Crosswalk walking assistance system and method of controlling the same

• US 9,498,884 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2011
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Ha, Tae Sin, Roh, Kyung Shik, Shin, Dong Min
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): LI, CE LI
• Application Number:
  US13/277,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20120101632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/248, 700/253, 901/1, 901/46
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/162 Mobile manipulator, movable base with manipulator arm mounted on it
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1669 characterised by special application, e.g. multi-arm co-operation, assembly, grasping
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1682 Dual arm manipulator; Coordination of several manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40298 Manipulator on vehicle, wheels, mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45108 Aid, robot for aid to, assist human disabled

Abstract

A crosswalk walking assistance system to assist a pedestrian by moving a movable robot along with the pedestrian along a boundary of a crosswalk when the pedestrian crosses at the crosswalk, and a method of controlling the same. The crosswalk walking assistance system includes guide rails formed along boundary lines of a crosswalk, robots moving along the guide rails, and a controller connected to the guide rails.

Claims

1. A crosswalk walking assistance system comprising:

guide rails along boundary lines of a crosswalk, the boundary lines at both sides of a width of the crosswalk, the boundary lines crossing a road on which vehicles run;

robots configured to move along the guide rails; and

a controller electrically connected to the robots through the guide rails, the controller configured to transmit information indicating that a traffic signal is changed from a stop signal to a walk signal to the robots so that,

(i) the robots are configured to determine whether or not an obstacle is present on movement paths of the robots before crossing the crosswalk,

(ii) if it is determined that the obstacle is present, the robots determine whether or not the obstacle is a person,

(iii) if it is determined that the obstacle is a person, the robots output a voice signal recommending that the person moves to an inside of the crosswalk,

(iv) if it is determined that the obstacle is not a person, the robots output an alert signal, and

(v) if it is determined that there is no obstacle, the robots output a voice signal indicating that the traffic signal is changed to a walk signal.

2. The crosswalk walking assistance system according to claim 1, wherein

the robots is configured to move along the guide rails formed on the boundary lines forward and backward, and

the robots are provided on the guide rails, respectively.

3. The crosswalk walking assistance system according to claim 1, wherein

each of the guide rails includes a sensor to sense an object passing through the respective guide rail, and

the sensor includes a conductivity sensor and a pressure sensor.

4. The crosswalk walking assistance system according to claim 1, wherein:

the controller includes

a power supply configured to supply power to the robots, and

a communication unit configured to perform communication between traffic lights and the robots.

5. The crosswalk walking assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the robots are configured to determine whether or not the robots completely cross the crosswalk, and if it is determined that the robots completely cross the crosswalk, the robots are configured to maintain a standby state at that position until the traffic signal changes to a next walk signal.

6. The crosswalk walking assistance system according to claim 1, wherein each of the robots includes:

a driving unit;

a sensor unit configured to sense variation in surrounding circumstances;

a power reception unit configured to receive power;

a communication unit configured to perform communication between the controller and another robot of said robots; and

a control unit configured to control the driving unit according to signals transmitted from the sensor unit and the communication unit.

7. The crosswalk walking assistance system according to claim 6, wherein the power reception unit is configured to receive power from the controller through a guide rail of the guide rails.

8. The crosswalk walking assistance system according to claim 6, wherein the communication unit is configured to receive a signal of traffic lights from the controller and transmit information sensed by the sensor unit of the at least one of the robots to another one of the robots, or receive information sensed by the sensor unit of the another one of the robots.

9. The crosswalk walking assistance system according to claim 6, wherein

the sensor unit includes at least one of a camera, an infrared sensor, a distance sensor, or an obstacle sensor, and

a plurality of sensor units are provided outside at least one of the robots.

10. The crosswalk walking assistance system according to claim 9, wherein the robots are configured to analyze information sensed by the sensor unit and determine as to whether or not the obstacle is a person.

11. The crosswalk walking assistance system according to claim 9, wherein the robots are configured to stand by for a set time after outputting the voice signal or the alert signal, in consideration of a time during which the pedestrian moves to an inside of the crosswalk or an obstacle deviates from the crosswalk.

12. The crosswalk walking assistance system according to claim 11, wherein the robots are configured to determine again whether an obstacle is present on the movement path, and output a voice signal indicating that the traffic signal is changed to the walk signal if the obstacle is not present.

13. A crosswalk walking assistance system comprising:

guide lines along boundary lines of a crosswalk, the boundary lines at both sides of a width of the crosswalk, the boundary lines crossing a road on which vehicles run;

robots configured to move along the guide lines; and

controllers provided on ends of the guide lines and electrically connected to the robots through the guide lines, the controller configured to transmit information indicating that a traffic signal is changed from a stop signal to al walk signal to the robots so that,

(i) the robots are configured to determine whether or not an obstacle is present on movement path of the robots before crossing the crosswalk,

(ii) if it is determined that the obstacle is present, the robots determine whether or not the obstacle is a person,

(iii) if it is determined that the obstacle is a person, the robots output a voice signal recommending that the person moves to the inside of the crosswalk,

(iv) if it is determined that the obstacle is not a person, the robots output an alert signal, and

(v) if it is determined that there is no obstacle, the robots output a voice signal indicating that the traffic signal is changed to a walk signal.

