Method of controlling automatic cleaner

• US 9,737,188 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2013
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jang, Jaewon, Choi, Joonsik
• Primary Examiner(s): Carrillo, Bibi
• Application Number:
  US13/861,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20140109935A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,594 Days
• Field of Search: 134 18, 134 21, 134 42, 15 411, 15 42, 15 491, 15 98, 15319, 153401, 153404
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• 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: A47L 9/0472 Discs
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0488 Combinations or arrangements of several tools, e.g. edge cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/281 the amount or condition of incoming dirt or dust
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2847 Surface treating elements
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 1/00 Cleaning by methods involving the use of tools cleaning hollow articles by methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto B08B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 1/12 Brushes

Abstract

A method of controlling an automatic cleaner in which the automatic cleaner is moved with a side brush assembly in a first operation type, a corner is determined during the movement of the automatic cleaner, the first operation type of the side brush assembly is changed to a second operation type to clean the corner when the corner is determined, whether the corner is cleaned is determined, and the second operation type of the side brush assembly is returned to the first operation type when the corner is cleaned.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an automatic cleaner, comprising:

moving the automatic cleaner with a side brush assembly in a first operation type;

determining a corner during a movement of the automatic cleaner based on a signal from an obstacle sensor;

changing the first operation type of the side brush assembly to a second operation type to clean the corner when the corner is determined;

determining whether the corner is cleaned; and

returning the second operation type of the side brush assembly to the first operation type when the corner is cleaned,

wherein the side brush assembly comprises;

a movable member movably provided in the automatic cleaner, the moveable member being connected to a casing of the automatic cleaner;

a side brush rotatably provided on the movable member by a rotation shaft;

a first drive part to move the moveable member; and

a second drive part to rotatably drive the side brush,

wherein the first operation type of the side brush assembly comprises maintaining the movable member fixed in a first position and rotating the side brush such that the moveable member is not moved by the first drive part and the side brush is rotatably driven by the second drive part,

the second operation type of the side brush assembly comprises moving, by the first drive part, the movable member from the first position to a second position, and rotating, by the second drive part, the side brush,

the movable member is protruded from the casing of the automatic cleaner while the movable member is moved by the first drive part from the first position to the second position,

wherein during the cleaning of the corner, a moving device to move the automatic cleaner is maintained in a stop state and the side brush is rotatably driven by the second drive part, and

wherein the automatic cleaner determines whether the corner is cleaned in a state in which the moving device is maintained in the stop state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the corner comprises:

determining whether a side wall or a side obstacle is sensed; and

determining whether a front wall or a front obstacle is sensed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the corner comprises:

determining whether the automatic cleaner performs a wall following movement; and

determining whether a front wall or a front obstacle is sensed,

the wall following movement represents the automatic cleaner moving along a wall.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of whether the corner is cleaned comprises at least one of:

determining when a time of changing an operation of the side brush assembly exceeds a reference time,

determining when a number of rotations of the side brush exceeds a reference number after an operation type of the side brush assembly is changed,

determining when an operation time of the second drive part that drives the side brush exceeds a reference time, or

determining when a number of changing an operation of the side brush assembly exceeds a reference number.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein in the determining of whether the corner is cleaned,

a camera captures a corner image, or

a sensor senses an amount of dust suctioned through a suction port.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the movable member rotates or linearly moves to change the side brush assembly from the first operation type to the second operation type.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein an overlap area between the movable member and the casing when the side brush assembly is in the second operation type is smaller than an overlap area between the movable member and the casing when the side brush assembly is in the first operation type.

8. A method of controlling an automatic cleaner, comprising:

moving the automatic cleaner with a side brush assembly in a general mode;

determining a corner during a movement of the automatic cleaner based on a signal from an obstacle sensor;

operating a side brush assembly in a corner cleaning mode when the corner is determined; and

determining whether the corner is cleaned,

wherein the side brush assembly comprises;

a movable member movably provided on the automatic cleaner, the moveable member being connected to a casing of the automatic cleaner;

a side brush rotatably connected to the movable member by a rotation shaft;

a first drive part to move the moveable member; and

a second drive part to rotatably drive the side brush,

wherein the movable member is in a first operation type in the general mode, and is changed to a second operation type in the corner cleaning mode,

the side brush is rotated in both the general mode and the corner cleaning mode,

the movable member is protruded from the casing of the automatic cleaner while the movable member is moved by the first drive part from a first position to a second position,

wherein during the cleaning of the corner, a moving device to move the automatic cleaner is maintained in a stop state and the side brush is rotatably driven by the second drive part, and,

wherein the automatic cleaner determines whether the corner is cleaned in a state in which the moving device is maintained in a stop state,

wherein the determining of whether the corner is cleaned comprises at least one of;

determining when a time of changing an operation of the side brush assembly exceeds a reference time,

determining when a number of rotations of the side brush exceeds a reference number after an operation type of the side brush assembly is changed,

determining when an operation time of the second drive part that drives the side brush exceeds a reference time, or

determining when a number of changing an operation type of the side brush assembly exceeds a reference number.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining of the corner comprises:

determining whether a side wall or a side obstacle is sensed; and

determining whether a front wall or a front obstacle is sensed.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining of the corner comprises:

determining whether the automatic cleaner performs a wall following movement; and

determining whether a front wall or a front obstacle is sensed,

the wall following movement represents the automatic cleaner moving along a wall.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein in the determining of whether the corner is cleaned,

a camera captures a corner image, or

a sensor senses an amount of dust suctioned through a suction port.