Cleaning robot and control method thereof

• US 10,394,249 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2015
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Won Kuk, Chun, Ji Won, Kim, Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US15/505,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20180217611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,478 Days
• Field of Search: 700253, 700259, 700245, 15 3, 901 47
• 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 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 9/28 Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2847 Surface treating elements
• 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: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0263 using magnetic strips
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

A cleaning robot may include a main body, a driver configured to move the main body, a cleaner configured to clean a cleaning space, and a controller configured to set at least one area among a plurality of areas included in the cleaning space as a cleaning area while the main body moves, and clean the cleaning area when the cleaning area is set.

Claims

1. A cleaning robot comprising:

a main body;

a driver configured to move the main body;

a cleaner configured to clean a cleaning space; and

a controller configured to;

identify a position of an entrance, which connects an area to another area, while the main body moves,

set a cleaning area among a plurality of areas included in the cleaning space on a basis of the identified position of the entrance, and

clean the cleaning area in response to setting the cleaning area.

2. The cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to set the cleaning area on a basis of the identified position of the entrance and a driving record of the main body.

3. The cleaning robot of claim 2, further comprising an obstacle sensor configured to detect an obstacle that interferes with movement of the main body,

wherein the controller controls the driver to enable the main body to move along an outer edge of the obstacle, and

the driving record of the main body includes information of positions moved by the main body and outer edge information of the obstacle.

4. The cleaning robot of claim 3, wherein, while moving along the outer edge of the obstacle, the controller is further configured to determine a position of the entrance on a basis of a current position of the main body and the driving record.

5. The cleaning robot of claim 4, wherein, when the current position of the main body is a first convex corner of the obstacle and a driving record of moving along a second convex corner of the obstacle is present within a predetermined distance from the current position, the controller is further configured to determine a portion between the first convex corner and the second convex corner as the position of the entrance.

6. The cleaning robot of claim 4, wherein, when the current position of the main body is a first convex corner of the obstacle and a driving record of moving along a first wall surface of the obstacle is present within a predetermined distance from the current position, the controller is further configured to determine a portion between the first convex corner and the first wall surface as the position of the entrance.

7. The cleaning robot of claim 4, wherein, when the current position of the main body is a first wall surface of the obstacle and a driving record of moving along a first convex corner of the obstacle is present within a predetermined distance from the current position, the controller is further configured to determine a portion between the first wall surface and the first convex corner as the position of the entrance.

8. The cleaning robot of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to:

generate a closed line by connecting information of the position of the entrance to information of positions moved by the main body, and

set an inside of the closed line as the cleaning area.

9. A method of controlling a cleaning robot that cleans a cleaning space, the method comprising:

moving the cleaning robot;

identifying a position of an entrance, which connects an area to another area, while a main body moves;

setting a cleaning area on a basis of the identified position of the entrance;

and

in response to setting the cleaning area, cleaning the cleaning area.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the setting of the cleaning area includes:

setting the cleaning area on a basis of the identified position of the entrance and a driving record of the cleaning robot.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the moving of the cleaning robot includes moving the cleaning robot along an outer edge of an obstacle that interferes with movement of the cleaning robot, and

the driving record of a main body includes information of positions moved by the main body and outer edge information of the obstacle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifying of the position of the entrance includes determining the position of the entrance on a basis of a current position of the cleaning robot and the driving record.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifying of the position of the entrance includes, when a current position of the cleaning robot is a first convex corner of the obstacle and a driving record of moving along a second convex corner of the obstacle is present within a predetermined distance from the current position, determining a portion between the first convex corner and the second convex corner as the position of the entrance.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifying of the position of the entrance includes, when a current position of the cleaning robot is a first convex corner of the obstacle and a driving record of moving along a first wall surface of the obstacle is present within a predetermined distance from the current position, determining a portion between the first convex corner and the first wall surface as the position of the entrance.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifying of the position of the entrance includes, when a current position of the cleaning robot is a first wall surface of the obstacle and a driving record of moving along a first convex corner of the obstacle is present within a predetermined distance from the current position, determining a portion between the first wall surface and the first convex corner as the position of the entrance.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the setting of the cleaning area includes setting the cleaning area on the basis of the position of the entrance and the driving record.

17. A cleaning robot comprising:

a main body;

a driver configured to move the main body;

a motion detector configured to acquire a driving record including position information and a moving angle of the main body while the main body moves;

a storage configured to save the driving record;

a cleaner configured to perform cleaning; and

a controller configured to;

detect an entrance based on the driving record,

set a cleaning area based on an area partitioned by the entrance, and

clean the cleaning area.

18. The cleaning robot of claim 17, wherein, when the main body repeatedly moves along the same path, the controller controls the driver to enable the main body to move to a predetermined reference position.

19. The cleaning robot of claim 18, wherein, when the main body repeatedly moves along the same path, the controller controls the driver to enable the main body to move to the entrance.

20. The cleaning robot of claim 18, wherein, when the main body repeatedly moves along the same path, the controller controls the driver to enable the main body to move in a predetermined direction.