LENS ASSEMBLY, OBSTACLE DETECTING UNIT USING THE SAME, AND MOVING ROBOT HAVING THE SAME

• US 20160188985A1
• Filed: 10/15/2015
• Published: 06/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Jong-il, YOON, Suk-june, PARK, Soon-yong, YOON, Sang-sik, PARK, Seung-jae, KIM, Shin, ROH, Kyung-shik
• Granted Patent: US 9,864,914 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• 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 9/1666 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/46 Indirect determination of position data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4816 of receivers alone
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/06 Panoramic objectives; So-called "sky lenses" including panoramic objectives having reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/00 Systems with reflecting surfaces, with or without refracting elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/08 Catadioptric systems used in non-imaging applications G02B19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/0808 on-axis systems with at least one of the mirrors having a central aperture
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/0812 off-axis or unobscured systems in which all of the mirrors share a common axis of rotational symmetry
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/086 wherein the system is made of a single block of optical material, e.g. solid catadioptric systems
• 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 1/0238 using obstacle or wall sensors G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

An obstacle detecting unit includes a reflective mirror formed to reflect light which is incident from a front area and a lower portion of the front area below a central portion of the reflective mirror; a catadioptric lens disposed coaxially with the reflective mirror in an upper portion of the reflective mirror, the catadioptric lens on which light incident from the front area and an upper portion of the front area; and an image forming module disposed coaxially with the reflective mirror below the reflective mirror, the image forming module on which the light reflected by the reflective mirror is incident, wherein a through hole is formed in the central portion of the reflective mirror, and the light coming out of the catadioptric lens passes through the through hole and then is incident on the image forming module.

Claims

1. A lens assembly comprising:

a reflective mirror formed to reflect light incident from a front area and a lower portion of the front area below a central portion of the reflective mirror; and

a catadioptric lens to direct light incident from the front area and an upper portion of the front area, the catadioptric lens being disposed coaxially with the reflective mirror in an upper portion of the reflective mirror;

wherein a through hole is formed in the central portion of the reflective mirror and light coming out of the catadioptric lens passes through the through hole.

2. The lens assembly of claim 1, wherein

the catadioptric lens is detachably disposed in the reflective mirror.

3. The lens assembly of claim 1, wherein

the catadioptric lens comprises a first surface and a second surface that face each other,

the first surface includes a reflecting area formed on an inside of the first surface and a refracting area surrounding the reflecting area, and

the second surface includes a refracting area and a reflecting area surrounding the refracting area.

4. The lens assembly of claim 3, wherein

the refracting area of the first surface of the catadioptric lens is formed to receive outside light,

the reflecting area of the second surface of the catadioptric lens is formed to reflect the light incident on the refracting area of the first surface to the reflecting area of the first surface, and

the refracting area of the second surface is formed to transmit the light reflected by the reflecting area of the first surface so that the light is emitted to an outside of the catadioptric lens.

5. The lens assembly of claim 3, wherein

the refracting area of the first surface is formed so that light having an incident angle of between 0 and 60 degrees is incident.

6. The lens assembly of claim 5, wherein

a masking area to limit the incident angle is formed on the first surface.

7. The lens assembly of claim 3, wherein

the reflecting area of the first surface and the reflecting area of the second surface are formed of any one of aluminum and chrome.

8. The lens assembly of claim 1, wherein

the reflective mirror is formed to reflect light having an incident angle of between −

60 and 0 degrees below the through hole of the reflective mirror.

9. The lens assembly of claim 1, wherein

the through hole of the reflective mirror is formed to not interfere with the light emitted from the catadioptric lens.

10. An obstacle detecting unit comprising:

a reflective mirror formed to reflect light incident from a front area and a lower portion of the front area below a central portion of the reflective mirror;

a catadioptric lens to direct light incident from the front area and an upper portion of the front area, the catadioptric lens being disposed coaxially with the reflective mirror in an upper portion of the reflective mirror; and

an image forming module disposed coaxially with the reflective mirror below the reflective mirror, wherein the light reflected by the reflective mirror is incident on the image forming module,

wherein a through hole is formed in the central portion of the reflective mirror, and light coming out of the catadioptric lens passes through the through hole and is incident on the image forming module.

