Robot cleaner, and system and method for remotely controlling the same

• US 9,037,296 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2012
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Choe, Suuk, Lee, Sunghun, Jang, Junho, Park, Hyunwoong, Baek, Seungmin, Kim, Yiebin
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancho, Ronnie
• Application Number:
  US13/605,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20130060379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/258, 700/259, 700/250, 700/1, 700/3, 901/1, 901/46, 901/47, 318/568.12, 180/167
• US Class Current: 700/259
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0488 Combinations or arrangements of several tools, e.g. edge cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/32 Auto pilot mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0044 by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/008 based on physical entities controlled by simulated intelligence so as to replicate intelligent life forms, e.g. based on robots replicating pets or humans in their appearance or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/47 Optical

Abstract

Disclosed are a robot cleaner, and a system and method for remotely controlling the robot cleaner. Since the robot cleaner is accessed to a terminal through a network, the robot cleaner can be controlled in more various manners. A situation inside a house can be real-time checked from the outside, and the satiation can be rapidly handled according to a state of the robot cleaner. Since the terminal and the robot cleaner are connected to each other through a network, a voice call function and an interphone function can be implemented. Furthermore, the robot cleaner can perform automatic cleaning, manual cleaning, and reservation cleaning in an autonomous manner, or in a remote-controlled manner.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner, comprising:

an image detection unit configured to create image information by capturing a periphery;

a signal input unit configured to receive an input of a sound;

a communication unit configured to receive a control signal from an external terminal, and to transmit, to the terminal, a response signal with respect to the control signal; and

a control unit configured to execute a control command by extracting the control command from the control signal, and configured to create the response signal,

wherein the control unit is configured to extract a cleaning start command or a cleaning stop command from the control signal, and is configured to perform a cleaning operation according to the cleaning start command, or to stop the cleaning operation according to the cleaning stop command, and

wherein the robot cleaner transfers both the image information and the inputted sound to the external terminal simultaneously when the robot cleaner outputs a received audio signal and a received image information both of which are sent from the external terminal,

wherein the external terminal includes;

a radio communication unit configured to transmit a control signal to the robot cleaner, and to receive data from the robot cleaner;

a controller configured to create the control signal, and to create a control screen using the data; and

a display unit having a touch recognition region for inputting the control command, and configured to display the control screen,

wherein the touch recognition region includes;

a first region configured to display the control screen, and on which the control command is input; and

a second region having a size equal to or less than that of the first region.

2. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the communication unit is configured to receive cleaning reservation information from the terminal, and the control unit performs a cleaning operation based on the cleaning reservation information.

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

an obstacle detection unit having one or more sensors, and configured to detect peripheral obstacles, and to output obstacle information; and

a position recognition unit having one or more sensors, and configured to recognize a position of the robot cleaner, and configured to output position information,

wherein the control unit is configured to create a map based on at least one of the image information, the obstacle information and the position information.

4. The robot cleaner of claim 3, wherein the robot cleaner creates the map and transfers the created map to the external terminal while performing the cleaning operation according to a manual operation, and the external terminal displays a process of creating the map on a screen.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 4, wherein the robot cleaner creates the map and transfers the created map to the external terminal while performing the cleaning operation based on a cleaning command inputted by a manual operation.

6. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to extract an audio signal from the control signal, and to execute a control command corresponding to the audio signal.

7. The robot cleaner of claim 1, further comprising an audio recognition unit configured to extract an audio signal from a peripheral sound, and to recognize the extracted audio signal, and

wherein the control unit is configured to convert the audio signal recognized by the audio recognition unit, into the response signal.

8. The robot cleaner of claim 7, wherein the audio recognition unit includes:

a noise filter configured to remove noise from the inputted sound by the signal input unit; and

an audio signal extractor configured to extract an audio signal from the sound having noise removed therefrom.

