ROBOT CLEANING SYSTEM AND CONTROL METHOD HAVING A WIRELESS ELECTRIC POWER CHARGE FUNCTION

• US 20110241616A1
• Filed: 04/06/2011
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Nam Yun, Park, Eun Seok, Ryu, Young Ho, Kwon, Sang Wook, Hong, Young Tack
• Granted Patent: US 9,276,433 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/022 Recharging of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2873 Docking units or charging stations for autonomous or robotic vacuum cleaners A47L2201/02
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

Provided is a wirelessly charged robot cleaning system and a method for wirelessly charging a robot cleaner. The wirelessly charged robot may include a target resonator to receive a resonance power through energy-coupling with a source resonator of a wireless power transmitter, a wireless power receiving unit to convert the received resonance power into a rated voltage, and a battery controller to check the remaining capacity of the battery based and to charge the battery.

Claims

1. A robot cleaning system, the system comprising:

a wireless power transmitter to generate power using a provided power supply and to wirelessly transmit the generated power; and

a robot cleaner to operate in a cleaning mode based on a scope of a predetermined area to be cleaned, to receive and convert the wirelessly transmitted power into a rated voltage, and to charge a battery using the rated voltage.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless power transmitter transmits the generated power based on at least one of an electromagnetic induction scheme, a radio wave reception scheme, and a resonance scheme.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless power transmitter wirelessly transmits the generated power by selecting one of an electromagnetic induction scheme, a radio wave reception scheme, and a resonance scheme, based on a distance to the robot cleaner.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the wireless power transmitter uses a frequency band of 50 MHz through 2.6 GHz when the wireless power transmitter transmits the generated power based on the radio wave reception scheme, and uses a frequency band of 80 KHz through 15 MHz when the wireless power transmitter transmits the generated power based on the resonance scheme.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless power transmitter comprises:

a wireless power transmitting unit to generate the power to be wirelessly transmitted, using a provided alternating current (AC); and

a source resonator to transmit, to a target resonator, the generated power by energy-coupling with the target resonator of the robot cleaner.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the robot cleaner comprises:

a target resonator to receive the wirelessly transmitted power by energy-coupling with the source resonator;

a wireless power receiving unit to convert the received power into the rated voltage; and

a battery controller to check a remaining capacity of the battery based on the scope of the predetermined area to be cleaned, and to charge the battery using the rated voltage.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the wireless power receiving unit comprises:

an AC/DC converter to convert the power that is an alternating signal into a direct signal; and

a DC converter to adjust a level of the direct signal that is converted by the AC/DC converter, and to output the rated voltage.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the battery controller controls the robot cleaner to charge the battery when the remaining capacity of the battery is less than a predetermined capacity.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the battery controller detects a location of the wireless power transmitter and moves the robot cleaner towards the wireless power transmitter to charge the battery, when the battery is to be charged and wireless charging is not available in the detected location.

10. A wirelessly charged robot cleaner, the robot cleaner comprising:

a target resonator to receive a resonance power through energy-coupling with a source resonator of a wireless power transmitter;

a wireless power receiving unit to convert the received resonance power into a rated voltage; and

a battery controller to check a remaining capacity of the battery based on a scope of a predetermined area to be cleaned, and to charge the battery using the rated voltage.

11. The robot cleaner of claim 10, wherein the wireless power receiving unit comprises:

an AC/DC converter to convert the resonance power that is an alternating signal into a direct signal; and

a DC converter to adjust a level of the direct signal that is converted from the AC/DC converter, and to output the rated voltage.

12. The robot cleaner of claim 10, wherein the battery controller controls the robot cleaner to charge the battery when the remaining capacity of the battery is less than a predetermined capacity.

13. The robot cleaner of claim 10, wherein the battery controller detects a location of the wireless power transmitter and moves the robot cleaner towards the wireless power transmitter to charge the battery, when the battery is to be charged and wireless charging is not available in the detected location.

14. The robot cleaner of claim 10, further comprising:

a cleaner controller to control the robot cleaner to operate in a cleaning mode to perform a predetermined cleaning operation when a cleaning event is sensed,

wherein the robot cleaner operates in the cleaning mode while the target resonator of the robot cleaner simultaneously receives the resonance power through energy-coupling with the source resonator of a wireless power transmitter.

15. The robot cleaner of claim 14, wherein the battery controller controls the robot cleaner to move towards the wireless power transmitter to charge the battery when the remaining capacity of the battery is less than the predetermined capacity while the robot cleaner is operating in the cleaning mode.

16. A method of controlling a wirelessly charged robot cleaner, the method comprising:

receiving a resonance power through energy-coupling with a source resonator of a wireless power transmitter;

converting the received resonance power into a rated voltage; and

charging a battery using the rated voltage.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the converting comprises:

converting the resonate power that is an alternating signal into a direct signal;

adjusting a level of the direct signal; and

outputting the rated voltage.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the receiving comprises receiving the resonance power when a remaining capacity of the battery is less than a predetermined capacity, based on a scope of an area to be cleaned.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

detecting a location of the wireless power transmitter and moving towards the wireless power transmitter, when the battery is to be charged and wireless charging is not available in the detected location,

wherein the detecting and the moving is performed before receiving the resonance power.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

controlling the robot cleaner to operate in a cleaning mode to perform a predetermined cleaning operation when a cleaning event is sensed,

wherein the robot cleaner operates in the cleaning mode while the target resonator of the robot cleaner simultaneously receives the resonance power through energy-coupling with the source resonator of a wireless power transmitter.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

moving towards the wireless power transmitter to charge the battery when the remaining capacity of the battery is less than the predetermined capacity while the robot cleaner is operating in the cleaning mode.

22. A wireless power transmitter for transmitting power wirelessly to a robot cleaner, the wireless power transmitter comprising:

a wireless power transmitting unit configured to generate power to be wirelessly transmitted to a robot cleaner;

a communicating unit configured to receive information from the robot cleaner about an amount of power to be charged and a location of the robot cleaner; and

a source resonator configured to wirelessly transmit the generated power to the robot cleaner.

23. The wireless power transmitter of claim 22, further comprising a controller configured to determine whether to charge the robot cleaner, based on the amount of distance between the robot cleaner and the wireless power transmitter.

24. The wireless power transmitter of claim 22, wherein the source resonator is configured to wirelessly transmit power to the robot cleaner using an electromagnetic induction scheme, a radio wave reception scheme, and a resonance scheme, and

the controller selects which scheme to transmit power to the robot cleaner based on the distance between the robot cleaner and the wireless power transmitter.

25. The wireless power transmitter of claim 22, wherein, in response to receiving a request for charging from the robot cleaner, the communicating unit provides information about the location of the wireless power transmitter to the robot cleaner.