1. A method of collecting data using a robotic data collection system, the method comprising:

collecting data about a landing of a building using a sensor system of a robot;

transmitting the data to a conveyance system of the building; and

adjusting operation of the conveyor system in response to the data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

moving the robot around the landing to collect the data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transport system is an elevator system, the elevator system including an elevator car.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

moving the robot within an elevator hall on the landing to collect the data.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving an elevator call from the robot to have the elevator car transport the robot from the landing to a destination;

detecting a locus of the robot;

detecting a driving speed of the robot;

determining a distance from the location of the robot to the elevator system;

determining a time of arrival at the elevator system of the robot in response to the location of the robot, the travel speed of the robot, and the distance from the location of the robot to the elevator system; and

moving the elevator car to the landing at or before the robot arrival time.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

detecting when the robot is located within the elevator car; and

moving the elevator car to the destination.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining the identity of an individual;

determining a destination of the individual in response to the identity; and

communicating an elevator call to a scheduler of the elevator system for the elevator car to transport the individual from the landing to the destination.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the identity of the individual is determined using at least one of:

an individual's voice captured using a microphone of the sensor system,

an image of an individual captured using a camera of the sensor system, an

A wireless signal indicative of an identity of the individual detected using a communication module of the robot.

9. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

detecting a number of individuals in an elevator hall using at least one of a people detection system of the sensor system and a people counter device of the building; and

transmitting an elevator call to a dispatcher of the elevator system in response to the number of individuals.

10. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

detecting a number of individuals approaching an elevator hall using at least one of a people detection system of the sensor system and a people counter device of the building;

determining that a population is formed when the number of individuals is greater than or equal to a selected population size; and

transmitting an elevator call to a dispatcher of the elevator system in response to the number of individuals.

11. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

detecting a fire using a fire detection system of the sensor system;

notifying a scheduler of the elevator system of the fire; and

operating the elevator system in a people evacuation mode of operation.

12. A method of collecting data using a robotic data collection system, the method comprising:

collecting data about a landing of a building using a sensor system of a robot;

transmitting the data to a building system manager of the building; and

adjusting operation of the building system manager in response to the data.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

moving the robot around the landing to collect the data.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

detecting a fire using a fire detection system of the sensor system;

notifying the building system manager of the fire; and

initiating a fire alarm of the building system manager.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

detecting a problem condition using the sensor system; and

notifying the building system manager of the problem condition.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

capturing an image of an individual using a camera of the sensor system;

determining an identity of the individual in response to the image;

determining whether the individual is an intruder in response to the identity; and

initiating an intruder alert for the building system manager.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

using a people counting system of the sensor system to detect individuals within the building at unauthorized times; and

initiating an intruder alert for the building system manager.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting the data to a conveyance system of the building; and

adjusting operation of the conveyor system in response to the data.

19. A method of calling an elevator car of an elevator system for a robot, the method comprising:

receiving an elevator call from the robot at a first time, the elevator call being for the elevator car to transport the robot from the landing to a destination;

obtaining a known position of the robot or a known arrangement of the robot at the first time;

determining a location of the robot at the first time in response to the known location of the robot or the known schedule of the robot at the first time;

obtaining a known travel speed of the robot;

determining a time of arrival of the robot at the elevator system in response to at least the location of the robot, the travel speed of the robot, and a location of the elevator system at the first time; and

moving the elevator car to the landing at or before the robot arrival time.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining whether the robot reaches the location of the elevator system; and

adjusting operation of the elevator system in response to whether the robot reaches the location of the elevator system.

Background

Transport systems such as, for example, elevator systems, escalator systems, and moving walkways, are typically only capable of collecting limited data using sensors hardwired to the transport system, which limits the ability of the transport system to collect data.

Disclosure of Invention

According to an embodiment, a method of collecting data using a robotic data collection system is provided. The method comprises the following steps: collecting data about a landing of a building using a sensor system of a robot; transmitting the data to a conveyance system of the building; and adjusting operation of the conveyor system in response to the data.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include: the robot is moved around the landing to collect data.

In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described herein, a further embodiment may include the transport system being an elevator system, the elevator system including an elevator car.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include: the robot is moved in an elevator hall on a landing to collect data.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include: receiving an elevator call from the robot to have the elevator car transport the robot from the landing to the destination; detecting a position of the robot; detecting the running speed of the robot; determining a distance from a location of the robot to the elevator system; determining a time of arrival of the robot at the elevator system in response to the location of the robot, the travel speed of the robot, and a distance from the location of the robot to the elevator system; and moving the elevator car to a landing at or before the robot arrival time.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include: detecting when a robot is located within an elevator car; and moving the elevator car to a destination.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include: determining the identity of an individual; determining a destination of the individual in response to the identity; and communicating the elevator call to a dispatcher of the elevator system to have the elevator car transport the individual from the landing to the destination.

In addition to, or as an alternative to, one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include determining the identity of the individual using at least one of: the system includes a microphone of the sensor system to capture speech of the individual, a camera of the sensor system to capture an image of the individual, and a wireless signal indicative of an identity of the individual detected using a communication module of the robot.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include: detecting a number of individuals in an elevator hall using at least one of a people detection system of a sensor system and a people counter device of a building; and transmitting the elevator call to a dispatcher of the elevator system in response to the number of individuals.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include: detecting a number of individuals approaching an elevator hall using at least one of a people detection system of a sensor system and a people counter device of a building; determining that a population is formed when the number of individuals is greater than or equal to the selected population size; and transmitting the elevator call to a dispatcher of the elevator system in response to the number of individuals.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include: detecting a fire using a fire detection system of the sensor system; a dispatcher that notifies the elevator system of the fire; and operating the elevator system in a people evacuation mode of operation.

