ROBOT CLEANER, ROBOT CLEANER SYSTEM AND CONTROL METHOD OF THE SAME

• US 20150173578A1
• Filed: 12/18/2014
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Bongju, Kim, Sangmok, Cho, Seongeun
• Granted Patent: US 9,815,190 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0003 Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/40 Vacuum or mangetic

Abstract

The robot cleaner includes a case, a suction device provided in the case, a suction nozzle for sucking dust from a floor by driving of the suction device, a dust collection device for collecting foreign substances contained in the air sucked via the suction nozzle, a wheel unit to allow movement, a main controller for controlling the driving of the suction device and the wheel unit, a Wi-Fi module provided in the case to provide Access Point (AP), and a NFC module provided in the case to provide an external terminal with AP information for accessing to the AP through NFC communication.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner comprising:

a case;

a suction device provided in the case;

a suction nozzle configured to suck dust from a floor by driving of the suction device;

a dust collection device configured to collect foreign substances contained in the air sucked via the suction nozzle;

a wheel unit configured to allow movement of the robot cleaner;

a main controller configured to control the driving of the suction device and the wheel unit;

a Wi-Fi module provided in the case and configured to provide an Access Point (AP); and

a NFC module provided in the case and configured to provide an external terminal with AP information for access to the AP through NFC communication,

wherein when the AP information received from the external terminal is authenticated, a Wi-Fi communication between an external terminal and the main controller is enabled.

2. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the Wi-Fi module provides the main controller with a control signal received from the external terminal and provides the external terminal with state information of the robot cleaner.

3. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the Wi-Fi module and the NFC module are separately provided in the case, and are spaced apart from each other by a preset distance.

4. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the AP information comprises AP SSID and a security key.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein when communication of the Wi-Fi module and the NFC module is not enabled, power to the NFC module is provided through the main controller.

6. The robot cleaner of claim 1, further comprising:

a camera module provided in the case to provide surrounding view thereof; and

a vision controller configured to generate location information based on information of surrounding view generated by the camera module,

wherein the Wi-Fi module is mounted with the vision controller.

7. The robot cleaner of claim 6, wherein the Wi-Fi module communicates with the vision controller via serial communication, and

the vision controller communicates with the main controller via serial communication.

8. The robot cleaner of claim 7, wherein the Wi-Fi module communicates with the vision controller via USB serial communication.

9. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the case comprises an upper cover configured to define an upper exterior appearance of the robot cleaner, and the NFC module is mounted in a rear surface of the upper cover.

10. The robot cleaner of claim 9, wherein the Wi-Fi module is provided in front or behind the rear surface of the upper cover, and

the NFC module is provided behind or in front of the rear surface of the upper cover which is an opposite position of the Wi-Fi module.

11. The robot cleaner of claim 9, wherein the Wi-Fi module comprises an USB type wireless LAN card, and wherein a board hook and a wireless LAN card hook are provided in the rear surface of the upper cover,

the board hook being configured to fix the board as the wireless LAN card and the board are moved in a direction where the wireless LAN card is coupled to the board;

and

the wireless LAN card hook being configured to fix the wireless LAN card as the wireless LAN card is moved downward after the board is coupled to the board hook.

12. The robot cleaner of claim 11, wherein the board hook includes right and left hooks, and

the wireless LAN card is fixed in position in a first direction by the left and right hooks, and fixed in position in a second direction by the wireless LAN card hook.

13. A robot cleaner comprising:

a case including an upper cover serving as an upper exterior appearance of the robot cleaner;

a suction device provided in the case;

a dust collection device configured to collect foreign substances contained in the air sucked via the suction device;

a wheel unit provided to allow movement of the robot cleaner;

a main controller configured to control the suction device and the wheel unit;

a Wi-Fi module including a wireless LAN card configured to provide an Access Point (AP) and the wireless LAN card connect to a board mounted at a rear surface of the upper cover; and

a NFC module coupled at the rear surface of the upper cover in an opposite position of the Wi-Fi module, the NFC module for providing AP information for accessing to the AP via NFC communication for an external terminal,

wherein when the AP information received from the external terminal is authenticated, Wi-Fi communication with an external terminal is enabled.

14. The robot cleaner of claim 13, wherein at least three hooks are formed in the upper cover to secure the Wi-Fi module.

15. The robot cleaner of claim 14, wherein the hooks comprise,

a board hook configured to fix the board as the wireless LAN card and the board are moved in a first direction, where the wireless LAN card is connected to the board;

and

a wireless LAN card hook configured to fix the wireless LAN card in a second direction after the board is coupled to the board hook in the first direction.

16. The robot cleaner of claim 14, wherein the hooks comprise,

a front hook configured to restrict forward-and-backward motion of the wireless LAN card and the board;

and

at least two lateral hooks configured to restrict lateral motion of the wireless LAN card and the board.

17. A control method of a robot cleaner comprising:

transmitting AP information of a Wi-Fi module embedded in a case of the robot cleaner to an external terminal via a NFC module;

allowing the external terminal to access to the AP based on the AP information received from the external terminal; and

Wi-Fi between the external terminal and the robot cleaner via the AP.

18. The control method of the robot cleaner of claim 17, wherein in the Wi-Fi communicating step, at least one of remote control of the robot cleaner through the external terminal or monitoring of state information on the robot cleaner is enabled.

19. The control method of the robot cleaner of claim 17, wherein power supply to the NFC module is provided only through the main controller.

20. A control method of a robot cleaner system comprising a robot cleaner and an external terminal for wirelessly communicating with the robot cleaner, the control method comprising:

receiving information of the robot cleaner by the external terminal via communication between an NFC module and the external terminal via an NFC module of the robot cleaner, where information of the robot cleaner includes AP information of a Wi-Fi module provided in a case of the robot cleaner;

selecting a robot cleaner as a remote control object through the external terminal based on the received information on the robot cleaner;

accessing the AP by allowing the external terminal to transmit the AP information to the selected robot cleaner; and

performing Wi-Fi communication between a Wi-Fi module of the robot cleaner and a Wi-Fi module of the external terminal.