Service providing apparatus providing in-vehicle service and control method of the apparatus

{
  "publication_number": "US12269386B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Service providing apparatus providing in-vehicle service and control method of the apparatus",
  "abstract": "The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle service providing apparatus, the apparatus including a module unit including service modules configured to provide services, a rail part including a rail stretched into a cabin of a vehicle, a moving part onto which one of the service modules is seated and fixed, and which is configured to move along the rail; and a processor configured to: identify a request for a service that may be provided through one of the service modules, detect a first service module corresponding to the identified service request, and determine a service providing position and control the module unit to seat the first service module onto the moving part, and control the moving part onto which the first service module is seated to move to the determined service providing position.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An in-vehicle service providing apparatus comprising: a module unit comprising a plurality of service modules configured to provide services different from each other; a rail part comprising a rail stretched into a cabin of a vehicle; a moving part onto which one of the plurality of service modules is seated and fixed, and which is configured to move along the rail; and a processor configured to: identify a request for a service that may be provided through one of the plurality of service modules, detect a first service module corresponding to the identified service request, determine a service providing position based on a position of a service requester who made the identified service request in the cabin, control the module unit to seat the first service module onto the moving part, and control the moving part onto which the first service module is seated to move to the determined service providing position.",
    "2. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the module unit comprises: a first frame stretched in a direction intersecting the rail and located at a certain height from the rail; a second frame disposed below the first frame, stretched in a direction parallel to a direction of the first frame, and connected to different service modules at a constant interval along the direction of being stretched; and a frame moving part connected to the second frame and configured to move the connected second frame along the first frame, wherein the processor moves the second frame by controlling the frame moving part to align the first service module with a base position in which the first frame intersects the rail.",
    "3. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second frame and each of the plurality of service modules are connected through tension portions corresponding to the plurality of service modules, respectively, the tension portions are configured to be stretchable in a downward direction, and comprise a tension head coupled to a service module corresponding to the tension head and configured to fix the coupled service module, and when the first service module is aligned with the base position according to the movement of the second frame, the processor controls a tension portion corresponding to the first service module to stretch the tension head to seat the first service module on the moving part disposed in the base position.",
    "4. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the service module comprises: a service module body; a first coupling portion disposed at an upper end of the service module body, and configured to be coupled and fixed to the tension head; and a second coupling portion disposed at a lower end of the service module body, and configured to be coupled and fixed to the moving part.",
    "5. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the tension head and at least one part of an upper end of the moving part comprise an electromagnet configured to generate magnetic force when power is supplied, and the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion of the service module are made of a metallic material adsorbed onto the electromagnet due to attractive force generated by magnetic force when the magnetic force is generated from the electromagnet.",
    "6. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor supplies power to one of a first electromagnet disposed in the tension head of the tension portion corresponding to the first service module and a second electromagnet disposed at the upper end of the moving part, and changes an electromagnet to which the power is supplied based on whether the first service module is seated on the moving part, and whether the service module seated on the moving part has returned to the base position.",
    "7. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor extracts a voice feature from the identified service request, identifies the service requester from the extracted voice feature, estimates a seat position or a seated position of the identified service requester from a pre-stored seat map or a cabin image obtained by sensing passengers in the cabin, and determines one position located on the rail to be adjacent to the estimated seat position or seated position as the service providing position.",
    "8. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor detects face feature information corresponding to the identified service requester from pre-stored face feature information of different people and detects a passenger corresponding to the detected face feature information from the cabin image to estimate the seated position of the service requester.",
    "9. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 7, further comprising an interface unit configured to receive the cabin image obtained from at least one camera disposed in the vehicle, wherein the processor obtains the cabin image by controlling the interface unit.",
    "10. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 7, further comprising an interface unit connected to a control unit of the vehicle or a communication unit configured to perform a communication connection to a preset external server, wherein the processor transmits voice information corresponding to the identified service request to the control unit of the vehicle or the external server, and, in response to the transmitting, receives information about an estimated seat position or seated position of the identified service requester.",
    "11. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the vehicle or the external server is configured to: comprise a voice information database in which voice feature information for each of a plurality of people related to the vehicle is stored, and a face information database in which face feature information for each of the plurality of people related to the vehicle, and identify, when the voice information corresponding to the identified service request is received from the processor, a service requester corresponding to a voice feature of the voice information based on the voice information database, detect face feature information corresponding to the identified service requester based on the face information database, detect a seated position of a particular passenger corresponding to the detected face feature information among passengers in the cabin comprised in the cabin image obtained by sensing the passengers in the cabin, and transmit information about the detected seated position of the particular passenger, in response to the voice information.",
