METHOD FOR CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT MAP FOR AN AUTOMATICALLY MOVEABLE PROCESSING DEVICE

• US 20190025061A1
• Filed: 01/03/2017
• Published: 01/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vorwerk & Company Interholding Gesellschaft Mit Beschrã¤Nkter Haftung (Vorwerk & Company KG)
• Original Assignee: Vorwerk & Company Interholding Gesellschaft Mit Beschrã¤Nkter Haftung (Vorwerk & Company KG)
• Inventors: HELMICH, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 10,809,065 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 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• 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: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3807 characterised by the type of data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3833 characterised by the source of data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/48 Active triangulation systems, i.e. using the transmission and reflection of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

A method for creating an environment map for an automatically moveable processing device, in particular a cleaning robot, wherein a detection device of the processing device detects obstacles in the environment of the processing device and an environment map of the processing device is created based on detected obstacle data of the obstacles. At least one additional sensor detects obstacles in the environment of the processing device, wherein the distance of the additional sensor to the processing device is changed and wherein the obstacle data detected by the additional sensor is combined in the environment map with the obstacle data detected by the detection device of the processing device. In addition to the method for creating an environment map for an independently moveable processing device, the invention also relates to a system for creating an environment map for an independently moveable processing device.

Claims

1. A method for generating an environment map for an automatically movable processing device (1), in particular for a cleaning robot, wherein a detection device (2) of the processing device (1) detects obstacles (3, 4, 5) in the environment of the processing device (1) and generates an environment map of the processing device (1) based on detected obstacle data of the obstacles (3, 4, 5), wherein at least one additional sensor (6) detects obstacles (3, 4, 5) in the environment of the processing device (1), wherein the distance between the additional sensor (6) and processing device (1) is varied, and wherein the obstacle data detected by the additional sensor (6) are combined with the obstacle data detected by the detection device (2) of the processing device (1) in the environment map.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the additional sensor (6) detects the obstacles (3, 4, 5) from a perspective deviating from the perspective of the detection device (2) of the processing device (1), in particular in a top view of the obstacles (3, 4, 5).

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the additional sensor (6) detects image data of the environment of the detection device (1).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a distance (a) between the detection device (2) of the processing device (1) and the additional sensor (6) is measured.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the distance (a) from the additional sensor (6) is measured, while the additional sensor (6) is shifted from the location of the detection device (2) to a desired position, wherein the distance (a) is determined in particular by means of an acceleration sensor of the additional sensor (6).

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the distance (a) is measured by means of the detection device (2) of the processing device (1), in particular by means of a laser distance sensor, especially preferably by means of a triangulation measuring device.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the distance (a) is determined based on the size of the processing device (1) in an image detected by means of the additional sensor (6).

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the additional sensor (6) is arranged in a plane (7) above a detection plane (8) of the detection device (2) of the processing device (1) relative to a vertical direction, in particular on a wall or a ceiling of a room.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the additional sensor (6) detects one or several of the following obstacle data:

Number of obstacles (3, 4, 5), absolute and/or relative position of an obstacle (3, 4, 5), size of an obstacle (3, 4, 5), shape of an obstacle (3, 4, 5), color of an obstacle (3, 4, 5).

10. A system for generating an environment map for an automatically movable processing device (1), in particular a cleaning robot, wherein the system has a processing device (1) with a detection device (2) for detecting obstacles (3, 4, 5) in the environment of the processing device, wherein the system further has at least one additional sensor (6) for detecting obstacles (3, 4, 5) in the environment of the processing device (1), wherein the system has a data processing device, which has communication links with the detection device (2) and additional sensor (6), and which is set up to combine obstacle data detected by the additional sensor (6) with obstacle data detected by the detection device (2) to yield a common environment map.