Apparatus and method for controlling cleaning in robotic cleaner

• US 9,402,518 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2013
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Burlutskiy, Nikolay
• Primary Examiner(s): SCRUGGS, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US13/762,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20130206177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 15/3, 15 501- 503, 153/19, 153/20, 153/21
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

An operation of a robotic cleaner includes generating at least one map including information regarding a space to be cleaned by using information measured by at least one sensor. The operation also includes setting a cleaning path by using the at least one map, and cleaning according to the cleaning path.

Claims

1. A method to operate a robotic cleaner, the method comprising:

generating at least one map including information regarding a space to be cleaned using information measured by at least one sensor;

setting a cleaning path as a function of a plurality of cleanliness values corresponding to a plurality of areas within the space using the at least one map; and

operating the robotic cleaner to clean along the cleaning path,

wherein the at least one map includes at least one of a first map that indicates a cleaning complete state, a second map that indicates activity of dynamic objects, a third map that indicates reachability of the robotic cleaner, a fourth map that indicates a cleaning state, and a fifth map that indicates a difficult area to be cleaned, and

wherein the cleanliness values indicate values of a clean state corresponding to the areas.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first map includes information regarding objects in the space to be cleaned.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second map represents the activity of the dynamic objects using one of a level area map and a grid map.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the third map indicates at least one of a reachable area, an unreachable area, an area reachable but not suitable to clean, and an area temporarily unreachable.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the fourth map indicates at least one cleaned area and at least one uncleaned area.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each of the cleanliness values indicates an amount of cleanness relative to a maximum cleanliness value attained immediately after a cleaning, and wherein the value of the uncleaned area is less than a threshold value.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the difficult area to be cleaned includes an area in which a cleaning progress rate is less than or equal to a threshold rate.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the cleaning path comprises:

setting an obstacle area in the space; and

setting at least one rectangular area in a range other than the obstacle area.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein cleaning along the cleaning path comprises cleaning at a rate less than or equal to a threshold rate in an active area indicated by the second map.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to detecting an obstacle while the robot cleaner is cleaning, updating the fourth map; and

generating a message to report a reason for failing to clean in an area occupied by the obstacle.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after the cleaning is complete, attempting to clean one of the difficult area to be cleaned, the area reachable but not suitable to clean using the robotic cleaner, and an area temporarily unreachable.

12. A robotic cleaner apparatus comprising:

a suction unit configured to collect dust from a surface;

a driving unit configured to move the robotic cleaner apparatus; and

a controller configured to;

generate at least one map including information regarding a space to be cleaned using information measured by at least one sensor,

set a cleaning path as a function of a plurality of cleanliness values corresponding to a plurality of areas within the space using the at least one map, and

operate the robotic cleaner apparatus to clean along the cleaning path, wherein the at least one map includes at least one of a first map that indicates a cleaning complete state, a second map that indicates activity of dynamic objects, a third map that indicates reachability of the robotic cleaner, a fourth map that indicates a cleaning state, and a fifth map that indicates a difficult area to be cleaned, and

wherein the cleanliness values indicate values of a clean state corresponding to the areas.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first map includes information regarding objects in the space to be cleaned.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the second map represents the activity of the dynamic objects using one of a level area map and a grid map.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the third map indicates at least one of a reachable area, an unreachable area, an area reachable but not suitable to clean, and an area temporarily unreachable.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the fourth map indicates at least one cleaned area and at least one uncleaned area.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein each of the cleanliness values indicates an amount of cleanness relative to a maximum cleanliness value attained immediately after a cleaning, and wherein the value of the uncleaned area is less than a threshold value.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the difficult area to be cleaned includes an area in which a cleaning progress rate is less than or equal to a threshold rate.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to set an obstacle area in the space, and set at least one rectangular area in a range other than the obstacle area.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to clean at a rate less than or equal to a threshold rate in an active area indicated by the second map.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein in response to detecting an obstacle while the robotic cleaner apparatus is cleaning, the controller is configured to update the fourth map, and generate a message to report a reason for failing to clean an area occupied by the obstacle.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein after the cleaning is complete, the controller is configured to attempt to clean one of the difficult area to be cleaned, the area reachable but not suitable to clean, and an area temporarily unreachable.