiver that has received the infrared signal, among a plurality of infrared ray receivers installed at the mobile robot; and

a step in which a front side of the mobile robot is rotated in the calculated direction and then the mobile robot is allowed to go straight ahead.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the direction (y) of the remote controller is calculated by equation shown below:

y=2(π

/n)×

x,

wherein ‘

n’

is the total number of the plurality of infrared ray receivers installed at the mobile robot, and ‘

x’

is the position number of the infrared ray receiver that has received the infrared signal.

8. An apparatus for calling a mobile robot comprising:

an RF generator installed at a remote controller and generating an RF signal for calling a mobile robot when a call signal is inputted by a user;

an ultrasonic wave generator installed at the remote controller and generating an ultrasonic signal for indicating a distance between the mobile robot and the remote controller when the call signal is inputted;

an RF receiver installed at the mobile robot and receiving the RF signal generated from the RF generator;

a plurality of ultrasonic wave receivers installed at the mobile robot and receiving the ultrasonic signal generated from the ultrasonic wave generator; and

a controller installed at the mobile robot, calculating a direction of the remote controller and a distance between the mobile robot and the remote controller based on a position of an ultrasonic wave receiver that has received the ultrasonic signal, among the plurality of ultrasonic wave receivers, when the RF receiver receives the RF signal, moving the mobile robot to the remote controller based on the calculated direction and distance value.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the controller detects time when the ultrasonic signal reaches the ultrasonic wave receiver after being generated from the ultrasonic wave generator based on time when the RF signal is generated, and calculates a distance between the mobile robot and the remote controller based on the detected time.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller includes a storing unit for storing a pre-set position number for discriminating the ultrasonic wave receivers and calculates a direction of the remote controller based on the position of the ultrasonic wave receiver that has received the ultrasonic signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein when an ultrasonic wave receiver receives the ultrasonic signal, the controller calculates a distance between the ultrasonic wave receiver that has received the ultrasonic signal and the remote controller based the time when the ultrasonic signal reached the ultrasonic wave receiver, and adds a semidiameter of the mobile robot to the calculated distance value, thereby accurately calculating an actual distance between the mobile robot and the remote controller.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein if the ultrasonic signal is received by two or more ultrasonic wave receivers, the controller calculates a distance between the mobile robot and the remote controller based on time when the ultrasonic signal reached the two or more ultrasonic wave receivers, and then, calculates an actual distance between the mobile robot and the remote controller through trigonometric measurement based on each calculated distance value.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the controller calculates the distance between the ultrasonic wave receiver and the ultrasonic wave generator by equation shown below:

S=340 [m/sec]×

(T1−

T2),

wherein 340 [m/sec] is a sonic velocity, T1 is time when the ultrasonic signal is received, and T2 is time when the ultrasonic signal is generated after the RF signal is received.

14. A method for calling a mobile robot comprising:

a step in which when a call signal is inputted to a remote controller, an RF signal and an ultrasonic signal for calling a mobile robot are simultaneously generated through the remote controller;

a step in which when the RF signal is received by an RF receiver of the mobile robot, an operation mode of the mobile robot is changed to a call mode and then a direction of the remote controller is calculated based on a position of an ultrasonic save receiver, among a plurality of ultrasonic wave receivers installed at the mobile robot, that has received the ultrasonic signal;

a step in which a distance between the remote controller and the mobile robot is calculated based on a time when the ultrasonic signal reaches the ultrasonic wave receiver;

a step in which a front side of the mobile robot is rotated in the calculated direction; and

a step in which the mobile robot is allowed to go straight ahead as long as the calculated distance value.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, in the step of calculating the distance, when the ultrasonic signal is received by one of the plurality of ultrasonic wave receivers, the distance between the ultrasonic receiver that has received the ultrasonic signal and the remote controller is calculated based on time when the ultrasonic signal reached the ultrasonic wave receiver.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of calculating the distance comprises:

calculating an actual distance between the mobile robot and the remote controller by adding a semidiameter of the mobile robot to the calculated distance value.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of calculating the distance between the mobile robot and the remote controller comprises:

a step in which when two or more of the plurality of ultrasonic wave receivers receive the ultrasonic signal, the distance between the mobile robot and the remote controller is calculated based on time when the ultrasonic signal has reached the two or more ultrasonic wave receivers; and

a step in which an actual distance between the mobile robot and the remote controller is calculated based on trigonometric measurement based on each calculated distance value.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the distance between the mobile robot and the remote controller is calculated by equation shown below:

S=340 [m/sec]×

(T1−

T2),

wherein 340 [m/sec] is a sonic velocity, T1 is time when the ultrasonic signal is received, and T2 is time when the ultrasonic signal is generated after the RF signal is received.