    "12. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a maintenance module configured to provide cold air or hot air to a lower portion of the base position, wherein the processor detects a service module that needs heating or cooling among the plurality of service modules and heats or cools the detected service module by moving the detected service module to the base position.",
    "13. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor places the moving part in the base position, controls the module unit to seat the service module that needs heating or cooling on the moving part located in the base position, and drives the maintenance module when the service module is seated on the moving part to transfer cold air or hot air discharged from the maintenance module to the seated service module via the moving part.",
    "14. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the moving part comprises at least one conductor or through hole configured to transfer the cold air or the hot air discharged from the maintenance module to the service module seated on the moving part.",
    "15. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the plurality of service modules are modules filled with beverages different from each other to serve beverages different from each other, and the in-vehicle service providing apparatus further comprises a communication unit configured to perform a communication connection with at least one external server configured to provide maintenance information in correspondence with the different beverages filled in the plurality of service modules, respectively.",
    "16. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor moves the plurality of service modules sequentially to the base position to heat or cool the plurality of service modules according to the maintenance information in correspondence with the different beverages, the maintenance information being provided from the at least one external server.",
    "17. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the moving part comprises a plurality of rail moving parts disposed to be movable along the rail and configured such that the one of the plurality of service modules is seated thereon, and in a state when the first service module is seated on the first rail moving part and moved along the rail to provide a service according to an identified first service request, when a second service request corresponding to a second service module is identified, the processor controls the module unit so that the second service module is seated on a second rail moving part and controls the second rail moving part to be moved to a service position of a service requester corresponding to the second service request.",
    "18. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 17, wherein, in a state when the first service module is seated on the first rail moving part and moved along the rail to provide the service according to the identified first service request, when the second service request corresponding to the second service module and a third service request corresponding to a third service module are identified, the processor controls the module unit and the moving part so that service modules corresponding to respective service requests are seated on different rail moving parts and move along the rail sequentially, according to a result of comparing a transport distance according to a position of the service requester corresponding to the second service request to a transport distance according to a position of a service requester corresponding to the third service request.",
    "19. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the moving part is configured to have a gantry structure comprising left and right support portions connected to both left and right sides of the rail part, respectively.",
    "20. The in-vehicle service providing apparatus of claim 19, wherein the rail part comprises a conveyor belt configured to move along the rail, and a space having a certain size is defined between an upper surface of the rail part configured as the conveyor belt and an upper inner end of the moving part having the gantry structure connecting between the left side support portion and the right side support portion."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present disclosure relates to a service providing apparatus configured to provide various services such as provision of a beverage in a vehicle.\n\nAt present, as vehicle-related technologies are advanced, an interest in a service that may be provided using a vehicle is rising. Particularly, with the advent of electric vehicles using electrical energy as power unlike existing internal combustion engine vehicles, a structure of vehicles has become simple, and accordingly, a large space in a vehicle may be ensured. Thus, there is an increasing social need for variously utilizing a space inside a vehicle.\n\nFurther, with advances in technologies related to autonomous operation of vehicles such as autonomous driving, as leisure time in which passengers may enjoy in a vehicle are increasing, this need is gradually increasing.\n\nAs part of such in-vehicle services, a method of providing food and beverages such as soft drinks or light alcoholic beverages in a vehicle has emerged. As part of this method, a vehicle in which a beverage dispenser filled with the beverage is disposed in one space inside the vehicle has appeared. Thus, passengers in the vehicle may be provided with a service of beverages dispensed from the beverage dispenser.\n\nHowever, when a beverage dispenser is placed in one space inside the vehicle, there is a problem in that a passenger who is to get a beverage service needs to move to a position in which the beverage dispenser is placed, receive a beverage dispensed from the beverage dispenser, and then, move back to the passenger's seat.",
  "cpc": [
    "B60N 3/18",
    "B60N 2/002",
    "B60N 2210/24",
    "B60N 2230/20",
    "B60N 3/10",
    "B60N 3/103",
    "B60N 3/104",
    "B60R 11/00",
    "B60R 11/04",
    "B60R 16/037",
    "B60R 2011/0084",
    "B60R 7/04",
    "B60Y 2400/3015",
    "B65G 47/90",
    "G06Q 30/06",
    "G06V 20/59",
    "G07F 13/10",
    "H04W 4/40"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B60N 3/18",
    "B60R 11/04",
    "B60R 7/04",
    "B65G 47/90",
    "G06Q 30/06",
    "G06V 20/59",
    "G07F 13/10"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "LG Electronics Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Sungil Cho",
    "Jaehoon CHO"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2023-01-25",
  "publication_date": "2025-04-08",
  "grant_date": "2025-04-08",
  "priority_date": "2023-01-25",
  "application_number": "US-202318717965-A",
  "family_id": "91719559",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
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    "DE102020103764A1",
    "CN110544351A",
    "KR102352138B1",
    "KR20220052228A",
    "KR20220085420A",
    "US20220382504A1"
  ]
}