Device for detecting lift of autonomous mobile robot

• US 20060220606A1
• Filed: 12/12/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jeon, Hyeong-shin
• Granted Patent: US 7,402,974 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/587
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/32 Auto pilot mode
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 35/027 the inertia mass activating the switch mechanically, e.g. through a lever
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a device for detecting lift of an autonomous mobile robot. The device comprises at least one detection unit to detect lift of the main body of the robot during driving of the robot and to generate and output the lift detection signal, and a controller to control driving of the robot, and to output the driving stop signal to a driving motor after generating a driving stop signal for stopping driving of the robot according to the lift detection signal transmitted from the detection unit. When the robot is lifted by a user, the device stops driving of the motor in response to the lift of the robot, thereby eliminating additional operation of the user to stop driving of the robot as well as protecting the user.

Claims

1. A device for detecting lift of an autonomous mobile robot, the device is characterized by generating a lift detection signal when a main body of the robot is lifted during driving of the robot, and stopping driving of the robot according to the lift detection signal.

2. The device according to claim 1, comprising:

at least one detection unit to detect lift of the main body of the robot during driving of the robot and to generate and output the lift detection signal; and

a controller to control driving of the robot, and to output a driving stop signal to a driving motor after generating the driving stop signal for stopping driving of the robot according to the lift detection signal transmitted from the detection unit.

3. The device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a detection jaw equipped at one side of a sliding pipe to face the detection unit, the sliding pipe moving vertically and comprising a buffering material embedded therein to buffer wheels of the robot.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the detection unit comprises a contact sensor to generate signals of different levels according to contact with the detection jaw.

5. The device according to claim 3, wherein the detection unit comprises an infrared sensor to emit an infrared signal to the detection jaw, and to generate signals of different levels according to the infrared signals reflected back to the detection unit by the detection jaw.

6. The device according to claim 3, wherein, when the controller receives the lift detection signal from every detection unit, the controller determines that the robot is in a lifted state, and outputs the driving stop signal to the driving motor of the robot after generating the driving stop signal to stop driving of the robot.

7. The device according to claim 3, wherein, when the controller does not receives the lift detection signal from at least one detection unit, the controller determines that the robot is released from a lifted state, and outputs a driving restart signal to the driving motor of the robot after generating the driving restart signal to restart driving of the robot.

8. The device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a fixing member equipped to one side of a lower surface of the robot to fix an assistant wheel and to move vertically while facing the detection unit.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the detection unit comprises a contact sensor to generate signals of different levels according to contact with the fixing member.

10. The device according to claim 8, wherein the detection unit comprises an infrared sensor to emit an infrared signal to the fixing member, and to generate signals of different levels according to the infrared signals reflected back to the detection unit by the fixing member.

11. The device according to claim 8, wherein, when the controller receives the lift detection signal from every detection unit, the controller determines that the robot is in a lifted state, and outputs the driving stop signal to the driving motor of the robot after generating the driving stop signal to stop driving of the robot.

12. The device according to claim 8, wherein, when the controller does not receives the lift detection signal from at least one detection unit, the controller determines that the robot is released from a lifted state, and outputs a driving restart signal to the driving motor of the robot after generating the driving restart signal to restart driving of the robot.

13. The device according to claim 2, wherein the autonomous mobile robot is a cleaning robot.

14. A device for detecting lift of an autonomous mobile robot, the device is characterized by measuring a distance between the robot and the ground, determining whether the robot is in danger of falling or has been lifted according to the distance, and changing a driving direction of the robot or stops driving of the robot according to the determination.

15. The device according to claim 14, comprising:

a plurality of fall prevention sensors provided at one side of the robot to output different distance signals according to the measured distance after measuring the distance of the robot from the ground;

a detection unit to detect danger of falling or lift of the robot according to the distance signals transmitted from the fall prevention sensors and to generate and output a precipice detection signal or a lift detection signal; and

a controller to control driving of the robot, to generate a driving direction change signal for changing the driving direction of the robot or a driving stop signal for stopping driving of the robot according to the precipice detection signal or the lift detection signal transmitted from the detection unit, and to output the driving direction change signal or the driving stop signal to a driving motor.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein, when the distance signals transmitted from one or some fall prevention sensors are greater than or equal to a predetermined distance, the detection unit determines that the robot is in danger of falling, and outputs the precipice detection signal after generating the precipice detection signal.

17. The device according to claim 15, wherein, when the distance signals transmitted from all fall prevention sensors are greater than or equal to a predetermined distance, the detection unit determines that the robot is in a lifted state, and outputs the lift detection signal after generating the lift detection signal.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein, when the distance signals transmitted from all fall prevention sensors are less than the predetermined distance, the detection unit determines that the robot is released from the lifted state, and outputs the release signal after generating the release signal, and when the controller receives the release signal transmitted from the detection unit, the controller outputs a driving restart signal to the driving unit after generating the driving restart signal to restart driving of the autonomous mobile robot.

19. The device according to claim 15, wherein each of the fall prevention sensors comprises an infrared sensor to emit infrared signals to the ground and signals of different levels according to the infrared signals reflected to the fall prevention sensor by the ground.

20. The device according to claim 15, wherein the autonomous mobile robot is a cleaning robot.