Robot operating method and robot operating system

{
  "publication_number": "US2019335341A1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A1",
  "title": "Robot operating method and robot operating system",
  "abstract": "Provided is a robot operating method in which a host device operates a task robot which performs a task by performing wireless communication with the host device in a designated task execution region. At least one mobile relay robot that relays communication between the host device and the task robot is put in between the host device and the task robot. The number of mobile relay robots to be put in between the host device and the task robot is set according to a longest distance between the host device and the task robot and an environment of the task execution region.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A robot operating method in which a host device operates a task robot which performs a task by performing wireless communication with the host device in a designated task execution region, wherein at least one mobile relay robot that relays communication between the host device and the task robot is put in between the host device and the task robot, wherein a number of mobile relay robots to be put in between the host device and the task robot is set according to a longest distance between the host device and the task robot and an environment of the task execution region. 2. The robot operating method of claim 1, wherein the mobile relay robots are put in at positions where the mobile relay robots maintain a mutually uniform distance between each other on a travel path between the host device and the task robot. 3. The robot operating method of claim 1, wherein the number of mobile relay robots to be put in is set based on a ratio of the longest distance to an effective communication radius of one mobile relay robot, wherein an effective communication radius of the mobile relay robot is applied after being calibrated according to an environment of the task execution region. 4. The robot operating method of claim 3, wherein the environment of the task execution region comprises a height, a season, and weather of the task execution region, wherein the higher the height, the shorter the effective communication radius is, and the warmer the season, the shorter the effective communication radius is. 5. The robot operating method of claim 4, wherein the environment of the task execution region comprises information on whether LOS (Line Of Sight) is applied, and when the effective communication radius is longer than a LOS (Line Of Sight) distance, the effective communication radius is reduced. 6. The robot operating method of claim 5, wherein the effective communication radius is varied such that an effective communication radius in highly foggy weather is shorter than an effective communication radius in clear weather, and an effective communication radius in highly rainy weather is shorter than an effective communication radius in highly foggy weather, and an effective communication radius in heavily snowy weather is shorter than an effective communication radius in highly rainy weather. 7. The robot operating method of claim 1, wherein each of the mobile relay robots put in between the host device and the task robot periodically transmits its position information and surrounding environment information to the host device, and the host device that periodically receives the surrounding environment information from the mobile relay robots updates and stores accumulated average information of the surrounding environment information of the position of each of the mobile relay robots as partial environment information. 8. The robot operating method of claim 7, wherein average information of the partial environment information of each of the mobile relay robots is updated and stored as total environment information of the task execution region. 9. The robot operating method of claim 8, wherein information about a longest distance between the host device and the task robot is stored for each task execution region. 10. The robot operating method of claim 9, wherein when the task execution region is newly designated, total environment information of task execution regions that differ from a new longest distance by a difference less than a reference difference, from among the longest distances stored for each of the task execution region, is selected; total environment information that differs from new environment information by a least difference, from among the selected total environment information of the task execution regions, is finally selected; and mobile relay robots are arranged by applying the number of mobile relay robots that have been applied to a task execution region of the finally selected total environment information. 11. A robot operating system comprising: a host device; and a task robot performing a task while performing wireless communication with the host device in a designated task execution region, wherein the robot operating system further comprises at least one mobile relay robot that is put in between the host device and the task robot and relays communication between the host device and the task robot, and a number of mobile relay robots to be put in between the host device and the task robot is set according to a longest distance between the host device and the task robot and an environment of the task execution region. 12. The robot operating system of claim 11, wherein the mobile relay robots are put in at positions where the mobile relay robots maintain a mutually uniform distance between each other on a travel path between the host device and the task robot. 