Robot cleaner, robot cleaning system and method of controlling same

• US 20040016077A1
• Filed: 03/28/2003
• Published: 01/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2002
• 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: Lee, Sang-Yong, Lee, Kyoung-Mu, Moon, Seung-Bin, Ko, Jang-Youn, Song, Jeong-Gon
• Granted Patent: US 7,480,958 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/319
• 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: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means

Abstract

A robot cleaner includes a drive unit for driving a plurality of wheels, a camera disposed in a body for photographing an upper image extending perpendicular to a running direction, a controller for recognizing a position by using position information obtained from a recognition mark formed on a ceiling of a working area that is photographed by the camera, and controlling the drive unit by using the recognized position information to correspond to a target cleaning operation. Accordingly, since the recognition mark for the recognition of a current position of the robot cleaner is formed on a ceiling that has a few changes, the position recognition is performed with more accuracy and the traveling of the robot cleaner to the target work area and a cleaning operation is performed efficiently.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner for performing a cleaning operation comprising:

a drive unit for driving a plurality of wheels;

a camera disposed in the body; and

a controller for recognizing a position of the drive unit using position information obtained from a recognition mark on a ceiling of a working area that is photographed by the camera, and controlling the drive unit by using the recognized position information to correspond to a target cleaning operation.

2. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the recognition mark comprises at least two recognition marks formed apart from each other, and the controller recognizes the position of the robot cleaner by comparing coordinate information of the recognition mark appearing in a current image photographed by the camera with coordinate information previously memorized by the camera.

3. The robot cleaner of claim 2, wherein the recognition marks have different shapes that are distinguishable from each other.

4. The robot cleaner of claim 3, wherein the recognition marks are formed in black.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the recognition mark has a plurality of direction indicating portions integrally formed therewith, the direction indicating portions formed in an azimuthal direction from a predetermined center point of the recognition mark and having different lengths.

6. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the drive unit comprises a pair of motors and a pair of belts, each motor connected to a rear wheel, and each belt wrapped around both a rear wheel and a front wheel.

7. A robot cleaning system comprising:

a robot cleaner comprising

a drive unit for driving a plurality of wheels;

an upper camera disposed in the body, for photographing an upper image extending perpendicular to a running direction of the robot cleaner; and

a remote controller in wireless communication with the robot cleaner for recognizing a current position of the robot cleaner by using an image of a recognition mark formed on a ceiling of a working area that is photographed by the upper camera, and controlling a working course of the robot cleaner to perform a target cleaning operation based on a recognized current position of the robot cleaner.

8. The robot cleaning system of claim 7, wherein the recognition mark comprises at least two recognition marks formed apart from each other, and the remote controller recognizes the current position by comparing coordinate information of the recognition mark appearing in the image photographed by the upper camera with coordinate information previously memorized by the upper camera.

9. The robot cleaning system of claim 8, wherein the recognition marks have different shapes that are distinguishable from each other.

10. The robot cleaning system of claim 9, wherein the recognition marks are formed in black.

11. The robot cleaning system of claim 7, wherein the recognition mark has a plurality of direction indicating portions integrally formed therewith, the direction indicating portions formed in an azimuthal direction from a predetermined center point of the recognition mark and lengths that are different from one another.

12. The robot cleaning system of claim 7, further comprising a front camera to photograph an area in front of the robot cleaner.

13. The robot cleaning system of claim 7, further comprising a transmitting and receiving unit to send signals to and receive signals from the remote controller.

14. The robot cleaning system of claim 7, wherein the drive unit comprises a pair of motors and a pair of belts, each motor connected to a rear wheel, and each belt wrapped around both a rear wheel and a front wheel.

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

storing an initial position value of a recognition mark appearing in an upper image photographed by the upper camera when a working command signal is inputted;

calculating a running course for the robot cleaner to a target working position;

operating the robot cleaner along the calculated running course;

photographing the upper image to produce a current position value of the recognition mark; and

adjusting the running course by comparing the initial position value of the recognition mark with the current position value of the recognition mark.

16. A robot cleaner comprising, in combination:

a body;

a suction unit;

a plurality of wheels;

a drive unit connected to the wheels;

an obstacle detecting sensor positioned on the body;

a running distance detecting sensor positioned on the body;

a camera configured to photograph a recognition mark formed on a ceiling of an area to be cleaned;

a controller configured to send a signal to the drive unit and to recognize a position of the robot cleaner based on a comparison of a current photograph of the recognition mark and a stored photograph of the recognition mark.

17. The robot cleaner of claim 16, wherein the obstacle detecting sensor comprises at least one infrared ray emitting element and at least one light receiving element.

18. The robot cleaner of claim 16, wherein the running distance detector comprises a rotation detecting sensor configured to detect a number of revolutions per minute of the plurality of wheels.

19. The robot cleaner of claim 16, wherein the recognition mark comprises at least two recognition marks formed apart from each other.

20. The robot cleaner of claim 16, wherein the recognition mark has a plurality of direction indicating portions integrally formed therewith, the direction indicating portions formed in an azimuthal direction from a predetermined center point of the recognition mark and having different lengths.