MOVING ROBOT AND CONTROLLING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20160320777A1
• Filed: 01/07/2016
• Published: 11/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Yun, Hyungtae
• Granted Patent: US 9,785,148 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 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: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/876 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S15/872 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/88 Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting G01V1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/54 with receivers spaced apart
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0238 using obstacle or wall sensors G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165

Abstract

A robot cleaner having a main body, a driving unit for moving the main body, a sensing unit for sensing information related to an obstacle, and a controller for controlling the driving unit to prevent collision of the main body with the obstacle. The controller controls the driving unit to reverse the main body with respect to the obstacle so as to prevent the main body from contacting the obstacle based on a distance between the main body and the obstacle.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner comprising:

a main body;

a driving unit to move the main body;

a sensing unit to sense information related to an obstacle; and

a controller to control the driving unit to prevent the main body from contacting the obstacle,

wherein the controller controls the driving unit to reverse the main body in a direction with respect to the obstacle so that the main body does not contact the obstacle, based on a distance between the main body and the obstacle.

2. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein, when the distance from a rotational center of the main body to the obstacle is less than or equal to a first reference distance, the controller controls the driving unit to directionally reverse the main body with respect to the obstacle.

3. The robot cleaner of claim 2, wherein the first reference distance corresponds to a radius of rotation of the main body.

4. The robot cleaner of claim 2, wherein, when the main body is directionally reversed, the controller controls the driving unit so that a front surface of the main body is spaced apart from the obstacle at a predetermined distance.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 4, wherein the predetermined distance between the front surface of the main body and the obstacle corresponds to the radius of rotation of the main body.

6. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein, when the main body is directionally reversed, the controller calculates a time for which the reverse of the main body is maintained, and

wherein, if the calculated time exceeds a predetermined limited time, the controller controls the driving unit to stop the main body from moving.

7. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein, if the distance between the main body and the obstacle is decreased to less than or equal to a third reference distance, the controller controls the driving unit to decrease a moving speed of the robot cleaner.

8. The robot cleaner of claim 7, wherein the controller detects information related to a size of the obstacle by using the sensed information, and sets information related to the third reference distance based on the detected information.

9. The robot cleaner of claim 8, wherein the sensing unit includes a signal transmitter for emitting a predetermined wave to the obstacle and a signal receiver for receiving the wave reflected by the obstacle, and

wherein the controller detects the information related to the size of the obstacle by comparing the emitted wave with the received wave.

10. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein, if the distance between the main body and the obstacle is decreased to less than or equal to a second reference distance, the controller controls the driving unit to stop the main body.

11. The robot cleaner of claim 10, wherein, when the main body is reversed after being stopped, the controller controls the driving unit to reverse the main body up to a location at which the stop of the main body has been started.

12. The robot cleaner of claim 10, wherein the controller sets information related to the second reference distance by using information related to at least one of a radius of rotation of the main body and a braking distance of the main body.

13. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the controller controls the driving unit to perform an operation for preventing the main body from contacting the obstacle by rotating the main body by a predetermined angle after the reverse of the main body is completed.

14. A method for controlling a robot cleaner, the method comprising:

moving, using a driving unit, a main body of the robot cleaner;

sensing, using a sensing unit, information related to an obstacle located in a moving direction of the main body;

calculating, using a controller, a distance between the main body and the obstacle by using the sensed information;

determining, using the controller, whether the calculated distance is less than or equal to a first reference distance;

reversing, using the driving unit, the main body with respect to the obstacle if the calculated distance is less than or equal to the first reference distance; and

performing, using the controller, an operation for preventing the main body from contacting the obstacle.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the performing of the operation for preventing the main body from contacting the obstacle includes reversing the main body when a distance from a rotational center of the main body to the obstacle is less than or equal to a first reference distance,

wherein the first reference distance corresponds to a radius of rotation of the robot cleaner.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, in the reversing of the main body, the driving unit is controlled such that a front surface of the main body is spaced apart from the obstacle at a distance that is less than or equal to the radius of rotation of the robot cleaner.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising, stopping the main body if the distance between the main body and the obstacle is less than or equal to a second reference distance.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

when the main body is reversed, calculating, using the controller, a time for which the reverse of the main body is maintained; and

stopping the main body if the calculated time is greater than a predetermined limited time.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising, decreasing a moving speed of the robot cleaner if the distance between the main body and the obstacle is less than or equal to a third reference distance.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

detecting information related to a size of the obstacle by using the information related to the obstacle; and

setting information related to the third reference distance based on the detected information.