Robot cleaner and self testing method of the same

• US 8,800,101 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2012
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Siyong, Kim, Yongju, Sung, Jihoon, Yun, Hyungtae
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): HORTON, ANDREW ALAN
• Application Number:
  US13/536,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20130025085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 153/19, 153/39, 15 491- 522, 15/98, 320/109, 320/115, 320/104, 700/245, 700/246, 700/249, 700/250, 700/256, 700/259, 700/258, 318/569.1, 318/568.12, 318/580, 318/581, 318/587
• US Class Current: 15/319
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/022 Recharging of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2889 Safety or protection devices or systems, e.g. for prevention of motor over-heating or for protection of the user

Abstract

Disclosed are a robot cleaner and a self testing method thereof. The robot cleaner performs a self test when being initially operated or when required by a user. This may prevent malfunctions or breakdowns of the robot cleaner. Furthermore, the robot cleaner senses states of components and sensors mounted therein, and performs a self test based on characteristics, output values, etc. of the components and the sensors. This may prevent accidents or errors which may occur as the robot cleaner operates.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner comprising:

a body which forms an appearance;

a driving unit having a wheel motor to rotate right and left main wheels provided at two sides of a lower part of the body, and to move the body by driving the wheel motor;

a storage unit to store a test algorithm;

a state sensing unit to sense a state of units provided within the body and to output a first sensing information;

an object sensing unit to sense periphery objects from the robot cleaner and to output a second sensing information;

an operation sensing unit to sense changeable operations according to a movement of the robot cleaner and to output a third sensing information;

an input unit to receive an execution command of a self test mode;

a controller to execute the self test mode according to the test algorithm when the execution command is received, and to test the robot cleaner by receiving at least one of the first, second and third information; and

an output unit configured to output an execution result of the self test mode, wherein each the sensing information is outputted while the robot cleaner moves in a predetermined pattern within a preset distance from a charging base according to the test algorithm, wherein the preset distance is shorter than a maximum distance at which the object sensing unit is allowed to sense the charging base so as to determine that the object sensing unit is in an abnormal state according to whether the object sensing unit senses the charging base or not.

2. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the controller checks whether preset execution conditions are satisfied or not and if the preset execution conditions are satisfied, the controller executes the self test mode.

3. The robot cleaner of claim 2, wherein the preset execution conditions include:

whether a dust box is mounted, whether a dustcloth plate is detached, and a charging status of a battery.

4. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the object sensing unit is at least one of an external signal sensor, a front sensor, an obstacle sensor, a cliff sensor, a lower camera sensor, and an upper camera sensor.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the controller executes the self test mode only when a current operation mode corresponds to a charging mode.

6. A robot cleaner, comprising:

a body which forms an appearance;

a driving unit having a wheel motor to rotate right and left main wheels provided at two sides of a lower part of the body, and to move the body by driving the wheel motor;

a cleaning unit installed at the body to suck dust particles or foreign materials into the cleaning unit;

a storage unit to store a test algorithm with respect to a plurality of operation modes, wherein one of the operation modes is a self test mode;

a state sensing unit to sense a state of units provided within the body and to output a first sensing information;

an object sensing unit to sense periphery objects from the robot cleaner and to output a second sensing information;

an operation sensing unit to sense changeable operations according to a movement of the robot cleaner and to output a third sensing information;

a controller to execute the self test mode using the sensing information on the robot cleaner; and

an output unit configured to output an executed result on the self test mode based on the received sensing information,

wherein each the sensing information is outputted while the robot cleaner moves in a predetermined pattern within a preset distance from a charging base according to the test algorithm, wherein the preset distance is shorter than a maximum distance at which the object sensing unit is allowed to sense the charging base so as to determine that the object sensing unit is in an abnormal state according to whether the object sensing unit senses the charging base or not.

7. The robot cleaner of claim 6, wherein the one or more sensing units include wheel sensors connected to the right and left main wheels to sense rotation states of the right and left main wheels and to output RPMs of the right and left main wheels.

8. The robot cleaner of claim 7, wherein the controller compares RPMs of the right and left main wheels with each other, the RPMs sensed by the wheel sensors while the robot cleaner moves straight, and tests whether the right and left main wheels are in an abnormal state based on a comparison result.

9. The robot cleaner of claim 6, wherein the one or more sensing units include a current sensor that senses a current applied to the wheel motor, and wherein the controller tests a state of the wheel motor by comparing the sensed current with a reference current.

10. The robot cleaner of claim 6, wherein the cleaning unit includes:

a suction fan to suck dust particles or foreign materials within a cleaning region; and

a suction motor to rotate the suction fan.

11. The robot cleaner of claim 10, wherein one or more of the sensing units include a current sensor that senses a current applied to the suction motor, and

wherein the controller tests a state of the suction motor by comparing the sensed current with a reference current.

12. The robot cleaner of claim 10, wherein the cleaning unit further includes:

an agitator rotatably mounted to a lower part of the body;

a side brush to clean a corner or an edge of a cleaning region by rotating centered around a vertical shaft in the body; and

a brush motor to simultaneously drive the agitator and the side brush.

13. The robot cleaner of claim 12, wherein one or more of the sensing units include a speed sensor to sense a rotation speed of the brush motor, and

wherein the controller tests a state of the agitator by comparing the sensed rotation speed with a reference speed.

14. The robot cleaner of claim 6, further comprising a wheel drop switch operated when the right and left main wheels are in a levitated state from a bottom surface, and

wherein the controller determines that the wheel drop switch is in an abnormal state when the wheel drop switch is turned ON.

15. The robot cleaner of claim 6, wherein the controller checks whether preset execution conditions are satisfied or not and if the preset execution conditions are satisfied, the controller executes the self test mode.

16. The robot cleaner of claim 15, wherein the preset execution conditions include:

whether a dust box is mounted, whether a dustcloth plate is in an attached state and a charging status of a battery state, or a combination thereof.

17. The robot cleaner of claim 6, wherein the object sensing unit is at least one of an external signal sensor, a front sensor, an obstacle sensor, a cliff sensor, a lower camera sensor, and an upper camera sensor.

18. The robot cleaner of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to execute the self test mode only when a current operation mode corresponds to a charging mode.