ROBOT CLEANER AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20130263889A1
• Filed: 04/05/2013
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: YOON, Sang Sik, JIN, Hee Won, KIM, Byung Chan, JEONG, Yeon Kyu, CHOI, Sang Hwa
• Granted Patent: US 8,869,342 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/6
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4038 Disk shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4072 Arrangement of castors or wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/02 with driven tools for special purposes with floor-polishing tools A47L11/20
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/04 with driven brushes or agitators
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0494 Height adjustment of dust-loosening tools

Abstract

A robot cleaner that automatically removes dust accumulated on a floor while navigating a cleaning area, and a method of controlling the robot cleaner, includes a main body that navigates a floor; a first detector that detects an obstacle getting closer to the main body; an auxiliary cleaner that is mounted on the main body to protrude and retract; a second detector that detects a protrusion state or a retraction state of the auxiliary cleaner; and a controller that determines an abnormal operation of the auxiliary cleaner based on a result of the detection of the second detector and controls a protrusion operation or a retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner according to a result of the determination.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner comprising:

a main body that navigates a floor;

a first detector that detects an obstacle;

an auxiliary cleaner that is mounted on the main body to protrude and retract;

a second detector that detects a protrusion state or a retraction state of the auxiliary cleaner; and

a controller that determines an abnormal operation of the auxiliary cleaner based on a result of the detection of the second detector and controls a protrusion operation or a retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner according to a result of the determination.

2. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the second detector detects whether the auxiliary cleaner performs a protrusion operation or a retraction operation, detects a protrusion degree or a retraction degree of the auxiliary cleaner, and detects whether the protrusion operation or the retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner is completed.

3. The robot cleaner of claim 2, wherein the controller calculates a number of times a driving unit that drives the auxiliary cleaner rotates based on the result of the detection of the second detector, and when the number of times the driving unit rotates for a preset period of time is less than a critical value, determines that an error occurs in an operation of the auxiliary cleaning unit.

4. The robot cleaner of claim 2, wherein the controller calculates a number of times a driving unit that drives the auxiliary cleaner rotates based on the result of the detection of the second detector, and when the number of times the driving unit rotates for a preset period of time is greater than a critical value and there is no protrusion or retraction command for the auxiliary cleaner, determines that an error occurs in an operation of the auxiliary cleaning unit.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 2, wherein the controller calculates an amount of current supplied to a driving unit that drives the auxiliary cleaner based on the result of the detection of the second detector, and when the amount of current supplied to the driving unit for a preset period of time is less than a critical value, determines that an error occurs in an operation of the auxiliary cleaning unit.

6. The robot cleaner of claim 2, wherein the controller calculates an amount of current supplied to a driving unit that drives the auxiliary cleaner based on the result of the detection of the second detector, and when the amount of current supplied to the driving unit for a preset period of time is greater than a critical value and there is no protrusion or retraction command for the auxiliary cleaner, determines that an error occurs in an operation of the auxiliary cleaning unit.

7. The robot cleaner of claim 2, wherein the controller estimates a position of the auxiliary cleaner based on the result of the detection of the second detector, and when the auxiliary cleaner is not located at a predicted position within a preset period of time, determines that an error occurs in an operation of the auxiliary cleaning unit.

8. The robot cleaner of claim 2, wherein the controller estimates a position of the auxiliary cleaner based on the result of the detection of the second detector, and when there is a change in the position of the auxiliary cleaner and there is no protrusion or retraction command for the auxiliary cleaner, determines that an error occurs in an operation of the auxiliary cleaning unit.

9. The robot cleaner of claim 2, wherein when an obstacle is detected in a protrusion or retraction direction of the auxiliary cleaner based on the result of the detection of the first detector, the controller determines that the auxiliary cleaner operates abnormally due to the obstacle.

10. The robot cleaner of claim 9, wherein the controller performs a protrusion or retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner or changes a navigation direction and a navigation pattern of the main body in response to the obstacle.

11. The robot cleaner of claim 2, wherein when no obstacle is detected in a protrusion or retraction direction of the auxiliary cleaner based on the result of the detection of the first detector, the controller determines that the auxiliary cleaner abnormally operates due to a change in a floor surface.

12. The robot cleaner of claim 11, wherein the controller performs a protrusion or retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner or adjusts an operation strength of the auxiliary cleaner in response to the change in the floor surface.

