CLEANING ROBOT AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20180098676A1
• Filed: 10/12/2017
• Published: 04/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Ryu, Min Woo, Lee, Dong Hun, Jeong, Jae Yoon, Kwon, Young Do
• Granted Patent: US 10,646,086 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/02 Docking stations; Docking operations
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• 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 1/028 using a RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a cleaning robot and a method of controlling the same, and more particularly, to a cleaning robot docking to a station based on a radio frequency (RF) signal and a method of controlling the same.

An aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a cleaning robot comprising a cleaning robot antenna unit configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal transmitted from a station; and a controller configured to extract a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value by processing the RF signal received by the cleaning robot antenna unit and control movement of the cleaning robot to dock to the station based on the extracted RSSI value.

Claims

1. A cleaning robot comprising:

a cleaning robot antenna unit configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal transmitted from a station; and

a controller configured to extract a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value by processing the RF signal received by the cleaning robot antenna unit and control movement of the cleaning robot to dock to the station based on the extracted RSSI value.

2. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, wherein the controller estimates a direction of the station based on the extracted RSSI value and controls movement of the cleaning robot in the estimated direction.

3. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning robot antenna unit comprises a directional antenna configured to measure intensities of RF signals as different levels on a basis of direction or receiving the RF signal.

4. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, further comprising a memory in which map data comprising information on intensity and direction of the RSSI value for an area to be cleaned is stored,

wherein the controller estimates the direction of the station based on map data if map data for a current position of the cleaning robot is stored in the memory, and estimates the direction of the station based on the extracted RSSI value if map data for the current position of the cleaning robot is not stored in the memory.

5. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, further comprising a rotatably provided support plate,

wherein the cleaning robot antenna unit is fixed to the support plate and rotates together with the support plate, and

the controller extracts RSSI values with respect to rotation angles of the support plate and controls movement of the cleaning robot in a direction where a highest RSSI value is extracted based on the extracted RSSI values.

6. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning robot antenna unit comprises a plurality of antennas, and

the controller extracts RSSI values by processing RF signals received by the plurality of antennas, extracts a new RSSI value by integrating the extracted RSSI values, and controls movement of the cleaning robot to dock to the station based on the extracted new RSSI value.

7. The cleaning robot according to claim 6, wherein the controller sequentially controls On/Off states of the plurality of antennas.

8. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the cleaning robot to turn in place,

extracts RSSI values with respect to rotation angles of the cleaning robot, and

controls movement of the cleaning robot in a direction where a highest RSSI value is extracted based on the extracted RSSI values.

9. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, wherein the station comprises:

a station antenna unit configured to transmit an RF signal; and

a station controller configured to generate the RF signal transmitted from the station antenna unit.

10. The cleaning robot according to claim 9, wherein the station antenna unit comprises a plurality of antennas.

11. The cleaning robot according to claim 9, wherein the station controller controls the station antenna unit to transmit a weaker RF signal as a distance between the cleaning robot and the station decreases.

12. A method of controlling a cleaning robot, the method comprising:

receiving an RF signal transmitted from a station, the receiving being performed by a cleaning robot antenna unit;

extracting a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value by processing the received RF signal; and

moving the cleaning robot to dock to the station based on the extracted RSSI value.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the moving of the cleaning robot to dock to the station based on the extracted RSSI value comprises estimating a direction of the station based on the extracted RSSI value and moving the cleaning robot in the estimated direction.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the cleaning robot further comprises a memory in which map data comprising information on intensity and direction of the RSSI value for an area to be cleaned is stored, and

the moving of the cleaning robot to dock to the station based on the extracted RSSI value comprises:

estimating the direction of the station based on map data if map data for a current position of the cleaning robot is stored in the memory; and

estimating the direction of the station based on the extracted RSSI value if map data for the current position of the cleaning robot is not stored in the memory.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the cleaning robot comprises a rotatably provided support plate to which the cleaning robot antenna unit is fixed, and

the receiving of the RF signal transmitted from the station comprises a process in which the cleaning robot antenna unit receives the RF signal transmitted from the station while rotating together with the support plate at a time.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the extracting of the RSSI value by processing the received RF signal comprises extracting an RSSI value with respect to a rotation angle of the support plate by processing the received RF signal.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the moving of the cleaning robot to dock to the station based on the extracted RSSI value comprises moving the cleaning robot in a direction where a highest RSSI value is extracted based on the extracted RSSI value.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the cleaning robot antenna unit comprises a plurality of antennas, and

the extracting of the RSSI value by processing the received RF signal and the moving of the cleaning robot to dock to the station based on the extracted RSSI value comprises:

extracting RSSI values by processing RF signals received by the plurality of antennas,

extracting a new RSSI value by integrating the extracted RSSI values, and

moving the cleaning robot to dock to the station based on the extracted new RSSI value.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein the receiving of the RF signal transmitted from the station comprises receiving an RF signal transmitted from the station via the cleaning robot antenna unit while the cleaning robot turns in place, and

the moving of the cleaning robot to dock to the station based on the extracted RSSI value comprises:

estimating a direction where a highest RSSI value is extracted as a direction of the station based on the extracted RSSI value; and

moving the cleaning robot in the estimated direction.

20. The method according to claim 12, wherein when an obstacle is detected in a moving path of the cleaning robot, the cleaning robot moves in a direction where a second highest RSSI value is extracted at a position where the obstacle is detected.