Apparatus and system for remotely controlling a moving robot and method thereof

• US 10,175,688 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2016
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yujin Robot Co., Ltd. (The Miele Group)
• Original Assignee: Yujin Robot Co., Ltd. (The Miele Group)
• Inventors: Shin, Kyung Chul, Park, Seong Ju, Choe, Yeong Il, Moon, Byung Kwon, Lee, Jae Young
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US15/261,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20170205822A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 700257, 700245, 700253, 700264, 700 65, 701 2, 701 25, 701 26, 701 28, 701 23
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0085 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0044 by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0214 in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Provided is a remote control apparatus for remotely controlling a moving robot, including: a user interface unit displaying a map associated with a traveling area of a moving robot and receiving a user command associated with an operation of the moving robot; a processor selecting at least a part of the map as a designated area and generating a control signal for remotely controlling the moving robot by considering the received user command; and a wireless communication unit transmitting the generated control signal to the moving robot and receiving a response signal depending on the control signal from the moving robot.

Claims

1. A remote control apparatus for remotely controlling a moving robot, the apparatus comprising:

a user interface unit displaying a map associated with a traveling area of a moving robot and receiving a user command associated with an operation of the moving robot;

a processor selecting at least a part of the map as a designated area for intensive cleaning, for avoidance travel, or for escape travel, and generating a control signal for remotely controlling the moving robot by considering the received user command; and

a wireless communication unit transmitting the generated control signal to the moving robot and receiving a response signal depending on the control signal from the moving robot,

wherein the processor selects an updated map transmitted from the moving robot or a previously stored map by comparing the updated map with the previously stored map, and

wherein the user interface unit displays the selected map.

2. The remote control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user command includes a touch input which a user inputs by a touch method in order to designate at least a partial area of the map displayed in the user interface unit.

3. The remote control apparatus of claim 2, wherein the touch input which the user inputs by the touch method in order to designate at least the partial area includes

a first touch input for designating a first point included in the partial area,

a second touch input for designating a second point included in the partial area, and

a drag input connected to the second point by starting from the first point.

4. The remote control apparatus of claim 2, wherein the touch input which the user inputs by the touch method in order to designate at least the partial area includes

a first touch input for defining a first point included in the partial area,

a second touch input for designating a second point included in the partial area and adjacent to the first point, and

a third touch input for designating a third point included in the partial area and adjacent to the second point.

5. The remote control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the moving robot is a robot cleaner and the user interface unit displays the map and the map is transmitted from the robot cleaner.

6. The remote control apparatus of claim 5, wherein the designated area depending on the user command is for intensive cleaning, and

the processor generates a control signal to increase suction force for suctioning dust, decrease a traveling speed within the designated area, or allow the robot cleaner to repeatedly travel within the designated area, when the robot cleaner travels at the designated area.

7. The remote control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor generates partitioning areas acquired by partitioning a map in which the moving robot travels by using a thinning method extracting a boundary for each area or a Voronoi diagram.

8. The remote control apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor

extracts coordinates of the designated area selected according to the command of the user and an area with no obstacle in the partitioning area and fits the traveling area of the moving robot in an oval form by considering the extracted coordinates, and

sets the operation execution direction of the moving robot based on a relatively longer line segment of horizontal and vertical line segments formed by an oval in the area fit by the oval.

9. The remote control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor selects the previously stored map when the processor determines that the updated map is similar to the previously stored map.

10. A moving robot control system for remotely controlling a moving robot, the system comprising:

a moving robot;

a remote control apparatus for remotely controlling the moving robot, which includes a user interface unit displaying a map associated with a traveling area of the moving robot and receiving a user command associated with an operation of the moving robot;

a processor selecting at least a part of the map as a designated area for intensive cleaning, for avoidance travel, or for escape travel, and generating a control signal for remotely controlling the moving robot by considering the received user command; and

a wireless communication unit transmitting the generated control signal to the moving robot and receiving a response signal depending on the control signal from the moving robot,

wherein the processor selects an updated map transmitted from the moving robot or a previously stored map by comparing the updated map with the previously stored map, and

wherein the user interface unit displays the selected map.

11. The moving robot control system of claim 10, wherein the user command includes a touch input which a user inputs by a touch method in order to designate at least a partial area of the map displayed in the user interface unit.

12. The moving robot control system of claim 11, wherein the touch input which the user inputs by the touch method in order to designate at least the partial area includes

a first touch input for designating a first point included in the partial area,

a second touch input for designating a second point included in the partial area, and

a drag input connected to the second point by starting from the first point.

13. The moving robot control system of claim 10, wherein the moving robot is a robot cleaner.

14. The moving robot control system of claim 10, wherein the moving robot includes

a traveling unit moving the moving robot,

a cleaning unit cleaning an area where the moving robot travels,

a transceiving unit receiving the control signal from the remote control apparatus and transmitting a response signal depending on the control signal,

a sensing unit sensing an operation position of the moving robot according to the control signal, and

an image acquiring unit acquiring an image of the traveling area.

15. The moving robot control system of claim 10, wherein the moving robot further includes a map creating unit creating a map associated with the traveling area of the moving robot according to at least one predetermined autonomous traveling mode.

16. The moving robot control system of claim 10, wherein the moving robot operates by considering the designated area according to the received control signal.

17. The moving robot control system of claim 10, further comprising:

a server transferring a signal transmitted and received between the moving robot and the remote control apparatus.

18. A remote control method for remotely controlling a moving robot, the method comprising:

creating, by the moving robot, a map by performing at least one predetermined traveling mode;

receiving, by the remote control apparatus, an updated map transmitted from the moving robot;

selecting, by the remote control apparatus, a previously stored map or the updated map by comparing the previously stored map and the updated map;

displaying, by the remote control apparatus, the selected map;

receiving, by the remote control apparatus, a user command associated with an operation of the moving robot;

selecting, by the remote control apparatus, at least a part of the displayed map as a designated area for intensive cleaning, for avoidance travel, or for escape travel by considering the user command; and

generating, by the remote control apparatus, a control signal for remotely controlling the moving robot.

19. The remote control method of claim 18, wherein in the selecting at least a part of the displayed map, the designation area is partitioned according to presence of an obstacle.

20. The remote control method of claim 18, wherein the moving robot is a robot cleaner and controlling the moving robot includes performing a cleaning and traveling operation.