According to another embodiment, a method of collecting data using a robotic data collection system is provided. The method comprises the following steps: collecting data about a landing of a building using a sensor system of a robot; transmitting the data to a building system manager of the building; and adjusting operation of the building system manager in response to the data.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include: the robot is moved around the landing to collect data.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include: detecting a fire using a fire detection system of the sensor system; notifying a building system manager of the fire; and initiating a fire alarm of the building system manager.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include: detecting a problem condition using a sensor system; and notifying the building system manager of the problem condition.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include: capturing an image of an individual using a camera of a sensor system; determining an identity of the individual in response to the image; determining whether the individual is an intruder in response to the identity; and initiating an intruder alert for the building system manager.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include: using a people counting system of the sensor system to detect individuals within the building at unauthorized times; and initiating an intruder alert for the building system manager.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include: transmitting the data to a conveyance system of the building; and adjusting operation of the conveyor system in response to the data.

According to another embodiment, a method of calling an elevator car of an elevator system for a robot is provided. The method comprises the following steps: receiving an elevator call from the robot at a first time, the elevator call being for an elevator car to transport the robot from the landing to a destination; obtaining a known position of the robot or a known arrangement of the robot at a first time; determining a location of the robot at a first time in response to a known location of the robot or a known schedule of the robot at the first time; obtaining a known travel speed of the robot; determining a time of arrival of the robot at the elevator system in response to at least the location of the robot, the travel speed of the robot, and the location of the elevator system at the first time; and moving the elevator car to a landing at or before the robot arrival time.

In addition or alternatively to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include: determining whether the robot reaches a location of the elevator system; and adjusting operation of the elevator system in response to whether the robot reaches a location of the elevator system.

Technical effects of embodiments of the present disclosure include using a robot to collect sensor data for an entire building and transmit that data back to a conveyor system.

The foregoing features and elements may be combined in various combinations without exclusion, unless expressly specified otherwise. These features and elements and their operation will become more apparent in view of the following description and the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the following description and drawings are intended to be illustrative and explanatory in nature, and not restrictive.

Drawings

The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not limited in the accompanying figures in which like references indicate similar elements.

Fig. 1 is a schematic illustration of an elevator system that can employ various embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a robot data collection system for assisting an individual according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a method of collecting data using the robot data collection system of FIG. 2 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a method of collecting data using the robot data collection system of FIG. 2 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

fig. 5 is a flow chart of a method of calling an elevator car of an elevator system for a robot.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an elevator system 101, the elevator system 101 including an elevator car 103, a counterweight 105, a tension member 107, a guide rail 109, a machine 111, a position reference system 113, and a controller 115. The elevator car 103 and counterweight 105 are interconnected by a tension member 107. Tension members 107 may include or be configured as, for example, ropes, cables, and/or belts of clad steel. The counterweight 105 is configured to balance a load of the elevator car 103 and to facilitate movement of the elevator car 103 within the hoistway 117 and along the guide rails 109 concurrently and in an opposite direction with respect to the counterweight 105.

The tension member 107 engages a machine 111, the machine 111 being part of the overhead structure of the elevator system 101. The machine 111 is configured to control movement between the elevator car 103 and the counterweight 105. The position reference system 113 can be mounted on a fixed portion of the top of the hoistway 117, such as on a support or guide rail, and can be configured to provide a position signal related to the position of the elevator car 103 within the hoistway 117. In other embodiments, position reference system 113 may be mounted directly to the moving components of machine 111, or may be located in other locations and/or configurations known in the art. The position reference system 113 can be any device or mechanism for monitoring the position of the elevator car and/or counterweight as is known in the art. For example, without limitation, position reference system 113 may be an encoder, sensor, or other system and may include speed sensing, absolute position sensing, and the like, as will be appreciated by one skilled in the art.

As shown, the controller 115 is located in a controller room 121 of the hoistway 117 and is configured to control operation of the elevator system 101 and particularly the elevator car 103. For example, the controller 115 may provide drive signals to the machine 111 to control acceleration, deceleration, leveling, stopping, etc. of the elevator car 103. The controller 115 may also be configured to receive position signals from the position reference system 113 or any other desired position reference device. The elevator car 103 can stop at one or more landings 125 as controlled by the controller 115 as it moves up and down along the guide rails 109 within the hoistway 117. Although shown in the controller room 121, one skilled in the art will recognize that the controller 115 may be located in other locations or positions within the elevator system 101 and/or configured in other locations or positions within the elevator system 101. In one embodiment, the controller may be remotely located or located in the cloud.

Machine 111 may include an engine or similar drive mechanism. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the machine 111 is configured to include an electrically driven motor. The power supply to the engine may be any power source, including the electrical grid, which, in combination with other components, supplies power to the engine. The machine 111 may include a traction sheave that imparts a force on the tension member 107 to move the elevator car 103 within the hoistway 117.

Although shown and described with a roping system that includes tension members 107, elevator systems that employ other methods and mechanisms for moving an elevator car within a hoistway may employ embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, embodiments may be employed in a ropeless elevator system that uses a linear motor to impart motion to an elevator car. Embodiments may also be employed in ropeless elevator systems that use a hydraulic hoist to impart motion to the elevator car. FIG. 1 is a non-limiting example presented for purposes of illustration and explanation only.

