Robot system capable of specifying moving area

• US 20060241812A1
• 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: Jung, Il-kyun
• Application Number:
  US11/318,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20060241812A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/254
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0044 by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70

Abstract

A self-moving robot system, which can specify a moving area using information printed on flooring and move within the area while tracking the printed information, is provided. The self-moving robot system includes a remote controller and a self-moving robot body. The remote controller stores flooring coordinate information wirelessly received from the robot body in a memory, displays the information on a display unit, sets a series of coordinate information elements input by a user as moving area coordinate information, and transmits the moving area coordinate information to the robot body. The self-moving robot body reads coordinate information printed on flooring, extracts total coordinate information from the read coordinate information, wirelessly transmits the total coordinate information as flooring coordinate information to the remote controller, reads coordinate information printed on the flooring, and moves while tracking the moving area coordinate information wirelessly received from the remote controller on the flooring.

Claims

1. A self-moving robot system comprising:

a remote controller for performing wireless communication with a self-moving robot body; and

the self-moving robot body for extracting moving area coordinate information from a remote control signal wirelessly received from the remote controller, reading coordinate information printed on flooring, and moving while tracking the extracted moving area coordinate information on the flooring.

2. The self-moving robot system according to claim 1, wherein the self-moving robot body includes:

a printed information reader for reading the coordinate information printed on the flooring;

a moving area coordinate information extraction unit for extracting the moving area coordinate information from the remote control signal wirelessly received from the remote controller;

a moving start point setting unit for setting, as a moving start point, a coordinate information element nearest to the self-moving robot body from among a plurality of coordinate information elements included in the extracted moving area coordinate information; and

a coordinate information tracking unit for controlling the operation of a motor so that the self-moving robot body moves to the moving start point and then moves while tracking the moving area coordinate information on the flooring.

3. The self-moving robot system according to claim 2, wherein the coordinate information printed on the flooring includes a plurality of coordinate information elements and each of the coordinate information elements includes both total coordinate information of the coordinate information elements printed on the flooring and position coordinate information of the coordinate information element.

4. The self-moving robot system according to claim 2, wherein the self-moving robot body further includes:

a flooring coordinate information extraction unit for extracting total coordinate information of a plurality of coordinate information elements printed on the flooring from the coordinate information read by the printed information reader; and

a flooring coordinate information transmission unit for transmitting the extracted total coordinate information as flooring coordinate information to the remote controller through a wireless communication module.

5. The self-moving robot system according to claim 2, wherein the remote controller includes:

a wireless communication module for performing wireless communication with the self-moving robot body;

a memory for storing the coordinate information printed on the flooring;

a display unit for displaying the coordinate information;

a data input unit for receiving information for setting a moving area, input by a user; and

a control unit for controlling overall operations of the remote controller to store and display the coordinate information and to wirelessly transmit the coordinate information to the self-moving robot body.

6. The self-moving robot system according to claim 5, wherein the data input unit includes one or both of a touch screen and a key input unit.

7. The self-moving robot system according to claim 6, wherein the remote controller further includes:

an input position detection unit for detecting a position input on the touch screen as a position to specify a moving area and outputting the moving area specification position information to the control unit.

8. A self-moving robot system comprising:

a remote controller for extracting and displaying a plurality of previously stored coordinate information elements printed on flooring, setting a series of coordinate information elements input by a user as moving area coordinate information, and transmitting the moving area coordinate information to a self-moving robot body; and

the self-moving robot body for reading coordinate information printed on the flooring and moving while tracking the moving area coordinate information wirelessly received from the remote controller on the flooring.

9. The self-moving robot system according to claim 8, wherein the self-moving robot body includes:

a printed information reader for reading the coordinate information printed on the flooring;

a moving start point setting unit for setting, as a moving start point, a coordinate information element nearest to the self-moving robot body from among a plurality of coordinate information elements included in the moving area coordinate information wirelessly received from the remote controller; and

a coordinate information tracking unit for controlling the operation of a motor so that the self-moving robot body moves to the moving start point and then moves while tracking the moving area coordinate information on the flooring.

