ROBOT CLEANER AND CONTROL METHOD FOR THE SAME

• US 20130098401A1
• Filed: 10/16/2012
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: YOON, Sang Sik, LEE, Jun Hwa, JUNG, Jae Young, JIN, Hee Won, KIM, Byung Chan
• Granted Patent: US 9,480,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/18
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/33 having means for storing dirt
• 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 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4055 for lifting the tools to a non-working position
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4066 Propulsion of the whole machine
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4072 Arrangement of castors or wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/02 Docking stations; Docking operations
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/022 Recharging of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• 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 9/0488 Combinations or arrangements of several tools, e.g. edge cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2847 Surface treating elements
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/242 Means based on the reflection of waves generated by the vehicle using passive navigation aids external to the vehicle G05D1/244; using signals provided by artificial sources external to the vehicle G05D1/247
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/246 using environment maps, e.g. simultaneous localisation and mapping [SLAM]
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/247 using signals provided by artificial sources external to the vehicle, e.g. navigation beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/622 Obstacle avoidance predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision of road vehicles B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/661 Docking at a base station delivering or retrieving payloads G05D1/667
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2105/10 : for cleaning, vacuuming or polishing
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2109/10 : Land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2111/14 : Non-visible signals, e.g. IR or UV signals

Abstract

A robot cleaner includes a body to travel on a floor, an obstacle sensing unit to sense an obstacle approaching the body, an auxiliary cleaning unit mounted to a bottom of the body, to be extendable and retractable, and a control unit to control extension or retraction of the auxiliary cleaning unit when the obstacle is sensed. The control unit recognizes a zone of a charger and performs a control operation to prevent the auxiliary cleaning unit from extending in the charger zone.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner comprising:

a body to travel on a floor;

an obstacle sensing unit to sense an obstacle approaching the body;

an auxiliary cleaning unit mounted to a bottom of the body, to be extendable and retractable; and

a control unit to control extension or retraction of the auxiliary cleaning unit when the obstacle is sensed,

wherein the control unit recognizes a zone of a charger and performs a control operation to prevent the auxiliary cleaning unit from extending in the charger zone.

2. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the control unit creates and stores a cleaning region map including information about a travel path of the body.

3. The robot cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the control unit designates a start position of the travel path of the body to a position of the charger in the cleaning region map, recognizes the charger zone based on the charger position designated in the cleaning region map, and performs a control operation to cause the body to travel while bypassing the charger zone.

4. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines a charging state of the body.

5. The robot cleaner according to claim 4, wherein the control unit determines that the body is positioned at the charger zone when the body is in a charging state.

6. The robot cleaner according to claim 4, wherein the controller determines that the body is positioned at the charger zone for a predetermined time, when the body travels backward after completion of charging.

7. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising:

a signal sensing unit to sense a signal transmitted from the charger,

wherein the control unit recognizes the charger zone based on the signal, and performs a control operation to cause the body to travel while bypassing the charger zone.

8. The robot cleaner according to claim 7, wherein the signal is a signal to guide travel of the body toward the charger, for docking of the body with the charger.

9. The robot cleaner according to claim 8, wherein the signal comprises at least one of an infrared signal, an ultrasonic signal and a laser signal, which are forwardly or laterally transmitted from the charger within a predetermined angular range.

10. The robot cleaner according to claim 8, wherein the signal is divided into two signals, which overlap each other and have different ranges or different intensities.

11. The robot cleaner according to claim 7, wherein the signal forms, as the charger zone, a zone having a predetermined curved surface at a front or lateral side of the charger.

12. The robot cleaner according to claim 11, wherein the signal comprises at least one of an infrared signal, an ultrasonic wave signal and a laser signal, each of which forms a signal zone having a predetermined curved surface at the front or lateral side of the charger.

13. The robot cleaner according to claim 11, wherein the signal is divided into two signals, which overlap each other and have different ranges or different intensities.

14. The robot cleaner according to claim 7, wherein the control unit determines that the body is positioned at the charger zone, when the signal is sensed in a stopped state of the body.

15. The robot cleaner according to claim 7, wherein the control unit creates and stores a cleaning region map, including information about a travel path of the body, designates a position, from which the signal is transmitted, to a position of the charger in the cleaning region map, recognizes the charger zone based on the charger position designated in the cleaning region map, and performs a control operation to cause the body to travel while bypassing the charger zone.

16. A robot cleaner comprising:

a body to travel on a floor;

an obstacle sensing unit to sense an obstacle approaching the body;

an auxiliary cleaning unit mounted to a bottom of the body, to be extendable and retractable; and

a control unit to control extension or retraction of the auxiliary cleaning unit when the obstacle is sensed,

wherein the control unit recognizes an extension prevention zone and performs a control operation to prevent the auxiliary cleaning unit from extending in the extension prevention zone.

17. The robot cleaner according to claim 16, further comprising:

a signal sensing unit to sense a signal transmitted from an extension prevention signal generating unit,

wherein the control unit recognizes the extension prevention zone based on the signal, and the extension prevention zone is formed by the signal transmitted from the extension prevention signal generating unit.

18. The robot cleaner according to claim 17, wherein the signal forms a virtual obstacle zone extending from the extension prevention signal generating unit in one direction and having a predetermined size, and the control unit performs a control operation to cause the body to travel while bypassing the virtual obstacle zone.

