Robot cleaner, robot cleaning system and method for controlling same

• US 6,732,826 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2002
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Moon, Seung-bin, Ko, Jang-youn, Song, Jeong-gon, Lee, Kyoung-mu
• Primary Examiner(s): Fischmann, Bryan
• Application Number:
  US10/116,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20020153184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 180/167, 180/168, 180/169, 701/23, 701/24, 701/25, 701/26, 701/27, 701/28, 701/201, 701/202, 701/207, 701/36, 901/1, 901/50, 153/401, 700/245, 700/246, 700/247, 700/257, 318/587
• US Class Current: 180/169
• 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 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• 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 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0282 generated in a local control room

Abstract

A robot cleaner, robot cleaning system, and a method for controlling the same, using wireless communications an upwardly-looking camera for photographing an upper image perpendicular to a forward-looking direction of driving the robot cleaner; and a controller for controlling the driving unit to allow the robot cleaner to drive within a cleaning area according to a predetermined driving path, and compensating the driving path by analyzing the image photographed by the upwardly-looking camera. Optional features include second forwardly directed camera to provide a three dimensional image sensors for sensing walls or obstacles and transmission of data to external processor/controllers by a radio antenna. The inventive system can recognize the robot cleaner position more accurately by using a relatively constant upper image reducing movement error to a target position.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner for performing a cleaning operation by communicating wirelessly with an apparatus external to the robot cleaner, comprising:

a driving unit for driving a plurality of wheels;

an upper camera disposed on a main body in order to photograph an upper image perpendicular to a forward-looking direction parallel to the driving direction of the robot cleaner;

a front camera disposed on the main body in order to photograph a front image viewed in the forward-looking direction of driving of the robot cleaner; and

a controller for controlling the driving unit to allow the robot cleaner to drive within a cleaning area defined by a predetermined driving pattern, and for establishing a driving path along the predetermined driving pattern by analyzing the image photographed by the upper camera, wherein the controller creates an image map by three-dimensionally mapping the upper image photographed from the upper camera and the front image photographed by the front camera.

2. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the controller controls the driving unit so as to drive within the area to be cleaned according to the predetermined driving pattern and further creates and stores an image map in regard to the upper area from the image photographed by the upper camera, and the controller recognizes the position of the robot cleaner by comparing the stored image map and a current image input from the upper camera so as to enable control of the driving unit corresponding to a target driving path from the recognized position.

3. The robot cleaner of claim 2, wherein the controller creates the image map when a signal for image map creation is transmitted.

4. The robot cleaner of claim 2, wherein the controller divides the image map into a plurality of small cells each having a predetermined size, and the controller determines a special feature disposed on the one or more of the divided small cells, and sets up the determined special feature as a standard coordinate point for recognizing the position of the robot cleaner.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 4, wherein the special feature includes at least one element selected from a group consisting of a bulb, a fire sensor, a fluorescent lamp, and a speaker.

6. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein the controller extracts a linear element from the image photographed from the upper camera while the robot cleaner is driving and compensates the driving path by using the extracted linear element.

7. A robot cleaning system including:

a driving unit for driving a plurality of wheels;

a robot cleaner having an upper camera disposed on a main body for photographing an upper image perpendicular to a driving direction;

a front camera disposed on the main body in order to photograph a front image viewed in the forward-looking direction of driving of the robot cleaner; and

a remote controller for wirelessly communicating with the robot cleaner,

wherein the remote controller creates an image map by Three-dimensional mapping the upper image photographed from the upper camera and the front image photographed by the front camera and further controls the robot cleaner to drive within an area to be cleaned by a predetermined driving pattern, and compensates a driving path along the predetermined driving pattern by transmitting the image being photographed by the upper camera and analyzing the photographed image.

8. The robot cleaning system of claim 7, wherein the remote controller controls the robot cleaner to drive within the area to be cleaned defined by the predetermined driving pattern and creates the image map in regard to the upper area from the images photographed by the upper camera, and the remote controller further recognizes a position of the robot cleaner by comparing the image map and a current image transmitted from the robot cleaner after being photographed from the upper camera and the controller further controls a cleaning path of the robot cleaner to perform a target work from a recognized position, upon receiving a signal for image map creation.

9. The robot cleaning system of claim 8, wherein the remote controller creates the image map whenever a signal for image map creation is transmitted.

10. The robot cleaning system of claim 8, wherein the remote controller divides the image map into a plurality of small cells, each having a predetermined size, and then determines a special feature disposed on one or more of the divided small cells, and sets up the determined special feature as a standard image for recognizing the position of the robot cleaner.

11. The robot cleaning system of claim 10, wherein the special feature includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of a bulb, a fire sensor, a fluorescent lamp, and a speaker.

12. The robot cleaning system of claim 7, wherein the remote controller extracts a linear element from the image transmitted after being photographed from the upper camera and compensates the driving path by using the extracted linear element, when controlling the driving of the robot cleaner.