CLEANING ROBOT SYSTEM AND ITS METHOD FOR CONTROLING

• US 20130199570A1
• Filed: 04/27/2011
• Published: 08/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Everybot Inc.
• Original Assignee: Moneual Incorporated (Hong-Seok Park, MBA)
• Inventors: Lee, Man-Hee, Lee, Ki-Yong, Song, Chang-Nam
• Application Number:
  US13/825,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20130199570A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/18
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/022 Recharging of batteries
• 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

Abstract

Disclosed are a cleaning robot system and its method for controlling which make it possible to reliably and quickly clean with the aid of the cleaning robot. The cleaning robot system comprises at least one external device each formed of an indicator and a virtual wall setting function, with the aid of which cleaning work can be performed by the unit of blocks about a cleaning area reference point, not leaving non-cleaned area behind. Since the access of the cleaning robot can be restricted by means of a virtual wall set by an external device, any damages of furniture due to a collision of the cleaning robot can be prevented, and the cleaning robot can be barred from escaping from the set cleaning area.

Claims

1. A cleaning robot system, comprising:

a cleaning robot 10 which automatically sucks and cleans dusts and foreign substances, while avoiding and detouring a certain obstacle ahead;

at least one external device 20 which has an indicator and a virtual wall setting function for allowing the cleaning robot 10 to recognize a cleaning reference point and a traveling restriction area; and

a charging part 30 which electrically charges the cleaning robot 10,

wherein said cleaning robot 10 includes;

a cleaning part 11 sucking and cleaning dusts and foreign substances in a cleaning area;

a driving part 17 driving the cleaning robot 10;

an obstacle detection part 12 detecting a certain obstacle in the course of traveling;

a transceiver part 13 communicating with the external devices 20 and the charging part 30;

a robot control part 14 controlling the operations of each element;

a robot operation part 15 inputting an user'"'"'s operation signal into the robot control part 14; and

a robot power part 16 supplying electric power for the operations of the cleaning robot 10; and

wherein said external devices 20 each include;

a robot signal receiving part 21 receiving a robot signal transmitted to the cleaning robot 10;

an indicator signal control part 22 creating a signal of a cleaning area reference point to the cleaning robot;

a virtual wall signal control part 23 creating a virtual wall signal informing the cleaning robot of a traveling restriction area;

an external device control part 24 controlling the operations of the robot signal receiving part 21, the indicator signal control part 22 and the virtual wall signal control part 23;

an external device operation part 25 helping input a user'"'"'s set value into the external device control part 24;

an external device power part 26 supplying electric power for the operations of elements; and

an external device transceiver part transmitting a signal in response to the signals transmitted from the indicator signal control part 22 and the virtual wall signal control art 23.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said external device transceiver part comprise an external device remote transceiver part 28a performing a guidance by transmitting a signal to a remotely located cleaning robot 10;

and

an external device local transceiver part 28b preventing a collision of the cleaning robot 10 coming closer to a certain obstacle and providing a definite position signal, with said external device transceiver part being installed at a front side, a left side and a right side, respectively, thus transmitting signals in three directions.

3. The system of either claim 1, wherein said external devices 20 each include an external device robot charging means foe charging with the aid of the cleaning robot 10, and said external device robot charging means is characterized in that the external device power part 26 is formed of a rechargeable secondary battery 26a, with an external device charging connection part 18 being provided at an outer surface of the body of the cleaning robot 10, with a robot connection charging part 27 being provided at an outer surface of the body of the external device 20.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein said external devices 20 each include an external device robot charging means foe charging with the aid of the cleaning robot 10, and said external device robot charging means is characterized in that the external device power part 26 is formed of a rechargeable secondary battery 26a, with an external device charging connection part 18 being provided at an outer surface of the body of the cleaning robot 10, with a robot connection charging part 27 being provided at an outer surface of the body of the external device 20.

4. In a control method of a cleaning robot system which is formed of a cleaning robot 10 which automatically sucks and cleans dusts and foreign substances;

at least one external device 20 transmitting an indicator and a virtual wall setting function; and

a charging part 30 which electrically charges the cleaning robot 10, a control method of a cleaning robot system, comprising;

a robot cleaning step 100 transmitting an indicator signal informing that an external device 20 indicates a cleaning area, so the cleaning robot 10 cleans the cleaning area by the unit of blocks; and

a virtual wall setting step 200 transmitting a virtual wall signal so that the external device 20 allows the cleaning robot 10 to recognize an access restriction area in the robot cleaning step 100.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said robot cleaning step 100 comprises:

an indicator operation step 110 allowing the external device 20 to perform an indicator operation as a user operates the external device operation part 25 of the external device;

an indicator signal transmission step 120 allowing the external device having been set for the indicator operation via the indicator operation step 110 to transmit an indicator signal;

a cleaning robot traveling step 130 allowing the cleaning robot 10 to receive a signal via the indicator signal transmission step 120 and to travel; and

a block unit cleaning step 140 allowing the cleaning robot to move a cleaning area recognized by the external device 20 in the cleaning robot traveling step 130 and perform cleaning by the unit of blocks about the indicator point.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said virtual wall setting step 200 comprises:

a virtual wall operation step 210 allowing the external device 20 to perform a virtual wall setting operation as a user operates the external device operation part 25 of the external device 20;

a virtual wall signal transmission step 220 allowing the external device 20 having been set for the virtual wall setting operation via the virtual wall operation step 210 to transmit a virtual wall signal; and

a cleaning robot avoidance traveling step 230 allowing the cleaning robot 10 to detour a virtual wall when the cleaning robot 10 reaches the virtual wall set via the virtual wall signal transmission step 220 and receives a virtual wall signal.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

a wakeup operation step 300 selectively transmitting either an indicator or a virtual wall signal in accordance with a user'"'"'s operation as the external device 20 operates only when the cleaning robot 10 accesses, said wakeup operation step 300 comprising;

a robot signal transmission step 310 transmitting a robot signal while the cleaning robot 10 is traveling; and

a wakeup step 320 allowing the external device 20 to operate in response to an indicator or a virtual set by a user'"'"'s operation, with the external device 20 having received the signal transmitted via the robot signal transmission step 310.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein in said indicator signal transmission step 120, the external device is allowed to transmit an identification code, and the cleaning robot 10 recognizes the external device 20 of the cleaning area on the basis of the user'"'"'s setting, thus performing an identification code recognition cleaning step, wherein said identification code recognition cleaning step comprises:

an external device identification code input step 410 inputting an identification code into at least two external devices 20, respectively;

a cleaning setting input sep 420 inputting an identification code of the external device 20 of the cleaning area based on the user'"'"'s setting into the cleaning robot 10; and

an external device identification step 430 performing the cleaning robot traveling step 130 when the signal is the indicator signal of the external device 20 based on the cleaning setting by recognizing the identification code based on the indicator signal transmitted from the external device 20 as the cleaning robot 10 travels.