APPARATUS FOR RETURNING OF ROBOT AND RETURNING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20160229060A1
• Filed: 11/06/2015
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Ji-min, KWAK, No-san, KIM, Shin, ROH, Kyung-shik, PARK, Soon-yong, YOON, Suk-june
• Granted Patent: US 9,751,214 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/022 Recharging of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0085 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/005 using batteries, e.g. as a back-up power source
• 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 9/1664 characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1674 characterised by safety, monitoring, diagnostic
• 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: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

An apparatus for returning of robot and a returning method thereof are provided, in which the apparatus for returning of robot includes a signal transmitter which is disposed on a charging station and transmits a single front signal and a plurality of distance signals including first, second and third distance signals, a signal receiver which is disposed on the robot and includes a plurality of receiving sensors to receive any one among the single front signal and one among the plurality of distance signals, and a controller which calculates an angle of the charging station by using one among the received single front signal and the plurality of received distance signals and controls the driving so that the robot can return to the charging station by using the calculated angle of the charging station.

Claims

1. An apparatus for returning a robot to a charging station, the apparatus comprising:

a signal transmitter disposed on the charging station to transmit a single front signal and a plurality of distance signals comprising first, second and third distance signals in which a respective transmission distance of the plurality of distance signals consecutively increases;

a signal receiver disposed on the robot and comprising a plurality of receiving sensors to receive the single front signal and the plurality of distance signals; and

a controller configured to calculate an angle of the charging station by using any among the single front signal and the plurality of distance signals as received, and to control the driving of the robot so that the robot returns to the charging station using the calculated angle of the charging station,

wherein the controller controls the robot to drive away from the charging station when the first distance signal is received by at least one among the plurality of receiving sensors provided on the robot, or for the robot to drive toward the charging station when the third distance signal is received,

the controller controls the robot to perform front-turn driving toward a direction corresponding to a preset angle based on a direction of the charging station and searches the front signal when the second distance signal is received by at least one among the plurality of receiving sensors, and

the controller controls the robot to drive toward the direction of the charging station and to connect to the charging station when the front signal is received by at least one among the plurality of receiving sensors.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of receiving sensors are arranged on a boundary of the robot symmetrically from left to right with respect to a front of the robot.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of receiving sensors have preset reception ranges.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of receiving sensors are arranged on the boundary of the robot at equal intervals with respect to each other.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of receiving sensors comprise a pair of front receiving sensors arranged in parallel on the front of the robot in which the reception ranges overlap with each other.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when a plurality of distance signals are received by some among the plurality of receiving sensors, only a distance signal having the smallest transmission angle and distance in terms of size is selected by the controller and the controller controls the robot according to the selected signal, and when a plurality of distance signals and the single front signal are received by some among the plurality of receiving sensors, the single front signal is only selected by the controller and the controller controls the robot according to the selected single front signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the front signal, and the first, the second and the third distance signals have different codes from each other,

the front signal is transmitted from the center of the charging station toward the front, and

the first, the second and the third distance signals are each formed symmetrically from left to right with respect to the front signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first and the second distance signals have different codes between the signals formed on one side and the signals formed on other side of the front signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the third distance signal comprises a transmission angle covering both sides of the charging station.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first to the third distance signals have overlapping areas with respect to each other, and

the controller selects the distance signal having the smallest transmission distance when at least two distance signals are received by at least one among the plurality of receiving sensors, selects the front signal only when any one among the plurality of distance signals and the front signal is received, and controls a driver of the robot according to the selected signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the front signal and the plurality of distance signals are infrared signals.

12. A method for returning a robot to a charging station, the method comprising:

determining whether returning conditions are met according to a charging amount of a battery or an amount of dust obtained;

when the returning conditions are met, searching any one among a single front signal transmitted from the charging station and a plurality of distance signals comprising first, second and third distance signals in which the transmission distance of the plurality of distance signals consecutively increases;

driving the robot away from the charging station when the first distance signal is received by at least one among a plurality of receiving sensors provided on the robot, or driving the robot toward the charging station when the third distance signal is received;

front-turn driving the robot toward a direction corresponding to a preset angle (θ

_o) based on a direction of the charging station and searching the front signal when the second distance signal is received by at least one among the plurality of receiving sensors; and

driving the robot toward the direction of the charging station and connecting the robot to the charging station when the front signal is received by at least one among the plurality of receiving sensors.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first, second, and the third distance signals have overlapping areas with respect to each other,

the distance signal having the smallest transmission angle and distance is selected when at least two distance signals are received by at least one among the plurality of receiving sensors, or

the front signal only is selected when any one among the plurality of distance signals and the front signal is received and driving is performed according to the selected signal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the direction of the charging station is determined according to an angle of the charging station calculated by an arrangement angle from a front center line of the robot to the receiving sensor which receives the selected signal.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the direction of the charging station is repeatedly determined at a preset calculating period from a time when at least one among the plurality of receiving sensors provided on the robot receives the single front signal and any one among the plurality of distance signals comprising the first to the third distance signals to a time when the robot connects to the charging station.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of receiving sensors are arranged on the boundary of the robot symmetrically from left to right with respect a front of the robot, and

the angle (θ

_s) of the charging station is calculated according to a following mathematical formula 1

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the preset angle (θ

_o) is established within a range from −

180°

to +180°

, and

when the second distance signal is received by some among the plurality of receiving sensors provided on the robot, the robot performs a front-straight driving if the angle of the charging station is uniform to the preset angle in terms of size, and the direction is different from each other.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the front-turn driving is performed according to a preset angular velocity corresponding to the calculated angle of the charging station.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the front-turn driving is performed according to an angular velocity proportional to a size of the calculated angle of the charging station.