In other embodiments, the system includes a conveyor system that moves passengers between floors and/or along a single floor. Such a conveyor system may include an escalator, a passenger conveyor, or the like. Thus, the embodiments described herein are not limited to elevator systems such as that shown in fig. 1. In one example, the embodiments disclosed herein can be an applicable conveyance system, such as the elevator system 101, and a conveyance device of the conveyance system, such as the elevator car 103 of the elevator system 101. In another example, the embodiments disclosed herein may be applicable conveying systems, such as escalator systems, and conveying devices of conveying systems, such as moving steps of escalator systems.

Elevator system 101 also includes one or more elevator doors 104. The elevator doors 104 may be integrally attached to the elevator car 103 and/or the elevator doors 104 may be located on a landing 125 of the elevator system 101. Embodiments disclosed herein may be applicable to both elevator doors 104 integrally attached to elevator car 103 and/or elevator doors 104 located on landings 125 of elevator system 101. Elevator doors 104 open to allow passengers to enter and exit elevator cab 103.

Referring now to fig. 2, with continued reference to fig. 1, a robot data collection system 200 is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. It should be appreciated that although specific systems are defined separately in the schematic block diagram, each or any of the systems may be otherwise combined or separated via hardware and/or software. The robot data collection system 200 includes a robot 202 and/or is in wireless communication with the robot 202. It should be understood that one robot 202 is shown, but the embodiments disclosed herein may be applicable to a data collection system 200 having one or more robots 202. By collecting data for at least one of the building elevator system 100 and/or the building system manager 320, the robot 202 can be configured to act as an extension of the building elevator system 100 and/or the building system manager 320.

It should be understood that although the elevator system 101 is used for exemplary illustration, the embodiments disclosed herein may be applicable to other transport systems that use a transport device for transportation, such as, for example, escalators, moving walkways, and the like.

As shown in fig. 2, a building elevator system 100 within a building 102 can include a plurality of different individual elevator systems 101 organized in an elevator bank 112. The elevator system 101 includes an elevator car 103 (not shown in fig. 2 for simplicity). It should be understood that although two elevator systems 101 are used for exemplary illustration, the embodiments disclosed herein may be applicable to a building elevator system 100 having one or more elevator systems 101. Further, for ease of explanation, the elevator system 101 shown in fig. 2 is organized into elevator banks 112, but it should be understood that the elevator system 101 can be organized into one or more elevator banks 112. Each of the elevator groups 112 may contain one or more elevator systems 101. Each of the elevator groups 112 can also be located on a different landing 125.

The landing 125 of the building 102 of fig. 2 can have an elevator call device 89 located near the elevator system 101. The elevator call device 89 transmits an elevator call 380 to the dispatcher 350 of the building elevator system 100. It should be appreciated that although the schedulers are defined separately in the schematic block diagram, the scheduler 350 may be combined via hardware and/or software in any controller 115 or other device. Elevator call 380 may include the source of elevator call 380. The elevator call device 89 may include a destination entry point that includes the destination of the elevator call 380. The elevator call device 89 may be a button and/or touch screen and may be activated manually or automatically. For example, the elevator call 380 may be sent by the individual 190 or the robot 202 entering the elevator call 380 via the elevator call device 89. The elevator call device 89 may also be a mobile device configured to transmit the elevator call 380, and the robot 202 may own the mobile device to transmit the elevator call 380. The mobile device may be a smart phone, a smart watch, a laptop computer, or any other mobile device known to those skilled in the art. As shown in fig. 2, the robot 202 can use the communication module 280 to communicate directly with the building elevator system 100 and/or indirectly with the building elevator system 100 through the computing network 232.

The controller 115 may be combined, local, remote, cloud, etc. Scheduler 350 may be local, remote, cloud, etc. The scheduler 350 communicates with the controller 115 of each elevator system 101. Alternatively, there may be a single controller that is common to all elevator systems 101 and controls all of the elevator systems 101, rather than two separate controllers 115, as shown in fig. 2. The scheduler 350 may be 'bank' software configured to select the best elevator car 103 to assign to an elevator call 380. The dispatcher 350 manages the elevator call devices 89 associated with the elevator group 112.

The scheduler 350 is configured to control and coordinate the operation of the plurality of elevator systems 101. Scheduler 350 may be an electronic controller that includes a processor 352 and associated memory 354, the associated memory 354 including computer-executable instructions that, when executed by processor 352, cause processor 352 to perform various operations. The processor 352 may be, but is not limited to, a single processor or a multi-processor system of any one of a large number of possible architectures including single or multiple configurations of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Central Processing Units (CPUs), Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), or Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) hardware. The memory 354 may be, but is not limited to, a Random Access Memory (RAM), a Read Only Memory (ROM), or any other electronic, optical, magnetic, or any other computer readable medium.

The dispatcher 350 communicates with the elevator call devices 89 of the building elevator system 100. The dispatcher 350 is configured to receive elevator calls 380 transmitted from the elevator call devices 89 and/or the robot 202. The dispatcher 350 is configured to manage elevator calls 380 from the elevator call devices 89 and/or the robot 202 and then command one or more elevator systems 101 to respond to the elevator calls 380.

The robot 202 may be configured to control the operation of the robot 202 using the controller 250 to operate completely autonomously. The controller 250 may be an electronic controller that includes a processor 252 and associated memory 254, the associated memory 254 including computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor 252, cause the processor 252 to perform various operations. The processor 252 may be, but is not limited to, a single processor or a multi-processor system of any of a wide range of possible architectures, including single or multiple configurations of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Central Processing Units (CPUs), Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), or Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) hardware. The memory 254 may be a storage device such as, for example, a Random Access Memory (RAM), a Read Only Memory (ROM), or any other electronic, optical, magnetic, or any other computer-readable medium.

