Network robot system and method of communication therein

{
  "publication_number": "US2008098065A1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A1",
  "title": "Network robot system and method of communication therein",
  "abstract": "A communication method in a network robot system having a middleware processing communication between a plurality of sensors, a server, and a robot, the method including: setting previously a communication framework of the middleware for distributed processing of function of the robot by using the plurality of sensors and the server; and performing a communication between the plurality of sensors, the server and the robot by using the communication framework set previously, wherein one of synchronous and asynchronous operations is performed according to a size of data for a remote object called from the robot.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A communication method in a network robot system having a middleware processing communication between a plurality of sensors, a server, and a robot, the method comprising: setting previously a communication framework of the middleware for distributed processing by using the plurality of sensors and the server; and performing a communication between the plurality of sensors, the server and the robot by using the communication framework set previously, wherein one of synchronous and asynchronous operations is performed according to a size of data for a remote object called from the robot. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the setting previously a communication framework of the middleware comprises: setting a stub and skeleton layer commanding and receiving a remote calling the remote object according to an object calling request of the robot; setting an asynchronous operation layer performing the asynchronous operation according to a size of data of the remote object called by the remote calling command; setting a remote reference layer packing and sending information on the remote calling; and setting a transport layer connecting the robot and the server by using a transport protocol according to the remote calling. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the setting an asynchronous operation layer is set region for requesting to perform the asynchronous operation according to the remote calling of the object and region for performing the asynchronous operation to immediately send a result of the requesting to perform the asynchronous operation and to check the result when it is needed later. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing communication between the plurality of sensors, the server, and the robot comprises: remote calling the remote object called by the robot at a client side of the communication framework set previously; requesting to perform an operation for the remote calling; encoding a transmission message for the requesting to perform an operation; sending the encoded transmission message; performing the asynchronous operation at a server side of the communication framework set previously when a size of data for the remote object is large; immediately sending a result of the performing the asynchronous operation to the client side; and performing the synchronous operation via a scheduling when the size of data for the remote object is not large. 5. A network robot system comprising: a robot providing services by recognizing external environment information; a plurality of sensors for distributed processing of functions of the robot sensing the external environment information; a server for distributed processing of service-processing functions of the robot according to the external environment information; a middleware connecting the plurality of sensors located in a remote place, the server and the robot and setting a communication framework previously for remote communication between the plurality of sensors, the server, and the robot, wherein the middleware performs synchronous and asynchronous operations according to a size of data for a remote object called from the robot. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the communication framework of the middleware comprises: a stub and skeleton layer commanding and receiving a remote calling with respect to the remote object according to an object calling of the robot; an asynchronous operation layer performing the asynchronous operation according to a size of data of the remote object called by the remote calling command; a remote reference layer packing and sending information on the remote calling; a transport layer connecting the robot and the server by using a transport protocol according to the remote calling. 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the asynchronous operation layer comprises: an operation handler requesting to perform the asynchronous operation according to the remote calling of the remote object; and an operation adaptor performing the asynchronous operation to immediately send a result of the requesting to perform the asynchronous operation and to check the result when it is needed later. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the operation adaptor performs the asynchronous operation when the size of data for the remote object is large and sends a result of the asynchronous operation execution to a client side. 9. The system of claim 7, wherein the operation adaptor comprises a scheduler performing a scheduling when the size of data for the remote object is not large and performs the asynchronous operation by the scheduling. 10. The system of claim 6, wherein the remote reference layer comprises: a request sender encoding a transmission message for the requesting to perform an operation; and a request receiver decoding the encoded transmission message, wherein the request sender and the request receiver are included for the robot side and the server side, respectively."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2006-0103163 filed on Oct. 23, 2006, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.\n\n1. Field of the Invention\n\nThe present invention relates to a method and a system of communication in a robot system, and more particularly, to a network robot system for distributed processing of functions of robots via a network and to a communication method in the network robot system.\n\nThis work was supported by the IT R&D program of MIC/IITA [2005-S-031, Development of the Infra System for URC Service]\n\n2. Description of the Related Art\n\nIn general, robots have three functional elements including sensing an external environment, making judgments based on the sensing information and performing according to the judgment results, and accordingly are equipped with devices for processing these functions. To add various or new functions to the robots, however, a complex configuration and expensive equipment is required, thus increasing costs.\n\nTherefore, in order to provide less expensive robots, a network robot system for distributed processing of the functions of the robots via a network is undergoing development.\n\nIn general, a network robot system is formed of a distributed system including a plurality of robot clients and a server, in which network communication is performed by exchanging messages between the robot clients and the server via a communication middleware.",
  "cpc": [
    "H04L 67/125",
    "B25J 13/00",
    "G06F 9/546",
    "G06F 9/548",
    "H04L 12/28",
    "H04L 65/40",
    "H04L 67/06",
    "H04L 67/10",
    "H04L 67/133",
    "H04L 69/14",
    "H04W 84/18"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G06F 15/16"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute ETRI"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Kang Woo Lee",
    "Young Ho Suh",
    "Ae Kyeung Moon",
    "Hyun Kim",
    "Nam Shik Park",
    "Chung Seong Hong",
    "Min Young Kim"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2007-10-22",
  "publication_date": "2008-04-24",
  "priority_date": "2006-10-23",
  "application_number": "US-97575407-A",
  "family_id": "38738794",
  "cited_by_count": 5,
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}