ROBOT CLEANER, TERMINAL APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20160135655A1
• Filed: 11/17/2015
• Published: 05/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: AHN, Seong-hun, Kim, Yong-ju, Lee, Se-o, Yang, Soo-yeun, Woo, Sang-sung, Kwon, Jong-chan, Lee, Yang-jic
• Granted Patent: US 10,111,566 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0044 by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005

Abstract

A robot cleaner is provided that includes a driver configured to move the robot cleaner, and a suction unit configured to suck foreign objects from a surface below the robot cleaner. The robot cleaner also includes a detector configured to capture images of regions disposed in front of the robot cleaner. The robot cleaner further includes a controller configured to control the detector to capture a first image of a region before cleaning, control the detector to capture a second image of the region after cleaning, and generate cleaning result information using the first and second images.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner comprising:

a driver configured to move the robot cleaner;

a suction unit configured to suck foreign objects from a surface below the robot cleaner;

a detector configured to capture images of regions disposed in front of the robot cleaner; and

a controller configured to control the detector to capture a first image of a region before cleaning, control the detector to capture a second image of the region after cleaning, and generate cleaning result information using the first and second images.

2. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a communication interface configured to receive schedule information of a user from a server,

wherein the controller is further configured to generate a cleaning schedule of the robot cleaner based on the schedule information and perform a cleaning job according to the cleaning schedule.

3. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a storage unit configured to store a plurality of cleaning schedules to be performed by the robot cleaner,

wherein each of the plurality of cleaning schedules has a different cleaning time.

4. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

the suction unit is further configured to perform suction according to a plurality of operation modes;

the communication interface is further configured to receive weather information from the server; and

the controller is further configured to control the suction unit to be operated in one of the plurality of operation modes corresponding to the weather information.

5. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the detector is further configured to detect an object in front of the robot cleaner; and

the controller is further configured to determine whether or not the object is a suckable object, and determine a region in which the object is located as a non-cleanable region when the detected object is not the suckable object.

6. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 5, wherein, when the object is the suckable object, the controller is further configured to capture the first image of the object, control the driver and the suction unit to suck the object, and control the driver and the detector to capture the second image of the region in which the object was located.

7. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

the detector comprises;

a first capturing unit configured to capture regions in front of the robot cleaner; and

a second capturing unit configured to capture regions behind the robot cleaner, which opposite of in front of the robot cleaner, and

when the object is the suckable object, the controller is further configured to capture the first image of the object using the first capturing unit, control the driver and the suction unit to suck the object, and control the second capturing unit to capture the second image of the region in which the object was located after suction of the object.

8. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 5, wherein the detector is further configured to determine a type of the object based on a sound pattern generated in sucking of the object.

9. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a communication interface configured to transmit the cleaning result information to a preset terminal apparatus in response to cleaning being completed.

10. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 9, wherein the cleaning result information comprises at least one of map information generated in the robot cleaner, moving path information of the robot cleaner, an image of a sucked object, a type of the sucked object, position information of the sucked object, and non-cleaning region information.

11. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the detector is further configured to detect whether or not the robot cleaner is in contact with liquid, and

the controller is further configured to stop driving the robot cleaner when the robot cleaner is in contact with the liquid.

12. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the detector is further configured to detect a degree of dust on the surface, and

the controller is further configured to determine a cleaning state in a region in which a cleaning job is completed according to the degree of dust detected through the detector.

13. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 12, wherein the detector comprises:

an air exhaust unit disposed on a bottom side of the robot cleaner and configured to discharge air toward the surface; and

a dust sensor configured to detect the degree of dust in the air input to the suction unit.

14. A terminal apparatus connectable to a robot cleaner, the terminal apparatus comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive cleaning schedule information of the robot cleaner and cleaning result information including a first image of a region before cleaning and a second image of the region after cleaning from the robot cleaner;

a display configured to display the cleaning schedule information and the cleaning result information; and

a controller configured to control the display to simultaneously display the first image and the second image.

15. The terminal apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the cleaning result information further comprises at least one of map information generated in the robot cleaner, moving path information of the robot cleaner, an image of a sucked object, a type of the sucked object, position information of the sucked object, and non-cleaning region information.

16. The terminal apparatus as claimed in claim 14, further comprising an operation input unit configured to receive a re-cleaning command for a non-cleaning region:

wherein the controller is further configured to control the communication interface to transmit the re-cleaning command for the non-cleaning region to the robot cleaner.

17. The terminal apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the display is further configured to display a message for informing that cleaning of the robot cleaner is required in response to driving stop information that is received through the communication interface due to contact with liquid during driving of the robot cleaner.

18. The terminal apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to acquire user schedule information, generate a cleaning schedule of the robot cleaner based on the user schedule information, and control the communication interface to transmit the cleaning schedule to the robot cleaner.

19. A method of controlling a robot cleaner, the method comprising:

moving the robot cleaner along a preset path;

sucking foreign objects from a surface below the robot cleaner while the robot cleaner moves along the preset path;

capturing a first image of a region before cleaning and a second image of the region after cleaning; and

generating cleaning result information using the first and second images.

20. A method of controlling a terminal apparatus connectable to a robot cleaner, the method comprising:

receiving cleaning schedule information of the robot cleaner and cleaning result information including a first image of a region before cleaning and a second image of the region after cleaning by the robot cleaner; and

displaying the cleaning schedule information and the cleaning result information.