Robot cleaner, controlling method of the same, and robot cleaning system

• US 8,983,661 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2013
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Cho, Ilsoo, Kwon, Taebum, Choe, Suuk
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Tyler J
• Application Number:
  US13/905,898
• Publication Number:
  US 20130326839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/2, 701/22, 701 23- 28, 701/36, 701/400, 701/450, 700/3, 700/9, 700 13- 22, 700 28- 30, 700 56- 66, 700245-262, 700/302, 700/303, 700/304, 700/306, 15/3, 153/19, 134/18, 901/1
• US Class Current: 700/257
• 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 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0085 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0221 involving a learning process
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0238 using obstacle or wall sensors G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

Disclosed are a robot cleaner, a controlling method of the same, and a robot cleaning system. The robot cleaner can perform a cleaning operation with respect to only a user'"'"'s desired region, in a repeated and concentrated manner. Further, as the robot cleaner runs on a user'"'"'s desired region in a manual manner, a designated region can be precisely set. Further, as the robot cleaner performs a cleaning operation by setting a user'"'"'s desired region, only a simple configuration is added to a terminal device such as a remote control unit. Accordingly, additional costs can be reduced, and a malfunction can be prevented.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner, comprising:

a driving unit configured to move the robot cleaner;

a control unit comprising a region setting module configured to set a designated region within a cleaning region, and configured to perform a cleaning operation with respect to the designated region according to a cleaning command, wherein the designated region is formed based on a running path of the robot cleaner according to a designated region setting command inputted by a user and transmitted from a terminal device that is separated from the robot cleaner; and

a cleaning unit configured to suck dust or foreign materials within the designated region, according to the cleaning command,

wherein the designated region is formed before performing the cleaning operation, and the running path is generated based on a path of sequential changing moving directions of the running robot cleaner according to a user input.

2. The robot cleaner of claim 1, further comprising a communication unit configured to receive a remote control signal from an external device,

wherein the control unit further comprises a command extraction module configured to extract, from the remote control signal, a control command including the designated region setting command and the cleaning command.

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

an image detection unit configured to detect image information by capturing a peripheral space; and

an obstacle detection unit having one or more sensors, and configured to detect one or more obstacles on the cleaning region using detection signals from the one or more sensors, and to output obstacle information.

4. The robot cleaner of claim 3, wherein the control unit further comprises:

a position recognition module configured to recognize a position of the robot cleaner using one of the image information and the obstacle information, or both the image information and the obstacle information; and

a map creation module configured to create a map with respect to the cleaning region, using one of the image information and the obstacle information, or both the image information and the obstacle information, based on the position of the robot cleaner recognized by the position recognition module.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the region setting module sets a designated region into a rectangular shape, using maximum values and minimum values in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction of the running path.

6. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the region setting module sets the designated region by connecting a start position and an end position on the running path with each other when the running path according to the designated region setting command is not a closed loop.

7. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the region setting module sets the designated region into a polygonal shape by approximating the running path.

8. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the cleaning command comprises one or more among a cleaning type, the number of times of cleaning, whether to repeatedly perform a cleaning operation or not, and a cleaning start time.

9. A robot cleaning system, comprising:

a robot cleaner provided with a designated region cleaning mode, and configured to set a designated region within a cleaning region, and to perform a cleaning operation with respect to the designated region according to a cleaning command, wherein the designated region is formed based on a running path of the robot cleaner according to a designated region setting command inputted by a user and transmitted from a terminal device that is separated from the robot cleaner, and

a terminal device configured to receive the designated region setting command according to the designated region cleaning mode, or the cleaning command, and then to transmit the command to the robot cleaner and the running path is generated based on a path of sequential changing moving directions of the running robot cleaner according to the user input.

10. The robot cleaning system of claim 9, wherein the terminal device comprises:

an input unit configured to receive the designated region setting command and the cleaning command;

a control unit configured to generate a remote control signal according to the designated region cleaning mode, in accordance with a communication protocol with the robot cleaner; and

a communication unit configured to transmit the remote control signal to the robot cleaner.

11. The robot cleaning system of claim 10, wherein the input unit comprises:

a designated region button for making the robot cleaner enter the designated region cleaning mode;

one or more directional buttons for driving the robot cleaner such that the robot cleaner sets the designated region; and

a start button for inputting an operation start command.

12. A method for controlling a robot cleaner, comprising:

receiving a designated region setting command transmitted from a terminal device that is separated from the robot cleaner, wherein the designated region setting command is different from a cleaning command;

running on a cleaning region according to the designated region setting command;

setting a designated region within the cleaning region, wherein the designated region is formed based on a running path of the robot cleaner according to the designated region setting command; and

performing a cleaning operation with respect to the designated region, according to the cleaning command,

wherein the running path is generated based on a path of sequential changing moving directions of the running robot cleaner according to a user input.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a remote control signal from an external device; and

extracting, from the remote control signal, a control command including the designated region setting command and the cleaning command.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

detecting image information by capturing a peripheral space;

detecting obstacle information about obstacles on the cleaning region;

recognizing a position of the robot cleaner using one of the image information and the obstacle information, or both of the image information and the obstacle information; and

creating a map with respect to the cleaning region, using one of the image information and the obstacle information, or both of the image information and the obstacle information, based on the recognized position of the robot cleaner.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein in the step of setting a designated region, the designated region is set into a rectangular shape using maximum values and minimum values in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction of the running path.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein in the step of setting a designated region, the designated region is set by connecting a start position and an end position on the running path with each other when the running path according to the designated region setting command is not a closed loop.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein in the step of setting a designated region, the designated region is set into a polygonal shape by approximating the running path.

18. The method of one of claim 12, wherein the cleaning command comprises one or more among a cleaning type, the number of times of cleaning, whether to repeatedly perform a cleaning operation or not, and a cleaning start time.