MOBILE ROBOT SYSTEM AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20140156071A1
• Filed: 02/10/2014
• Published: 06/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: HONG, Jun Pyo, YOO, Kyung Hwan, JUNG, Jae Young, JOO, Jae Man, KIM, Dong Won, CHUNG, Woo Ram, JANG, Hwi Chan
• Granted Patent: US 9,314,925 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/253
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0085 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/00 Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages B25J1/00 takes precedence; programme-controlled manipulators B25J9/00 ; vehicle aspects B60, B62, e.g. remote-controlled steering for motor vehicles B62D1/24; control of position of vehicles G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0003 Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1676 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70

Abstract

A method of controlling a mobile robot system is provided. The method includes at a mobile robot, transmitting a signal while traveling in a traveling region, at a beacon, receiving the signal transmitted from the mobile robot over 360 degrees and determining whether the mobile robot has approached the beacon, at the beacon, transmitting a response signal to the mobile robot if the mobile robot has approached the beacon, and at the mobile robot, performing avoidance navigation to prevent collision with the beacon when the mobile robot receives the response signal of the beacon.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a mobile robot system, the method comprising:

at a mobile robot, transmitting a signal while traveling in a traveling region;

at a beacon, receiving the signal transmitted from the mobile robot over 360 degrees and determining whether the mobile robot has approached the beacon;

at the beacon, transmitting a response signal to the mobile robot if the mobile robot has approached the beacon; and

at the mobile robot, performing avoidance navigation to prevent collision with the beacon when the mobile robot receives the response signal of the beacon.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the signal transmitted from the mobile robot includes an infrared ray, a visible ray, an ultrasonic wave or a laser beam.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the response signal transmitted from the beacon includes an infrared ray, a visible ray, an ultrasonic wave, a Radio Frequency (RF) signal or a laser beam.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining of whether the mobile robot has approached the beacon includes determining that the mobile robot has approached the beacon if the beacon senses an approach signal transmitted from the mobile robot.

5. A method of controlling a mobile robot system, the method comprising:

at a mobile robot, transmitting a signal when cleaning of a traveling region is completed;

determining whether the signal transmitted from the mobile robot is sensed within a restricted Field-of-View (FOV) of a beacon;

at the beacon, transmitting a response signal to the mobile robot if the signal transmitted from the mobile robot is sensed within the restricted FOV; and

guiding the mobile robot to cross a confinement border of the traveling region and to move to another region when the mobile robot receives the response signal of the beacon.

6. The method according claim 5, wherein the guiding of the mobile robot includes:

enabling the mobile robot to approach the beacon along a guide region formed by the beacon,

determining whether the mobile robot has approached an approach region of the beacon,

at the beacon, transmitting the response signal to the mobile robot when the mobile robot has approached the approach region of the beacon, and

at the mobile robot, performing wall-following navigation along the approach region of the beacon so as to cross the confinement border, if the mobile robot receives the response signal of the beacon.

7. The method according claim 5, wherein the beacon receives the signal indicating that the cleaning of the traveling region has been completed and senses whether the mobile robot has approached a guide region to cross the confinement border to move to another region.