Microservices architecture based robot control system and method thereof

{
  "publication_number": "US11979453B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Microservices architecture based robot control system and method thereof",
  "abstract": "A robot control system and a method may be operated in a microservices architecture (MSA)-based control environment. The robot control system includes an application programming interface (API) gateway that connects an authentication server for authenticating a robot, a management server for managing the robot, and an operation server for operating the robot in a Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) communication method and an administrator terminal that communicates with the robot through WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication).",
  "claims": [
    "1. A robot control system comprising: an authentication server configured to authenticate a robot; a management server configured to manage the robot; an operation server configured to operate the robot; an application programming interface (API) gateway configured to connect the authentication server, the management server, and the operation server to the robot in a Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) communication method; a representational state transfer (REST) API, the REST API configured to enable information exchange between the API gateway, the authentication server, the management server, and the operation server; and an administrator terminal configured to communicate with the robot through WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication), wherein the operation server transmits an action constituting a service to the robot, wherein the action includes at least one of a move action of the robot, an elevator board and unboard action of the robot, a map change action, a hotelier or a customer authentication action, or load and unload actions of items through a tray, and wherein the controller is configured to use a navigation resource, an LED resource, and a GUI resource when the move action is performed, use the navigation resource, the LED resource, and the GUI resource when the elevator board and unboard action is performed, use the navigation resource when the map change action is performed, use the LED resource and the GUI resource when the hotelier or the customer authentication action is performed, or use the LED resource, the GUI resource and a tray resource when performing the load and unload actions of the items through the tray.",
    "2. The robot control system of claim 1, wherein the operation server transmits a subsequent action when a completion signal for a previously-transmitted action is received from the robot.",
    "3. The robot control system of claim 1, wherein the administrator terminal receives and displays sensor data corresponding to the action from the robot in real time.",
    "4. The robot control system of claim 3, wherein the administrator terminal displays at least one of a location of the robot, a map, a lidar image, a camera image, log data, or an action corresponding to a service.",
    "5. The robot control system of claim 1, wherein the robot includes: a first communicator connected to the API gateway in the HTTP communication method; a second communicator configured to communicate with the administrator terminal and the operation server through the WebRTC; and a controller configured to control the first communicator to connect to the API gateway, perform an action received from the operation server, and control the second communicator to transmit sensor data acquired in a process of preforming the action to the administrator terminal in real time.",
    "6. The robot control system of claim 1, wherein the robot is operated in a microservices architecture (MSA)-based control environment.",
    "7. A robot operating in a microservices architecture (MSA)-based control environment, the robot comprising: a first communicator connected to an API gateway in a HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) communication method; a second communicator configured to communicate with an administrator terminal and an operation server through WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication); a controller configured to control the first communicator to connect to the API gateway, perform an action received from the operation server, and control the second communicator to transmit sensor data acquired in a process of preforming the action to the administrator terminal in real time; and a representational state transfer (REST) API, the REST API configured to enable information exchange between the API gateway and the operation server, wherein the second communicator receives an action constituting a service from the operation server, wherein the action includes at least one of a move action of the robot, an elevator board and unboard action of the robot, a map change action, a hotelier or a customer authentication action, or load and unload actions of items through a tray, and wherein the controller is configured to use a navigation resource, an LED resource, and a GUI resource when the move action is performed, use the navigation resource, the LED resource, and the GUI resource when the elevator board and unboard action is performed, use the navigation resource when the map change action is performed, use the LED resource and the GUI resource when the hotelier or the customer authentication action is performed, or use the LED resource, the GUI resource and a tray resource when performing the load and unload actions of the items through the tray.",
    "8. The robot of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to control the second communicator to transmit a completion signal representing execution of the action to the operation server.",
    "9. The robot of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to control the second communicator to transmit, to the administrator terminal, at least one of a location of the robot, a map, a lidar image, a camera image, log data, or an action corresponding to a service."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present disclosure relates to a technology for monitoring and controlling a robot based on microservices architecture (MSA).\n\nIn general, MSA refers to architecture which implements one large application by dividing the one large application into several small applications to enable the change and combination of applications. When one large application is divided by specialized functions, abstraction of the application becomes possible.\n\nFor example, a service for authentication (authentication function) may perform an authentication process using an interface promised by another service. A service for ‘auto-complete’ in the search window may receive a user input and merely provide the result of the auto-complete, so that implementation details may be easily improved at any time while the API (Application Programming Interface) is being maintained.\n\nMSA may facilitate deployment for each specific service without interruption of the entire service, and in particular, quickly reflect and deploy requirements. In addition, MSA has easy scalability for a specific service and a less possibility that error is likely to extend to the entire service to isolate partial error easily. In addition, MSA may solve the problem of a monolithic architecture, that is, the difficulty of precise work in an advanced program structure. For reference, the monolithic architecture is the opposite of MSA, and one service or application has one huge architecture.\n\nA conventional robot control system monitors and controls robots based on a monolithic architecture, deteriorating the efficiency.",
  "cpc": [
    "H04L 67/025",
    "B25J 11/008",
    "B25J 9/10",
    "B25J 9/16",
    "B25J 9/161",
    "B25J 9/1664",
    "B25J 9/1679",
    "B25J 9/1689",
    "B25J 9/1694",
    "G06Q 50/10",
    "G06V 20/20",
    "H04L 63/0876",
    "H04L 63/0892",
    "H04L 67/12"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B25J 11/00",
    "B25J 9/16",
    "G06V 20/20",
    "H04L 67/025",
    "H04L 9/40"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Hyundai Motor Co",
    "Kia Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Ga Hee KIM",
    "Bo Ram Kim",
    "Gil Jin Yang",
    "Jung Min Ryu",
    "Jae Hag JUNG",
    "Il Yong YOON",
    "Chan Mo Lim"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2021-09-27",
  "publication_date": "2024-05-07",
  "grant_date": "2024-05-07",
  "priority_date": "2021-03-12",
  "application_number": "US-202117486333-A",
  "family_id": "83195314",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
  "citations": [
    "US20100145514A1",
    "US20170011449A1",
    "US20190005832A1",
    "US20200262074A1",
    "US20200057435A1"
  ]
}