Robot cleaner and a method for controlling the same

• US 20060200282A1
• Filed: 01/23/2006
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ko, Jang-Youn, Lim, Kwang-soo, Jeung, Sam-jong, Lee, Ju-sang, Song, Jeong-gon, Kim, Ki-man
• Application Number:
  US11/336,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20060200282A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0221 involving a learning process
• 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 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2201/0203 Cleaning or polishing vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2201/0215 Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A robot cleaner that includes a driving unit for driving a plurality of wheels, a transmitter/receiver for communicating with an external charger, and a controller for controlling the driving unit. The controller controls the transmitter/receiver to communicate with the external charger while traveling an area to be cleaned and stores at least one location of communication in a memory. The controller further controls the driving unit to cause the robot cleaner to travel to the external charger using at least one location of communication.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner, comprising:

driving means for driving a plurality of wheels;

transmitting/receiving means for communicating with an external charger; and

a controller for controlling the driving means,

wherein the controller controls the transmitting/receiving means to communicate with the external charger while traveling an area to be cleaned and stores at least one communication location in a memory, the controller further controlling the driving means to cause the robot cleaner to travel to the external charger using the at least one communication location, and

wherein the at least one communication location represents a location at which successful communication occurred between the transmitting/receiving means and the external charger.

2. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to create a traveling map based at least in part on at least one of a traveling distance and a traveling direction.

3. The robot cleaner of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to create the traveling map by marking the at least one communication location on the traveling map.

4. The robot cleaner of claim 1, further comprising:

means for detecting a traveling pattern on a surface of the area to be cleaned,

wherein the controller is configured to mark information about the at least one communication location on the traveling pattern.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 1, further comprising:

a battery; and

a battery power detector configured to detect a power level of the battery and to generate a charge request if the detected power level is lower than a predetermined threshold,

wherein the controller is configured to control the driving means to cause the robot cleaner to travel to the external charger via the at least one communication location when the controller detects the charge request.

6. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the driving means to cause the robot cleaner to travel to the external charger when cleaning is completed.

7. A method of controlling a robot cleaner, the method comprising:

traveling an area to be cleaned;

communicating with an external charger during the traveling; and

memorizing at least one communication location where successful communication occurred with the external charger.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

detecting a power level of a battery;

generating a charge request if the detected power level is low; and

returning to the external charger when the charge request is detected.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the returning includes traveling to the at least one communication location and then returning to the external charger.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the memorizing includes:

creating a traveling map based at least in part on at least one of a traveling distance and a traveling direction;

storing the traveling map.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the memorizing further includes marking the at least one communication location on the at least one traveling map.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the memorizing includes:

recognizing a traveling pattern provided on a surface of the area to be cleaned; and

marking the at least one communication location on the traveling pattern.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the communicating is repeated at at least one of a predetermined distance interval or a predetermined time interval.

14. A robot cleaner, comprising:

a motor configured to drive at least one wheel;

a transmitter/receiver configured to transmit signals to and receive signals from a charger;

a controller configured to control the motor and the transmitter/receiver,

wherein the controller controls the transmitter/receiver to communicate with the charger while traveling an area to be cleaned.

15. The robot cleaner of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to store at least one communication location in a memory, the at least one communication location representing a location of successful communication between the transmitter/receiver and the charger.

16. The robot cleaner of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to create a traveling map based at least in part on at least one of a traveling distance or a traveling direction.

17. The robot cleaner of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to mark at least one communication location on the traveling map, the at least one communication location representing a location of successful communication between the transmitter/receiver and the charger.

18. The robot cleaner of claim 14, further comprising:

a sensor configured to detect a traveling pattern on a surface of the area to be cleaned.

19. The robot cleaner of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to mark at least one communication location on the detected traveling pattern, the at least one communication location representing a location of successful communication between the transmitter/receiver and the charger.

20. The robot cleaner of claim 14, further comprising:

a battery; and

a battery power detector configured to detect a power level of the battery and to generate a charge request if the detected power level is low,

wherein the controller controls the motor to drive the at least one wheel to travel to the charger via at least one communication location when the controller detects the charge request, the at least one communication location representing a location of successful communication between the transmitter/receiver and the charger.