Vacuum cleaner and method for controlling the same

• US 10,791,893 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2016
• Issued: 10/06/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kwak, Donghoon, Ko, Jaehwan, Yi, Sihyuk
• Primary Examiner(s): Redding, David
• Application Number:
  US15/739,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20180177360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,568 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/362 of the horizontal type, e.g. canister or sledge type
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/365 of the vertical type, e.g. tank or bucket type
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• 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 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2889 Safety or protection devices or systems, e.g. for prevention of motor over-heating or for protection of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cleaner body having a moving unit; a suction unit configured to suction dust and air; a detecting unit configured to detect movement of the suction unit; and a control part configured to determine whether movement of the cleaner body is required, based on information detected by the suction unit, and to control the moving unit when the movement of the cleaner body is required, wherein the control part determines a target location to which the cleaner body will be moved, determines a moving route to the target location based on a detected obstacle, controls the moving unit so that the cleaner body is moved along the determined moving route, stops a motor when it is determined that the cleaner body is not in contact with a floor surface, and thus prevents a user'"'"'s injury.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body having a moving unit for movement;

a suction unit connected to the cleaner body, configured to suction dust and air and to guide the suctioned dust and air to the cleaner body, and having a handle;

a first detecting unit configured to detect a distance between the cleaner body and the suction unit;

a second detecting unit provided at the cleaner body to detect an obstacle; and

a control part configured to control the moving unit,

wherein the control part is configured to;

determine a plurality of departure routes based on a location of the obstacle detected by the second detecting unit and a distance between the obstacle and the cleaner body,

determine whether a movement of the cleaner body is required to avoid the obstacle based on the distance between the cleaner body and the suction unit detected by the first detecting unit,

set a target location of the cleaner body after determining the plurality of departure routes, and

determine a moving route of the cleaner body from one of the plurality of departure routes to the target location based on determining that the movement of the cleaner body is required to avoid the obstacle.

2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of departure routes include an avoidance route along which the cleaner body avoids the obstacle.

3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the control part controls the cleaner body to be turned to a left or right side, and thus to avoid the obstacle.

4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the control part controls the cleaner body to be moved backward in a predetermined distance, then to be turned to a left or right side, and thus to avoid the obstacle.

5. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the first detecting unit comprises an ultrasonic wave transmitting part that is provided at the suction unit and that is configured to transmit an ultrasonic wave, and an ultrasonic wave receiving part that is provided at the cleaner body and that is configured to receive the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the ultrasonic wave transmitting part, and

wherein the control part controls the moving unit to move the cleaner body based on a distance between the ultrasonic wave transmitting part and the ultrasonic wave receiving part.

6. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, wherein the control part is configured to, based on the distance between the ultrasonic wave transmitting part and the ultrasonic wave receiving part being greater than or equal to a first reference distance, control the cleaner body to be moved in a direction in which the ultrasonic wave receiving part becomes closer to the ultrasonic wave transmitting part.

7. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, wherein the control part is configured to, based on the distance between the ultrasonic wave transmitting part and the ultrasonic wave receiving part being less than or equal to a second reference distance, control the cleaner body to be moved in a direction in which the ultrasonic wave receiving part becomes distant from the ultrasonic wave transmitting part.

8. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, wherein the control part is configured to, based on the distance between the ultrasonic wave transmitting part and the ultrasonic wave receiving part being greater than or equal to a first reference distance or being less than or equal to a second reference distance, control the cleaner body to be moved, and

wherein the first reference distance is greater than the second reference distance.

9. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the control part is configured to determine a distance between a floor surface and the cleaner body based on information detected by the second detecting unit, and control the moving unit to be stopped based on the distance between the floor surface and the cleaner body being greater than or equal to a reference distance.

10. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 9, wherein the second detecting unit comprises a first detecting part that detects the obstacle, and a second detecting part that determines the distance between the floor surface and the cleaner body.

11. A method for controlling a vacuum cleaner, comprising:

determining existence and absence of an obstacle, and determining a plurality of departure routes according to a location of the obstacle and a distance between a cleaner body and the obstacle;

detecting movement of a suction unit connected to the cleaner body, and setting a target location of the cleaner body;

determining a moving route of the cleaner body from one of the plurality of departure routes to the target location; and

controlling a moving unit provided at the cleaner body to move the cleaner body along the moving route.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein controlling the moving unit is performed to move the cleaner body backward, turn the cleaner body to a left or right side, and then move the cleaner body.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein controlling the moving unit is performed to turn the cleaner body to a left or right side and then move the cleaner body.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the cleaner body comprises a detecting part that detects a distance between a floor surface and the cleaner body, and

wherein controlling the moving unit comprises stopping the cleaner body based on the distance between the floor surface and the cleaner body being greater than or equal to a reference distance.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising determining whether a movement of the cleaner body is required is to avoid the obstacle based on a distance between the cleaner body and the suction unit.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein determining the moving route of the cleaner body is performed based on determining that the movement of the cleaner body is required to avoid the obstacle.