The robot 202 includes a power supply 260 configured to power the robot 202. The power supply 260 may include an energy harvesting device and/or an energy storage device. In an embodiment, the energy storage device may be an onboard battery system. The battery system may include, but is not limited to, a lithium ion battery system. The robot 202 may be configured to move to an external power source (e.g., an electrical outlet) to recharge the power source 260.

The robot 202 includes a speaker 292 configured to communicate audible words, music, and/or sounds to an individual 190 located near the robot 202. The robot 202 also includes a display device 240 configured to visually display information to individuals 190 located in proximity to the robot 202. For example, the display device 240 may be a flat screen monitor, a computer tablet, or a smart phone device. In embodiments, the display device 240 may be located on the head of the robot 202 or may replace the head of the robot 202. In an embodiment, the display device 240 is a computer tablet or similar display device carried by the robot 202.

The robot 202 can be permanently or temporarily positioned (i.e., located) within an elevator hall 310, which elevator hall 310 is located on a landing 125 near the elevator system 101. The robot 202 may include a propulsion system 210 for moving the robot 202. The robot 202 may move throughout the elevator hall 310, move away from the elevator hall 310 throughout the landing 125, and/or may move to other landings via the elevator system 101 and/or stairs (not shown). The propulsion system 210 may be a leg system, as shown in fig. 2, that simulates a human leg. As shown in fig. 2, the propulsion system 210 may include two or more legs 212 for moving the robot 202. It should be understood that although a leg system is used for exemplary illustration, embodiments disclosed herein may be applicable to robots having other propulsion systems for transportation, such as, for example, wheel systems, rotorcraft systems, air cushion systems, tread systems, or any propulsion system known to one of skill in the art that may be used. It is also understood that for exemplary illustration, a robot 202 having a humanoid appearance is used, but the embodiments disclosed herein may be applicable to robots that do not have a humanoid appearance.

The robot 202 includes a sensor system 270 for collecting sensor data. The sensor system 270 may include, but is not limited to, Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensors 276, cameras 272, microphones 274, a location sensor system 290, a fire detection system 278, and a people counter system 279. The IMU sensor 276 is configured to detect acceleration of the robot 202. The IMU sensor 276 may be a sensor such as, for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, or similar sensors known to those skilled in the art. The IMU sensors 276 may detect acceleration as well as derivatives or integrals of acceleration, such as, for example, velocity, jerk (jerk), jerk (jounce), jerk (snap) … …, and the like.

The camera 272 may be configured to capture images of the area around the robot 202. The camera 272 may be a still image camera, a video camera, a depth sensor, a hot camera, and/or any other type of imaging device known to those skilled in the art. In one embodiment, controller 250 may be configured to use image recognition to analyze images captured by camera 272 to identify individual 190. In another embodiment, the controller 250 may be configured to transmit the image as raw data for processing by the building system manager 320. Image recognition may use facial recognition to identify the individual 190. When the individual 190 is identified as a particular person, the robot 202 may transmit an elevator call 380 to the dispatcher 350. For example, the image recognition may identify that the individual 190 is a Very Important Person (VIP) working at the seventh floor, such as the CEO of a company, and then the robot 202 may communicate the elevator call 380 so that the elevator car 103 is ready to receive the CEO when the CEO arrives at the elevator bank 112.

The microphone 274 is configured to detect sound. The microphone 274 is configured to detect audible sounds in the vicinity of the robot 202, such as, for example, speech spoken by the individual 190 in the vicinity of the robot 202 or non-human generated sounds outside of the human hearing range. In one embodiment, the controller 250 may be configured to analyze the sound captured by the microphone 274 using language recognition software and respond accordingly. In another embodiment, the controller 250 may be configured to transmit sound as raw data for processing by the building system manager 320. Sounds (i.e., speech) from the individual 190 may be analyzed to identify the individual 190 using speech recognition.

In one embodiment, controller 250 may be configured to analyze the sound captured by microphone 274 to identify individual 190 using speech recognition. In another embodiment, the controller 250 may be configured to transmit sound as raw data for processing by the building system manager 320. When the individual 190 is identified as a particular person, the robot 202 may transmit an elevator call 380 to the dispatcher 350. For example, speech recognition may identify the individual 190 as a company CEO working on the seventh floor and then the robot 202 may transmit an elevator call 380 so that the elevator car 103 is ready to receive the CEO when the CEO arrives at the elevator bank 112.

The robot 202 also includes a site sensor system 290 configured to detect a site 302 of the robot 202. The location 302 of the robot 202 may also include the location 302 of the robot 202 relative to other objects to allow the robot 202 to traverse in the hallway of the building 102 and to prevent the robot 202 from hitting an object or person 190. The site sensing system 290 may use one or a combination of sensing devices including, but not limited to, GPS, wireless signal triangulation, SONAR, RADAR, LIDAR, image recognition, or any other site detection or collision avoidance system known to those skilled in the art. The site sensor system 290 may use GPS to detect the site 302 of the robot 202. The location sensor system 290 may use triangulation of wireless signals within the building 102 in order to determine the location 302 of the robot 202 within the building 102. For example, the location sensor system 290 may triangulate the position of the robot 202 within the building 102 using the received signal strength (e.g., RSSI) of the wireless signals from the WAPs 234 at known locations throughout the building 102. To avoid collision with objects, the site sensor system 290 may additionally use SONAR, RADAR, LIDAR or image recognition (convolutional neural networks). Upon initial deployment or site reset, the robot 202 may execute a learning mode so that the robot 202 may become familiar with the environment.

In embodiments where the dispatcher 350 and/or the elevator system 101 receives an initialization of an elevator call 380, the transport system may adjust its operation in response by knowing which device is making the call and where the device originated the call.

