Robot cleaner and control method thereof
First Claim
1. A robot cleaner comprising:
- a traveling unit to move the robot cleaner;
an ultrasonic sensor to emit an oscillation wave, to receive a reflection wave reflected from an object surface, and to output vibration generated by the oscillation wave and vibration generated by the reception of the reflection wave as an electrical signal; and
a controller to determine information about the object surface based on the electrical signal output from the ultrasonic sensor, and to control movement of the traveling unit based on the information about the object surface,wherein the electrical signal is an electrical signal of a composite wave appearing when the oscillation wave overlaps the reflection wave, or an electrical signal of a composite wave appearing when an aftershock generated by inertia of the oscillation wave overlaps the reflection wave,the controller calculates an average amplitude of the composite wave based on the electrical signal of the composite wave, and determines the information about the object surface based on the average amplitude of the composite wave, andthe controller calculates at least one of a tail length which is a signal having a value smaller than the average amplitude in the electrical signal and an average deviation of the composite wave, and determines the information about the object surface based on the at least one of the tail length and the average deviation.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A robot cleaner includes a main body, a traveling unit installed in the main body, to move the main body, an ultrasonic sensor to emit an oscillation wave, to receive a reflection wave reflected from an object surface, and to output vibration generated by the oscillation wave and vibration generated by the reception of the reflection wave as an electrical signal, a waveform analyzer to calculate a generation time period of the electrical signal output from the ultrasonic sensor, and a controller to determine information about the object surface based on the calculated generation time period of the electrical signal, and to control movement of the traveling unit based on the information about the object surface.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A robot cleaner comprising:
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a traveling unit to move the robot cleaner; an ultrasonic sensor to emit an oscillation wave, to receive a reflection wave reflected from an object surface, and to output vibration generated by the oscillation wave and vibration generated by the reception of the reflection wave as an electrical signal; and a controller to determine information about the object surface based on the electrical signal output from the ultrasonic sensor, and to control movement of the traveling unit based on the information about the object surface, wherein the electrical signal is an electrical signal of a composite wave appearing when the oscillation wave overlaps the reflection wave, or an electrical signal of a composite wave appearing when an aftershock generated by inertia of the oscillation wave overlaps the reflection wave, the controller calculates an average amplitude of the composite wave based on the electrical signal of the composite wave, and determines the information about the object surface based on the average amplitude of the composite wave, and the controller calculates at least one of a tail length which is a signal having a value smaller than the average amplitude in the electrical signal and an average deviation of the composite wave, and determines the information about the object surface based on the at least one of the tail length and the average deviation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A robot cleaner comprising:
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a traveling unit to move the robot cleaner; an ultrasonic sensor to emit an oscillation wave, to receive a reflection wave reflected from an object surface, and to output vibration generated by the oscillation wave and vibration generated by the reception of the reflection wave as an electrical signal; a controller to determine information about the object surface based on the electrical signal output from the ultrasonic sensor, and to control movement of the traveling unit based on the information about the object surface and information from another ultrasonic sensor, wherein the electrical signal is an electrical signal of a composite wave appearing when the oscillation wave overlaps the reflection wave, or an electrical signal of a composite wave appearing when an aftershock generated by inertia of the oscillation wave overlaps the reflection wave, the ultrasonic sensor and the other ultrasonic sensor are disposed at different distances from the object surface to respectively detect composite waves in which different kinds of interferences occur when another reflection wave is reflected from an object surface made of the same material as the object surface; a waveform analyzer to calculate a first waveform length of a first electrical signal output from the ultrasonic sensor, and a second waveform length of a second electrical signal output from the other ultrasonic sensor, and to analyze a first kind of interference of the composite wave in the first electrical signal and a second kind of interference of the composite wave in the second electrical signal, and the controller determines the information about the object surface based on the first waveform length and the second waveform length, and a material of the object surface based on the first kind of interference and the second kind of interference.
