ROBOT CLEANER AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20150224645A1
• Filed: 04/21/2015
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Chung, Woo Ram, Joo, Jae Man, Kim, Dong Won, Lee, Jun Hwa, Hong, Jun Pyo, Jung, Jae Young, Yoo, Kyung Hwan, Jang, Hwi Chan
• Granted Patent: US 9,844,876 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 9/1664 characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a robot cleaner having an improved travel pattern and a control method thereof. The robot cleaner performs cleaning using zigzag travel as a basic cleaning traveling manner, and then performs cleaning using random travel as a finishing cleaning traveling manner so as to clean areas skipped during the zigzag travel. The robot cleaner performs the zigzag travel while maintaining a designated interval with a travel route proceeding to a wall regardless of a direction proceeding to the wall, and employs an improved zigzag travel method to maintain a zigzag travel pattern, if the robot cleaner senses an obstacle during the zigzag travel.

Claims

1. A control method for cleaning an area using a robot cleaner comprising:

moving the robot cleaner in a first travel pattern, the first travel pattern includes;

a first travel path enabling the robot cleaner to proceed from one point in the area toward a designated wall;

a second travel path parallel to the first travel path enabling the robot cleaner to move a distance from the designated wall;

a third travel path enabling the robot cleaner to change a direction after the first travel path or the second travel path and then to travel until the robot cleaner is separated from the first travel path or the second travel path by designated intervals,

wherein a route of the first travel path and a route of the second travel path respectively maintain the designated intervals;

moving the robot cleaner alongside of an obstacle in an obstacle contour following path, if the robot cleaner encounters the obstacle while moving the robot cleaner in one of the first travel path and the second travel path;

obtaining a separation distance of the robot cleaner in the obstacle contour following path in a perpendicular direction from a projection of one of the first travel path and the second travel path;

moving the robot cleaner in the other of the first travel path and the second travel path, if the separation distance reaches the designated intervals; and

moving the robot cleaner in the one of the first travel path and the second travel path, if the separation distance reaches zero.

2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein an angle between the route of the first travel path and the designated wall is in the range of an angle of 0 to 180 degrees.

3. The control method according to claim 2, wherein the maintenance of the designated intervals between the route of the first travel path and the route of the second travel path includes:

moving the robot cleaner in the route of the second travel path maintaining a first designated interval with the route of the first travel path; and

moving the robot cleaner in the route of the first travel path maintaining a second designated interval with the route of the second travel path.

4. The control method according to claim 3, wherein the second travel path is performed by the robot cleaner until a distance of the route of the second travel pattern is more than a predetermined distance.

5. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the moving the robot cleaner in the first travel pattern is performed by:

moving the robot cleaner alongside of an obstacle, if the robot cleaner encounters the obstacle during the first travel path;

obtaining a separation distance of the robot cleaner from the route of the first travel path; and

moving the robot cleaner in the second travel path, if the separation distance is more than the first designated interval.

6. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the moving the robot cleaner in the first travel pattern is performed by:

moving the robot cleaner alongside of an obstacle, if the robot cleaner encounters the obstacle during the second travel path;

obtaining a separation distance of the robot cleaner from the route of the second travel path; and

moving the robot cleaner in the first travel path, if the separation distance is more than the second designated interval.

7. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the moving the robot cleaner in the first travel pattern is performed by:

moving the robot cleaner alongside of an obstacle, if the robot cleaner encounters the obstacle during the second travel path; and

moving the robot cleaner in the third travel path, if the sum total of a distance of the second travel path and a travel distance of the robot cleaner in a direction of the second travel path during movement of the robot cleaner alongside of the obstacle is more than a second predetermined distance.

8. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the moving the robot cleaner in the first travel pattern is performed by:

moving the robot cleaner alongside of an obstacle, if the robot cleaner encounters the obstacle during the third travel path; and

moving the robot cleaner in the first travel path, if the sum total of a distance of the third travel path and a travel distance of the robot cleaner in a direction of the third travel path during movement of the robot cleaner alongside of the obstacle is more than the second designated interval.

9. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the moving the robot cleaner in the first travel pattern is performed by:

moving the robot cleaner alongside of an obstacle, if the robot cleaner encounters the obstacle during the second travel path; and

moving the robot cleaner in the third travel path at the current position of the robot cleaner, if a forward direction of the robot cleaner is within a designated angle range based on a direction of the second travel path.

10. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the moving the robot cleaner in the first travel pattern is performed by:

moving the robot cleaner alongside of an obstacle, if the robot cleaner encounters the obstacle during the third travel path; and

moving the robot cleaner in the third travel path at the current position of the robot cleaner, if a forward direction of the robot cleaner is within a designated angle range based on a direction of the third travel path.

11. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the moving the robot cleaner in the first travel pattern is performed by:

moving the robot cleaner alongside of an obstacle, if the robot cleaner encounters the obstacle during the first travel path; and

moving the robot cleaner in the first travel path at the current position of the robot cleaner, if a forward direction of the robot cleaner is within a designated angle range based on a direction of the first travel path.

12. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the moving the robot cleaner in the first travel pattern is performed by:

moving the robot cleaner alongside of an obstacle, if the robot cleaner encounters the obstacle during the second travel path or the third travel path; and

changing a direction of the robot cleaner and then moving the robot cleaner alongside of the obstacle in the changed direction, if a forward direction of the robot cleaner is within a designated angle range based on a direction of the second travel path and the third travel path or if a distance traveled alongside of the obstacle is more than a second designated distance.