The location 302 of the robot 202 may also be communicated to the scheduler 350 when the robot 202 desires to use the elevator system 101. By knowing the location 302 of the robot 202, the distance along the possible path 304 away from the elevator bank 112 (e.g., elevator system 101), and the speed of movement of the robot 202, the scheduler 350 can then call the elevator car 103 to reach the elevator bank 112 at or before the robot 202 reaches the elevator bank 112. The use of the elevator system 101 may be limited to periods of learned low individual 190 traffic. The flow patterns of the individual 190 may be learned using a people counter device 92 or a people counter system 279 that may detect movement of the individual over a period of time to learn the flow patterns.

The robot 202 includes a communication module 280 configured to allow the controller 250 of the robot 202 to communicate with the building system manager 320 and the scheduler 350. Communication module 280 can transmit data to scheduler 350 and receive data from scheduler 350 over computer network 232. The computer network 232 may be a cloud computing network. The communication module 280 can transmit data to the building system manager 320 and receive data from the building system manager 320 over the computer network 232. In another embodiment, communication module 280 can transmit data to scheduler 350 and receive data from scheduler 350 by communicating directly with scheduler 350.

The communication module 280 may communicate with the computer network 232 via a wireless access protocol device (WAP) 234 using a short-range wireless protocol. Short-range wireless protocols may include, but are not limited to, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, HaLow (801.11 ah), zWave, ZigBee, or wireless M-Bus. Alternatively, the communication module 280 may communicate directly with the computer network 232 using a long range wireless protocol. Remote wireless protocols may include, but are not limited to, cellular, LTE (NB-IoT, CAT M1), LoRa, satellite, Ingeniu, or SigFox.

The communication module 280 may communicate with the scheduler 350 through the WAP 234 using a short-range wireless protocol. Alternatively, the communication module 280 may communicate directly with the scheduler 350 using a short-range wireless protocol.

The building system manager 320 may communicate with the computer network 232 through the WAP 234 using a short-range wireless protocol. The building system manager 320 may communicate directly with the computer network 232 using a long range wireless protocol.

The building system manager 320 is an electronic controller that includes a processor 322 and associated memory 324, the associated memory 324 including computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor 322, cause the processor 322 to perform various operations. Processor 322 may be, but is not limited to, a single processor or a multi-processor system of any of a large number of possible architectures including single or non-single configuration Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Central Processing Units (CPUs), Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), or Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) hardware. The memory 324 may be a storage device such as, for example, a Random Access Memory (RAM), a Read Only Memory (ROM), or other electronic, optical, magnetic, or any other computer readable medium.

The building system manager 320 may be configured to obtain, store, and provide information to the robots 202 that may be useful to the robots 202. This information may include a directory of the building 102 processor, including images of the individual 190 that may be used for facial recognition or voice signatures of the individual 190 that may be used for voice recognition of the individual 190 to call the elevator car 103 for the individual 190, as described above. The information may also include directory information for people or locations within the building 102 and/or in areas surrounding the building 102. The building system manager 320 may also perform climate control within the building 102 and/or building access control for the building 102.

The building system manager 320 may also communicate with the fire alarm system 70 within the building 102. The fire alarm system 70 is configured to detect a fire and the fire alarm system 70 may report the fire to the building system manager 320. The fire alarm system 70 may include a plurality of fire sensors 72 configured to detect a fire. The fire sensor 72 may include a smoke detector, a heat sensor, a manual pull rod fire station, or any similar device known to those skilled in the art. A fire sensor 72 may be located at each landing 125 of the building 102. The fire alarm system 70 may also include a plurality of fire alarms 74 configured to activate an alarm when a fire is detected by the fire sensor 72. The alarm generated by the fire alarm 74 may be audible and/or visual (e.g., flashing lights and/or sirens).

The fire detection system 278 of the robot 202 may include similar equipment as the fire sensors 72, however, advantageously, the robot 202 is free to move throughout the building 102 rather than being tied to a particular location. Advantageously, this results in earlier detection of a fire and more coverage of the overall fire detection within the building 102. The fire detection system 278 of the robot 202 may include a smoke detector, a thermal sensor, or any similar device known to those skilled in the art that may be used to detect a fire. When the fire detection system 278 of the robot 202 detects a fire, the robot 202 is configured to notify the building system manager 320 and the building system manager 320 may notify the fire alarm system 70 to initiate the fire alarm 74. The robot 202 may also communicate to the building system manager 320 the location at which the fire was detected. In one embodiment, the controller 250 may be configured to analyze data captured by the fire detection system 278 to determine whether a fire is present. In another embodiment, the controller 250 may be configured to transmit data captured by the fire detection system 278 as raw data for processing by the building system manager 320 to determine whether a fire exists.

In addition to a fire, the robot 202 may also be capable of reporting other problems encountered within the building 102, such as, for example, flooding, biohazards, or hot or cold spots in the building. The sensor system 270 may additionally include a humidity sensor and the robot 202 may use the humidity sensor and/or the camera 272 to detect flooding within the building 102. The sensor system 270 may additionally include a biohazard sensor and the robot 202 may use the biohazard to detect biohazards within the building 102.

The people counter system 279 is configured to detect or determine a people count. The people count can be the number of individuals 190 located on a landing 125 or more specifically the number of individuals 190 in an elevator hall 310 located on a landing 125. The people count may be the exact number of individuals 190 or an approximate number of individuals 190.

The people counter system 279 may use the camera 272 for people counting. The people counter system 279 can be used to determine the number of individuals 190 near the elevator system 101, the number of individuals 190 in the elevator hall 310 near the elevator system 101, and/or the number of individuals 190 en route to the elevator system 101. An individual 190 located near the elevator system 101 and/or within the elevator hall 310 indicates the individual 190 who wants to board the elevator car 103 of the elevator system 101.

