Robot cleaner, robot cleaning system and method for controlling the same

• US 20040088080A1
• Filed: 02/20/2003
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• 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: Hwang, Yun-Sup, Song, Jeong-Gon
• Granted Patent: US 6,868,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/259
• 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 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/30 Arrangement of illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0282 generated in a local control room
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2201/0215 Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A robot cleaner, a robot cleaning system and a method for controlling the same capable of efficiently performing work on command by recognizing the driving distance and direction of the robot cleaner regardless of a of wheel slippage or irregularity in the floor. The robot cleaner performs a working operation while moving about a floor, and comprises a main body, a driving unit for driving a plurality of wheels disposed on a bottom portion of the main body, a downward-looking camera disposed among the wheels on the bottom portion of the main body for photographing images of the floor perpendicular to the driving direction of the robot cleaner, and a control unit for recognizing driving distance and direction of the wheels using image information of the floor photographed by the downward-looking camera, and for controlling the driving unit corresponding to a target work by using the recognized distance and direction of the wheels. An upward-looking camera can photograph and use information relating to spatial orientation for determining and correcting driving distance and direction.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner for performing a working operation while moving about a floor, comprising:

a main body;

a driving unit for driving a plurality of wheels disposed on a bottom portion of the main body;

a downward-looking camera disposed among the wheels on the bottom portion of the main body for photographing images of the floor perpendicular to a direction of driving the robot cleaner; and

a control unit for recognizing the driving distance and direction of the wheels using image information of the floor photographed by the downward-looking camera, and for controlling the driving unit corresponding to a target work by using the recognized distance and direction of the wheels.

2. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the control unit compares the current image of the floor photographed by the downward-looking camera with previous images of the floor photographed by the downward-looking camera and stored so as to recognize the driving distance and direction of the wheels.

3. The robot cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the downward-looking camera photographs images of the floor at a rate of 1500 times per second.

4. The robot cleaner according to claim 3 further comprising an illuminator disposed on the bottom portion of the main body for illuminating an area photographed by the downward-looking camera to render it brighter than surrounding areas.

5. A robot cleaner for performing a working operation while moving about a floor, comprising:

a main body;

a driving unit for driving a plurality of wheels disposed on a bottom portion of the main body;

a downward-looking camera disposed among the wheels on the bottom of the main body for photographing images of the floor perpendicular to a direction of driving the robot cleaner;

an upward-looking camera disposed on a top of the main body for photographing images of a ceiling perpendicular to the driving direction; and

a control unit for recognizing a position of the robot cleaner by using image information of the ceiling photographed by the upward-looking camera and for recognizing a driving distance and direction of the wheels by using image information of the floor photographed by the downward-looking camera, and further for controlling the driving unit corresponding to the targeted work by using the recognized position, distance and direction.

6. The robot cleaner according to claim 5, wherein the control unit compares a current image of the floor photographed by the downward-looking camera with previous images of the floor photographed by the downward-looking camera and stored so as to recognize the driving distance and direction of the wheels.

7. The robot cleaner according to claim 6, wherein the downward-looking camera photographs images of the floor at a rate of 1500 times per second.

8. The robot cleaner according to claim 7 further comprising an illuminator disposed on the bottom portion of the main body for illuminating an area photographed by the downward-looking camera so as to render it brighter than surrounding areas.

9. A robot cleaning system comprising:

a robot cleaner including;

a main body,

a driving unit for driving a plurality of wheels disposed on a bottom of the main body, and

an upward camera disposed on a top of the main body for photographing images of a ceiling perpendicular to a direction of driving the robot cleaner; and

a remote control unit for communicating wirelessly with the robot cleaner,

wherein the robot cleaner further includes a downward camera disposed among the wheels on the bottom of the main body for continuously photographing images of the floor perpendicular to the driving direction, and the remote control unit recognizes a driving distance and direction of the wheels by using image information of the floor photographed by the downward camera and controls the driving unit corresponding to a target work by using the recognized distance and direction of the wheels.

10. The robot cleaning system according to claim 9, wherein the remote control unit compares a current image of the floor photographed by the downward camera with previous images of the floor stored by the downward camera to recognize the driving distance and direction of the wheels.

11. The robot cleaning system according to claim 10, wherein the downward-looking camera photographs images of the floor at a rate of 1500 times per a second.

12. The robot cleaning system according to claim 11 further comprising an illuminator disposed on the bottom portion of the main body for illuminating an area photographed by the downward-looking camera brighter than surrounding areas.

13. A method for controlling a robot cleaner having a downward camera, comprising the steps of:

calculating a driving path to a target area corresponding to a work, upon receiving a work command;

storing images of a floor photographed by the downward-looking camera;

driving the robot cleaner along the calculated driving path; and

comparing the current image of the floor photographed by the downward-looking camera with the stored images to calculate a driving distance and direction, and thereafter correcting the driving path.