Robot localization system

• US 20040158354A1
• Filed: 12/30/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Jay-woo, Lee, Hyoung-ki, Bang, Seok-won
• Granted Patent: US 7,970,491 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• 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 1/028 using a RF signal

Abstract

A robot localization system is provided. The robot localization includes a robot, which moves within a predetermined space and performs predetermined tasks, and a docking station corresponding to a home position of the robot. The docking station includes a first transmitting unit, which transmits a sound wave to detect a position of the robot; and a second transmitting unit, which transmits a synchronizing signal right when the sound wave is transmitted. The robot includes a first receiving unit, which comprises at least two sound sensors receiving the sound wave incident onto the robot; a second receiving unit, which receives the synchronizing signal incident onto the robot; a distance calculation unit, which calculates a distance between the first transmitting unit and the first receiving unit using a difference between an instant of time when the synchronizing signal is received and an instant of time when the sound wave is received; and an incident angle calculation unit, which calculates an incident angle of the sound wave onto the robot using a difference between receiving times of the sound wave in the at least two sound sensors comprised in the first receiving unit.

Claims

1. A robot localization system including a robot, which moves within a predetermined space and performs predetermined tasks, and a docking station corresponding to a home position of the robot,

the docking station comprising:

a first transmitting unit, which transmits a sound wave to detect a position of the robot; and

a second transmitting unit, which transmits a synchronizing signal right when the sound wave is transmitted,

the robot comprising;

a first receiving unit, which comprises at least two sound sensors receiving the sound wave incident onto the robot;

a second receiving unit, which receives the synchronizing signal incident onto the robot;

a distance calculation unit, which calculates a distance between the first transmitting unit and the first receiving unit using a difference between an instant of time when the synchronizing signal is received and an instant of time when the sound wave is received; and

an incident angle calculation unit, which calculates an incident angle of the sound wave onto the robot using a difference between receiving times of the sound wave in the at least two sound sensors comprised in the first receiving unit.

2. The robot localization system of claim 1, wherein the sound wave is a supersonic wave.

3. The robot localization system of claim 1, further comprising an encoder, which measures a positional change between a previous position and a current position of the robot and a directional change between a previous orientation and a current orientation of the robot.

4. The robot localization system of claim 3, further comprising a state observer, which estimates a current position and a current orientation of the robot with respect to the docking station using the distance between the first transmitting unit and the first receiving unit, the incident angle of the sound wave, the positional change, and the directional change.

5. The robot localization system of claim 4, wherein the state observer comprises a Kalman filter which estimates the orientation of the robot using the positional and directional changes measured by the encoder.

6. The robot localization system of claim 1, further comprising a unit for measuring an absolute azimuth of the robot.

7. The robot localization system of claim 6, further comprising a Kalman filter which filters measurement noise of the unit for measuring the absolute azimuth of the robot.

8. A robot localization system including a robot and a docking station,

the robot comprising:

a first transmitter which transmits a first radio wave;

a second receiver which receives a second radio wave; and

a distance calculator which calculates a distance between the robot and the docking station,

the docking station comprising;

a first receiver which receives the first radio wave; and

a second transmitter which transmits the second radio wave a predetermined period of time after the first radio wave is received,

wherein the distance calculator calculates the distance between the robot and the docking station using a difference between an instant of time when the first radio wave is transmitted and an instant of time when the second radio wave is received and a predetermined period of time from the reception of the first radio wave to the transmission of the second radio wave.

9. The robot localization system of claim 8, wherein the second receiver comprises at least two sensors which receives the second radio wave, and the robot further comprises an incident angle calculator which calculates an incident angle of the second radio wave onto the robot using a difference between receiving times of the second radio wave in the at least two sensors comprised in the second receiver.

10. The robot localization system of claim 9, further comprising an encoder, which measures a positional change between a previous position and a current position of the robot and a directional change between a previous orientation and a current orientation of the robot.

11. The robot localization system of claim 10, further comprising a state observer, which estimates a current position and a current orientation of the robot with respect to the docking station using the distance between the robot and the docking station, the incident angle of the second radio wave, the positional change, and the directional change.

12. The robot localization system of claim 11, wherein the state observer comprises a Kalman filter which estimates the orientation of the robot using the positional and directional changes measured by the encoder.

13. The robot localization system of claim 9, further comprising a unit for measuring an absolute azimuth of the robot.

14. The robot localization system of claim 13, further comprising a Kalman filter which filters measurement noise of the unit for measuring the absolute azimuth of the robot.