The people counter system 279 may use one or more detection mechanisms of the robot 202, such as, for example, a camera 272, a depth sensing device, a radar device, a laser detection device, a mobile device (e.g., cell phone) tracker using a communication device 280, and/or any other desired device capable of sensing the presence of the individual 190. The people counter system 279 uses the camera 272 for visual recognition to identify individual individuals 190 and objects in the elevator hall 310. The laser detection device can detect how many passengers walk through the laser beam to determine the number of individuals 190. The thermal detection device may be an infrared or other thermal sensing camera that uses the detected temperature to identify individual individuals 190 and objects and then determines the number of individuals 190. The depth detection device may be a 2-D, 3-D, or other depth/distance detection camera that uses the detected distance to the object and/or the individuals 190 to determine the number of individuals 190. The communication device 280 can act as a mobile device tracker that can determine the number of individuals 190 on the landing 125 or in the elevator hall 310 by detecting mobile device wireless signals and/or detecting how many mobile devices are using a particular application on the mobile devices on the landing 125 within the building 102. As can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, there can be additional methods to sense the number of individuals 190 in addition to the methods set forth and one or any combination of these methods can be used to determine the number of individuals 190 in the elevator hall 310, on the landing 125, or en route to the elevator system 101.

In one embodiment, the people counter system 279 is capable of detecting people counts by image pixel count. The people count can compare the current image of the elevator hall 310 with the inventory image of the elevator hall 310. For example, people counter system 279 may use pixel counting by capturing a current image of elevator hall 310 and comparing the current image of elevator hall 310 with an inventory image of elevator hall 310 (which shows elevator hall 310 with zero individuals 190 present or a known number of individuals 190 present). The number of pixels that differ between the inventory image of elevator hall 310 and the current image of elevator hall 310 may be related to the people count within elevator hall 310. It should be understood that embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to pixel counts to determine people counts and thus other methods (including but not limited to video analysis software) may be used to determine people counts. The video analysis may identify individuals 190 from stationary objects and count each person independently to determine the total number of individuals 190.

The people count may be determined using machine learning, deep learning, and/or artificial intelligence modules. The artificial intelligence module may be located in the robot 202, within the building system manager 320, or within the scheduler 350. The people count may alternatively be expressed as a percentage from zero to one hundred percent, which indicates what percentage of pixels there is a difference between the inventory image of the elevator hall 310 and the current image of the elevator hall 310. The people count for elevator hall 310 can be expressed as a scale of one to ten (e.g., one empty and ten full) that indicates what percentage of pixels are different between the inventory image of elevator hall 310 and the current image of elevator hall 310. The people count may be expressed as an actual or estimated number of individuals 190, which may be determined in response to the number of pixels that differ between the inventory image of the elevator hall 310 and the current image of the elevator hall 310.

The landings 125 in the building 102 of fig. 2 may also include a people counter device 92 that works in conjunction with the people counter system 279 of the robot 202 to determine people counts. The people counter device 92 may include one or more detection mechanisms in the elevator hall 310, such as, for example, weight sensing devices, visual identification devices, depth sensing devices, radar devices, laser detection devices, mobile device (e.g., cell phone) tracking, and/or any other desired device capable of sensing the presence of an individual 190. The visual recognition device may be a camera that uses visual recognition to identify individual individuals 190 and objects in the elevator hall 310. The weight detection device can be a scale for sensing the weight in the elevator hall 310 and then determining the number of individuals 190. The laser detection device can detect how many passengers walk through the laser beam to determine the number of individuals 190 in the elevator hall 310. The thermal detection device may be an infrared or other thermal sensing camera that uses the detected temperature to identify individual individuals 190 and objects in the elevator hall 310 and then determines the number of individuals 190. The depth detection device may be a 2-D, 3-D or other depth/distance detection camera that uses the detected distance to the object and/or individual 190 to determine the number of passengers. The mobile device tracking can determine the number of individuals 190 on the landing 125 or in the elevator hall 310 by detecting mobile device wireless signals and/or detecting how many mobile devices are using the particular application on the mobile device within the building 102 on the landing 125 or in the elevator hall 310. As can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, there may be additional methods to sense the number of individuals 190 in addition to the methods set forth and one or any combination of these methods may be used to determine the number of individuals 190 in the elevator hall 310 or on the landing 125.

In one embodiment, the people counter device 92 is capable of detecting people counts by image pixel count. The people count can compare the current image of the elevator hall 310 with the inventory image of the elevator hall 310. For example, the people counter device 92 may use pixel counting by capturing a current image of the elevator hall 310 and comparing the current image of the elevator hall 310 with an inventory image of the elevator hall 310 (which shows the elevator hall 310 with zero individuals 190 present or a known number of individuals 190 present). The number of pixels that differ between the inventory image of elevator hall 310 and the current image of elevator hall 310 may be related to the people count within elevator hall 310. It should be understood that embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to pixel counts to determine people counts and thus people counts may be determined using other methods including, but not limited to, video analysis software. The video analysis may identify individuals 190 from stationary objects and separately count each person to determine the total number of individuals 190.

