Apparatus and method for recognizing position of mobile robot

• US 8,379,966 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2008
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jeong, Woo-yeon, Park, Jun-ho, Bang, Seok-won
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhatnagar, Anand
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARK, SOO JIN
• Application Number:
  US12/218,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20090028387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: 382/153, 700/259, 700/260, 700/261
• US Class Current: 382/153
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0007 Image acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/141 Control of illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/10 Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/125 by using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus for recognizing the position of a mobile robot. The apparatus includes an image capturing unit which is loaded into a mobile robot and captures an image; an illuminance determining unit which determines illuminance at a position where an image is to be captured; a light-emitting unit which emits light toward the position; a light-emitting control unit which controls the light-emitting unit according to the determined illuminance; a driving control unit which controls the speed of the mobile robot according to the determined illuminance; and a position recognizing unit which recognizes the position of the mobile robot by comparing a pre-stored image to the captured image.

Claims

1. An apparatus for recognizing a position of a mobile robot, the apparatus comprising:

an image capturing unit which is loaded into the mobile robot and captures an image;

an illuminance determining unit which determines illuminance at the position where the image is to be captured;

a light-emitting unit which emits light toward the position;

a light-emitting control unit which controls the light-emitting unit according to the determined illuminance;

a driving control unit which controls the speed of the mobile robot according to the determined illuminance; and

a position recognizing unit which recognizes the position of the mobile robot by comparing a pre-stored image to the captured image,

wherein the driving control unit decreases the speed of the mobile robot when the determined illuminance is low to allow for an increase in exposure time of a shutter of the image capturing unit, and

wherein the driving control unit increases the speed of the mobile robot when the determined illuminance is high to allow for a decrease in exposure time of the shutter of the image capturing unit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the illuminance determining unit determines illuminance based on the image captured by the image capturing unit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light-emitting unit comprises an infrared light emitting diode (LED) or an LED bulb.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a synchronization unit which synchronizes a period of time during which the light-emitting unit is turned on by the light-emitting control unit with a period of time during which a shutter of the image capturing unit is exposed to capture the image.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, if the illuminance determining unit determines that the illuminance is low, the light-emitting control unit turns on the light-emitting unit.