Robot cleaner and remote monitoring system using the same

• US 8,843,245 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2011
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Choe, Suuk, Kim, Younggie, Yoon, Jeongsuk, Lee, Seongsoo, Jang, Junho, Na, Sangik, Kim, Yiebin, Yi, Donghoon, Baek, Seungmin
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Do, Truc M
• Application Number:
  US13/093,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20110264305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/28, 701/23, 701/25, 701/26, 700/65, 700/245, 700/214, 700/253, 700/264
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

A robot cleaner has a camera to generate an image of a cleaning area, a controller to prepare a cleaning map based on the image and to drive a robot cleaner, and a communicator to transmit the image and cleaning map to an external device and to receive a control command from the external device. The image and map may be transmitted over a local or wide area network, and the external device may be a computer, television, smart phone, portable phone, or other type of wireless access device.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner, comprising:

at least one monitoring camera to generate a monitoring image of a cleaning area;

an upward camera provided at an upper portion of the robot cleaner to capture an upper part and output an upper image;

a controller to provide a cleaning map based on the upper image, and the controller to drive a robot cleaner; and

a communicator to transmit the monitoring image and the cleaning map to an external device and to receive, from the external device, a control command for a specific location or area on the cleaning map,

wherein the controller determines at least one characteristic point according to certain criteria, using the upper images captured at a first time and a second time through the upward camera during movement, and a movement ratio of the at least one characteristic point based on the movement of the robot cleaner is greater than a predetermined value, and a calculated height of the characteristic point is higher than a reference height, and wherein the controller generates the cleaning map using the determined characteristic point.

2. The robot cleaner of claim 1, further comprising:

an image processor to compress the monitoring image and the cleaning map.

3. The robot cleaner of claim 1, further comprising:

an authenticator to permit or block access to the external device.

4. The robot cleaner of claim 1, further comprising:

a detector to detect an obstacle; and

a location recognizer having at least one sensor to recognize a location of the robot cleaner, wherein the controller generates the cleaning map based on the detected obstacle and the location.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 4, further comprising:

a display to display at least one of the monitoring image, information corresponding to the obstacle, information corresponding to the location, authentication information on the external device, or the cleaning map.

6. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the control command is to control the monitoring camera or movement or orientation of the robot cleaner.

7. A system, comprising:

a robot cleaner to generate a monitoring image of a cleaning area, wherein the robot cleaner includes an upward camera provided at an upper portion of the robot cleaner to capture an upper part and provide an upper image, and the robot cleaner to prepare a cleaning map based on the upper image; and

a wireless terminal to receive the monitoring image and the cleaning map from the robot cleaner and to transmit, to the robot cleaner, a control command for a specific location or area on the cleaning map,

wherein the robot cleaner includes;

a controller to generate the cleaning map from the upper image and to drive the robot cleaner; and

a communicator to transmit the monitoring image and the cleaning map to the wireless terminal and to receive the control command from the wireless terminal, wherein the controller determines at least one characteristic point according to certain criteria, using the upper images captured at a first time and a second time through the upward camera during movement of the robot cleaner, and a movement ratio of the characteristic point based on the movement of the robot cleaner is greater than a predetermined value, and a calculated height of the characteristic point is higher than a reference height, and wherein the controller prepares the cleaning map using the determined characteristic point.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the robot cleaner further includes:

an image processor to compress the monitoring image and the cleaning map.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the robot cleaner further includes:

an authenticator to permit or block access to the external device.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the robot cleaner further includes:

a detector to detect an obstacle; and

a location recognizer having at least one sensor to recognize a location of the robot cleaner, wherein the controller generates the cleaning map based on the detected obstacle and the location.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the wireless terminal includes:

a user interface to display the cleaning map or the monitoring image and to receive the control command.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the wireless terminal displays the monitoring image when a portion corresponding to a specific monitoring area in the cleaning map is selected while the cleaning map is displayed.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the control command is to control the monitoring camera or movement or orientation of the robot cleaner.

14. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a wireless access device coupled between the robot cleaner and the wireless terminal or an external network.

15. The system of claim 7, wherein the wireless terminal includes a computer, a television, a smart phone, a portable phone, or a wireless access device coupled to the robot cleaner through an external network.

16. A method comprising:

capturing an upper part and providing an upper image by a upward camera provided at an upper portion of a robot cleaner;

generating a monitoring image of a cleaning area to be cleaned by at least one monitoring camera of the robot cleaner;

preparing, by a controller of the robot cleaner, a cleaning map based on the upper image;

transmitting, by a communicator of the robot cleaner, the monitoring image and the cleaning map to a wireless terminal over a communication link; and

receiving, by the communicator of the robot cleaner and from the wireless terminal, a control command for a specific location or area on the cleaning map,

wherein preparing the cleaning map includes determining at least one characteristic point according to certain criteria, using the upper images captured at a first time and a second time through the upward camera during movement, and a movement ratio of the characteristic point based on the movement of the robot cleaner is greater than a predetermined value, and a calculated height of the characteristic point is higher than a reference height, and wherein preparing the cleaning map includes providing the cleaning map using the determined characteristic point.