Moving robot and operating method thereof

• US 8,560,120 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2007
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Sang Yun
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): PECHE, JORGE O
• Application Number:
  US12/440,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20100234998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,231 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/26, 701/79, 701/96, 701/301, 700/151, 700/258, 700/259, 700/245, 700/255, 700/260, 700/261, 700/262
• US Class Current: 700/259
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2889 Safety or protection devices or systems, e.g. for prevention of motor over-heating or for protection of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0223 involving speed control of the vehicle vehicle fittings for automatically controlling, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals

Abstract

A moving robot and its operation method are disclosed. The moving robot includes a moving body/object sensing unit that senses a movement of a human body within a certain distance, a traveling unit that controls a traveling speed and direction, and a controller that outputs a control signal for controlling the traveling speed according to pre-set data to the traveling unit. In a state that the moving robot performs a cleaning operation while moving its locations, when a movement of a human body is sensed by the moving body/object sensing unit, the traveling speed is reduced to allow the user to easily control the external operation, and the efficiency can be increased by utilizing the moving body/object sensing unit for operations of different modes.

Claims

1. A moving robot, comprising:

a traveling device that controls a traveling speed and direction by controlling driving of a motor connected with a plurality of movable wheels;

a dust suction device that sucks dust along with air according to a rotational operation of a fan motor that generates a suction force;

an obstacle sensor that senses an obstacle within a predetermined distance;

an output device that outputs input data and operation state data;

a moving body/object sensor that senses movement of an object located within a predetermined distance; and

a controller that outputs a control signal to control an operation, wherein when a movement of a certain object is sensed by the moving body/object sensor while the moving robot is traveling, the controller outputs to the traveling device a control signal to control the traveling speed according to pre-set data, and wherein when the movement of the object is sensed by the moving body/object sensor while the moving robot is operated, the controller outputs to the traveling device a control signal to reduce the traveling speed of the moving robot, and outputs to the traveling device a control signal to recover the traveling speed of the moving robot to the previous state when a control command is not input from an external source during a predetermined time period after the traveling speed of the moving robot is reduced.

2. The moving robot of claim 1, wherein the moving body/object sensor comprises a pyroelectric infrared (PIR) sensor that senses movement of an object that radiates a predetermined amount of infrared rays.

3. The moving robot of claim 1, wherein when the movement of the object is sensed, the controller outputs to the traveling device a control signal to reduce the traveling speed of the moving robot to a pre-set speed.

4. a method for operating a moving robot, the method comprising:

controlling a traveling speed and direction by controlling driving of a motor connected with a plurality of movable wheels via a traveling device;

sucking dust along with air according to a rotational operation of a fan motor that generates a suction force via a dust suction device;

sensing an obstacle within predetermined distance via an obstacle device;

outputting input data and operation state data via an output device;

sensing movement of an object within a predetermined distance via a moving body/object sensor;

outputting a control signal to control an operation via a controller, wherein when a movement of a certain object is sensed by the moving body/object sensor while the moving robot is traveling, the controller outputs to the traveling device a control signal to control the traveling speed according to pre-set data;

outputting a control signal, via the controller, to the traveling device to reduce the traveling speed of the moving robot when the movement of the object is sensed by the moving body/object sensor while the moving robot is operated; and

outputting a control signal, via the controller to the traveling device, to recover the traveling speed of the moving robot to a previous state when a control command is not input from an external source during a predetermined time period after the traveling speed of the moving robot is reduced.