Robot cleaner, docking station, robot cleaner system including robot cleaner and docking station, and method of controlling robot cleaner

• US 20100324736A1
• Filed: 06/15/2010
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Song, Jeong Gon, Kim, Dong Won, Ko, Jang Youn, Chung, Woo Ram, Jeung, Sam Jong, Joo, Jae Man, Hong, Jun Pyo, Yoo, Kyung Hwan, Jung, Jae Young, Lee, Jun Hwa, Jang, Hwi Chan
• Granted Patent: US 8,224,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/259
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/022 Recharging of batteries
• 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 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058

Abstract

A robot cleaner system is described including a docking station to form a docking area within a predetermined angle range of a front side thereof, to form docking guide areas which do not overlap each other on the left and right sides of the docking area, and to transmit a docking guide signal such that the docking guide areas are distinguished as a first docking guide area and a second docking guide area according to an arrival distance of the docking guide signal. The robot cleaner system also includes a robot cleaner to move to the docking area along a boundary between the first docking guide area and the second docking guide area when the docking guide signal is sensed and to move along the docking area so as to perform docking when reaching the docking area.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner system comprising:

a docking station to form a docking area within a predetermined angle range of a front side thereof, to form docking guide areas which do not overlap each other on the left and right sides of the docking area, and to transmit a docking guide signal such that the docking guide areas are distinguished as a first docking guide area and a second docking guide area according to an arrival distance of the docking guide signal; and

a robot cleaner to move to the docking area along a boundary between the first docking guide area and the second docking guide area when the docking guide signal is sensed and to move along the docking area so as to perform docking upon reaching the docking area.

2. The robot cleaner system according to claim 1, wherein the docking station transmits a docking signal from a central portion of a front side of a main body of the docking station within the predetermined angle range so as to form the docking area.

3. The robot cleaner system according to claim 1, wherein the docking station includes first and second transmission units to transmit docking guide signals from both sides of a front portion of a main body of the docking station and a third transmission unit to transmit the docking signal from a central portion of the front side of the main body within the predetermined angle range.

4. The robot cleaner system according to claim 3, wherein the first and second transmission units include first and second light emitting units to generate docking guide signals and first and second shading plates to block some of the docking guide signals so as to reduce spreading angles of each of the docking guide signals.

5. The robot cleaner system according to claim 4, further comprising first and second lens units provided outside the first and second light emitting units so as to spread the docking guide signals.

6. The robot cleaner system according to claim 3, wherein the third transmission unit includes a third light emitting unit to generate the docking signal and a guide portion to guide a traveling direction of the docking signal such that the docking signal is formed within the predetermined angle range.

7. A docking station comprising:

at least one transmission unit to form a docking area within a predetermined angle range of a front side of the docking station, to form docking guide areas which do not overlap each other on the left and right sides of the docking area, and to transmit a docking guide signal such that the docking guide areas are distinguished as a first docking guide area and a second docking guide area according to an arrival distance of the docking guide signal,

wherein the transmission unit forms signals directed to the first docking guide area and the second docking guide area in the form of one signal and transmits the signal.

8. The docking station according to claim 7, wherein the forming of the signals directed to the first docking guide area and the second docking guide area in the form of one signal includes forming a signal having a large amplitude, which reaches both the first docking guide area and the second docking guide area, and a signal having a small amplitude, which reaches only the second docking guide area, in the form of one signal.

9. The docking station according to claim 8, wherein the forming of the signals directed to the first docking guide area and the second docking guide area in the form of one signal includes forming signals having different amplitudes in the form of one signal, such that only a signal having a large amplitude is analyzed as a data bit in the first docking guide area and both the signal having the large amplitude and a signal having a small amplitude are analyzed as the data bit in the second docking guide area.

10. The docking station according to claim 7, wherein the transmission unit to transmit the docking guide signal includes a light emitting unit to generate the docking guide signal and a shading plate to block some of the docking guide signal so as to reduce a spreading angle of the docking guide signal.

11. The docking station according to claim 10, further comprising a lens unit provided outside the light emitting unit so as to spread the docking guide signal.

12. The docking station according to claim 7, further comprising a transmission unit to transmit a docking signal from a central portion of a front side of a main body of the docking station within a predetermined angle range such that a docking area which does not overlap the first docking guide area or the second docking guide area is formed.

13. The docking station according to claim 12, wherein the transmission unit to transmit the docking signal includes a light emitting unit to generate the docking signal and a guide portion to guide a traveling direction of the docking signal such that the docking signal is formed at the central portion of the front side of the main body within the predetermined angle range.

14. A docking station comprising:

at least one transmission unit to form a docking area within a predetermined angle range of a front side of the docking station, to form docking guide areas which do not overlap each other on the left and right sides of the docking area, and to transmit a docking guide signal such that the docking guide areas are distinguished as a first docking guide area and a second docking guide area according to an arrival distance of the docking guide signal,

wherein delay times of a plurality of high periods included in the docking guide signal are adjusted to different lengths.

15. The docking station according to claim 14, wherein the adjusting of the delay times of the plurality of high periods to the different lengths includes adjusting delay times of consecutive high periods of the plurality of high periods to different lengths.

16. The docking station according to claim 14, further comprising a transmission unit to transmit a docking signal from a central portion of a front side of a main body thereof within a predetermined angle range such that a docking area which does not overlap the first docking guide area or the second docking guide area is formed,

wherein delay times of a plurality of high periods included in the docking signal are adjusted to different lengths.

17. The docking station according to claim 16, wherein the adjusting of the delay times of the plurality of high periods to the different lengths includes adjusting delay times of consecutive high periods of the plurality of high periods to different lengths.

18. The docking station according to claim 16, wherein the transmission unit to transmit the docking signal includes a light emitting unit to generate the docking signal and a guide portion to guide a traveling direction of the docking signal such that the docking signal is formed at the central portion of the front side of the main body within the predetermined angle range.

19. The docking station according to claim 14, wherein the transmission unit to transmit the docking guide signal includes a light emitting unit to generate the docking guide signal and a shading plate to block some of the docking guide signal so as to reduce a spreading angle of the docking guide signal.

20. The docking station according to claim 19, further comprising a lens unit provided outside the light emitting unit so as to spread the docking guide signal.

21. A method of controlling a robot cleaner, the method comprising:

determining whether the robot cleaner needs to be docked at a docking station;

moving the robot cleaner toward a boundary between a first docking guide area formed a predetermined distance or more from the docking station and a second docking guide area formed within the predetermined distance from the docking station, when it is determined the robot cleaner needs to be docked;

moving the robot cleaner along the boundary to reach a docking area formed at a central portion of a front side of the docking station within a predetermined angle range, when the boundary is sensed; and

moving the robot cleaner along the docking area so as to dock the robot cleaner at the docking station, when the robot cleaner reaches the docking area.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the sensing of the boundary includes moving the robot cleaner in a direction of the docking station if the robot cleaner is first located in the first docking guide area and determining that the robot cleaner is located at the boundary when the robot cleaner reaches the second docking guide area while moving in the direction of the docking station.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the sensing of the boundary includes moving the robot cleaner in a direction different from a direction of the docking station if the robot cleaner is first located in the second docking guide area and determining that the robot cleaner is located at the boundary when the robot cleaner reaches the first docking guide area while moving.