Robot cleaner, docking station, robot cleaner system including robot cleaner and docking station, and method of controlling robot cleaner

• US 8,224,487 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2010
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoo, Kyung Hwan, Joo, Jae Man, Kim, Dong Won, Lee, Jun Hwa, Hong, Jun Pyo, Chung, Woo Ram, Jung, Jae Young, Jang, Hwi Chan, Ko, Jang Youn, Song, Jeong Gon, Jeung, Sam Jong
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): OH, HARRY Y
• Application Number:
  US12/801,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20100324736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 700247-249, 700/255, 700258-259, 382/153
• US Class Current: 700/259
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/022 Recharging of batteries
• 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 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058

Abstract

A robot cleaner system is described including a docking station to form a docking area within a predetermined angle range of a front side thereof, to form docking guide areas which do not overlap each other on the left and right sides of the docking area, and to transmit a docking guide signal such that the docking guide areas are distinguished as a first docking guide area and a second docking guide area according to an arrival distance of the docking guide signal. The robot cleaner system also includes a robot cleaner to move to the docking area along a boundary between the first docking guide area and the second docking guide area when the docking guide signal is sensed and to move along the docking area so as to perform docking when reaching the docking area.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner system comprising:

a docking station having a first transmission unit to transmit a first docking guide signal comprising at least a first signal pulse and a second signal pulse having an amplitude greater than an amplitude of the first signal pulse, and a second transmission unit to transmit a second docking guide signal comprising at least a first signal pulse and a second signal pulse each having an amplitude greater than the amplitude of the first signal pulse; and

a robot cleaner including a plurality of reception units to sense the signals transmitted by the docking station and a control unit to control a driving unit to move the robot cleaner to the docking station based on the first docking guide signal and the second docking guide signal sensed by the reception unit,

the robot cleaner distinguishing the first docking guide signal sensed in a first short-distance docking guide area from the first docking guide signal sensed by the robot cleaner in a first long-distance guide area, and

the robot cleaner distinguishing the second docking guide signal sensed in a second short-distance docking guide area from the second docking guide signal sensed by the robot cleaner in a second long-distance guide area.

2. The robot cleaner system according to claim 1, wherein the docking station includes a third transmission unit to transmit a central-area signal from a central portion of a front side of a main body of the docking station within a predetermined angle range.

3. The robot cleaner system according to claim 2, wherein the first and second transmission units transmit the guide signals from left and right sides, respectively, of the central portion of the main body of the docking station.

4. The robot cleaner system according to claim 3, wherein the first and second transmission units include first and second light emitting units to generate docking guide signals and first and second shading plates to block some of the docking guide signals so as to reduce spreading angles of each of the docking guide signals.

5. The robot cleaner system according to claim 4, further comprising first and second lens units provided outside the first and second light emitting units so as to spread the docking guide signals.

6. The robot cleaner system according to claim 3, wherein the third transmission unit includes a third light emitting unit to generate the docking signal and a guide portion to guide a traveling direction of the docking signal such that the docking signal is formed within the predetermined angle range.

10. The docking station according to claim 1, wherein the first short-distance docking guide area and the second short-distance docking guide area do not overlap each other.

11. The robot cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein the first docking guide signal sensed by the robot cleaner located in the first short-distance docking guide area is distinguishable from the second docking guide signal sensed by the robot cleaner located in the second short-distance docking guide area.

12. The robot cleaning system according to claim 11, wherein the first docking guide signal sensed by the robot cleaner located in the first long-distance docking guide area is indistinguishable from the second docking guide signal sensed by the robot cleaner located in the second long-distance docking guide area.

13. The robot cleaner system according to claim 2, wherein, when the robot cleaner is moving in a transmission direction of the first docking guide signal, if the first signal pulse of the first docking guide signal is sensed by the reception unit, the control unit controls the driving unit to move along a boundary between the first long-distance docking guide area and the first short-distance docking guide area until the central-area signal is sensed, and when the central-area signal is sensed by the robot cleaner, the control unit controls the driving unit to align and move toward the front side of the docking station according to the central-area signal.

