Cleaner and controlling method thereof

• US 10,624,514 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2017
• Issued: 04/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Hyunwoong
• Primary Examiner(s): Amin, Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US15/684,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20180249872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/28 Floor-scrubbing machines, motor-driven A47L11/29 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4005 Arrangements of batteries or cells; Electric power supply arrangements
• 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 11/4036 Parts or details of the surface treating tools
• 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: A47L 2201/02 Docking stations; Docking operations
• 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 5/22 with rotary fans
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/04 with driven brushes or agitators
• 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 9/2873 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: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• 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: G06T 2207/10028 Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10048 Infrared image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30261 : Obstacle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/74 : involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/10 : Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 : Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/64 : Three-dimensional objects

Abstract

A cleaner which performs an autonomous driving, includes: a cleaner body; a driving unit for moving the cleaner body; a camera for detecting 3D coordinate information; a memory for storing pattern information related to a charging station; and a controller for comparing the 3D coordinates information detected by the camera with the pattern information related to the charging station stored in the memory, and for determining whether the charging station is positioned near the cleaner body based on a result of the comparison.

Claims

1. A cleaner which performs an autonomous driving, the cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body;

a motor that moves the cleaner body;

a sensor that detects three-dimensional (3D) coordinate information associated with a region within a range of the sensor;

a memory that stores pattern information related to an appearance of a charging station;

a controller that compares the detected 3D coordinate information with the pattern information related to the charging station, and determines that the charging station is positioned within the region when the detected 3D coordinate information corresponds to the pattern information related to the charging station, and

a transceiver that receives a signal emitted from the charging station, wherein the charging station emits a short-distance signal that is detectable by the transceiver within a first distance from the charging station, and a long-distance signal that is detectable by the transceiver within a second distance from the charging station that is greater than the first distance, and

wherein the controller further

determines whether the signal detected by the transceiver includes one or more of the long-distance signal or the short-distance signal,

when the received signal includes the long-distance signal, manages the motor to move the cleaner body toward the charging station, and

activates the sensor to acquire the 3D coordinate information associated with the charging station when the received signal includes the short-distance signal.

2. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein when the charging station is positioned within the region within the range of the sensor, the controller detects a relative position of the charging station from a current position of the cleaner body.

3. The cleaner of claim 2, wherein the controller further controls the motor to move the cleaner body to be docked at the charging station, based on the detected relative position of the charging station.

4. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein the controller further determines an direction between a surface of the cleaner body and a surface of the charging station based on the detected 3D coordinate information, and controls the motor based on the determined direction.

5. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein when the detected 3D coordinate information does not correspond to the pattern information, the controller determines that the cleaner body and the charging station are spaced apart from each other by more than a threshold distance.

6. The cleaner of claim 5, wherein when the cleaner body and the charging station are spaced apart from each other by more than the threshold distance, the controller further controls the motor to move the cleaner body to a position that is within the threshold distance of the charging station.

7. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein the charging station includes an infrared emitter that outputs an infrared signal, the sensor detects the infrared signal when the cleaner body is positioned within a range of the infrared emitter, and the controller further determines whether the charging station is positioned with a threshold distance of the cleaner body based on whether the sensor detects the infrared ray signal and the detected 3D coordinate information.

16. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein the controller further determines a charge level of a battery that provides power to the motor, and controls the motor to move the cleaner body to move toward the charging station when the charge level of the battery is below a threshold level.

17. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein controller further identifies an obstacle based on the 3D coordinate information, and controls the motor to move the cleaning body to the charging station via a path that bypasses the obstacle.

18. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein the charging station emits signals in a plurality of directions, the controller is further configured to determine a relative position of the charging station based on one or more of the directions associated with one or more of the signals received by the transceiver.

8. A cleaner which performs an autonomous driving, the cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body;

a motor that moves the cleaner body;

a sensor that detects three-dimensional (3D) coordinate information and a signal emitted from a charging station;

a controller that activates the sensor to detect the 3D coordinate information based on the sensor detecting the signal emitted from the charging station, and controls the motor to move the cleaning body toward the charging station based on the 3D coordinate information,

wherein the charging station emits a short-distance signal that is detected by the sensor within a first distance from the charging station, and a long-distance signal that is detected by the sensor within a second distance from the charging station that is greater than the first distance,

the controller further;

determines whether the signal from the charging station includes one or more of the long-distance signal or the short-distance signal, and

activates the sensor to acquire the 3D coordinate information when the received signal includes the short-distance signal, and

controls the motor to move the cleaner body toward the charging station further based on determining that the received signal includes the long-distance signal and does not include the short-distance signal.

9. The cleaner of claim 8, wherein, when controlling the motor, the controller detects a relative position of the charging station based on the 3D coordinate information, and controls the motor to move the cleaner body toward the charging station based on the relative position of the charging station.

10. The cleaner of claim 8, wherein, when controlling the motor, the controller determines an direction between a surface of the cleaner body and a surface of charging station based on the 3D coordinate information, and controls that motor to move the cleaner body toward the charging station based on the direction.

11. The cleaner of claim 8, wherein the controller further determines a charge level of a battery included in the cleaner, and controls the motor to move the cleaner body toward the charging station when the charge level of the battery is below a threshold level.

12. The cleaner of claim 8, wherein the controller evaluates the 3D coordinate information to identify the charging station from one or more objects included within a range of the sensor.

13. The cleaner of claim 8, wherein the charging station emits signals in a plurality of directions, and the controller is further configured to determine a relative position of the charging station based on one or more of the directions associated with one or more of the signals received by the transceiver.

14. The cleaner of claim 8, wherein controller further identifies an obstacle based on the 3D coordinate information, and controls the motor to move the cleaning body to the charging station via a path that bypasses the obstacle.

15. The cleaner of claim 8, wherein the sensor includes a 3D camera sensor.

19. The cleaner of claim 8, wherein the charging station includes an infrared emitter that outputs an infrared signal, the sensor detects the infrared signal when the cleaner body is positioned within a range of the infrared emitter.

20. The cleaner of claim 19, wherein when the cleaner body and the charging station are spaced apart from each other by more than the range of the infrared emitter such that the sensor cannot detect the infrared signal, the controller further controls the motor to move the cleaner body toward the charging station.