Self-moving robot capable of correcting movement errors and method for correcting movement errors of the same

• US 20060238156A1
• Filed: 12/28/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Sang-yun
• Application Number:
  US11/318,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20060238156A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/568.120
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0259 using magnetic or electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00

Abstract

A self-moving robot capable of correcting movement errors is provided. The self-moving robot includes a plurality of drive wheels, motors for rotating the drive wheels, drive wheel rotation detectors for detecting the amount of rotation of the drive wheels, a rotation detection unit for detecting rotation of the self-moving robot, and a controller for determining, through the rotation detection unit, whether or not the self-moving robot has deviated from a movement path and controlling the drive wheels according to the determination to correct movement of the self-moving robot for the deviation from the movement path. The self-moving robot can move along the movement path without deviation by automatically correcting the deviation that may occur during movement.

Claims

1. A self-moving robot capable of correcting movement errors, comprising:

a plurality of drive wheels;

a motor for rotating each of the drive wheels;

a drive wheel rotation detector for detecting the amount of rotation of each of the drive wheels;

a rotation detection unit for detecting rotation of the self-moving robot; and

a controller for determining, through the rotation detection unit, whether or not the self-moving robot has deviated from a movement path and controlling the drive wheels according to the determination to correct movement of the self-moving robot for the deviation from the movement path.

2. The self-moving robot according to claim 1, wherein the rotation detection unit is an angular rate sensor.

3. The self-moving robot according to claim 2, wherein the angular rate sensor is a gyroscope.

4. The self-moving robot according to claim 1, wherein the rotation detection unit is a magnetic field sensor.

5. The self-moving robot according to claim 1, wherein the rotation detection unit is a 3-dimensional acceleration sensor.

6. The self-moving robot according to claim 1, wherein the controller determines whether or not the self-moving robot has deviated from the movement path, while the self-moving robot moves straight, and controls the drive wheels to correct the movement of the self-moving robot for the deviation from the movement path.

7. A self-moving robot capable of correcting movement errors, comprising:

a plurality of drive wheels;

a drive wheel rotation detector for detecting the amount of rotation of each of the drive wheels;

a rotation detection unit for detecting rotation of the self-moving robot; and

a controller for comparing an output value of the drive wheel rotation detector and an output value of the rotation detection unit to determine whether or not the self-moving robot has deviated from a movement path and controlling the drive wheels to correct movement of the self-moving robot for the deviation from the movement path when the self-moving robot has deviated from the movement path.

8. The self-moving robot according to claim 7, wherein the controller determines whether or not the self-moving robot has deviated from the movement path, based on the difference between a first rotation angle of the self-moving robot from a movement direction thereof, output from the drive wheel rotation detector, and a second rotation angle of the self-moving robot from the movement direction, obtained based on the difference between previous and current output values of the rotation detection unit.

9. The self-moving robot according to claim 8, wherein the controller sets the difference between the first and second rotation angles as an error value, compares the error value with a preset threshold value, and determines that the self-moving robot has deviated from the movement path when the error value exceeds the threshold value.

10. The self-moving robot according to claim 9, wherein the controller controls the drive wheels to correct the movement of the self-moving robot for the error value, which corresponds to a rotation angle deviated from the movement path, when it is determined that the self-moving robot has deviated from the movement path.

11. The self-moving robot according to claim 7, wherein the rotation detection unit includes an angular rate sensor.

12. The self-moving robot according to claim 11, wherein the angular rate sensor includes a gyroscope.

13. The self-moving robot according to claim 7, wherein the rotation detection unit includes a magnetic field sensor.

14. The self-moving robot according to claim 7, wherein the rotation detection unit includes a 3-dimensional acceleration sensor.

15. A method for correcting movement errors of a self-moving robot, the method comprising the steps of:

a) controlling a motor to move the self-moving robot;

b) determining whether or not the self-moving robot has deviated from a movement path; and

c) controlling the motor to correct movement of the self-moving robot for the deviation from the movement path if it is determined that the self-moving robot has deviated from the movement path.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the step b) includes the step of:

d) determining whether or not the self-moving robot has deviated from the movement path, based on an output value of a rotation detection unit including one of an angular rate sensor, a magnetic field sensor, and a 3-dimensional sensor.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the step b) includes the step of:

e) determining whether or not the self-moving robot has deviated from the movement path, based on comparison between an output value of a drive wheel rotation detector that detects the amount of rotation of a plurality of drive wheels and an output value of a rotation detection unit including one of an angular rate sensor, a magnetic field sensor, and a 3-dimensional sensor.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the step e) includes the step of:

f) determining whether or not the self-moving robot has deviated from the movement path, based on the difference between a first rotation angle of the self-moving robot from a movement direction thereof, output from the drive wheel rotation detector, and a second rotation angle of the self-moving robot from the movement direction, obtained based on the difference between previous and current output values of the rotation detection unit.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the step f) includes the step of:

g) setting the difference between the first and second rotation angles as an error value, comparing the error value with a preset threshold value, and determining that the self-moving robot has deviated from the movement path when the error value exceeds the threshold value.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the step c) includes the step of:

h) controlling the drive wheels to correct the movement of the self-moving robot for the error value, which corresponds to a rotation angle deviated from the movement path, when it is determined that the self-moving robot has deviated from the movement path.