Automatic moving apparatus and manual operation method thereof

• US 9,776,332 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2011
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Oh, Seokbyung, Hwang, Jiwoon, Choi, Kwonyul, Park, Hyungshin
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWANDROSKI, SARA J
• Application Number:
  US14/354,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20140303775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,126 Days
• Field of Search: 700257, 700264, 701 2
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0003 Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1612 characterised by the hand, wrist, grip control
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 Teleoperation
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0033 by having the operator tracking the vehicle either by direct line of sight or via one or more cameras located remotely from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058

Abstract

Various interfaces allowing users to directly manipulate an automatic moving apparatus manually, thus enhancing user convenience and efficiency, are provided. An automatic moving apparatus includes: a storage unit configured to store a traveling method; an image detection unit configured to acquire a captured image; a driving unit having one or more wheels and driving the wheels according to a driving signal; and a control unit configured to extract a traveling direction from the traveling method stored in the storage unit in a first mode, extract a traveling direction indicated by a sensing target from the captured image acquired by the image detection unit in a second mode, and generate a driving signal for moving the automatic moving apparatus in the extracted traveling direction.

Claims

1. An automatic moving apparatus comprising:

a camera configured to receive an image of surroundings;

a storage unit configured to store a traveling method;

a communication unit configured to receive control information from an external terminal device;

a driving unit having one or more wheels and driving the wheels according to a driving signal; and

a control unit configured to;

extract a first traveling direction and a first traveling distance from the traveling method stored in the storage unit in a first mode,

extract a second traveling direction and a second traveling distance from the control information received by the communication unit in a second mode,

generate a first driving signal for moving the automatic moving apparatus in the extracted first traveling direction and by the extracted first traveling distance in the first mode,

generate a second driving signal for moving the automatic moving apparatus in the extracted second traveling direction and by the extracted second traveling distance in the second mode,

wherein, when the second mode is entered, a screen capable of selecting a target for controlling the automatic moving apparatus in the second mode among a user'"'"'s hand and the terminal device is displayed on the terminal device,

wherein, when the user'"'"'s hand is selected through the screen displayed on the terminal device, the control unit is further configured to;

receive the image via the camera to detect the user'"'"'s hand, and

move the automatic moving apparatus based on the detected the user'"'"'s hand, and

wherein, when the terminal device is selected through the screen displayed on the terminal device, the control unit is further configured to;

transmit the image received through the camera to the terminal device in the second mode, wherein the image is displayed on the terminal device, and

move the automatic moving apparatus to a specific position which corresponds to a point of a touch input applied to the image displayed on the terminal device.

2. The automatic moving apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control information is information regarding a movement of the terminal device.

3. The automatic moving apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit generates a cleaning map, and the communication unit transmits the cleaning map to the terminal device.

4. The automatic moving apparatus of claim 3, wherein the control information includes a series of location information on the cleaning map.

5. The automatic moving apparatus of claim 3, wherein the control information includes image information captured by the terminal device, and the control unit analyzes the image information to detect a location on the cleaning map.

6. The automatic moving apparatus of claim 3, wherein the communication unit receives correction information of the cleaning map and corrects the cleaning map by using the correction information.

7. The automatic moving apparatus of claim 1, wherein the storage unit stores a driving result of the driving unit, as a new traveling method.

8. A method for controlling an operation of an automatic moving apparatus, the method comprising:

determining a manipulation mode of the automatic moving apparatus;

extracting a traveling direction and a traveling distance from a traveling method stored in a storage unit when the manipulation mode is a first mode;

extracting a traveling direction and a traveling distance from control information received from an external terminal device when the manipulation mode is a second mode;

generating a driving signal for moving the automatic moving apparatus in the extracted traveling direction and by the extracted traveling distance; and

driving wheels of the automatic moving apparatus according to the generated driving signal,

wherein, when the second mode is entered, a screen capable of selecting a target for controlling the automatic moving apparatus in the second mode among a user'"'"'s hand and the terminal device is displayed on the terminal device,

wherein, when the user'"'"'s hand is selected through the screen displayed on the terminal device, further comprising;

receiving an image to detect the user'"'"'s hand; and

moving the automatic moving apparatus based on the detected the user'"'"'s hand, and

wherein, when the terminal device is selected through the screen displayed on the terminal device, further comprising;

receiving, via a camera, an image of the surroundings;

transmitting the image received through the camera to the terminal device in the second mode, wherein the image is displayed on the terminal device; and

moving the automatic moving apparatus to a specific position which corresponds to a point of a touch input applied to the image displayed on the terminal device.