The people count may be determined using machine learning, deep learning, and/or artificial intelligence modules. The artificial intelligence module may be located in the people counter device 92 or in a separate module in the scheduler 350. The separate module may be capable of communicating with the people counter device 92. The people count may alternatively be expressed as a percentage from zero to one hundred percent, which indicates what percentage of pixels there is a difference between the inventory image of the elevator hall 310 and the current image of the elevator hall 310. The people count for elevator hall 310 can be expressed as a scale of one to ten (e.g., one empty and ten full) that indicates what percentage of pixels there are differences between the inventory image of elevator hall 310 and the current image of elevator hall 310. The people count may be expressed as an actual or estimated number of individuals 190, which may be determined in response to the number of pixels that differ between the inventory image of the elevator hall 310 and the current image of the elevator hall 310.

The people count determined by at least one of the people counter system 279 and the people counter device 92 of the robot 202 may be communicated to the scheduler 350 to adjust the operation of the elevator system 101. For example, if the people count is high, which means there are a large number of individuals 190, the scheduler 350 will send more elevator cars 103 to the elevator lobby 310.

Advantageously, the robot 202 is able to move away from the elevator hall 310 and thus may be able to detect a population of individuals 190 before the population of individuals 190 arrives at the elevator hall 310. The population of individuals 190 may then be reported to the scheduler 350 and the scheduler 350 may call the elevator car 103 before the population of individuals 190 arrives at the elevator hall 310, which advantageously saves time by helping to clear the population of individuals 190 from the elevator hall 310 more quickly.

In addition, the robot 202 may also act as a security guard for the building 102 by using the people counter system 279 and/or the camera 272 to detect individuals 190 that should not be located in the building 102. In one example, the camera 272 may be used to identify each individual 190 within the building 102 through facial recognition and if the individual 190 is not authorized to be in the building 102 or a particular area/room of the building 102 (i.e., determined to be an intruder), the robot 202 may initiate an intruder alert and/or contact the building system manager 320. The intruder alert may be a visual light display or an audible alert of the building system manager 320. The facial recognition determination may be compared to a database image of individuals 190 authorized to be within the building 102 and/or a database image of individuals 190 that are not authorized to be within the building 102. If the building 102 has multiple different zones or landings 125 with different security requirements, the robot 202 may be configured to travel throughout the building 102 to ensure that the individual 190 is authorized to be in a zone or room of the building 102. Further, if an individual 190 is detected within the building 102 at an unusual or unauthorized time, the robot 202 may initiate an intruder alert and/or contact the building system manager 320. For example, if the individual 190 is detected after the building 102 has been closed, the robot 202 may initiate an intruder alert and/or contact the building system manager 320.

Reference is now made to fig. 3, with simultaneous reference to the components of fig. 1 and 2. Fig. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of a method 400 of collecting data using the robot data collection system 200 of fig. 2, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the method 400 is performed by the robot data collection system 200 of fig. 2.

At block 404, data is collected about the landings 125 of the building 102 using the sensor system 270 of the robot 202. The robot 202 may move around the landing 125 to collect data. In an embodiment, the transport system is an elevator system 101, which comprises an elevator car 103. The robot 202 can move within an elevator hall 310 on the landing 125 to collect data.

At block 406, the data is transmitted to the conveyance system of the building 102. At block 408, operation of the conveyor system is adjusted in response to the data.

The method 400 may further include receiving an elevator call 380 from the robot 202 to have the elevator car 103 move the robot 202 from the landing 125 to a destination (i.e., the landing 125 that the robot 202 is intended to travel to), detecting a location 302 of the robot 202, detecting a travel speed of the robot 202, determining a distance from the location 302 of the robot 202 to the elevator system 101, determining a time of arrival of the robot 202 at the elevator system 101 in response to the location 302 of the robot 202, detecting the travel speed of the robot 202 and the distance from the location 302 of the robot 202 to the elevator system 101, and moving the elevator car 103 to reach the landing 125 at or before the time of arrival of the robot 202. The method 400 may further include detecting when the robot 202 is located within the elevator car 103 and then the elevator car 103 moves toward the destination.

The method 400 can also include capturing an image of the individual 190 using the camera 272 of the sensor system 270, determining an identity of the individual 190 in response to the image, determining a destination of the individual 190 in response to the identity, and transmitting an elevator call 380 to a dispatcher 350 of the elevator system 101 for the elevator car 103 to transport the individual 190 from the landing 125 to the destination.

The method 400 can also include capturing a voice of the individual 190 using the microphone 274 of the sensor system 270, determining an identity of the individual 190 in response to the voice, determining a destination of the individual 190 in response to the identity, and transmitting an elevator call 380 to a dispatcher 350 of the elevator system 101 for the elevator car 103 to transport the individual 190 from the landing 125 to the destination.

The method 400 can also include capturing a wireless signal indicative of an identity of the individual 190 using the communication module 280 of the robot 202, determining the identity of the individual 190 in response to the wireless signal, determining a destination of the individual 190 in response to the identity, and transmitting an elevator call 380 to a dispatcher 350 of the elevator system 101 for the elevator car 103 to transport the individual 190 from the landing 125 to the destination. The wireless signals may be from a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag carried by individual 190 or from a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone) carried by individual 190.

The method 400 can further include detecting a number of individuals 190 in the elevator hall 310 using a people detection system 279 of the sensor system 270, transmitting an elevator call 380 to a dispatcher 350 of the elevator system 101 in response to the number of individuals 190.

The method 400 may further include detecting a number of individuals 190 approaching the elevator hall 310 using a people detection system 279 of the sensor system 270 and transmitting an elevator call 380 to a dispatcher 350 of the elevator system 101 in response to the number of individuals 190. It may additionally be determined that a population is formed when the number of individuals is greater than or equal to the selected population size.

The method 400 may further include detecting a fire using the fire detection system 278 of the sensor system 270, notifying a scheduler 350 of the elevator system 101 of the fire, and operating the elevator system 101 in a people evacuation mode of operation that coordinates the evacuation of the individuals 190 from the building 102.

