CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This application is a U.S. National Stage Application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of PCT Application No. PCT/KR2019/000084, filed Jan. 3, 2019, whose entire disclosure is hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a server and a robot system including the same, and more particularly to a server capable of controlling a plurality of robots and providing various kinds of services and a robot system including the same.

BACKGROUND ART

Robots have been developed for industrial purposes and have taken charge of a portion of factory automation. In recent years, the number of fields in which robots are utilized has increased. As a result, a medical robot and an aerospace robot have been developed. In addition, a home robot usable at home is being manufactured. Among such robots, a robot capable of autonomously traveling is called a mobile robot.

With an increase in the use of robots, the demand for robots capable of providing various kinds of information, entertainment, and services in addition to repeated performance of simple functions has increased.

As a result, a communication robot disposed in homes, stores, and public facilities so as to communicate with people is being developed.

In addition, various kinds of services using a mobile robot that is capable of autonomously traveling have been proposed. For example, a prior document (Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2008-0090150, Publication Date: Oct. 8, 2008) proposes a service robot capable of providing a service based on the current position while moving in a service area, a service system using the service robot, and a method of controlling the service system using the service robot.

There is a necessity for a scheme capable of monitoring and efficiently controlling the state of a plurality of robots when in use.

DISCLOSURE

Technical Problem

It is an object of the present invention to provide a server capable of effectively administrating and controlling a plurality of robots in order to provide various kinds of services and a robot system including the same.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a low-cost, high-efficiency server capable of minimizing intervention of an administrator and a robot system including the same.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a server capable of efficiently providing the optimum service using different kinds of robots and a robot system including the same.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a server capable of selecting a combination suitable for the place at which a service is provided and the kind of the service in order to provide the service using a minimum number of robots and a robot system including the same.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a server capable of effectively utilizing data acquired through a plurality of robots and a robot system including the same.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a server connected to an external server in order to provide various kinds of services and a robot system including the same.

Technical Solution

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of a server and a robot system including the same that are capable of effectively administrating a plurality of robots in order to provide various kinds of services. In particular, different kinds of robots may be effectively administrated and controlled in order to provide the optimum service satisfying the request of a customer.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of a robot system including a plurality of robots and a server for communicating with the robots and monitoring and controlling the state of the robots, wherein the robots include different kinds of robots, and the server provides an integrated user interface including information about the different kinds of robots to a client.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of a server including a control server for communicating with a plurality of robots and monitoring and controlling the state of the robots, wherein the robots include different kinds of robots, and the server provides an integrated user interface comprising information about the different kinds of robots to a client.

Upon receiving data from a linked external server, the server may update data of robots related to the received data, among the plurality of robots, in a bundle.

In addition, the server may automatically receive data from the linked external server in a predetermined cycle, and may update data of the robots related to the received data in a bundle.

In addition, the server may apply data uploaded in a common unit to all of the robots, and may apply data uploaded in a dedicated unit to robots corresponding to the dedicated unit in which the data are uploaded. In this case, the dedicated unit may include a plurality of dedicated units so as to correspond to the kind of robots.

Meanwhile, the control server may provide a control service capable of monitoring the state and location of the robots and administrating content and task schedules. The control server may include a control service server for providing the control service capable of monitoring the state and location of the robots and administrating the content and task schedules and an administrator application server capable of administrating an application related to the robots.

In addition, the server may further include a device administration server for relaying and administrating data related to the robots and a map server for providing map data.

Meanwhile, the integrated user interface may include entire robot status information and robot-kind-based state information classified depending on the kind of robots. In this case, the robot-kind-based state information may include a robot kind title item, a current state title item, and robot number information corresponding to the current state title item, and the current state title item and the robot number information may be displayed in different colors depending on the state thereof.

In addition, the integrated user interface may further include location status information, in which the current locations of robots are displayed on a map, and individual robot state information.

Meanwhile, the server may provide entire statistical data based on data gathered from all robots, kind-based statistical data based on data gathered from the same kind of robots, and individual statistical data based on data received from individual robots.

In addition, the server may provide function- or service-based statistical data based on data gathered from robots capable of performing predetermined functions or services.

Advantageous Effects

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to provide various kinds of services using a plurality of robots, thereby improving use convenience.

In addition, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to realize a low-cost, high-efficiency cooperation system between robots capable of minimizing intervention of an administrator.

In addition, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to efficiently provide the optimum service using different kinds of robots.

In addition, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to select a combination suitable for the place at which a service is provided and the kind of the service in order to provide the service using a minimum number of robots.

In addition, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to effectively administrate a plurality of robots and to utilize data acquired through the robots.

In addition, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to realize a robot system connected to an external server in order to provide various kinds of services.

Various other effects of the present invention will be directly or suggestively disclosed in the following detailed description of the invention.

