Robot cleaner and control method thereof

• US 9,335,767 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2012
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jang, Hwi Chan, Kim, Dong Won, Jung, Hyun Soo, Han, Seung Il, Lee, Jun Hwa
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas, Ana
• Application Number:
  US13/590,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20130054026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: 702/98, 700/245, 153/19
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0227 using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area

Abstract

A robot cleaner having an improved structure which executes a cleaning operation without stoppage of travelling of the robot cleaner due to obstacles present in a space to be cleaned, and a control method thereof. The control method of the robot cleaner which is provided with a main body, driving wheels driving the main body, and driving wheel assemblies, each of which includes each driving wheel, includes detecting displacement of each driving wheel with respect to a reference position by sensing a sensed body provided on each driving wheel assembly, judging whether or not the displacement is within a predetermined reference range, and changing a travelling path of the main body, upon judging that the displacement deviates from the reference range.

Claims

1. A control method of a robot cleaner which is provided with a plurality of driving wheel assemblies each of which includes a driving wheel and a gear assembly to transmit driving force to the driving wheel and which rotates due to displacement of the driving wheel, the control method comprising:

for the driving wheel included in each respective driving wheel assembly,

detecting a displacement of the driving wheel with respect to a reference position by sensing a distance between

a sensor provided on the respective driving wheel assembly and

a sensed body provided on the gear assembly included in the respective driving wheel assembly so that the sensed body thereby rotates with the rotation of the gear assembly included in the respective driving wheel assembly;

judging, by a controller, whether or not the detected displacement is within a predetermined reference range; and

changing a travelling path of the robot cleaner, upon judging by said judging that the detected displacement is not within the predetermined reference range.

2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the sensed body on each respective driving wheel assembly is the driving wheel on the respective driving wheel assembly.

3. The control method according to claim 1, wherein said changing comprises changing the travelling path of the main body so that the detected displacement is within the predetermined reference range, upon judging by said judging that the detected displacement is not within the predetermined reference range.

4. The control method according to claim 1, wherein said changing comprises:

judging that the driving wheel is lifted, when the detected displacement exceeds an upper threshold value of the predetermined reference range; and

judging that the driving wheel is jammed, when the detected displacement does not reach a lower threshold value of the predetermined reference range.

5. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the sensed distance is converted into a standardized parameter.

6. The control method according to claim 5, wherein the standardized parameter is voltage, and the predetermined reference range is a range of voltage.

7. A control method of a robot cleaner which is provided with a main body, and a plurality of driving wheel assemblies each of which includes a driving wheel to drive the main body, the control method comprising:

for the driving wheel included in each respective driving wheel assembly,

detecting a displacement of the driving wheel with respect to a reference position by sensing a position of a sensed body on the respective driving wheel assembly by a sensor included in the respective driving wheel assembly;

judging, by a controller, whether or not the detected displacement is within a predetermined reference range; and

changing a travelling path of the main body, upon judging by said judging that the detected displacement is not within the predetermined reference range,

wherein

each respective driving wheel assembly further includes a driving motor to drive the driving wheel included in the respective driving wheel assembly, and

the sensor included in each respective driving wheel assembly senses a rotating angle of the sensed body on the respective driving wheel assembly about a rotation shaft of the driving motor included in the respective driving wheel assembly, to thereby detect the displacement of the driving wheel included in the respective driving wheel assembly.

8. A robot cleaner comprising:

plurality of driving wheel assemblies, each respective driving wheel assembly of the plurality of driving wheel assemblies including;

a driving wheel,

a gear assembly to transmit driving force to the driving wheel included in the respective driving wheel assembly to thereby drive the robot cleaner, and which rotates due to displacement of the driving wheel included in the respective driving wheel assembly,

a sensed body provided on the gear assembly included in the respective driving, wheel assembly so that the sensed body rotates with the rotation of the gear assembly included in the respective driving wheel assembly, and

a sensor to detect a displacement of the driving wheel included in the respective driving wheel assembly with respect to a reference position by sensing a distance between the sensor and the sensed body provided on the gear assembly included in the respective driving wheel assembly; and

at least one controller to judge whether or not the displacement detected by a respective sensor included in a respective driving wheel assembly is within a predetermined reference range, and to change a travelling path of the robot cleaner, upon judging by the at least one controller that the detected displacement is not within the predetermined reference range.

9. The robot cleaner according to claim 8, wherein the at least one controller changes the travelling path of the robot cleaner so that the detected displacement is within the reference range, upon judging by the at least one controller that the detected displacement is not within the predetermined reference range.

10. The robot cleaner according to claim 9, wherein, for the driving wheel included in each respective driving wheel assembly,

the at least one controller judges that the driving wheel is lifted, when the detected displacement of the driving wheel exceeds an upper threshold value of the predetermined reference range, and judges that the driving wheel is jammed, when the detected displacement of the driving wheel does not reach a lower threshold value of the predetermined reference range.

11. The robot cleaner according to claim 10, wherein the sensed body provided on each respective driving wheel assembly is the driving wheel included in the respective driving wheel assembly.

12. The robot cleaner according to claim 9, wherein:

in each respective driving wheel assembly, the sensed body provided on the gear assembly included in the respective driving wheel assembly protrudes from one side surface of the gear assembly included in the respective driving wheel assembly.

