Method and apparatus for returning cleaning robot to charge station

• US 20080133054A1
• Filed: 11/01/2007
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Lim, Dong Sun, Im, Sung Ho, Lim, Chang Gyu, Kim, Hyung Joo
• Granted Patent: US 8,010,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/02 Docking stations; Docking operations
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/022 Recharging of batteries
• 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 9/2873 Docking units or charging stations for autonomous or robotic vacuum cleaners A47L2201/02
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027

Abstract

Provided are a method and apparatus for ensuring a cleaning robot to return to a charge station. The method includes the steps of: (a) measuring a battery usable time, a running speed, and an actual return distance of a cleaning robot during a cleaning operation; (b) calculating an allowable return distance on the basis of the battery usable time and the running speed; (c) comparing the actual return distance with the allowable return distance; and (d) returning the cleaning robot to the charge station when the actual return distance is larger than the allowable return distance as a result of the comparison. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cleaning robot from being not returned to the charge station, thereby providing convenience to a user.

Claims

1. A method for returning a cleaning robot to a charge station, comprising the steps of:

(a) measuring a battery usable time, a running speed, and an actual return distance of a cleaning robot during a cleaning operation;

(b) calculating an allowable return distance on the basis of the battery usable time and the running speed;

(c) comparing the actual return distance with the allowable return distance; and

(d) returning the cleaning robot to the charge station when the actual return distance is larger than the allowable return distance as a result of the comparison.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(e) after recharging the cleaning robot returned to the charge station, periodically measuring the battery usable time during recharge of the cleaning robot, and performing a cleaning operation when the battery usable time is larger than a battery usable reference time.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises the step of storing a current position of the cleaning robot before returning to the charge station.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of:

(e) after recharging the cleaning robot returned to the charge station, periodically measuring the battery usable time during recharge of the cleaning robot, and moving to the stored position and performing a cleaning operation when the battery usable time is larger than a battery usable reference time.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in step (b), the allowable return distance is calculated using the following Formula

[Formula]

Allowable return distance=Battery usable time×

Running speed−

Allowable moving distance.

6. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of:

pre-setting at least one of the battery usable reference time and the allowable moving distance by a user.

7. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of:

(f) returning the cleaning robot to the charge station after completing the cleaning operation.

8. A method for returning a cleaning robot to a charge station comprising the steps of:

(a) measuring a battery usable time when a cleaning robot is booted;

(b) determining whether the cleaning robot is connected to the charge station when the measured battery usable time is less than a battery usable reference time;

(c) starting to return to the charge station when the cleaning robot is not connected to the charge station, and measuring a running speed of the cleaning robot and an actual return distance;

(d) calculating an allowable return distance on the basis of the battery usable time and the running speed;

(e) comparing the actual return distance with the allowable return distance; and

(f) generating an alarm when the actual return distance is larger than the allowable return distance as a result of the comparison.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of:

(g) starting to recharge the cleaning robot when the cleaning robot is connected to the charge station after generating the alarm.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

(h) periodically measuring the battery usable time during recharge of the cleaning robot, and performing a cleaning operation when the battery usable time is larger than the battery usable reference time.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, when a cleaning start position is stored, step (h) comprises the step of moving to the stored position and performing a cleaning operation.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein, in step (d), the allowable return distance is calculated using the following Formula

[Formula]

Allowable return distance=Battery usable time×

Running speed−

Allowable moving distance.

13. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of pre-setting at least one of the battery usable reference time and the allowable moving distance by a user.

14. An apparatus for returning a cleaning robot to a charge station, comprising:

a battery detection part for measuring a battery usable time of a cleaning robot;

a running speed detection part for measuring a running speed of the cleaning robot;

a return distance detection part for measuring an actual return distance of the cleaning robot; and

a controller for comparing the actual return distance with an allowable return distance, and returning the cleaning robot to the charge station when the actual return distance is larger than the allowable return distance.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the battery detection part periodically measures the battery usable time to output the battery usable time to the controller, and

the controller controls the cleaning robot to perform a cleaning operation when the measured battery usable time is larger than a battery usable reference time.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the controller stores a current position of the cleaning robot before returning to the charge station.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the controller calculates the allowable return distance using the following Formula

[Formula]

Allowable return distance=Battery usable time×

Running speed−

Allowable moving distance.

18. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the controller receives and stores at least one of the battery usable reference time and the allowable moving distance set by a user.

19. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the controller returns the cleaning robot to the charge station when the cleaning operation is completed.

20. An apparatus for returning a cleaning robot to a charge station, comprising:

a battery detection part for measuring a battery usable time of the cleaning robot when the cleaning robot is booted;

a running speed detection part for measuring a running speed of the cleaning robot;

a return distance detection part for measuring an actual return distance of the cleaning robot; and

a controller for calculating an allowable return distance on the basis of the battery usable time and the running speed when the battery usable time is less than a battery usable reference time and the cleaning robot is not connected to the charge station, and outputting an alarm when the actual return distance is larger than the allowable return distance.