13. The robot cleaner of claim 2, wherein when a protrusion or retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner is detected based on the result of the detection of the second detector and there is no operation command for the auxiliary cleaner, the controller determines that an undesired operation occurs.

14. The robot cleaner of claim 13, wherein the controller determines that the undesired operation is caused by an external force and controls the auxiliary cleaner to resist the external force.

15. A method of controlling a robot cleaner comprising a main body that navigates a floor, a first detector that detects an obstacle, an auxiliary cleaner that is mounted on the main body to protrude and retract, and a second detector that detects a protrusion or retraction state of the auxiliary cleaner, the method comprising:

determining an abnormal operation of the auxiliary cleaner based on a result of the detection of the second detector; and

controlling a protrusion or retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner according to a result of the determination.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the controlling of the protrusion or retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner comprises:

determining whether an obstacle is detected in a protrusion or retraction direction of the auxiliary cleaner;

determining whether the auxiliary cleaner abnormally operates due to the obstacle when it is determined that the obstacle is detected; and

performing a protrusion or retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner or changing a navigation direction and a navigation pattern of the main body in response to the obstacle.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the controlling of the protrusion or retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner comprises:

determining whether an obstacle is detected in a protrusion or retraction direction of the auxiliary cleaner;

determining that the auxiliary cleaner abnormally operates according to a change in a floor surface when the obstacle is not detected; and

performing a protrusion or retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner or adjusting an operation strength of the auxiliary cleaner in response to the change in the floor surface.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining whether there exists an operation command for the auxiliary cleaner,

wherein the determining of the abnormal operation of the auxiliary cleaner comprises determining whether a protrusion or retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner is detected based on the result of the detection of the second detector and there is no operation command for the auxiliary cleaning unit.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the controlling of the protrusion or retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner comprises:

determining that an undesired operation occurs when the protrusion or retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner is detected; and

determining that the undesired operation is caused by an external force, and controlling the auxiliary cleaner to resist the external force in order to maintain a previous state.

20. A robot cleaner comprising:

a main body that navigates a floor;

an auxiliary cleaner that is mounted on the main body to protrude and retract;

a first detector that detects a protrusion state or a retraction state of the auxiliary cleaner; and

a controller that determines an abnormal operation of the auxiliary cleaner based on a result of the detection of the first detector and controls a protrusion operation or a retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner according to a result of the determination.

21. The robot cleaner of claim 20, wherein the first detector detects whether the auxiliary cleaner performs a protrusion operation or a retraction operation, detects a protrusion degree or a retraction degree of the auxiliary cleaner, and detects whether the protrusion operation or the retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner is completed, and

wherein the controller determines whether there is a protrusion or retraction command for the auxiliary cleaner.

22. The robot cleaner of claim 21, wherein the controller determines that an error occurs in an operation of the auxiliary cleaning unit when the first detector detects that the auxiliary cleaner performs a protrusion operation or a retraction operation and the controller determines that there is no protrusion or retraction command for the auxiliary cleaner.

23. The robot cleaner of claim 21, wherein the controller determines that an error occurs in an operation of the auxiliary cleaning unit when the first detector detects that the auxiliary cleaner does not perform a protrusion operation or a retraction operation and the controller determines that there is a protrusion or retraction command for the auxiliary cleaner.

24. The robot cleaner of claim 21, wherein the controller estimates a position of the auxiliary cleaner based on the result of the detection of the first detector, and when the auxiliary cleaner is not located at a predicted position within a preset period of time, determines that an error occurs in an operation of the auxiliary cleaning unit.

25. The robot cleaner of claim 21, wherein the controller estimates a position of the auxiliary cleaner based on the result of the detection of the first detector, and when there is a change in the position of the auxiliary cleaner and there is no protrusion or retraction command for the auxiliary cleaner, determines that an error occurs in an operation of the auxiliary cleaning unit.

26. The robot cleaner of claim 21, the robot cleaner further comprising a second detector that detects an obstacle,

wherein when an obstacle is detected in a protrusion or retraction direction of the auxiliary cleaner based on the result of the detection of the second detector, the controller determines that the auxiliary cleaner operates abnormally due to the obstacle.