Robot cleaner and method for controlling the same

• US 9,675,229 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2015
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Shin, Roh, Kyung Shik, Yoon, Suk June, Kim, Ji Min, So, Jea Yun, Lee, Jong Gap, Kwak, No San
• Primary Examiner(s): Kiswanto, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bendidi, Rachid
• Application Number:
  US14/690,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20160000290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• 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 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0033 by having the operator tracking the vehicle either by direct line of sight or via one or more cameras located remotely from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/30 End effector
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/47 Optical

Abstract

A robot cleaner includes a traveling unit to move a main body, an obstacle sensing unit to sense an obstacle, a light reception unit to receive modulated light according to a control command of a user, and a controller to control the traveling unit so that the main body traces a light spot formed by the light. If an obstacle is detected, the controller controls the traveling unit such that the main body traces an outline of the obstacle according to the light spot position and the obstacle position.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner comprising:

a main body;

a wheel-driving motor and a traveling wheel to move the main body;

an obstacle sensor to sense an obstacle;

a light receptor to receive a position of a light spot of modulated light formed according to a control command of a user; and

a controller configured to control the wheel-driving motor and traveling wheel to have the main body trace the light spot,

wherein, when the obstacle is sensed, the controller further is configured to control the wheel-driving motor and traveling wheel such that the main body traces an outline of the obstacle according to the position of the light spot and a position of the obstacle to travel to the light spot position along a minimum path,

wherein the controller performs any one of a right tracing traveling in which a right side of the main body travels toward the obstacle and a left tracing traveling in which a left side of the main body travels toward the obstacle according to the minimum path to the light spot position, and

when the obstacle is located on a traveling direction of the main body, the controller is configured to control the wheel-driving motor and traveling wheel so that the main body rotates toward the light spot and traces the obstacle outline.

2. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein:

when the obstacle is located on the traveling direction of the main body and the light spot is located at a right side of the obstacle, the controller is configured to control the wheel-driving motor and traveling wheel so that the main body performs the left tracing traveling.

3. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein:

when the obstacle is located on the traveling direction of the main body and the light spot is located at a left side of the obstacle, the controller is configured to control the wheel-driving motor and traveling wheel so that the main body performs the right tracing traveling.

4. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein:

when the obstacle is located at a side of the main body, the controller is configured to control the wheel-driving motor and traveling wheel so that the main body traces the obstacle outline according to the obstacle position.

5. The robot cleaner according to claim 4, wherein:

when the obstacle is located at a right side of the main body, the controller is configured to control the wheel-driving motor and traveling wheel so that the main body traces the right tracing traveling.

6. The robot cleaner according to claim 4, wherein:

when the obstacle is located at a left side of the main body, the controller is configured to control the wheel-driving motor and traveling wheel so that the main body traces the left tracing traveling.

7. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein:

when the obstacle is located not only at the traveling direction of the main body but also at a side of the main body, the controller is configured to control the wheel-driving motor and traveling wheel so that the main body performs the obstacle outline according to the light spot position and the obstacle position.

8. The robot cleaner according to claim 7, wherein:

when the obstacle is located not only at the traveling direction of the main body but also at a right side of the main body, the controller is configured to control the wheel-driving motor and traveling wheel so that the main body performs the right tracing traveling.

9. The robot cleaner according to claim 7, wherein:

when the obstacle is located not only at the traveling direction of the main body but also at a left side of the main body, the controller is configured to control the wheel-driving motor and traveling wheel so that the main body performs the left tracing traveling.

10. The robot cleaner according to claim 7, wherein:

when the obstacle is located not only at the traveling direction of the main body but also at both sides of the main body, the controller is configured to control the wheel-driving motor and traveling wheel so that the main body performs any one of the right tracing traveling and the left tracing traveling in response to the light spot position.

11. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein:

when the light spot is located opposite to the obstacle during the outline tracing traveling, the controller traces the light spot.

12. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the controller divides a light reception region for light-spot detection into a plurality of reception regions according to respective directions, and determines a reception region in which the light spot is located from among the plurality of reception regions.

13. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the controller divides an obstacle detection region for obstacle detection into a plurality of detection regions according to respective directions, and determines a detection region in which the obstacle is located from among the plurality of detection regions.

14. A method for controlling a robot cleaner having a main body and a controller, comprising:

receiving modulated light including a control command of a user by the controller;

tracing a light spot formed by the light; and

detecting an obstacle,

wherein when the obstacle is detected, performing any one of right tracing traveling and left tracing traveling according to a position of the light spot and a position of the obstacle and traveling to the light spot position along a minimum path via right tracing traveling or left tracing traveling according to the minimum path,

the performing of any one of the right tracing traveling and the left tracing traveling includes

when the obstacle is located on a traveling direction of the main body and the light spot is located at a right side of the obstacle, performing the left tracing traveling, and

when the obstacle is located at a traveling direction of the main body and the light spot is located at a left side of the obstacle, performing the right tracing traveling.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the performing of any one of the right tracing traveling and the left tracing traveling includes:

when the obstacle is located at a right side of the robot cleaner, performing the right tracing traveling.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the performing of any one of the right tracing traveling and the left tracing traveling includes:

when the obstacle is located at a left side of the robot cleaner, performing the left tracing traveling.