13. The robot operating system of claim 11, wherein the number of mobile relay robots to be put in is set based on a ratio of the longest distance to an effective communication radius of one mobile relay robot, wherein an effective communication radius of the mobile relay robot is applied after being calibrated according to an environment of the task execution region. 14. The robot operating system of claim 13, wherein the environment of the task execution region comprises a height, a season, and weather of the task execution region, wherein the higher the height, the shorter the effective communication radius is, and the warmer the season, the shorter the effective communication radius is. 15. The robot operating system of claim 14, wherein the environment of the task execution region comprises information on whether LOS (Line Of Sight) is applied, and when the effective communication radius is longer than a LOS (Line Of Sight) distance, the effective communication radius is reduced. 16. The robot operating system of claim 15, wherein the effective communication radius is varied such that an effective communication radius in highly foggy weather is shorter than an effective communication radius in clear weather, and an effective communication radius in highly rainy weather is shorter than an effective communication radius in highly foggy weather, and an effective communication radius in heavily snowy weather is shorter than an effective communication radius in highly rainy weather. 17. The robot operating system of claim 11, wherein each of the mobile relay robots put in between the host device and the task robot periodically transmits its position information and surrounding environment information to the host device, and the host device that periodically receives the surrounding environment information from the mobile relay robots updates and stores accumulated average information of the surrounding environment information of the position of each of the mobile relay robots as partial environment information. 18. The robot operating system of claim 17, wherein the host device updates and stores average information of the partial environment information of each of the mobile relay robots as total environment information of the task execution region. 19. The robot operating system of claim 18, wherein the host device stores information about a longest distance between the host device and the task robot for each of the task execution region. 20. The robot operating system of claim 19, wherein when the task execution region is newly designated, the host device selects total environment information of task execution regions that differ from a new longest distance by a difference less than a reference difference, from among the longest distances stored for each of the task execution region; finally selects total environment information that differs from new environment information by a least difference, from among the selected total environment information of the task execution regions; and arranges mobile relay robots by applying the number of mobile relay robots that have been applied to a task execution region of the finally selected total environment information."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present disclosure relates to a robot operating method and a robot operating system, and more particularly, to a robot operating method in which a task robot performing a task while performing wireless communication with a host device in a designated task execution region is operated by the host device, and a robot operating system adopting the robot operating method.\n\nFIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a robot operating system including a host device 103 and a task robot 102. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 103 s denotes a display panel, and reference numeral 102 a denotes a camera. Referring to FIG. 1, the task robot 102 performs a task while performing wireless communication with the host device 103 in a designated task execution region. In most cases, a longest distance between the host device 103 and the task robot 102 is longer than an effective communication radius of the task robot 102. In this case, in the related art, installers have installed repeaters by using instruments such as a tripod. Thus, robot operating systems according to the related art have the following problems. First, it is difficult to find appropriate installation positions by repeated communication tests when installing the repeaters in a new task execution region. Secondly, as the repeaters are not installed at appropriate positions, communication between the host device 103 and the task robot 102 may be disconnected.\n\nThirdly, when a travel path of the task robot 102 is changed within a same task execution region, there is the inconvenience of having to reinstall the repeaters.",
  "cpc": [
    "H04W 16/26",
    "B25J 9/16",
    "B25J 9/1661",
    "B25J 9/1669",
    "B25J 9/1682",
    "B25J 9/1692",
    "G05D 1/2247",
    "G05D 1/226",
    "G05D 1/6987",
    "G05D 2105/40",
    "G05D 2109/10",
    "H04B 7/155",
    "H04B 7/15507",
    "H04B 7/2606",
    "H04W 84/20",
    "H04W 88/04"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "H04B 7/155",
    "H04W 16/26"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "HANWHA DEFENSE CO LTD"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "JU JAE HYUK",
    "JUNG JIK HAN"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2017-02-17",
  "publication_date": "2019-10-31",
  "priority_date": "2017-01-03",
  "application_number": "US-201716470308-A",
  "family_id": "62789300",
  "citations": [
    "US10243604B2",
    "US2018157260A1"
  ]
}