Robot cleaner
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A robot cleaner comprising:
- a main body;
a light transmitting unit that emits light;
an image sensor that senses light reflected or scattered by an obstacle from the light emitted from the light transmitting unit;
a base supporting the light transmitting unit and the image sensor and rotatably and vertically movably disposed in the main body;
a rotation drive unit that rotates the base; and
an elevation drive unit that allows the base to retract and protract from the main body,wherein when the elevation drive unit locates the base at a first location, the light transmitting unit emits light to the obstacle through a front side of the main body, and when the elevation drive unit locates the base at a second location, the light transmitting unit emits light to the obstacle from an upper side of the main body.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A robot cleaner includes a main body, a light transmitting unit, an image sensor, a base, a rotation drive unit, and an elevation drive unit. The light transmitting unit emits light. The light reflected or scattered by an obstacle is sensed by the image sensor. The base supports the light transmitting unit and the image sensor and is rotatably and vertically movably disposed in the main body. The rotation drive unit rotates the base. The elevation drive unit allows the base to retract or protract from the main body.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A robot cleaner comprising:
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a main body; a light transmitting unit that emits light; an image sensor that senses light reflected or scattered by an obstacle from the light emitted from the light transmitting unit; a base supporting the light transmitting unit and the image sensor and rotatably and vertically movably disposed in the main body; a rotation drive unit that rotates the base; and an elevation drive unit that allows the base to retract and protract from the main body, wherein when the elevation drive unit locates the base at a first location, the light transmitting unit emits light to the obstacle through a front side of the main body, and when the elevation drive unit locates the base at a second location, the light transmitting unit emits light to the obstacle from an upper side of the main body. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12)
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11. A robot cleaner of comprising:
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a main body; a light transmitting unit that emits light; an image sensor that senses light reflected or scattered by an obstacle from the light emitted from the light transmitting unit; a base supporting the light transmitting unit and the image sensor and rotatably and vertically movably located in the main body; a rotation drive unit that rotates the base; and an elevation drive unit that allows the base to retract and protract from the main body, wherein the main body includes a transparent member to pass light emitted from the light transmitting unit when the elevation drive unit retracts the base into the main body.
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13. A robot cleaner comprising:
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a main body; a location sensor rotatably and vertically movably located in the main body to sense a location of an obstacle by emitting light to the obstacle; a rotation drive unit to rotate the location sensor; an elevation drive unit to allow the location sensor to rise and fall; and a controller to control one of the rotation drive unit and the elevation drive unit, wherein the location sensor varies in emitting direction of light according to a rotation by the rotation drive unit, and wherein the controller performs a first obstacle sensing control to sense a lower obstacle by controlling the rotation drive unit at a first location, and when an obstacle is sensed by the controller through the first obstacle sensing control, the controller controls the elevation drive unit such that the location sensor is located at a second location where the location sensor upwardly protrudes from the main body and the controller performs a second obstacle sensing control to sense an upper obstacle by controlling the rotation drive unit. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A robot cleaner comprising:
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a main body; a location sensor rotatably and vertically movably located in the main body to sense a location of an obstacle by emitting light to the obstacle; a rotation drive unit to rotate the location sensor; an elevation drive unit to allow the location sensor to rise and fall; and a controller to control one of the rotation drive unit and the elevation drive unit, wherein the controller performs first obstacle sensing by controlling the rotation drive unit such that the location sensor rotates at a first location where the location sensor is raised from an upper side of the main body, and when an obstacle is sensed by the first obstacle sensing, the controller controls the elevation drive unit such that the location sensor falls to a second location where the location sensor is housed in the main body. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification