Robot cleaner, control apparatus, control system, and control method of robot cleaner

• US 10,365,659 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2015
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Eletrônica da Amazônia Ltda (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Park, Young Jae, Kim, Won Kuk, Lee, Dong Hyun, Kim, Min Jae
• Primary Examiner(s): Hilgendorf, Dale W
• Application Number:
  US15/505,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20170265703A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/28 Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2873 Docking units or charging stations for autonomous or robotic vacuum cleaners A47L2201/02
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0003 Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/16 Programme controls programme controls in general G05B19/00, e.g. numerical pogramme controls G05B19/18; recording or playback systems G05B19/42
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1664 characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4155 characterised by programme execution, i.e. part programme or machine function execution, e.g. selection of a programme
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34418 Scheduler for sequential control, task planning, control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45098 Vacuum cleaning robot
• 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 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0285 using signals transmitted via a public communication network, e.g. GSM network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 : Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 : Mobile robot

Abstract

A control apparatus of a robot cleaner includes a user interface unit to receive a user command controlling the robot cleaner; a controller to generate a control signal to receive a map of a cleaning area, based on the user command; and a communicator to receive the map of the cleaning area from an external server or the robot cleaner, based on the control signal. An embodiment may download or generate a map of a cleaning area and allow a map editing to be performed by a user. An embodiment may set and edit a cleaning schedule. When setting the cleaning schedule, an embodiment may recommend a cleaning schedule based on cleaning history data. An embodiment may automatically determine whether the environment is changed or whether the cleaning is available, while the robot cleaner performs the cleaning, and it may be possible to actively deal with this.

Claims

1. An apparatus to control a robot cleaner, the apparatus comprising:

a user interface unit configured to receive a command from a user to cause the apparatus to receive a map of a cleaning area downloaded from an external server and a command from the user to cause a map of the cleaning area to be generated by the robot cleaner and then received by the apparatus from the robot cleaner; and

a controller configured to,

in response to the command to cause the apparatus to receive the map of the cleaning area downloaded from the external server being received by the user interface unit, perform control to cause the apparatus to receive the map of the cleaning area downloaded from the external server, and

in response to the command to cause the map of the cleaning area to be generated by the robot cleaner and then received by the apparatus from the robot cleaner, perform control to cause the map of the cleaning area to be generated by the robot cleaner and then received by the apparatus from the robot cleaner.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the user interface unit is configured to receive a map edit command from the user to edit the map of the cleaning area received by the apparatus and which is one of the map of the cleaning area downloaded from the external server and received by the apparatus, and the map of the cleaning area generated by the robot cleaner and then received by the apparatus from the robot cleaner, and

the controller is configured to edit the map of the cleaning area received by the apparatus in accordance with the received map edit command and which is one of the map of the cleaning area downloaded from the external server and received by the apparatus, and the map of the cleaning area generated by the robot cleaner and then received by the apparatus from the robot cleaner.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein

the edit comprises at least one of converting a format of the map of the cleaning area received by the apparatus into a format of the robot cleaner, dividing the cleaning area indicated by the map of the cleaning area received by the apparatus, merging the cleaning area indicated by the map of the cleaning area received by the apparatus, and deleting a part of or an entire cleaning area indicated by the map of the cleaning area received by the apparatus,

to thereby provide an edited map of the cleaning area.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the user interface unit is configured to receive a schedule setting command from the user to set a cleaning schedule of the cleaning area, and

the controller is configured to cause a cleaning schedule of the robot cleaner to be set to the cleaning schedule set by the schedule setting command.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein

the cleaning schedule set by the schedule setting command comprises at least one of a cleaning order, a cleaning time, and a cleaning period.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the user interface unit is configured to receive a schedule recommendation command from the user to recommend a cleaning schedule of the cleaning area that is appropriate for a state of the robot cleaner, and

the controller is configured to cause a cleaning schedule of the robot cleaner to be set to the cleaning schedule recommended by the schedule recommendation command.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein

the state of the robot cleaner comprises at least one of a charging state of a battery provided in the robot cleaner, a remaining amount of the battery, and a cleaning available time of the robot cleaner.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the controller is configured to generate a cleaning schedule of the cleaning area that is appropriate for a state of the robot cleaner, based on a cleaning history data of the robot cleaner.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein

the cleaning history data comprises at least one of an area of the cleaning area, a driving speed for the cleaning area, power consumption about the cleaning area, and a cleaning time required for the cleaning area.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

when an area that cannot be cleaned is present in the cleaning area, the controller is configured to cause the user interface unit to display that the area that cannot be cleaned is present.

