Control method of performing rotational traveling of robot cleaner

• US 8,655,539 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2010
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Yoo, Kyung Hwan, Kim, Dong Won, Joo, Jae Man, Lee, Jun Hwa, Hong, Jun Pyo, Chung, Woo Ram, Jung, Jae Young, Jang, Hwi Chan
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Application Number:
  US12/926,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20110118928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 701/26, 701/2, 700/245, 700/250, 700/258, 700/253, 15/4, 15/521, 318/568.12, 299/1.05
• US Class Current: 701/26
• 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 9/2852 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 9/2873 Docking units or charging stations for autonomous or robotic vacuum cleaners A47L2201/02
• 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 1/0227 using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a control method of a robot cleaner in which a robot cleaner is moved at an arbitrary starting angle along a rotation trajectory having an arbitrary rotational center and rotation radius during obstacle-following traveling, whereby an obstacle-following traveling time is reduced and consequently, a movement time of the robot cleaner is reduced.

Claims

1. A control method of a robot cleaner, comprising:

determining, by a processor, whether or not to perform obstacle-following traveling of the robot cleaner; and

performing rotational traveling of the robot cleaner based on an arbitrary starting angle of the robot cleaner along a rotation trajectory having an arbitrary rotation radius about an arbitrary rotational center when it is determined to perform the obstacle-following traveling.

2. The control method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sensing whether an obstacle is present by a sensor,

wherein the rotational traveling includes moving the robot cleaner away from the obstacle sensed by the robot cleaner, and thereafter moving the robot cleaner toward the obstacle, when it is sensed that an obstacle is present.

3. The control method according to claim 2, wherein a travel speed of the robot cleaner is increased while the robot cleaner is moved away from the obstacle, and is decreased while the robot cleaner is moved toward the obstacle.

4. The control method according to claim 2, wherein the rotational traveling is repeated at a constant period with respect to the obstacle.

5. The control method according to claim 2, wherein the rotation radius of the rotational traveling is increased to allow the robot cleaner to meet the obstacle after the obstacle has been sensed even when no obstacle is subsequently sensed during obstacle-following traveling.

6. The control method according to claim 2, wherein a speed of the rotational traveling is equal to an actual cleaning travel speed of the robot cleaner.

7. The control method according to claim 2, wherein a speed of the rotational traveling in which the robot cleaner travels while not maintaining a constant distance from the obstacle is faster than a speed of obstacle-following traveling in which the robot cleaner travels while maintaining a constant distance from the obstacle.

8. The control method according to claim 1, further comprising:

accumulating a rotation angle of the robot cleaner in an opposite direction of a predetermined rotation direction thereof during the rotational traveling by summing rotation angles of the robot cleaner in the opposite direction of the rotation direction; and

changing the starting angle of the robot cleaner to a new angle when the accumulated angle is a preset angle or greater, to perform the obstacle-following traveling.

9. The control method according to claim 1, further comprising:

accumulating a rotation angle of the robot cleaner in an opposite direction of a predetermined rotation direction thereof during the rotational traveling by summing rotation angles of the robot cleaner in the opposite direction of the rotation direction; and

maintaining a constant distance between the robot cleaner and the obstacle when the accumulated angle is a preset angle or greater, to perform obstacle-following traveling.

10. The control method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether or not to perform a first obstacle-following traveling mode in which the robot cleaner performs rotational traveling with respect to an obstacle; and

performing rotational traveling of the robot cleaner at a speed faster than a travel speed of a second obstacle-following traveling mode in which the robot cleaner travels while maintaining a constant distance from the obstacle when it is determined to perform the first obstacle-following traveling mode.

11. The control method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sensing whether or not an obstacle is present when it is determined to perform the obstacle-following traveling; and

moving the robot cleaner away from the obstacle when the obstacle is sensed, and then continuously moving the robot cleaner away from the obstacle for a predetermined period of time even when the obstacle is subsequently not sensed, and thereafter moving the robot cleaner toward the obstacle.

12. A control method of a robot cleaner selectively performing obstacle-following traveling, comprising:

selecting, by a processor, a starting angle of the robot cleaner; and

moving the robot cleaner at the selected starting angle such that a rotation radius of a movement trajectory of the robot cleaner increases as a rotation angle of the robot cleaner increases.

13. The control method according to claim 12, wherein the movement trajectory is one of helical movement, semicircular movement and parabolic movement.

14. The control method according to claim 12, wherein the selection of the starting angle of the robot cleaner includes:

determining whether or not to perform the obstacle-following traveling;

sensing whether or not an obstacle is present when it is determined to perform the obstacle-following traveling; and

selecting an angle obtained by adding a preset angle to a current angle of the robot cleaner as the starting angle when the obstacle is sensed, or selecting the current angle of the robot cleaner as the starting angle when the obstacle is not sensed.

15. The control method according to claim 14, wherein the obstacle-following traveling is determined to be performed based on information input from outside the robot cleaner or by the robot cleaner.

16. The control method according to claim 15, wherein the robot cleaner immediately begins the obstacle-following traveling after stopping current traveling thereof, or begins the obstacle-following traveling after moving closer to a wall when it is determined to perform the obstacle-following traveling.

17. The control method according to claim 14, wherein the preset angle is in a range of about 20 degrees to about 45 degrees.

18. The control method according to claim 12, wherein the movement of the robot cleaner includes:

calculating the movement trajectory of the robot cleaner based on the starting angle of the robot cleaner; and

moving the robot cleaner along the calculated movement trajectory.

19. The control method according to claim 18, wherein the movement trajectory of the robot cleaner is calculated based on the starting angle and a rotation radius which is preset to correspond to each rotation angle of the robot cleaner based on the starting angle.

20. The control method according to claim 19, wherein the preset rotation radius is less than a width of an exit of a zone in which the robot cleaner is present.

21. A control method of a robot cleaner, comprising:

sensing whether or not an obstacle is present;

selecting, by a processor, a starting angle of the robot cleaner based on the sensed result of the obstacle, a current angle of the robot cleaner being selected as the starting angle when the obstacle is sensed, a preset angle based on the current angle of the robot cleaner being selected as the starting angle when no obstacle is sensed;

rotating the robot cleaner to the preset angle when no obstacle is sensed and maintaining the robot cleaner at the current angle when the obstacle is sensed; and

moving the robot cleaner along a rotation trajectory after the angle rotation or angle maintaining.

22. The control method according to claim 21, further comprising:

continuously sensing an obstacle sensing state or an obstacle non-sensing state;

moving the robot cleaner away from the obstacle when the obstacle is sensed; and

continually moving the robot cleaner away from the obstacle for a predetermined period of time even when an obstacle sensing state is changed to an obstacle non-sensing state, and then moving the robot cleaner toward the obstacle after the predetermined period of time has elapsed.

23. A control method of a robot cleaner, comprising:

determining by a processor whether or not to perform wall-following traveling of the robot cleaner; and

performing bouncing traveling of the robot cleaner when it is determined to perform the wall-following traveling,

wherein the performing of the bouncing traveling comprises;

moving the robot cleaner in a first travelling direction of allowing the robot cleaner to move away from a wall; and

moving the robot cleaner in a second travelling direction of allowing the robot cleaner to move toward the wall,

wherein a travelling speed of the robot cleaner is increased during the moving of the robot cleaner in the first travelling direction and the travelling speed of the robot cleaner is decreased during the moving of the robot cleaner in the second travelling direction.