ROBOT CLEANER

• US 20160206170A1
• Filed: 01/19/2016
• Published: 07/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: YI, Sihyuk, KWEON, Hyukdo, KIM, Wooyeon
• Granted Patent: US 9,526,390 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: 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 9/00 Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/281 the amount or condition of incoming dirt or dust
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0085 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1664 characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1694 characterised by use of sensors other than normal servo-feedback from position, speed or acceleration sensors, perception control, multi-sensor controlled systems, sensor fusion
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0223 involving speed control of the vehicle vehicle fittings for automatically controlling, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A robot cleaner includes a main body that defines an external appearance of the robot cleaner. The robot cleaner further includes a plurality of dust sensors that are located at different positions on the main body and that are configured to sense dust that is located in a traveling route of the robot cleaner. The robot cleaner further includes a control unit that is configured to control movement and a cleaning operation of the robot cleaner based on sensing data from the plurality of dust sensors.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner comprising:

a main body that defines an external appearance of the robot cleaner;

a plurality of dust sensors that are located at different positions on the main body and that are configured to sense dust that is located in a traveling route of the robot cleaner; and

a control unit that is configured to control movement and a cleaning operation of the robot cleaner based on sensing data from the plurality of dust sensors.

2. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the plurality of dust sensors are located in positions at which the plurality of dust sensors pass through a same point based on the robot cleaner traveling in a linear direction or based on the robot cleaner rotating.

3. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the plurality of dust sensors include:

a first sensor that is located on a front side of the main body and that is configured to sense dust that is located in the traveling route before the robot cleaner passes dust; and

a second sensor that is located on a rear side of the main body and that is configured to sense dust that is located in the traveling route after the robot cleaner passes dust,

wherein the control unit is configured to;

recognize a current position of the robot cleaner,

obtain coordinates of the current position, and

control the movement and the cleaning operation of the robot cleaner based on the coordinates of the current position and the sensing data from the plurality of dust sensors.

4. The robot cleaner of claim 3, wherein:

the control unit is configured to control the robot cleaner to clean a cleaning area based on comparing a first sensing data of the first sensor to a preset first reference, and

based on the first sensing data exceeding the preset first reference, the control unit is configured to;

store coordinates of the cleaning area,

designate the cleaning area as an intensive cleaning target area, and

control the robot cleaner to intensively clean the cleaning area based on the coordinates of the intensive cleaning target area.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 4, wherein based on the cleaning area being intensively cleaned, the control unit is configured to:

reduce a speed of the robot cleaner,

increase a dust suction force of the robot cleaner, or

repeatedly clean the cleaning area a plurality of times by controlling the robot cleaner.

6. The robot cleaner of claim 4, wherein:

the control unit is configured to control movement and the cleaning operation of the robot cleaner based on comparing a difference between the first sensing data and a second sensing data of the second sensor to a preset second reference after the cleaning area is cleaned, and

based on the difference between the first sensing data and the second sensing data exceeding the preset second reference, the control unit is configured to control the robot cleaner to move the robot cleaner to an area other than the cleaning area.

7. The robot cleaner of claim 6, wherein:

based on the difference between the first sensing data and the second sensing data being lower than the preset second reference,

based on the cleaning area being a general cleaning target area, the control unit is configured to control the robot cleaner to move to an area other than the cleaning area, and

based on the cleaning area being the intensive cleaning target area, the control unit is configured to control the robot cleaner to repeat cleaning of the cleaning area.

8. The robot cleaner of claim 7, wherein based on the robot cleaner repeating cleaning of the cleaning area, the control unit is configured to control the robot cleaner to intensively clean the cleaning area.

9. The robot cleaner of claim 7, wherein based on the robot cleaner repeating cleaning of the cleaning area, the control unit is configured to control the robot cleaner to:

clean an area other than the cleaning area, and

after cleaning the area other than the cleaning area, repeating cleaning of the cleaning area.

10. The robot cleaner of claim 7, wherein based on the robot cleaner repeating cleaning of the cleaning area, the control unit is configured to control the robot cleaner to immediately repeat cleaning of the cleaning area.

11. The robot cleaner of claim 10, wherein the control unit is configured to control the robot cleaner to return to the cleaning area without rotating the robot cleaner and repeat cleaning of the cleaning area.

12. The robot cleaner of claim 10, wherein the control unit is configured to rotate the robot cleaner 180 degrees, move the robot cleaner toward the cleaning area, and repeat cleaning of the cleaning area.

13. The robot cleaner of claim 7, wherein the control unit is configured to control the robot cleaner to traverses the cleaning area a plurality of times until the first sensing data is lower than the preset first reference.

14. The robot cleaner of claim 13, wherein after the robot cleaner traverses the cleaning area a preset number of times and based on the first sensing data being than the preset first reference, the control unit is configured to control the robot cleaner to stop cleaning.

15. A method for controlling a robot cleaner, the method comprising:

setting a traveling route and a cleaning mode;

cleaning a cleaning area that is located along the traveling route according to the cleaning mode;

sensing dust in the cleaning area by a plurality of dust sensors that are located in a main body of the robot cleaner and that include a first sensor and a second sensor;

obtaining coordinates of a current position;

determining whether to intensively clean by comparing a first sensing result of a first sensor to a preset first reference;

based on determining whether to intensively clean, cleaning the cleaning area;

determining a cleaning state of the cleaning area by comparing a difference between the first sensing result and a second sensing result of a second sensor to a second reference; and

based on determining the cleaning state of the cleaning area, controlling cleaning and movement of the robot cleaner.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of duct sensors are located in positions at which the plurality of dust sensors pass through, within a reference range, the same point based on the robot cleaner traveling in a linear direction or based on the robot cleaner rotating.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the first sensor is located on a front side of the main body and is configured to sense dust that is located in a traveling route before the robot cleaner passes dust, and

the second sensor is located on a rear side of the main body and is configured to sense dust that is located in the traveling route after the robot cleaner passes dust.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein obtaining coordinates of the current position comprises:

obtaining, in real time, the coordinates of the cleaning position; and

storing, as a general cleaning target area, coordinates of the cleaning area.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein comparing a first sensing result of a first sensor to a preset first reference comprises:

based on the first sensing result being equal to or less than the preset first reference, maintaining, as a general cleaning target area, coordinates of the cleaning area; and

maintaining the cleaning state of the cleaning area, and

based on the first sensing result exceeding the first reference, designating the coordinates of the cleaning area as an intensive cleaning target area; and

designating the cleaning state to be intensively cleaned.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein determining a cleaning state of the cleaning area comprises:

based on the difference between the first sensing result and the second sensing result exceeding the preset second reference, determining to clean an area other than the cleaning area,

based on the difference between the first sensing result and the second sensing result being equal to or less than the preset second reference and the cleaning area not being designated to be intensively cleaned, determining to clean an area other than the cleaning area, and

based on the difference between the first sensing result and the second sensing result being equal to or less than the preset second reference and the cleaning area being designated to be intensively cleaned, determining to repeat cleaning of the cleaning area.