9. A system for remotely-controlling a robot cleaner, the system comprising:

a robot cleaner configured to execute a control command included in a control signal by receiving the control signal, and configured to transmit one or more data including image information or a cleaning map; and

a terminal configured to create the control signal corresponding to the control command and to transmit the control signal to the robot cleaner, and configured to create a control screen based on the data and to display the control screen,

wherein the control command includes a cleaning start command or a cleaning stop command, and

wherein the robot cleaner transfers both the image information and an inputted sound by a signal input unit to the terminal simultaneously when the robot cleaner outputs a received audio signal and a received image information both of which are sent from the terminal,

wherein the external terminal includes;

a radio communication unit configured to transmit the control signal to the robot cleaner, and to receive the data from the robot cleaner;

a controller configured to create the control signal, and to create a control screen using the data; and

a display unit having a touch recognition region for inputting the control command, and configured to display the control screen,

wherein the touch recognition region includes;

a first region configured to display the control screen, and on which the control command is input; and

a second region having a size equal to or less than that of the first region.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the display unit displays, on the touch recognition region, a cleaning start icon for inputting a cleaning start command, and a cleaning stop icon for inputting a cleaning stop command, in an alternating manner.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the display unit further includes a mode icon for setting a cleaning mode, and

wherein the controller creates a mode setting screen, upon receipt of a touch input with respect to the mode icon.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the display unit further includes a cleaning reservation icon for setting cleaning reservation, and

wherein the controller creates a cleaning reservation screen, upon receipt of a touch input with respect to the cleaning reservation icon.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the terminal creates cleaning reservation information thus to transmit to the robot cleaner, and

wherein the robot cleaner executes a cleaning operation based on the cleaning reservation information.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the terminal further includes a microphone configured to receive an input of the audio signal, and

wherein the controller is configured to create a control signal based on the audio signal.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the robot cleaner is configured to extract a control command from the audio signal, and to execute the control command.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the display unit includes a microphone icon configured to activate or non-activate an audio output unit of the robot cleaner.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the terminal further includes a camera configured to detect image information by capturing a periphery.

18. A method for remotely-controlling a robot cleaner in a system including a robot cleaner, and a terminal for controlling the robot cleaner, the method comprising:

the robot cleaner'"'"'s receiving a control signal from the terminal;

the robot cleaner'"'"'s extracting, from the control signal, a control command including a cleaning start command or a cleaning stop command; and

the robot cleaner'"'"'s performing a cleaning operation according to the cleaning start command, or the robot cleaner'"'"'s stopping the cleaning operation according to the cleaning stop command,

wherein the method further comprising;

the robot cleaner'"'"'s receiving an input of a sound and creating image information by capturing a periphery;

the robot cleaner'"'"'s transferring both the inputted sound and the image information to the terminal simultaneously when the robot cleaner'"'"'s outputting a received audio signal and a received image information both of which are sent from the terminal,

wherein the external terminal includes;

a radio communication unit configured to transmit the control signal to the robot cleaner, and to receive the data from the robot cleaner;

a controller configured to create the control signal, and to create a control screen using the data; and

a display unit having a touch recognition region for inputting the control command, and configured to display the control screen,

wherein the touch recognition region includes;

a first region configured to display the control screen, and on which the control command is input; and

a second region having a size equal to or less than that of the first region.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

the robot cleaner'"'"'s transmitting, to the terminal, one or more data including the image information or a map.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

the terminal'"'"'s creating cleaning reservation information with respect to the robot cleaner; and

the terminal'"'"'s transmitting the cleaning reservation information to the robot cleaner,

wherein the cleaning operation is performed or stopped based on the cleaning reservation information.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

the terminal'"'"'s receiving an input of the audio signal;

the terminal'"'"'s converting the audio signal into a control signal, and transmitting the control signal to the robot cleaner;

the robot cleaner'"'"'s extracting the audio signal from the control signal; and

the robot cleaner'"'"'s executing the control command extracted from the control signal.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

the terminal'"'"'s receiving an input of the audio signal corresponding to the control command;

the robot cleaner'"'"'s extracting the control command from the audio signal.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

the robot cleaner'"'"'s receiving an input of a sound from the outside; and

the robot cleaner'"'"'s converting the sound into a response signal, and transmitting the response signal to the terminal.