ROBOT CLEANER AND SELF TESTING METHOD OF THE SAME

• US 20130030750A1
• Filed: 06/28/2012
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Siyong, Sung, Jihoon, Yun, Hyungtae, Kim, Yongju
• Granted Patent: US 9,928,459 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/108
• 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 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/004 Artificial life, i.e. computing arrangements simulating life

Abstract

Disclosed are a robot cleaner and a self testing method thereof. The robot cleaner performs a self test when being initially operated or when required by a user. This may prevent malfunctions or breakdowns of the robot cleaner. Furthermore, the robot cleaner senses a state of an operation sensing unit provided at a body, based on a sensing signal of the operation sensing unit. This may prevent accidents or errors which may occur as the robot cleaner operates.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner, comprising:

a body which forms an appearance;

a driving unit having a wheel motor to rotate a main wheel, and to move the body by driving the wheel motor;

a storage unit to store a test algorithm corresponding to a test mode;

an operation sensing unit to sense an operation of the robot cleaner which changes according to a movement of the body, and to output sensing information;

a controller to execute the test algorithm to test a state of the operation sensing unit based on the sensing information; and

an output unit to output a test result of the operation sensing unit.

2. The robot cleaner of claim 1, further comprising an input unit to input an execution command with respect to the self test mode,

wherein the controller executes the test algorithm according to the execution command, and to test a state of the operation sensing unit.

3. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the operation sensing unit includes a gyro sensor to sense a rotation direction and a rotation angle of the robot cleaner according to a rotation of the body.

4. The robot cleaner of claim 3, wherein the operation sensing unit further includes a wheel sensor connected to the main wheel to sense an RPM of the main wheel.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 1, further comprising right and left wheel sensors, and the main wheel includes right and left main wheels, wherein the controller compares RPMs of the right and left main wheels with each other, the RPMs sensed by the right and left wheel sensors while the robot cleaner moves straight, and tests whether the right and left main wheels are in an abnormal state based on a comparison result.

6. The robot cleaner of claim 4, wherein the controller compares the rotation angle sensed by the gyro sensor, with a rotation angle calculated based on the RPM sensed by the wheel sensor, and tests whether the gyro sensor is in an abnormal state based on a comparison result.

7. The robot cleaner of claim 4, wherein the controller recognizes a position of the robot cleaner, based on the rotation direction and the rotation angle sensed by the gyro sensor, or based on the RPM sensed by the wheel sensor.

8. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the operation sensing unit includes an acceleration sensor to sense a speed change of the robot cleaner according to a movement of the body, and

wherein if an output value from the acceleration sensor is more than a reference value in the self test mode, the controller determines that the acceleration sensor is in an abnormal state.

9. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the controller checks one or more preset execution conditions before executing the self test mode.

10. The robot cleaner of claim 9, wherein the one or more preset execution conditions indicate one of a mounted state of a dust box, an attached state of a dustcloth plate and a battery state, or a combination thereof.

11. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the operation sensing unit includes a camera sensor to output image data by capturing a floor surface, and

wherein if an output value from the camera sensor is less than a reference value or is out of a predetermined range in the self test mode, the controller determines that the camera sensor is in an abnormal state.

12. The robot cleaner of claim 11, wherein the controller recognizes a position of the robot cleaner based on the image data outputted from the camera sensor.

13. A robot cleaner comprising:

a body which forms an appearance;

a driving unit having a wheel motor to rotate a main wheel, and to move the body by driving the wheel motor;

a cleaning unit installed at the body to suck foreign materials or dust particles into the cleaning unit;

a storage unit to store a test algorithm corresponding to a test mode;

one or more object sensing units provided at the body to output sensing information by sensing an object;

a controller to execute the test algorithm to test a state of the one or more object sensing units based on the sensing information; and

an output unit to output a test result of the one or more object sensing unit.

14. The robot cleaner of claim 13, further comprising an input unit to input an execution command of the self test mode,

wherein the controller executes the test algorithm according to the execution command of the self test mode.

15. The robot cleaner of claim 13, wherein the object sensing unit includes an external signal sensor to receive a guide signal generated from a charging base, and

wherein if a sensing frequency by the external signal sensor is more than a reference value in the self test mode, the controller determines that the external signal sensor is in a normal state.

16. The robot cleaner of claim 13, wherein the object sensing unit includes an obstacle sensor to sense an obstacle based on a signal emitted therefrom and received after reflection, and

wherein if an output value from the obstacle sensor is more than a reference value in the self test mode, the controller determines that the obstacle sensor is in an abnormal state.

17. The robot cleaner of claim 13, wherein the object sensing unit includes a cliff sensor to sense a cliff based on a signal emitted therefrom toward a floor surface and received after reflection, and

wherein if an output value from the cliff sensor is more than a reference value in the self test mode, the controller determines that the cliff sensor is in an abnormal state.

18. The robot cleaner of claim 13, wherein the object sensing unit includes a camera sensor to output image data by capturing a floor surface, and

wherein if an output value from the camera sensor is less than a reference value or out of a reference range in the self test mode, the controller determines that the camera sensor is in an abnormal state.

19. The robot cleaner of claim 18, wherein the controller recognizes a position of the robot cleaner based on the image data outputted from the camera sensor.

20. The robot cleaner of claim 13, wherein the controller checks one or more preset execution conditions before executing the self test mode.

21. The robot cleaner of claim 20, wherein the one or more preset execution conditions indicate one of a mounted state of a dust box, an attached state of a dustcloth plate and a battery state, or a combination thereof.

22. The robot cleaner of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to execute the self test mode only when a current operation mode corresponds to a charging mode.