CLEANING ROBOT AND CONTROLLING METHOD THEREFOR

• US 20180255997A1
• Filed: 09/13/2016
• Published: 09/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: SO, Jea Yun, JEONG, Yeon Kyu, YOON, Sang Sik, KIM, Shin
• Granted Patent: US 11,147,424 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 9/0461 Dust-loosening tools, e.g. agitators, brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/28 Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2831 Motor parameters, e.g. motor load or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2836 characterised by the parts which are controlled
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers
• 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: A47L 9/30 Arrangement of illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/00 Manipulators not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0085 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/00 Programme-controlled manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/16 Programme controls programme controls in general G05B19/00, e.g. numerical pogramme controls G05B19/18; recording or playback systems G05B19/42
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1664 characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/02 Control of position or course in two dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A robot cleaner and a method for controlling the same are disclosed, which perform efficient cleaning by controlling a suction force or traveling route of the robot cleaner. The robot cleaner detects load applied to wheels of the robot cleaner so as to increase reliability and accuracy in floor state decision, thereby recognizing a floor state. The robot cleaner recognizes a floor state by combining load applied to wheels of the robot cleaner, load applied to brushes, and acceleration information of the robot cleaner with one another in a complementary manner, thereby increasing accuracy in floor state decision. The robot cleaner includes a traveling portion configured to include a traveling wheel to move a main body, and a wheel motor to provide the traveling wheel with drive power, a cleaning portion configured to include a brush module formed at a lower part of the main body to scatter dust or foreign substances accumulated on a floor on which the main body travels, and a suction module to suction the scattered dust or foreign substances, and a controller configured to determine a state of the floor, and control a suction force of the suction module and a traveling route of the main body according to the determined floor state.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner comprising:

a traveling portion configured to include a traveling wheel to move a main body, and a wheel motor to provide the traveling wheel with drive power;

a cleaning portion configured to include a brush module formed at a lower part of the main body to scatter dust or foreign substances accumulated on a floor on which the main body travels, and a suction module to suction the scattered dust or foreign substances; and

a controller configured to determine a state of the floor, and control a suction force of the suction module and a traveling route of the main body according to the determined floor state.

2. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls a suction force used when the floor state is a soft floor to be higher than a suction force used when the floor state is a hard floor.

3. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein:

when the floor state is determined to be a soft floor during a cleaning traveling mode of the robot cleaner, the controller controls the traveling portion to primarily perform cleaning on a region corresponding to the soft floor.

4. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein:

when the floor state is determined to be a soft floor during a cleaning traveling mode of the robot cleaner, the controller controls the traveling portion to repeatedly perform cleaning on a region corresponding to the soft floor after completely cleaning an entire cleaning region.

5. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein:

when the floor state is determined to be a soft floor during a cleaning traveling mode of the robot cleaner, the controller controls the traveling portion to perform cleaning except for a region corresponding to the soft floor from among an entire cleaning region.

6. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein:

when the floor state is determined to be a soft floor and the robot cleaner performs a cleaning traveling mode while tracing a wall surface, the controller controls the suction force to be higher than a suction force needed when the robot cleaner performs cleaning without tracing the wall surface.

7. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the traveling portion to perform cleaning while traveling along a light spot formed on the floor.

8. The robot cleaner according to claim 7, wherein:

when the floor state is determined to be a soft floor while the traveling portion performs traveling along the light spot, the controller controls the traveling portion to primarily perform cleaning on a region corresponding to the soft floor and return to the traveling along the light spot.

9. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising:

a sensing portion configured to detect a load applied to the traveling wheel,

wherein the controller determines the floor state to be a soft floor when a load applied to the traveling wheel is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference value, and determines the floor state to be a hard floor when the load applied to the traveling wheel is less than the predetermined reference value.

10. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the controller determines the floor state on the basis of a load applied to the brush module, a load applied to the traveling wheel, and acceleration of the main body.

11. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising:

a light source provided to at least one of a lower part and an upper part of the main body so as to emit light,

wherein the light source emits light when the floor state is a soft floor.

12. A method for controlling a robot cleaner which performs cleaning while traveling on a floor, the method comprising:

determining whether the floor state is a soft floor or a hard floor;

controlling a suction force used when the floor state is the soft floor to be higher than a suction force used when the floor state is the hard floor; and

performing one of priority cleaning, repeated cleaning, and omitted cleaning on a region corresponding to the soft floor.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the performing of the priority cleaning on the region corresponding to the soft floor includes:

performing a priority cleaning on the region corresponding to the soft floor; and

cleaning a remaining region other than the soft floor region from among an entire cleaning region after finishing cleaning of the soft floor region.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the performing of the repeated cleaning about the region corresponding to the soft floor includes:

after finishing cleaning about an entire cleaning region including the soft floor region, performing repeated cleaning about the soft floor region.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the performing of the omitted cleaning about the region corresponding to the soft floor includes:

cleaning a remaining region other than the soft floor region from among an entire cleaning region.