Control method for cleaning robots

• US 9,520,731 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2013
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MSI Computer Company Limited (Micro-Star International Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: MSI Computer Company Limited (Micro-Star International Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Teng, You-Wei, Yeh, Yi-Chih, Hung, Shih-Che
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nha
• Application Number:
  US13/768,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20130214727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/022 Recharging of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention provides a charging station for a cleaning robot. The charging station includes an IR transmitter and a controller. The IR transmitter outputs a first IR light beam, wherein the IR light beam includes a second boundary and a first boundary which is substantially perpendicular or perpendicular to the charging station and the cleaning robot moves to the charging station along the first boundary. The controller controls the IR transmitter to output the first IR light beam or a second IR light beam. When the controller determines that the cleaning robot is near to the charging station, the controller controls the IR transmitter to output the second IR light beam.

Claims

1. A charging station for a cleaning robot, comprising:

an infrared (IR) transmitter to output a first IR light beam with a scattering angle 2θ

, wherein the IR light beam comprises a second boundary and a first boundary, and the IR transmitter is offset at the angle θ

to make the first boundary is substantially perpendicular or perpendicular to the charging station and the cleaning robot moves to the charging station along the first boundary; and

a controller to control the IR transmitter, wherein when the controller determines that the cleaning robot is near to the charging station, the controller controls the IR transmitter to output a second IR light beam.

2. The charging station as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless signal sensor to detect a wireless signal, wherein when the wireless signal sensor detects the wireless signal and a strength of the wireless signal is larger than a predetermined value, the wireless signal sensor transmits a first signal to the controller and the controller controls the IR transmitter to output the second IR light beam according to the first signal.

3. The charging station as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an acoustic signal receiver to receive an acoustic signal output by the cleaning robot, wherein when a strength of the acoustic signal is larger than a predetermined value, the acoustic signal receiver transmits a first signal to the controller and the controller controls the IR transmitter to output the second IR light beam according to the first signal.

4. The charging station as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an IR receiver coupled to the controller, wherein when the IR receiver receives the first IR light beam and a strength of the first IR light beam is larger than a predetermined value, the IR receiver transmits a first signal to the controller and the controller controls the IR transmitter to output the second IR light beam according to the first signal.

5. The charging station as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a voltage output device coupled to the controller to output an output voltage to the cleaning robot, wherein the controller adjusts the voltage level of the output voltage according to an identification information of the cleaning robot.

6. The charging station as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

a charging port to electrically connect to the cleaning robot, wherein when the charging port is electrically connected to the cleaning robot, the controller receives a trigger signal and controls the voltage output device to charge the cleaning robot.

7. A charging system, comprising:

a charging station, comprising;

an infrared (IR) transmitter to output a first IR light beam with a scattering angle 2θ

, wherein the IR light beam comprises a second boundary and a first boundary, and the IR transmitter is offset at the angle θ

to make the first boundary is substantially perpendicular or perpendicular to the charging station; and

a controller to control the IR transmitter to output the first IR light beam or a second IR light beam; and

a cleaning robot comprising a light detector to detect the first IR light beam or the second IR light beam, wherein when the light detector detects the first IR light beam or the second IR light beam, the cleaning robot moves to the charging station along the first boundary.

8. The charging system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the charging station further comprises a wireless signal sensor for detecting a wireless signal output by the cleaning robot, and when the wireless signal sensor detects the wireless signal and a strength of the wireless signal is larger than a predetermined value, the wireless signal sensor transmits a first signal to the controller and the controller controls the IR transmitter to output the second IR light beam according to the first signal.

9. The charging system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the charging station further comprises an acoustic signal receiver to receive an acoustic signal output by the cleaning robot, and when a strength of the acoustic signal is larger than a predetermined value, the acoustic signal receiver transmits a first signal to the controller and the controller controls the IR transmitter to output the second IR light beam according to the first signal.

10. The charging system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the charging station further comprises a magnetic signal receiver to receiving a magnetic signal output by the cleaning robot and when a strength of the magnetic signal is larger than a predetermined value, the magnetic signal receiver transmits a first signal to the controller and the controller controls the IR transmitter to output the second IR light beam according to the first signal.

11. The charging system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the charging station further comprises an IR receiver coupled to the controller and when the IR receiver receives the first IR light beam and a strength of the first IR light beam is larger than a predetermined value, the IR signal receiver transmits a first signal to the controller and the controller controls the IR transmitter to output the second IR light beam according to the first signal.

12. The charging system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the charging station further comprises a voltage output device coupled to the controller to output an output voltage to the cleaning robot, and the controller adjusts the voltage level of the output voltage according to an identification information of the cleaning robot.

13. The charging system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the charging station further comprises a charging port to electrically connect to the cleaning robot, and when the charging port is electrically connected to the cleaning robot, the controller receives a trigger signal and controls the voltage output device to charge the cleaning robot.

14. The charging system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the charging station further comprises a charging port to electrically connect to the cleaning robot, when the charging port is electrically connected to the cleaning robot, the controller receives a trigger signal and controls the voltage output device to charge the cleaning robot, the charging station further connects to a network to transmit and receive data from the network and the received data is transmitted to the cleaning robot.

15. The charging system as claimed in claim 7, wherein when the cleaning robot is electrically connected to a charging port of the charging station, the cleaning robot transmits identification information to the controller.

16. The charging system as claimed in claim 15, wherein when the charging station is a non-contact charging device, the identification information activates a non-contact charging operation and a handshaking operation to handshake network data.