13. The robot cleaner according to claim 12, wherein

each respective driving wheel assembly includes a motor generating the driving force transmitted by the gear assembly included in the respective driving wheel assembly, and,

for each respective driving wheel assembly of the plurality of driving wheel assemblies,

the gear assembly included in the respective driving wheel assembly is connected to one side of a housing included in the respective driving wheel assembly so as to be rotatable about a rotation shaft of the driving motor included in the respective driving wheel assembly.

14. The robot cleaner according to claim 13, wherein, for each respective driving wheel assembly of the plurality of driving wheel assemblies:

a magnet is provided at one end of the sensed body provided on the gear assembly included in the respective driving wheel assembly; and

the sensor included in the respective driving wheel assembly senses the distance between the sensor and the sensed body provided on the gear assembly included in the respective driving wheel assembly through magnetic interaction with the magnet.

15. The robot cleaner according to claim 13, wherein, for each respective driving wheel assembly among the plurality of driving wheel assemblies:

a guide slot to accommodate the sensed body provided on the gear assembly included in the respective driving wheel assembly and to guide the sensed body is provided at one side surface of the housing included in the respective driving wheel assembly; and

the sensor included in the respective driving wheel assembly is fixed to the guide slot and senses the distance between the sensor and the sensed body provided on the gear assembly included in the respective driving wheel assembly.

16. The robot cleaner according to claim 8, wherein, for the driving wheel included in each respective driving wheel assembly, the sensor converts the sensed distance into a standardized parameter.

17. The control method according to claim 16, wherein the standardized parameter is voltage, and the predetermined reference range is a range of voltage.

18. A robot cleaner which is provided with a main body, and a plurality of driving wheel assemblies, each of which includes a driving wheel to drive the main body, the robot cleaner comprising:

for the driving wheel included in each respective driving wheel assembly of the plurality of driving wheel assemblies,

a sensor to detect a displacement of the driving wheel with respect to a reference position by sensing a sensed body provided on the respective driving wheel assembly; and

a controller to judge whether or not the detected displacement is within a predetermined reference range, and to change a travelling path of the main body, upon judging by the controller that the detected displacement is not within the predetermined reference range,

wherein each respective driving wheel assembly of the plurality of driving wheel assemblies comprises;

a housing; and

a driving motor connected to one side of the housing; and

the sensor senses a rotating angle of the sensed body provided on the respective driving wheel assembly about a rotation shaft of the driving motor included in the respective driving wheel assembly, to thereby detect the displacement of the driving wheel included in the respective driving wheel assembly.

19. A robot cleaner comprising:

a plurality of driving wheel assemblies, each of which comprises;

a driving wheel,

a driving motor to generate a driving force,

a gear assembly to transmit the driving force generated by the driving motor included in the respective driving wheel assembly to the driving wheel included in the respective driving wheel assembly, and which rotates due to displacement of the driving wheel included in the respective driving wheel assembly,

a sensed body provided on the gear assembly included in the respective driving wheel assembly so that the rotation of the gear assembly included in the respective driving wheel assembly causes rotation of the sensed body, and

a sensor which detects displacement of the driving wheel included in the respective driving wheel assembly with respect to a reference position by sensing a distance between the sensed body provided on the gear assembly included in the respective driving wheel assembly and the sensor included in the respective driving wheel assembly.

20. The robot cleaner according to claim 19, wherein, for each respective driving wheel assembly of the plurality of driving wheel assemblies, the sensed body provided on the gear assembly included in the respective driving wheel assembly protrudes from one side surface of the gear assembly included in the respective driving wheel assembly.

21. The robot cleaner according to claim 20, wherein

each respective driving wheel assembly of the plurality of driving wheel assemblies includes a housing, and,

for each respective driving wheel assembly of the plurality of driving wheel assemblies:

the housing included in the respective driving wheel assembly includes a guide part accommodating and guiding the sensed body provided on the gear assembly included in the respective driving wheel assembly; and

the sensor included in the respective driving wheel assembly is fixed to the guide part included in the housing included in the respective driving wheel assembly.

22. A robot cleaner comprising:

a driving wheel;

a driving motor which generates rotary force to rotate the driving wheel;

a gear assembly which transmits the rotary force generated by the driving motor to the driving wheel, and which is rotated by displacement of the driving wheel;

a sensed body provided on the gear assembly so that the sensed body rotates with the rotation of the gear assembly; and

a sensor to detect displacement of the driving wheel with respect to a reference position by sensing a distance between the sensor and the sensed body.

23. The robot cleaner according to claim 22, further comprising:

a controller to judge whether or not the detected displacement is within a predetermined reference range and, when the controller judges that the detected displacement is not within the predetermined range, to change a travelling path of the robot cleaner.

24. A robot cleaner comprising:

a driving wheel;

a motor which generates rotary force to rotate the driving wheel;

a gear assembly which transmits the rotary force generated by the driving motor to the driving wheel, and which is rotated by displacement of the driving wheel;

a sensor to detect a displacement of the driving wheel by detecting a rotation angle of the gear assembly or a rotation angle of the driving wheel.

25. The robot cleaner according to claim 24, wherein the sensor is positioned at a center of rotation of the gear assembly.

26. The robot cleaner according to claim 24, wherein the sensor detects the rotation angle of the gear assembly.

27. The robot cleaner according to claim 24, wherein the sensor detects the rotation angle of the driving wheel.