Apparatus and method for notifying state of self-moving robot

• US 20060287801A1
• Filed: 12/28/2005
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Im, Hyoung-deuk
• Application Number:
  US11/318,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20060287801A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/99
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4008 Arrangements of switches, indicators or the like
• 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 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2821 Pressure, vacuum level or airflow
• 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 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays

Abstract

An apparatus and method for notifying the state of a self-moving robot using voice or a variety of melodies is provided. The self-moving state notification apparatus includes a voice notification unit for outputting an audio signal notifying the operating state of the self-moving robot. The apparatus outputs voice or various melodies corresponding to states or errors of the self-moving robot while in operation, so that the user can be quickly and clearly notified of the state of the cleaning robot and thus can quickly take any necessary measures for the state, thereby ensuring that the cleaning robot operates reliably.

Claims

1. An apparatus for notifying the state of a self-moving robot, the apparatus comprising:

a voice notification unit for outputting an audio signal notifying an operating state of the self-moving robot.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the voice notification unit includes:

a memory for storing a plurality of audio data elements corresponding to operating states of the self-moving robot;

an audio signal processor for signal-processing audio data read from the memory and outputting the signal-processed audio data to a speaker; and

a controller for reading an audio data element corresponding to an operating state of the self-moving robot from the memory and controlling the audio signal processor to output the read audio data element through the speaker.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller reads audio data elements corresponding to operating states of the self-moving robot from the memory according to outputs from a sensor unit including a plurality of sensors that detect the operating states of the self-moving robot.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the audio signal is a voice signal.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the audio signal is a melody signal.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a notification voice input unit for inputting a user'"'"'s voice to be used as audio data notifying an operating state of the self-moving robot.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the notification voice input unit includes:

a microphone for receiving the user'"'"'s voice;

a vocoder for encoding the user'"'"'s voice received through the microphone into a format suitable for storage.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the self-moving robot is a cleaning robot.

9. An apparatus for notifying the state of a self-moving robot, the apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing a plurality of voice data elements corresponding to operating states of the self-moving robot;

an audio signal processor for signal-processing voice data read from the memory and outputting the signal-processed voice data to a speaker;

a controller for reading a voice data element corresponding to an operating state of the self-moving robot from the memory and controlling the audio signal processor to output the read voice data element through the speaker; and

a vocoder for receiving a user'"'"'s voice to be used as voice data notifying an operating state of the self-moving robot through a microphone and encoding and storing the user'"'"'s voice in the memory under control of the controller.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the controller reads voice data elements corresponding to operating states of the self-moving robot from the memory according to outputs from a sensor unit including a plurality of sensors that detect the operating states of the self-moving robot.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the self-moving robot is a cleaning robot.

12. A method for notifying the state of a self-moving robot, the method comprising the steps of:

a) checking an operating state of the self-moving robot;

b) reading an audio data element corresponding to the checked operating state from a memory; and

c) signal-processing the read audio data element and outputting the signal-processed audio data element through a speaker.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step a) includes the step of checking operating states of the self-moving robot based on output signals of a sensor unit including a plurality of sensors that detect the operating states of the self-moving robot.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the audio data is voice data.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the audio data is melody data.

16. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of:

d) receiving a user'"'"'s voice to be used as audio data notifying an operating state of the self-moving robot and storing the received voice in the memory.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step d) includes the step of:

encoding the user'"'"'s voice received through a microphone into a format suitable for storage and storing the encoded voice in the memory.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the self-moving robot is a cleaning robot.