While the above description describes the flow of fig. 3 in a particular order, it should be appreciated that the ordering of the steps may be changed unless otherwise specifically required in the appended claims.

Reference is now made to fig. 4, with simultaneous reference to the components of fig. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of a method 500 of collecting data using the robot 202 data collection system 200 of fig. 2, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the method 500 is performed by the robot 202 data collection system 200 of fig. 2.

At block 504, data is collected about the landings 125 of the building 102 using the sensor system 270 of the robot 202. The robot 202 may move around the building 125 to collect data. At block 506, the data is transmitted to the building system manager 320 of the building 102. At block 508, the operation of the building system manager 320 is adjusted in response to the data.

The method 500 may also include detecting a fire using the fire detection system 278 of the sensor system 270, notifying the building manager 320 of the fire, and initiating a fire alarm 74.

The method 500 may also include using the sensor system 270 to detect an issue condition and notify the building manager 320 of the issue condition. Problem conditions may include fire, flooding, smoke, leaks, clutter, necessary maintenance, or any other problem condition within the building 102 that may be encountered by the robot 202.

The method 500 may further include notifying a scheduler 350 of the elevator system 101 within the building 102 of the fire and then operating the elevator system 101 in a people evacuation mode of operation that coordinates the evacuation of the individuals 190 from the building 102.

Method 500 may further include capturing an image of individual 190 using camera 272 of sensor system 270 and determining an identity of individual 190 in response to the image. The individual 190 may be determined to be an intruder in response to the identity and an intruder alert of the building system manager 320 may then be initiated.

The method 500 may further include detecting the individual 190 within the building 102 at an unauthorized time using the people counting system 279 of the sensor system 270 and then initiating an intruder alert of the building system manager 320.

The method 500 may further include transmitting data to the conveyance system of the building 102 and then adjusting the operation of the conveyance system in response to the data. In an embodiment, the transport system is an elevator system 101 comprising an elevator car 103.

While the above description describes the flow of fig. 4 in a particular order, it should be appreciated that the ordering of the steps may be changed unless otherwise specifically required in the appended claims.

Referring to fig. 5, reference is made to the components of fig. 1 and 2 simultaneously. Fig. 5 shows a flow chart of a method 600 of calling an elevator car 103 of an elevator system 101 for a robot 202 according to an embodiment of the disclosure. In an embodiment, the method 400 is performed by the robot data collection system 200 of fig. 2.

At block 604, an elevator call 380 is received from the robot 202 at a first time. The elevator call 380 causes the elevator car 103 to transport the robot 202 from the landing 125 to a destination (e.g., another landing).

At block 606, a known position of the robot 202 or a known arrangement of the robot 202 at the first time is obtained. For example, a known arrangement of robots 202 may depict where the robots 202 should be in the building 102 at any given time. Known arrangements may be stored in the building system manager 320.

At block 608, the location 302 of the robot 202 at the first time is determined in response to the known location of the robot 202 or the known schedule of the robot 202 at the first time.

At block 610, a known travel speed of the robot 202 is obtained. This known travel speed of the robot 202 may be stored in the building system manager 320.

At block 612, a time of arrival of the robot 202 at the elevator system 101 is determined in response to at least the location of the robot 202, the travel speed of the robot 202, and the location of the elevator system at the first time.

At block 614, the elevator car 103 moves to reach the landing 125 at or before the arrival time of the robot 202.

The method 600 may further include determining whether the robot 202 has reached a location of the elevator system 101 and adjusting operation of the elevator system 101 in response to whether (and when) the robot 202 has reached the location of the elevator system 101. For example, if it is determined that the robot 202 arrives at the location of the elevator system 101, the elevator system 101 may take the robot 202 to a destination via the elevator car 103. In another example, if it is determined that the robot 202 has not reached the site of the elevator system 101, an alert may be initiated indicating that the robot 202 is lost/missing or potential unauthorized use of the credentials of the robot 202. In yet another example, if it is determined that the robot 202 has arrived at the point of the elevator system 101 very early, the elevator system 101 can determine that another elevator car 101 has transported the robot 202.

The above description describes the flow of fig. 5 in a particular order, but it should be appreciated that the ordering of the steps may be changed unless otherwise specifically required in the appended claims.

As described above, embodiments may take the form of processor-implemented processes and apparatuses (such as processors) for practicing those processes. Embodiments may also take the form of computer program code (e.g., a computer program product) containing instructions embodied in tangible media, such as floppy diskettes, CD ROMs, hard drives, or any other non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein, when the computer program code is loaded into and executed by a computer, the computer becomes an apparatus for practicing the embodiments. Embodiments may also take the form of computer program code, for example, whether stored in a storage medium, loaded into and/or executed by a computer, or transmitted over some transmission medium, such as over electrical wiring or cabling, through fiber optics, or via electromagnetic radiation, wherein, when the computer program code is loaded into and executed by a computer, the computer becomes an apparatus for practicing the exemplary embodiments. When implemented on a general-purpose microprocessor, the computer program code segments configure the microprocessor to create specific logic circuits.

The term "about" is intended to include the degree of error associated with manufacturing tolerances based on the equipment available at the time of filing the present application and/or with measurements on a particular quantity.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that while various example embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, each example embodiment has certain features in certain embodiments, the present disclosure is not so limited. Rather, the disclosure can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions, combinations, sub-combinations or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described, but which are commensurate with the scope of the disclosure. Additionally, while various embodiments of the disclosure have been described, it is to be understood that aspects of the disclosure may include only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, the disclosure is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description, but is only limited by the appended claims.