10. The self-moving robot system according to claim 9, wherein the coordinate information printed on the flooring includes a plurality of coordinate information elements and each of the coordinate information elements includes both total coordinate information of the coordinate information elements printed on the flooring and position coordinate information of the coordinate information element.

11. The self-moving robot system according to claim 9, wherein the self-moving robot body further includes:

a flooring coordinate information extraction unit for extracting total coordinate information of a plurality of coordinate information elements printed on the flooring from the coordinate information read by the printed information reader; and

a flooring coordinate information transmission unit for transmitting the extracted total coordinate information as flooring coordinate information to the remote controller through a wireless communication module.

12. The self-moving robot system according to claim 9, wherein the remote controller includes:

a wireless communication module for performing wireless communication with the self-moving robot body;

a memory for storing the coordinate information printed on the flooring;

a display unit for displaying the coordinate information;

a data input unit for receiving information for setting a moving area, input by a user; and

a control unit for controlling overall operations of the remote controller to store and display the coordinate information and to wirelessly transmit the coordinate information to the self-moving robot body.

13. The self-moving robot system according to claim 12, wherein the data input unit includes one or both of a touch screen and a key input unit.

14. The self-moving robot system according to claim 13, wherein the remote controller further includes:

an input position detection unit for detecting a position input on the touch screen as a position to specify a moving area and outputting the moving area specification position information to the control unit.

15. A self-moving robot system comprising:

a remote controller for storing flooring coordinate information wirelessly received from a self-moving robot body in a memory, displaying the flooring coordinate information on a display unit, setting a series of coordinate information elements input by a user as moving area coordinate information, and transmitting the moving area coordinate information to the self-moving robot body; and

the self-moving robot body for reading coordinate information printed on flooring, extracting total coordinate information from the read coordinate information, wirelessly transmitting the extracted total coordinate information as flooring coordinate information to the remote controller, reading coordinate information printed on the flooring, and moving while tracking the moving area coordinate information wirelessly received from the remote controller on the flooring.

16. The self-moving robot system according to claim 15, wherein the self-moving robot body includes:

a printed information reader for reading the coordinate information printed on the flooring;

a flooring coordinate information extraction unit for extracting total coordinate information of a plurality of coordinate information elements printed on the flooring from the coordinate information read by the printed information reader;

a flooring coordinate information transmission unit for transmitting the extracted total coordinate information as flooring coordinate information to the remote controller through a wireless communication module; and

a moving start point setting unit for setting, as a moving start point, a coordinate information element nearest to the self-moving robot body from among a plurality of coordinate information elements included in the moving area coordinate information wirelessly received from the remote controller; and

a coordinate information tracking unit for controlling the operation of a motor so that the self-moving robot body moves to the moving start point and then moves while tracking the moving area coordinate information on the flooring.

17. The self-moving robot system according to claim 16, wherein the coordinate information printed on the flooring includes a plurality of coordinate information elements and each of the coordinate information elements includes both total coordinate information of the coordinate information elements printed on the flooring and position coordinate information of the coordinate information element.

18. The self-moving robot system according to claim 16, wherein the remote controller includes:

a wireless communication module for performing wireless communication with the self-moving robot body;

a memory for storing the flooring coordinate information wirelessly received from the self-moving robot body;

a display unit for displaying the flooring coordinate information;

a data input unit for receiving information for setting a moving area, input by a user; and

a control unit for controlling overall operations of the remote controller to store and display the coordinate information and to wirelessly transmit and receive the coordinate information to and from the self-moving robot body.

19. The self-moving robot system according to claim 18, wherein the data input unit includes one or both of a touch screen and a key input unit.

20. The self-moving robot system according to claim 19, wherein the remote controller further includes:

an input position detection unit for detecting a position input on the touch screen as a position to specify a moving area and outputting the moving area specification position information to the control unit.