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12. A robot cleaner comprising:
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a traveling unit to move the robot cleaner; an ultrasonic sensor to emit an oscillation wave, to receive a reflection wave reflected from an object surface, and to output vibration generated by the oscillation wave and vibration generated by the reception of the reflection wave as an electrical signal; a controller to determine information about the object surface based on the electrical signal output from the ultrasonic sensor, and to control movement of the traveling unit based on the information about the object surface; and a waveform analyzer to detect and analyze feature points from the electrical signal of the composite wave, wherein the electrical signal is an electrical signal of a composite wave appearing when the oscillation wave overlaps the reflection wave, or an electrical signal of a composite wave appearing when an aftershock generated by inertia of the oscillation wave overlaps the reflection wave, the controller determines the information about the object surface based on the result of the analysis of the feature points, and the feature points correspond to a first time at which the composite wave starts to attenuate and a second time at which the attenuation of the composite wave terminates. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of controlling a robot cleaner, the method comprising:
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driving an ultrasonic sensor to emit an oscillation wave; receiving a reflection wave reflected from an object surface by way of the ultrasonic sensor; detecting an electrical signal when vibration generated by the oscillation wave and vibration generated by the reflection wave are output as the electrical signal from the ultrasonic sensor; determining information about the object surface based on the detected electrical signal; and controlling movement of a traveling unit of the robot cleaner based on the information about the object surface, wherein the electrical signal is an electrical signal of a composite wave appearing when the oscillation wave overlaps the reflection wave, or an electrical signal of a composite wave appearing when an aftershock generated by inertia of the oscillation wave overlaps the reflection wave, the determining of the information about the object surface based on the electrical signal comprises; converting the electrical signal into a digital signal; calculating an average amplitude of each of the oscillation wave, the composite wave, and a reflection wave reflected from the object surface using the digital signal; comparing the average amplitude to reference average amplitudes according to pre-stored information about various object surfaces to determine the information about the object surface; calculating a tail length, which is a signal having a value smaller than the average amplitude; and searching for a reference tail length range to which the detected tail length belongs in a plurality of reference tail length ranges according to the pre-stored information about the object surface, and determining a material of the object surface, whether the object surface has been contaminated, and whether an empty space exists. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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18. A method of controlling a robot cleaner, the method comprising:
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driving an ultrasonic sensor to emit an oscillation wave; receiving a reflection wave reflected from an object surface by way of the ultrasonic sensor; detecting an electrical signal when vibration generated by the oscillation wave and vibration generated by the reflection wave are output as the electrical signal from the ultrasonic sensor; determining information about the object surface based on the detected electrical signal; and controlling movement of a traveling unit of the robot cleaner based on the information about the object surface, wherein the electrical signal is an electrical signal of a composite wave appearing when the oscillation wave overlaps the reflection wave, or an electrical signal of a composite wave appearing when an aftershock generated by inertia of the oscillation wave overlaps the reflection wave, and the determining of the information about the object surface based on the electrical signal comprises; converting the electrical signal into a digital signal; calculating an average amplitude of each of the oscillation wave, the composite wave, and the reflection wave using the digital signal; comparing the average amplitude to reference average amplitudes according to pre-stored information about various object surfaces to determine the information about the object surface; calculating an average deviation of the composite wave using the average amplitude; and searching for a reference average deviation range to which the detected average deviation belongs in a plurality of reference average deviation ranges according to the pre-stored information about the object surface, and determining a material of the object surface, whether the object surface has been contaminated, and whether an empty space exists.
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20. A method of controlling a robot cleaner, the method comprising:
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driving an ultrasonic sensor to emit an oscillation wave; receiving a reflection wave reflected from an object surface by way of the ultrasonic sensor; detecting an electrical signal when vibration generated by the oscillation wave and vibration generated by the reflection wave are output as the electrical signal from the ultrasonic sensor; determining information about the object surface based on the detected electrical signal; and controlling movement of a traveling unit of the robot cleaner based on the information about the object surface wherein the electrical signal is an electrical signal of a composite wave appearing when the oscillation wave overlaps the reflection wave, or an electrical signal of a composite wave appearing when an aftershock generated by inertia of the oscillation wave overlaps the reflection wave, and the determining of the information about the object surface based on the electrical signal comprises; detecting a first time at which the electrical signal starts to attenuate and a second time at which the attenuation of the electrical signal terminates, as feature points; and comparing the detected feature points to a plurality of reference feature points according to pre-stored information about an object surface to determine the information about the object surface. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A method of controlling a robot cleaner, the method comprising:
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driving an ultrasonic sensor to emit an oscillation wave; receiving a reflection wave reflected from an object surface by way of the ultrasonic sensor; detecting an electrical signal when vibration generated by the oscillation wave and vibration generated by the reflection wave are output as the electrical signal from the ultrasonic sensor; determining information about the object surface based on the detected electrical signal; and controlling movement of a traveling unit of the robot cleaner based on the information about the object surface wherein the electrical signal is an electrical signal of a composite wave appearing when the oscillation wave overlaps the reflection wave, or an electrical signal of a composite wave appearing when an aftershock generated by inertia of the oscillation wave overlaps the reflection wave, and the determining of the information about the object surface based on the electrical signal comprises; detecting a type of interference of the composite wave in the electrical signal; and determining whether the type of interference of the detected composite wave is a constructive interference or a destructive interference to determine whether a material of the object surface is a hard material or a soft material. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A method of controlling a robot cleaner, the method comprising:
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driving an ultrasonic sensor to emit an oscillation wave; receiving a reflection wave reflected from an object surface by way of the ultrasonic sensor; detecting an electrical signal when vibration generated by the oscillation wave and vibration generated by the reflection wave are output as the electrical signal from the ultrasonic sensor; determining information about the object surface based on the detected electrical signal; and controlling movement of a traveling unit of the robot cleaner based on the information about the object surface, wherein the electrical signal is an electrical signal of a composite wave appearing when the oscillation wave overlaps the reflection wave, or an electrical signal of a composite wave appearing when an aftershock generated by inertia of the oscillation wave overlaps the reflection wave, and the detecting of the electrical signal comprises; emitting the oscillation wave, and receiving the oscillation wave and the composite wave, respectively, using a first ultrasonic sensor and a second ultrasonic sensor having different distances to the object surface; detecting a first electrical signal for the oscillation wave, the reflection wave, and the composite wave using the first ultrasonic sensor; and detecting a second electrical signal for the oscillation wave, the reflection wave, and the composite wave using the second ultrasonic sensor, the determining information about the object surface comprises; calculating a first waveform length of the first electrical signal; calculating a second waveform length of the second electrical signal; comparing the first waveform length to the second waveform length to select a longer waveform length from among the first and second waveform lengths; and comparing the selected waveform length to a reference waveform length to determine the information about the object surface. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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Specification