Robot cleaner, robot cleaning system and method for controlling same

• US 20020153184A1
• Filed: 04/04/2002
• Published: 10/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ko, Jang-Youn, Song, Jeong-Gon, Moon, Seung-Bin, Lee, Kyoung-Mu
• Granted Patent: US 6,732,826 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/167
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• 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 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0282 generated in a local control room

Abstract

A robot cleaner, robot cleaning system, and a method for controlling the same, the robot cleaner cleaning by wirelessly communicating with an external apparatus having a driving unit for driving a plurality of wheels; an upper camera disposed on a main body for photographing an upper image perpendicular to a direction of driving the robot cleaner; and a controller for controlling the driving unit to allow the robot cleaner to drive with a cleaning area according to a predetermined driving pattern, and compensating the driving path by analyzing the image photographed by the upper camera. In other embodiments, the robot cleaner may include a second forwardly directed camera which may be utilized to provide a three dimensional image of the cleaning area, and also sensors for sensing the walls defining a cleaning area or obstacles in the cleaning area. In yet another embodiment, and to reduce the image computing load on the robot cleaner, transmission of the image to an external processor/controller may be effected by a radio antenna. The robot cleaner, the robot cleaning system, and the method for controlling the same, can recognize the robot cleaner position more accurately as the position is recognized by using an upper image that does not experience as much alteration as does a floor. Therefore, a movement error to a target position is reduced, and a commanded work can be performed more easily.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner for performing a cleaning operation by communicating wirelessly with an apparatus external to the robot cleaner, comprising:

a driving unit for driving a plurality of wheels;

an upper camera disposed on a main body in order to photograph an upper image perpendicular to a direction of driving the robot cleaner; and

a controller for controlling the driving unit to allow the robot cleaner to drive within a cleaning area defined by a predetermined driving pattern, and for arranging the driving path by analyzing the image photographed by the upper camera.

2. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the controller controls the driving unit so as to drive within the cleaning area according to the predetermined driving pattern and further creates and stores an image map in regard to the upper area from the image photographed by the upper camera, and the controller recognizes the position of the robot cleaner by comparing the stored image map and a current image input from the upper camera so as to enable the control of the driving unit corresponding to a target driving path from a recognized position.

3. The robot cleaner of claim 2, wherein the controller creates the image map when a signal for cleaning is transmitted.

4. The robot cleaner of claim 2 further comprising a front camera disposed on the main body in order to photograph an image opposite to the direction of driving of the robot cleaner,

wherein the controller creates the image map by three-dimensionally mapping the upper image photographed from the upper camera and the front image photographed by the front camera.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 2, wherein the controller divides the image map into a plurality of small cells each having a predetermined size, and the controller determines a special feature disposed on the one or more of the divided small cells, and sets up the determined special feature as a standard coordinate point for recognizing the position of the robot cleaner.

6. The robot cleaner of claim 5, wherein the special feature includes at least one element selected from a group consisting of a bulb, a fire sensor, a fluorescent lamp, and a speaker.

7. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein the controller extracts a linear element from the image photographed from the upper camera while the robot cleaner is driving and arranges a driving track by using the extracted linear element.

8. A robot cleaning system including:

a driving unit for driving a plurality of wheels;

a robot cleaner having an upper camera disposed on a main body for photographing an upper image perpendicular to a driving direction; and

a remote controller for wirelessly communicating with the robot cleaner,

wherein the remote controller controls the robot cleaner to drive within a cleaning area defined by a predetermined driving pattern, and arranges a driving track by transmitting the image being photographed by the upper camera and analyzing the photographed image.

9. The robot cleaning system of claim 8, wherein the remote controller controls the robot cleaner to drive within the cleaning area defined by the predetermined driving pattern and creates an image map in regard to the upper area from the images photographed by the upper camera, and the remote controller further recognizes a position of the robot cleaner by comparing the image map and a current image transmitted from the robot cleaner after being photographed from the upper camera and the controller further controls a cleaning path of the robot cleaner to perform a target work from a recognized position, upon receiving a signal for cleaning.

10. The robot cleaning system of claim 9, wherein the remote controller creates the image map whenever a signal for cleaning is transmitted.

11. The robot cleaning system of claim 10, further comprising a front camera disposed on the main body for photographing an image opposite to the driving direction of the robot cleaner,

wherein the remote controller creates the image map by three-dimensionally mapping the upper image and the front image transmitted from the robot cleaner after being photographed from the upper camera and the front camera, respectively.

12. The robot cleaning system of claim 9, wherein the remote controller divides the image map into a plurality of small cells, each having a predetermined size, and then determines a special feature disposed on one or more of the divided small cells, and sets up the determined special feature as a standard image for recognizing the position of the robot cleaner.

13. The robot cleaning system of claim 12, wherein the special feature includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of a bulb, a fire sensor, a fluorescent lamp, and a speaker.

14. The robot cleaning system of claim 8, wherein the remote controller extracts a linear element from the image transmitted after being photographed from the upper camera and arranges a driving track by using the extracted linear element, when controlling the driving of the robot cleaner.

17. The method for controlling a robot cleaner of claim 16, wherein the driving path arranging step extracts a linear element from the image photographed from the upper camera, and arranges the driving path by using the extracted linear element.

15. A method for controlling a robot cleaner having an upper camera for photographing an upper image, comprising the steps of:

creating and storing an image map of an upper area, located above an area to be cleaned, from an image photographed by the upper camera by driving the robot cleaner according to a predetermined driving pattern within the cleaning area;

recognizing a position of the robot cleaner by comparing a stored image of the recorded image map and a current image photographed from the upper camera, and calculating a driving path from the recognized position to a target position, upon receiving a signal for cleaning; and

driving the robot cleaner according to the calculated driving path.

16. A method for controlling a robot cleaner having an upper camera for photographing an upper image, comprising the steps of:

creating a cleaning area map by driving the robot cleaner within a cleaning area and storing the map;

calculating a driving path corresponding to a cleaning command, when a command signal for cleaning is received;

driving the robot cleaner according to the calculated driving path; and

arranging the driving path by analyzing an image photographed from the upper camera.