14. The robot cleaner system according to claim 13, wherein, when the robot cleaner is moving in a transmission direction of the second docking guide signal, if the first signal pulse of the second docking guide signal is sensed by the reception unit, the control unit controls the driving unit to move along a boundary between the second long-distance docking guide area and the second short-distance docking guide area until the central-area signal is sensed, and when the central-area signal is sensed by the robot cleaner, the control unit controls the driving unit to align and move toward the front side of the docking station according to the central-area signal.

7. A method of controlling a robot cleaner, the method comprising:

transmitting, by a first transmission unit in a docking station, a first docking guide signal comprising at least a first signal pulse and a second signal pulse having an amplitude greater than an amplitude of the first signal pulse, and

transmitting, by a second transmission unit in a docking station, a second docking guide signal comprising at least a first signal pulse and a second signal pulse having an amplitude greater than the amplitude of the first signal pulse,

sensing, by the robot cleaner, a docking guide signal that guides the said robot cleaner toward a boundary between a first docking guide area formed a predetermined distance or more from a docking station or a second docking guide area formed within the predetermined distance from the docking station when it is determined the robot cleaner needs to be docked, and

the robot cleaner distinguishing between the docking guide signal sensed in the second docking guide area from the docking guide signal sensed by the robot cleaner in the first docking guide area and the robot cleaner sensing the boundary based on a change in the docking guide signal sensed by the robot cleaner;

moving the robot cleaner along the boundary sensed by the robot cleaner to reach a docking area formed at a central portion of a front side of the docking station within a predetermined angle range; and

moving the robot cleaner along the docking area so as to dock the robot cleaner at the docking station, when the robot cleaner reaches the docking area.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the sensing of the boundary includes moving the robot cleaner in a direction of the docking station if the robot cleaner is first located in the first docking guide area and determining that the robot cleaner is located at the boundary when the robot cleaner reaches the second docking guide area while moving in the direction of the docking station.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the sensing of the boundary includes moving the robot cleaner in a direction different from a direction of the docking station if the robot cleaner is first located in the second docking guide area and determining that the robot cleaner is located at the boundary when the robot cleaner reaches the first docking guide area while moving.

15. A method of controlling a robot cleaner to move towards a docking station, the method comprising:

transmitting, by way of a first transmission unit in the docking station, a first docking guide signal comprising a first signal pulse and a second signal pulse having an amplitude greater than an amplitude of the first signal pulse of the first docking guide signal;

transmitting, by way of a second transmission unit in the docking station, a second docking guide signal comprising a first signal pulse and a second signal pulsehaving an amplitude greater than the amplitude of the first signal pulse of the second docking guide signal; and

controlling a driving unit of the robot cleaner to move the robot cleaner toward the docking station based on a sensing of at least one of the first docking guide signal and the second docking guide signal by the robot cleaner,

the robot cleaner distinguishing the first docking guide signal sensed in a first short-distance docking guide area from the first docking guide signal sensed by the robot cleaner in a first long-distance guide area, and

the robot cleaner distinguishing the second docking guide signal sensed in a second short-distance docking guide area from the second docking guide signal sensed by the robot cleaner in a second long-distance guide area.

16. A robot cleaner system comprising:

a docking station comprising a transmission unit to transmit a docking guide signal comprising a first signal pulse and a second signal pulse having an amplitude greater than an amplitude of the first signal pulse; and

a robot cleaner comprising;

a plurality of reception units to sense the docking guide signal;

a driving unit to move the robot cleaner; and

a control unit to control the driving unit to move the robot cleaner towards the docking station based on the docking guide signal sensed by the reception unit,

the robot cleaner distinguishing the docking guide signal sensed in a short-distance docking guide area from the docking guide signal sensed by the robot cleaner in a long-distance guide area.

17. A method of controlling a robot cleaner to move towards a docking station, the method comprising:

transmitting, by the docking station, a docking guide signal comprising a first signal pulse and a second signal pulse having an amplitude greater than an amplitude of the first signal pulse;

sensing the docking guide signal by the robot cleaner; and

controlling the robot cleaner to move towards the docking station based on the sensing of the docking guide signal,

the robot cleaner distinguishing the docking guide signal sensed in a short-distance docking guide area from the docking guide signal sensed by the robot cleaner in a long-distance guide area.