Robot cleaner and method for controlling the same

• US 8,584,306 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2010
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Chung, Woo Ram, Joo, Jae Man, Kim, Dong Won, Hong, Jun Pyo, Jung, Jae Young, Yoo, Kyung Hwan, Jang, Hwi Chan
• Primary Examiner(s): SCRUGGS, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US12/659,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20100288307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,352 Days
• Field of Search: 15/211, 153/19, 153/181, 134/6, 320/104, 320/107
• US Class Current: 15/319
• 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 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
• 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: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00

Abstract

A robot cleaner to perform a cleaning process by changing a traveling pattern according to a cleaning start position and a method for controlling the same are disclosed. The robot cleaner recognizes a current position of the robot cleaner upon receiving the automatic cleaning command. If the automatic cleaning process starts from the charger, the robot cleaner performs the automatic cleaning process using a conventional cleaning method. Otherwise, if the automatic cleaning process starts from the outside of the charger, the robot cleaner changes a traveling pattern, performs the spot cleaning process and then selectively performs the automatic cleaning process.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a robot cleaner comprising:

receiving a command to perform a cleaning process;

recognizing, in response to the received command, a cleaning start location of the robot cleaner relative to a charger;

determining, by a controller, whether the recognized cleaning start location of the robot cleaner is at the charger; and

performing a spot cleaning process along a predetermined traveling pattern if it is determined the recognized cleaning start location is away from the charger,

wherein the recognizing of the cleaning start location of the robot cleaner includes;

determining whether a voltage is detected at a charging terminal of the robot cleaner, the charging terminal being used to charge a battery of the robot cleaner when the charging terminal contacts the charger, and

determining that the robot cleaner is located away from the charger when no voltage is detected at the charging terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the performing of the spot cleaning process includes first cleaning a region at which the robot is presently located, along the predetermined traveling pattern.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined traveling pattern includes a square spiral traveling pattern, a curved spiral traveling pattern, or a zigzag traveling pattern.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

selectively performing an automatic cleaning process after performing the spot cleaning process.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the recognizing of the robot cleaner location includes:

determining whether a voltage is detected at a charging terminal of the robot cleaner, the charging terminal being used to charge a battery of the robot cleaner when the charging terminal contacts the charger, and

determining that the robot cleaner is located at the charger when the voltage is detected at the charging terminal.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

performing an automatic cleaning process according to a predetermined cleaning scheme.

7. A robot cleaner charged by a charger, comprising:

an input unit to receive a command to perform a cleaning process;

a sensor to detect, in response to the received command, a cleaning start position of the cleaner relative to the charger; and

a controller to determine whether the detected cleaning start position is at the charger, and to perform a spot cleaning process along a predetermined traveling pattern if it is determined the detected cleaning start position is away from the charger,

wherein the cleaning start location of the robot cleaner is detected by determining whether a voltage is detected at a charging terminal of the robot cleaner, the charging terminal being used to charge a battery of the robot cleaner when the charging terminal contacts the charger, and the controller determines that the robot cleaner is located away from the charger when no voltage is detect at the charging terminal.

8. The robot cleaner according to claim 7, wherein the controller first cleans a predetermined region at which the robot is presently located, along the predetermined traveling pattern.

9. The robot cleaner according to claim 8, wherein the controller performs the spot cleaning process to clean the predetermined region at which the robot cleaner is presently located, and then stops the spot cleaning process after completely cleaning the predetermined region.

10. The robot cleaner according to claim 9, wherein the controller establishes the predetermined region using either a number of rotations or a rotation radius of the traveling pattern.

11. The robot cleaner according to claim 8, wherein the controller selectively performs an automatic cleaning process after performing the spot cleaning process.

12. The robot cleaner according to claim 7, wherein the controller selectively performs the spot cleaning process or an automatic cleaning process according to the cleaning start position, upon receiving the command to perform the cleaning process from the input unit.

13. The robot cleaner according to claim 7, wherein the controller determines that the robot cleaner is located at the charger when the voltage is detected at the charging terminal.

14. The robot cleaner according to claim 13, wherein the controller performs an automatic cleaning process using a predetermined cleaning scheme when determined that the robot cleaner is located at the charger.

15. A method of controlling a robot cleaner comprising:

receiving, by a controller, a command to perform a cleaning process;

recognizing, in response to the received command, a current position of the robot cleaner relative to a charger by detecting a voltage detected at a charging terminal of the robot cleaner, using a charging sensor;

determining, by the controller, whether the robot cleaner is positioned away from the charger or at the charger based on the detected voltage; and

performing an automatic cleaning process if it is determined the recognized position is at the charger by cleaning a predetermined region along a first predetermined traveling pattern, and performing a spot cleaning process if it is determined the recognized position is away from the charger by cleaning a preferential region along a second predetermined traveling pattern,

wherein the charging terminal is used to charge a battery of the robot cleaner when the charging terminal contacts the charger,

wherein the recognizing of the robot cleaner location includes;

determining whether a voltage is detected at a charging terminal of the robot cleaner, the charging terminal beinq used to charge a battery of the robot cleaner when the charging terminal contacts the charger, and

determining that the robot cleaner is located away from the charger when no voltage is detected at the charging terminal.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the performing a spot cleaning process further includes performing the spot cleaning process at the current position of the robot cleaner and performing an automatic cleaning process after performing the spot cleaning process.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the voltage of the charging terminal is detected after a user lifts the robot cleaner up at least one time.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the voltage of the charging terminal is detected and the current position of the robot cleaner recognized, in response to detecting a manual moving command from a user.