Moving robot and controlling method thereof

• US 10,466,711 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2017
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Choe, Suuk, Kim, Minuk
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Greene, Daniel L
• Application Number:
  US15/683,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20180052468A1
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/022 Recharging of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• 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: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

Disclosed are a moving robot and a controlling method thereof. The moving robot which selectively moves an area based on a stored map to search a charging station within a short time when there is a need for charging due to consumption of a battery. Although a position of the moving robot is optionally changed, the moving robot recognizes a position thereof so that it is easy to move between areas and an influence according to complexity of an obstacle is reduced. Since the charging station in an area may be searched through small moving by setting a specific point in the area as a search position to search the charging station, stop of an operation during searching the charging station may be solved and the charging station may be exactly searched within a short time.

Claims

1. A movable robot comprising:

a body;

a running device configured to move the body;

a storage configured to store a map that includes a running region, wherein the running region includes a plurality of areas; and

a controller configured to determine a position of the body and to control the body to move with respect to the running region,

wherein the controller is configured to;

set at least one search position, for detecting a return signal, in an area of the plurality of areas included in the running region according to a shape of an area,

control the running device such that the body is to move with respect to a moving path associated with at least the search position, and

detect the return signal of a charging station during moving of the body of the movable robot,

wherein the controller is configured to;

determine a line based on the shape of the area, and determine a plurality of nodes of the line,

set, as the search position, at least one of the plurality of nodes, and

set the moving path to connect the search position to at least another search position.

2. The movable robot of claim 1, wherein the controller sets, as the search position, at least one of a center of the area, a designated point based on data received from an external device, and a point on a line according to the shape of the area.

3. The movable robot of claim 1, wherein the controller to search the area based on a size of the area, or a size of a detection range of the body.

4. The movable robot of claim 1, wherein the controller sets, as the search position, a corner of the line or a node of a branch point.

5. The movable robot of claim 1, wherein the controller sets, as the search position, a node at a center of the area when a distance between a node and a node on the line is greater than a detection range of the body.

6. The movable robot of claim 1, wherein in order to search for the charging station, the controller controls the body to move along the moving path, controls the body to rotate with respect to the search position, and controls the body to move to a next search position.

7. The movable robot of claim 1, wherein the controller sets, as the search position, the line, and sets the moving path along the line to detect the return signal of the charging station during moving of the body.

8. The movable robot of claim 1, wherein the controller sets the moving path based on a shortest path between the search position and another search position.

9. The movable robot of claim 1, wherein the controller sets the moving path based on a location spaced from a wall of the area by a predetermined distance to search for the charging station during moving of the body.

10. The movable robot of claim 1, further comprising an image acquiring device configured to acquire an image,

wherein the controller compares an acquisition image from the image acquiring device with an image stored at the storage, and the controller determines a current position of the body with respect to the map.

11. The movable robot of claim 10, wherein when the charging station is detected based on the return signal, the controller moves the body to the charging station and stores a position of the charging station based on a position of the body.

12. A method of controlling a movable robot, the method comprising:

determining a position of the movable robot from a map in order to select an area to search for a charging station;

setting search positions in the area, wherein the setting of the search positions includes;

determining a line based on a shape of the area, and

determining a plurality of nodes of the line and setting at least one of the plurality of nodes as one of the search positions;

setting a moving path to connect at least two of the search positions;

searching for the charging station while the movable robot is moving with respect to the moving path;

when the charging station is not in the area, moving the movable robot to a new area based on the moving path in order to search for the charging station; and

when a return signal from the charging station is detected, moving the movable robot to the charging station.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the setting of the search positions includes setting, as at least one of the search positions, at least one of a center of the area, a designated point based on data received from an external device, and a point according to a shape of an area.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising searching the area based on a size of the area, or a size of a detection range of the movable robot.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein setting the search positions includes, setting, as one of the search positions, a corner of the line or a node of a branch point.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the searching for the charging station includes:

moving the movable robot to the search position and rotating the movable robot with respect to the search position; and

moving the movable robot to a next search position when the return signal is not detected.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein setting the moving path includes connecting the search positions along the line or connecting a shortest path between the search positions.