14. The crosswalk walking assistance system according to claim 13, wherein each of the robots includes:

a sensor configured to recognize a corresponding one of the guide lines;

a docking unit being in contact with the controller, the docking unit configured to receive power; and

a battery configured to store power received from the controller.

15. The crosswalk walking assistance system according to claim 14, wherein the sensor includes at least one of an infrared sensor or a hall sensor.

16. The crosswalk walking assistance system according to claim 13, wherein the guide lines have a color different from that of a road surface and have reflectivity different from that of the road surface.

17. The crosswalk walking assistance system according to claim 13, wherein the guide lines include a magnetic material.

18. The crosswalk walking assistance system according to claim 13, wherein each of the controllers includes:

a docking unit being in contact with a respective robot of the robots, the docking unit configured to supply power; and

a beacon signal unit configured to transmit a beacon signal to the respective robot so as to recognize the position of the respective robot.

19. A method comprising:

sensing, by a robot, whether or not an obstacle is present on a movement path of the robot when information indicating that a signal of a traffic light is changed to a walk signal is received by the robot from a controller;

moving the robot along a guide rail or a guide line while outputting a voice signal indicating that the signal is changed to the walk signal, when it is sensed by the robot that an obstacle is not present, the guide rail or the guide line along a boundary line, the boundary line at a side of a width of the crosswalk and crossing a road on which vehicles run;

determining, by the robot, whether or not the obstacle is a person when it is sensed by the robot that an obstacle is present, and outputting a voice signal by the robot recommending that the person moves to an inside of a crosswalk;

outputting a voice signal recommending that the person moves to an inside of the crosswalk when it is determined that the obstacle is a person;

generating an alert signal by the robot to remove the obstacle when it is determined that the obstacle is not a person;

moving the robot along the guide rail or the guide line to thereby move to the other side of the crosswalk while outputting a voice signal indicating that the signal has changed to the walk signal when the obstacle is removed; and

outputting an indication by the robot that the signal has changed to a stop signal when movement of the robot to the other side of the crosswalk is completed, and then waiting by the robot until the signal is changed to the walk signal.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the signal of the traffic light is transmitted from the controller through the guide rail or is wirelessly transmitted to the robot.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the determining of whether or not the obstacle is a person includes:

measuring a temperature of the obstacle using an infrared sensor of the robot so as to determine whether or not the obstacle is a person;

measuring a conductivity level of the obstacle using a conductivity sensor of the guide rail so as to determine whether or not the obstacle is a person, when the temperature is not within a predetermined range;

measuring pressure generated by the obstacle using a pressure sensor of the guide rail so as to determine whether or not the obstacle is a person, when the conductivity level is not within a predetermined range;

measuring a variation in distance based on a movement speed of the obstacle using a distance sensor of the robot so as to determine whether or not the obstacle is a person, when the pressure is not within a predetermined range;

photographing the obstacle using a camera of the robot so as to determine whether or not the obstacle is a person based on the photographed image, when the variation in distance is not within a predetermined range; and

determining that the obstacle is a vehicle when the image is not a person.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the predetermined ranges are ranges of information measured by the sensors when the obstacle is a person.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein the moving of the robot along the guide rail or the guide line includes moving first and second robots, which are located on guide rails or guide lines provided on opposite boundary lines of the crosswalk so as to face each other in a diagonal direction, in opposite directions.

24. The method according to claim 19, wherein the moving of the robot along the guide rail or the guide line includes transmitting a signal for requesting extension of a walk signal time to the controller and extending the walk signal time, when the movement of the robot through the crosswalk is not completed within a walk signal time.

25. The method according to claim 19, wherein the moving of the robot along the guide rail or the guide line includes:

when a walk signal time is insufficient to move the robot to the other side of the crosswalk, increasing a movement speed of the robot to a predetermined upper-limit movement speed when the increased movement speed would allow the robot to move to the other side of the crosswalk, and

returning the robot to an original position when the robot cannot be moved to the other side of the crosswalk at the predetermined upper-limit movement speed.

26. A system comprising:

a guide rail along a boundary line of a crosswalk, the boundary lines at both sides of a width of the crosswalk, and the boundary lines crossing a road on which vehicles run;

a robot configured to move along the guide rail; and

a controller connected to the guide rail, the controller configured to,

control the robot by providing power and signals through the guide rail,

transmit information indicating that a traffic signal is changed from a stop signal to a walk signal to the robots so that,

the robot determines whether or not an obstacle is present on a movement path of the robot before crossing the crosswalk, and

if it is determined that the obstacle is present, the robot determines whether or not the obstacle is a person, and

output an alert signal if it is determined that the obstacle is not a person, a first voice signal recommending that a pedestrian moves to an inside of the crosswalk if it is determined that the obstacle is a person, and a second voice signal indicating that the traffic signal is changed to a walk signal if it is determined that there is no obstacle.