11. A robot cleaner comprising:

a user interface unit configured to receive a command from a user for the robot cleaner to receive a map of a cleaning area downloaded from an external server and a command from the user for the robot cleaner to generate a map of the cleaning area; and

a controller configured to,

in response to the command for the robot cleaner to receive the map of the cleaning area downloaded from the external server being received by the user interface unit, control the robot cleaner to download the map of the cleaning area from the external server or to receive the map of the cleaning area from a device external to the robot cleaner that downloaded the map of the cleaning area from the external server, and

in response to the command for the robot cleaner to generate the map of the cleaning area being received by the user interface unit, control the robot cleaner to generate the map of the cleaning area.

12. The robot cleaner of claim 11, wherein

the user interface unit is configured to receive, from the user, a map edit command to edit the map of the cleaning area which is one of:

the map of the cleaning area downloaded by the robot cleaner from the external server or received by the robot cleaner from the device external to the robot cleaner that downloaded the map of the cleaning area from the external server, and

the map of the cleaning area generated by the robot cleaner, and

the controller is configured to edit, in accordance with the received map edit command, the map of the cleaning area which is one of;

the map of the cleaning area downloaded by the robot cleaner from the external server or received by the robot cleaner from the device external to the robot cleaner that downloaded the map of the cleaning area from the external server, and

the map of the cleaning area generated by the robot cleaner.

13. The robot cleaner of claim 11, wherein

the user interface unit is configured to receive a schedule recommendation command from the user to recommend a cleaning schedule of the cleaning area, which is appropriate for a state of the robot cleaner, and

the controller is configured to cause a cleaning schedule of the robot cleaner to be set to the cleaning schedule recommended by the schedule recommendation command.

14. The robot cleaner of claim 13, wherein

the user interface unit is configured to receive a schedule edit command to edit the recommended cleaning schedule, from the user, and

the controller is configured to edit the recommended cleaning schedule in accordance with the received schedule edit command.

15. The robot cleaner of claim 11, wherein

the controller is configured to generate a cleaning schedule of the cleaning area that is appropriate for a state of the robot cleaner based on a cleaning history data of the robot cleaner.

16. The robot cleaner of claim 11, wherein

when an environment of the cleaning area does not match with the map of the cleaning area which is one of:

the map of the cleaning area downloaded by the robot cleaner from the external server or received by the robot cleaner from the device external to the robot cleaner that downloaded the map of the cleaning area from the external server, and

the map of the cleaning area generated by the robot cleaner,

the controller controls the user interface unit to display that the environment does not match.

17. The robot cleaner of claim 16, wherein

the controller is configured to update the map of the cleaning area which is one of:

the map of the cleaning area downloaded by the robot cleaner from the external server or received by the robot cleaner from the device external to the robot cleaner that downloaded the map of the cleaning area from the external server, and

the map of the cleaning area generated by the robot cleaner,

when the environment does not match.

18. The robot cleaner of claim 11, wherein

when an area that cannot be cleaned is present in the cleaning area, the controller is configured to control the user interface unit to display that the area that cannot be cleaned is present.

19. The robot cleaner of claim 11, wherein

the robot cleaner includes driving wheels, and

the controller is configured to control the driving wheels so that the driving wheels perform an area movement when the area that cannot be cleaned is present.

20. A method comprising:

providing a user interface unit configured to receive a command from a user for a robot cleaner to receive a map of a cleaning area downloaded from an external server and a command from the user for the robot cleaner to generate a map of the cleaning area;

in response to the command for the robot cleaner to receive the map of the cleaning area downloaded from the external server being received by the user interface unit, perform control to

cause the robot cleaner to receive the map of the cleaning area downloaded from the external server, and

display, on a display device, the received map of the cleaning area; and

in response to the command for the robot cleaner to generate the map of the cleaning area being received by the user interface unit, perform control to

cause the robot cleaner to generate the map of the cleaning area, and

display, on the display device, the generated map of the cleaning area.

21. A robot cleaner comprising:

at least one memory storing instructions; and

at least one processor that executes the instructions to;

in response to a command for the robot cleaner to receive a map of a cleaning area downloaded from an external server entered by a user into a user interface unit of the robot cleaner or into a remote user interface unit which is a user interface of a remote terminal or a remote controller, control the robot cleaner to download the map of the cleaning area from the external server or to receive the map of the cleaning area from a device external to the robot cleaner that downloaded the map of the cleaning area from the external server, and

in response to a command for the robot cleaner to generate a map of the cleaning area entered by the user into the user interface unit of the robot cleaner or into the remote user interface unit, control the robot cleaner to generate the map of the cleaning area.