11. The obstacle detecting unit of claim 10, wherein

the catadioptric lens is detachably disposed in the reflective mirror.

12. The obstacle detecting unit of claim 10, wherein

the catadioptric lens comprises a first surface and a second surface that face each other,

the first surface includes a reflecting area formed on an inside of the first surface and a refracting area surrounding the reflecting area, and

the second surface includes a refracting area and a reflecting area surrounding the refracting area.

13. The obstacle detecting unit of claim 12, wherein

the refracting area of the first surface of the catadioptric lens is formed to receive outside light,

the reflecting area of the second surface of the catadioptric lens is formed to reflect the light incident on the refracting area of the first surface to the reflecting area of the first surface, and

the refracting area of the second surface is formed to transmit the light reflected by the reflecting area of the first surface so that the light is emitted to an outside of the catadioptric lens.

14. The obstacle detecting unit of claim 10, further comprising:

a transparent support member to fix the reflective mirror and the image forming module.

15. The obstacle detecting unit of claim 10, wherein

the image forming module comprises an image sensor, and

wherein the light incident on the catadioptric lens is incident on a first area in a central portion of the image sensor, thereby forming an upper image, and the light reflected by the reflective mirror is incident on a second area of the image sensor surrounding the first area, thereby forming a lower image.

16. A mobile robot comprising:

a main body of the mobile robot;

a driving unit disposed in the main body to move the mobile robot;

an obstacle detecting unit disposed at a front portion of the main body to detect obstacles located at a front area in front of the mobile robot, a lower portion of the front area, and an upper portion of the front area; and

a controller configured to control the driving unit according to obstacle information received from the obstacle detecting unit, thereby moving the mobile robot,

wherein the obstacle detecting unit comprises

a reflective mirror formed to reflect light incident from the front area and the lower portion of the front area below a central portion of the reflective mirror;

a catadioptric lens to direct light incident from the front area and the upper portion of the front area, the catadioptric lens being disposed coaxially with the reflective mirror in an upper portion of the reflective mirror; and

an image forming module disposed coaxially with the reflective mirror and below the reflective mirror, wherein the light reflected by the reflective mirror is incident on the image forming module, and

wherein a through hole is formed in the central portion of the reflective mirror, and light coming out of the catadioptric lens passes through the through hole and is incident on the image forming module.

17. The mobile robot of claim 16, wherein

the reflective mirror is formed to reflect the light incident within a range of about 120 degrees left and right of a straight line that is parallel to forward and backward directions of the main body and passes through a center of the reflective mirror to the image forming module, and wherein a portion of the reflective mirror that does not reflect the light is fixed to the main body.

18. The mobile robot of claim 16, wherein

the obstacle detecting unit is formed to recognize an object within a predetermined distance in a vertical direction from the catadioptric lens as an obstacle, and to not recognize an object which is located at a distance greater than the predetermined distance as the obstacle.

19. The mobile robot of claim 16, further comprising:

a light emitting module which is disposed in the main body of the mobile robot and projects light forward,

wherein the obstacle detecting unit detects the obstacles which are located at the front area, the lower portion of the front area, and the upper portion of the front area using the light projected from the light emitting module.

20. The mobile robot of claim 19, wherein

the light emitting module comprises,

an upper light emitting module to project the light toward the upper portion of the front area;

and

a lower light emitting module to project the light toward the lower portion of the front area.

21. An obstacle detecting unit configured to be installed in a robot cleaner, the obstacle detecting unit comprising:

an image forming sensor to form an image by collecting incident light;

a catadioptric lens to direct light received from an upper frontal area to the image forming sensor; and

a reflective mirror to reflect light received from a lower frontal area to the image forming sensor.

22. The obstacle detecting unit of claim 21, wherein the catadioptric lens is disposed coaxially with the reflective mirror.