Robot cleaner

• US 9,526,390 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2016
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Yi, Sihyuk, Kweon, Hyukdo, Kim, Wooyeon
• Primary Examiner(s): GOLIGHTLY, ERIC WAYNE
• Application Number:
  US15/000,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20160206170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 343 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/00 Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/281 the amount or condition of incoming dirt or dust
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0085 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1664 characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1694 characterised by use of sensors other than normal servo-feedback from position, speed or acceleration sensors, perception control, multi-sensor controlled systems, sensor fusion
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0223 involving speed control of the vehicle vehicle fittings for automatically controlling, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A robot cleaner includes a main body that defines an external appearance of the robot cleaner. The robot cleaner further includes a plurality of dust sensors that are located at different positions on the main body and that are configured to sense dust that is located in a traveling route of the robot cleaner. The robot cleaner further includes a control unit that is configured to control movement and a cleaning operation of the robot cleaner based on sensing data from the plurality of dust sensors.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner comprising:

a main body forming an external appearance;

a plurality of dust sensors provided at different positions of the main body and sensing dust in a traveling route of the main body; and

a control unit configured to control traveling and cleaning of the main body on the basis of sensing results from the plurality of dust sensors, wherein the plurality of dust sensors include;

a first sensor provided on a front side of the main body to pre-sense dust on the traveling route; and

a second sensor provided on a rear side of the main body to post-sense dust on the traveling route, wherein the control unit recognizes a current position of the main body, obtains coordinates of the current position, and controls traveling and cleaning of the main body on the basis of the coordinate information regarding the current position and the sensing results from the plurality of dust sensors.

2. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the plurality of dust sensors are provided in positions at which the plurality of dust sensors pass through the same point when the main body travels in a linear direction or when the main body rotates in a traveling direction.

3. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the main body to perform cleaning on a cleaning area according to a result obtained by comparing a first sensing result of the first sensor and a preset first reference before cleaning the cleaning area, and when the first sensing result exceeds the first reference, the control unit designates and stores position coordinates of the cleaning area as an intensive cleaning target area and controls the main body to intensively clean the cleaning area on the basis of the position coordinates designated as the intensive cleaning target area.

4. The robot cleaner of claim 3, wherein when the cleaning is intensively cleaned, the control unit reduces a traveling speed of the main body, increases a dust suction force of the main body, or instructs cleaning of the cleaning area repeatedly.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 3, wherein the control unit controls traveling and cleaning of the main body according to a result obtained by comparing a difference between the first sensing result and a second sensing result of the second sensor with a preset second reference after a cleaning is performed, and

when the difference between the first sensing result and the second sensing result exceeds the preset second reference, the control unit controls the main body to move to an area other than the cleaning area.

6. The robot cleaner of claim 5, wherein

when the difference between the first sensing result and the second sensing result is lower than the preset second reference, and

when the cleaning area is the intensive cleaning target area, the control unit controls the main body to move to an area other than the cleaning area, and

when the cleaning area is the intensive cleaning target area, the control unit controls the main body to clean again the cleaning area.

7. The robot cleaner of claim 6, wherein when the cleaning area is to be cleaned again, the control unit controls the main body to intensively clean the cleaning area.

8. The robot cleaner of claim 6, wherein when the cleaning area is to be cleaned again, the control unit controls the main body to first clean an area other than the cleaning area and

subsequently clean again the cleaning area.

9. The robot cleaner of claim 6, wherein when the cleaning area is to be cleaned again, the control unit controls the main body to immediately clean the cleaning area again.

10. The robot cleaner of claim 9, wherein the control unit controls the main body to move back to clean again the cleaning area, without turning the traveling direction of the main body.

11. The robot cleaner of claim 9, wherein the control unit controls the main body to turn the traveling direction of the main body by 180 degrees and move forward in the cleaning area to clean again the cleaning area.

12. The robot cleaner of claim 6, wherein the control unit controls the main body to travel the cleaning area a plurality of times in a reciprocating manner such that the first sensing result according to re-cleaning is lower than the preset first reference.

13. The robot cleaner of claim 12, wherein after the main body travels the cleaning area by a preset limited number of times in a reciprocating manner, when the first sensing result is not lower than the preset first reference, the control unit controls the main body to stop cleaning again.