19. The robot cleaner according to claim 18, wherein the signal forms a rectilinear virtual wall zone having a predetermined thickness and a predetermined length.

20. The robot cleaner according to claim 19, wherein the signal comprises at least one of an infrared signal, an ultrasonic wave signal and a laser signal, which are transmitted from the extension prevention signal generating unit in one direction within a predetermined angular range.

21. The robot cleaner according to claim 17, wherein the signal forms a virtual obstacle zone having a predetermined curved surface around the extension prevention signal generating unit, and the control unit performs a control operation to cause the body to travel while bypassing the virtual obstacle zone.

22. The robot cleaner according to claim 21, wherein the signal comprises at least one of an infrared signal, an ultrasonic wave signal and a laser signal, each of which forms a signal zone having a predetermined curved surface at the front or lateral side of the charger.

23. The robot cleaner according to claim 16, further comprising:

a signal sensing unit to sense a magnetic field signal,

wherein the control unit recognizes the extension prevention zone based on the magnetic field signal, and the extension prevention zone is a magnetic field zone formed by a magnetic belt installed on the floor.

24. The robot cleaner according to claim 23, wherein the control unit performs a control operation to cause the body to travel while bypassing the magnetic field zone.

25. A control method for a robot cleaner including a body to travel on a floor, an obstacle sensing unit to sense an obstacle approaching the body, and an auxiliary cleaning unit mounted to a bottom of the body, to be extendable and retractable, comprising:

controlling the body to clean the floor while traveling on the floor;

sensing an obstacle on a travel path of the body; and

controlling the auxiliary cleaning unit to extend or retract when the obstacle is sensed, recognizing a zone of a charger, and controlling the auxiliary cleaning unit to be prevented from extending in the charger zone upon recognition of the charger zone.

26. The control method according to claim 25, wherein the recognizing the charger zone comprises designating a start position of the travel path of the body to a position of the charger in a cleaning region map including information about the travel path of the body, and recognizing the charger position designated in the cleaning region map as the charger zone.

27. The control method according to claim 25, wherein the recognizing the charger zone comprises sensing a charging state of the body, and determining that the body is positioned at the charger zone, when the body is in a charging state.

28. The control method according to claim 27, wherein the recognizing the charger zone comprises sensing a charging completion state of the body, and determining that the body is positioned at the charger zone for a predetermined time, when the body travels backward after completion of charging.

29. The control method according to claim 25, wherein the recognizing the charger zone comprises sensing a signal transmitted from the charger, and recognizing the charger zone based on the sensed signal.

30. The control method according to claim 29, wherein the signal is a signal to guide travel of the body toward the charger, for docking of the body with the charger or a signal to form, as the charger zone, a zone having a predetermined curved surface at a front or lateral side of the charger.

31. The control method according to claim 29, wherein the recognizing the charger zone comprises determining that the body is positioned at the charger zone, when the signal is sensed in a stopped state of the body.

32. The control method according to claim 29, wherein the recognizing the charger zone comprises designating a position, from which the signal is transmitted, to a position of the charger in a cleaning region map including information about a travel path of the body, and recognizing the charger zone based on the charger position designated in the cleaning region map.

33. A control method for a robot cleaner including a body to travel on a floor, an obstacle sensing unit to sense an obstacle approaching the body, and an auxiliary cleaning unit mounted to a bottom of the body, to be extendable and retractable, comprising:

controlling the body to clean the floor while traveling on the floor;

sensing an obstacle on a travel path of the body; and

controlling the auxiliary cleaning unit to extend or retract when the obstacle is sensed, recognizing an extension prevention zone, and controlling the auxiliary cleaning unit to be prevented from extending in the extension prevention zone upon recognition of the extension prevention zone.

34. The control method according to claim 33, wherein the recognizing the extension prevention zone comprises sensing a signal transmitted from an extension prevention signal generating unit, and recognizing the extension prevention zone based on the signal, and the extension prevention zone is formed by the signal transmitted from the extension prevention signal generating unit.

35. The control method according to claim 34, wherein the signal forms a virtual obstacle zone extending from the extension prevention signal generating unit in one direction while having a predetermined size or a virtual obstacle zone having a predetermined curved surface around the extension prevention signal generating unit, and the recognizing the extension prevention zone comprises controlling the body to travel while bypassing the virtual obstacle zone.

36. The control method according to claim 33, wherein the recognizing the extension prevention zone comprises sensing a magnetic field signal, and recognizing the extension prevention zone, based on the magnetic field signal, and the extension prevention zone is formed by a magnetic belt installed on the floor.

37. A robot cleaner system comprising:

a stationary charger having a signal transmitting unit to form a recognizing signal zone at a front or lateral side of the charger;

a robot cleaner having a body to travel on a floor, an obstacle sensing unit to sense an obstacle approaching the body, a signal sensing unit to sense the identifying signal zone, an auxiliary cleaning unit that is extendable and retractable from and to the body, and a control unit to control extension or retraction of the auxiliary cleaning unit,

wherein the control unit prevents the auxiliary cleaning unit from extending in the identifying signal zone to prevent the auxiliary cleaning unit from contacting the stationary charger both when cleaning in a vicinity of the charger and docking in the charger.