13. The control method according to claim 14, wherein the moving the robot cleaner in a second travel path is performed, if the robot cleaner is separated from one point, between a point where the robot cleaner starts moving alongside of the obstacle and a point where the robot cleaner starts moving alongside of the obstacle in the changed direction, by the first designated interval.

14. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the moving the robot cleaner in the first travel pattern is performed by:

moving the robot cleaner alongside of an obstacle, if the robot cleaner encounters the obstacle during the second travel path or the third travel path;

obtaining a separation distance of the robot cleaner from the route of the second travel path; and

changing a direction of the robot cleaner and then moving the robot cleaner alongside of the obstacle in the changed direction, if the separation distance is more than the designated intervals.

15. The control method according to claim 16, wherein the moving the robot cleaner in a second travel path is performed, if the robot cleaner is separated from one point, between a point where the robot cleaner starts moving alongside of the obstacle and a point where the robot cleaner starts moving alongside of the obstacle in the changed direction, by the first designated interval.

16. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the moving the robot cleaner in the first travel is performed by:

moving the robot cleaner alongside of an obstacle, if the robot cleaner encounters the obstacle during the first travel pattern;

judging whether or not the robot cleaner enters an area opposite to a direction of the first travel pattern, based on the route of the first travel pattern prior to the moving the robot cleaner alongside of the obstacle, during the traveling alongside of the obstacle; and

changing the direction of the first travel pattern to the opposite direction and then moving the robot cleaner in the first travel pattern in the opposite direction, if the robot cleaner is separated from the route of the first travel pattern prior to moving the robot cleaner alongside of the obstacle by a designated interval, or a forward direction of the robot cleaner reaches a designated direction.

21. A robot cleaner to clean an area comprising:

a main body which forms an external appearance of the robot cleaner;

driving wheels installed on the main body; and

a control unit to control the driving wheels to enable the main body to move rectilinearly or be rotated, wherein;

the control unit controls the robot cleaner to move in a first travel pattern, the first travel pattern includes;

a first travel path to enable the robot cleaner to proceed from one point in the area toward a designated wall;

a second travel path parallel to the first travel path to enable the robot cleaner to move a distance from the designated wall;

a third travel path enabling the robot cleaner to change a direction after the first travel path or the second travel path and then to travel until the robot cleaner is separated from the first travel path or the second travel path by designated intervals,

wherein a route of the first travel path and a route of the second travel path respectively maintain designated intervals,

the control unit controls the robot cleaner to move alongside of an obstacle in an obstacle contour following path, if the robot cleaner encounters the obstacle while moving the robot cleaner in one of the first travel path and the second travel path, to obtain a separation distance of the robot cleaner in the obstacle contour following path in a perpendicular direction from a projection of one of the first travel path and the second travel path, to move the robot cleaner in the other of the first travel path and the second travel path, if the separation distance reaches the designated intervals, and to move the robot cleaner in the one of the first travel path and the second travel path, if the separation distance reaches zero.

17. The control method according to claim 18, wherein it is judged that the robot cleaner enters the area opposite to the direction of the first travel pattern, based on the route of the first travel pattern prior to moving the robot cleaner alongside of the obstacle, during the movement of the robot cleaner alongside of the obstacle, if the separation distance of the robot cleaner from a route of the first travel pattern is more than the designated intervals and the forward direction of the robot cleaner is within the range in a designated angle based on the route of the first travel pattern prior to the movement of the robot cleaner alongside of the obstacle.

18. The control method according to claim 19, further comprising judging that it is time to finish the first travel, if the number of changes of the direction of the first travel pattern is more than a designated number or if a time of the first travel pattern is more than a designated time.

19. The control method according to claim 20, further comprising moving the robot cleaner in a second travel pattern to finish cleaning.

20. The control method according to claim 21, further comprising judging that it is time to finish the second travel, if a designated time determined in proportion to the mean rectilinear travel distance of the second travel pattern elapses.

23. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions that when executed control at least one processor to

move a robot cleaner in a first travel pattern, the first travel pattern including:

a first travel path enabling the robot cleaner to proceed from one point in the area toward a designated wall;

a second travel path parallel to the first travel path enabling the robot cleaner to move a distance from the designated wall;

a third travel path enabling the robot cleaner to change a direction after the first travel path or the second travel path and then to travel until the robot cleaner is separated from the first travel path or the second travel path by designated intervals,

wherein a route of the first travel path and a route of the second travel path respectively maintain the designated intervals;

move the robot cleaner alongside of an obstacle in an obstacle contour following path, if the robot cleaner encounters the obstacle while moving the robot cleaner in one of the first travel path and the second travel path;

obtain a separation distance of the robot cleaner in the obstacle contour following path in a perpendicular direction from a projection of one of the first travel path and the second travel path;

move the robot cleaner in the other of the first travel path and the second travel path, if the separation distance reaches the designated intervals; and

move the robot cleaner in the one of the first travel path and the second travel path, if the separation distance reaches zero.

22. The robot cleaner according to claim 23, wherein the control unit instructs the robot cleaner to perform a second travel pattern to finish cleaning the area.