KR20230133150A - A mobile robot and a system having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body accommodating a water tank holding water; a rotating mop module that rotates in contact with the floor of the cleaning area and moves the main body and performs wet cleaning; a pump for injecting water into the rotation map module according to a set water supply amount; and a control unit that creates a map dividing the cleaning area into a plurality of small areas and controls the pump according to the water supply amount set for each small area. Therefore, more efficient cleaning is possible through learning or inputting information about the area being cleaned and supplying water optimized for each area. In addition, by learning information about the area being cleaned and predicting whether there will be a water shortage before and during cleaning, the amount of water supplied can be controlled and a user alarm can be issued to provide optimized wet cleaning.

Description

Mobile robot and system including same {A MOBILE ROBOT AND A SYSTEM HAVING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a mobile robot, specifically a robot vacuum cleaner and a system including the same, and more specifically to a wet mop robot cleaner and its control technology.

The field of robot applications continues to expand, with medical robots, aerospace robots, etc. being developed, and household robots that can be used in general homes are also being created. Among these robots, those that can travel on their own are called mobile robots.

A representative example of a mobile robot used at home is a robot vacuum cleaner.

Various technologies are known for detecting the environment and users around a robot cleaner through various sensors provided in the robot cleaner. Additionally, technologies are known in which a robot cleaner learns and maps the cleaning area on its own and determines the current location on the map. A robot vacuum cleaner that cleans a cleaning area by traveling in a preset manner is known.

In addition, in the prior art, a technology is disclosed in which a user travels in a zone to be cleaned on his own while driving in a zigzag pattern along a wall running on the outskirts of the zone.

Meanwhile, a robot cleaner for wet cleaning performs cleaning while traveling while periodically supplying water to the cleaning cloth through a pump.

In this way, in order to continuously perform wet cleaning of a specific area, it is necessary to adjust the current water amount and supply amount.

Accordingly, as a prior art, Korean registered patent KR2016-0149998A discloses a wet mop robot cleaner and explains a method of supplying water. However, this prior art describes a method of controlling water supply and the amount of supplied water regardless of the running motion of the wet mop robot vacuum cleaner.

In addition, as a prior art, Korean registered patent KR2017-0059132A discloses a robot cleaner with a water pump function, and discloses a technology for supplying water from an air pump when a wet mop comes into contact with the ground.

In this way, the prior art has studied mechanical methods for supplying water.

However, as robot vacuum cleaners evolve, mapping of the cleaning area becomes possible, the area of the cleaning area becomes predictable, and the amount of water and water supply required can be calculated. As such, there is a need to discuss water supply methods related to specific driving. This is coming to the fore.

Here, the recently used wet mop robot cleaner is integrated with an application and is set to allow the user to control the amount of water supplied.

The water supply amount set in this way is fixed to be supplied consistently until cleaning is completed, unless the user changes it again during cleaning. However, since the floor environment of the cleaning space is composed of more complex materials such as laminate flooring, marble, tiles, construction mats, and flooring than when it is composed of only one material, wet cleaning is optimized with a uniform water supply when cleaning each area. is impossible.

Korean public patent KR2018-0052883A (publication date: May 21, 2018) Korean public patent KR2018-0025795A (publication date: March 9, 2018)

The first task is to provide a robot vacuum cleaner that can learn the user's various home environments and adjust the amount of water supplied according to each cleaning area.

The second task is to provide a robot cleaner that can alarm for water replenishment or adjust the amount of water supply by predicting whether there will be a water shortage during cleaning before starting mop cleaning.

A robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body accommodating a water tank holding water; a rotating mop module that rotates in contact with the floor of the cleaning area and moves the main body and performs wet cleaning; a pump for injecting water into the rotation map module according to a set water supply amount; and a control unit that creates a map dividing the cleaning area into a plurality of small areas and controls the pump according to the water supply amount set for each small area.

When the automatic water supply amount control mode is set for the cleaning area, the controller may set the water supply amount for each selected small area with respect to the current remaining water amount in the water tank.

The control unit may perform machine learning to set the amount of water supplied to the small area by reflecting the area of the small area, the cleaning history, and the floor condition of the small area.

The control unit may perform machine learning to set the amount of water supplied to a plurality of selected small areas by reflecting the total travel distance and the remaining amount of water for the selected small areas.

The control unit may perform machine learning to set a weight for each small area and reflect the weight when calculating the water supply amount.

The robot cleaner receives information about the cleaning order for a plurality of small areas of the cleaning area from the outside, and can perform machine learning to automatically adjust the water supply amount in each small area entered according to the cleaning order. .

The robot cleaner may correct the water supply amount by periodically performing machine learning to automatically adjust the water supply amount in each small area.

The robot cleaner may perform preliminary cleaning to create a map of the cleaning area and perform machine learning to divide the cleaning area into predetermined small areas by function on the map.

The robot cleaner may further include a general mode that receives information about the amount of water supplied to each small area from the outside and cleans the cleaning area accordingly.

When a cleaning command is received, the control unit can predict whether a water shortage situation will occur during cleaning based on the amount of water remaining in the water tank and the water supply amount set based on the selected small area, and transmit the result to the outside.

Meanwhile, in another embodiment of the present invention, an application for controlling a robot cleaner is installed, and a user executes the application to communicate with the robot cleaner and transmits a cleaning control command including information on the amount of water supplied to the cleaning space. terminal; And a robot cleaner that receives the cleaning control command from the user terminal through the application, generates a map of the cleaning space according to the cleaning control command, transmits it to the user terminal, and performs cleaning of the cleaning space. The robot cleaner includes a main body accommodating a water tank holding water; a rotation mop module disposed on the bottom of the main body to move and wet clean the main body through rotational movement; a pump for injecting water into the rotation map module according to a set water supply amount; and a control unit that divides the cleaning area into a plurality of small areas on the map and controls the pump according to the water supply amount set for each small area.

The user terminal may select a water supply amount for each small area on the map and transmit the selected water supply amount to the robot cleaner.

When cleaning begins, the control unit predicts whether a water shortage situation will occur during cleaning based on the amount of water remaining in the water tank and the water supply amount set based on the selected small area, and transmits the result to the user terminal.

When the control unit of the robot cleaner receives an automatic water supply amount control command for the cleaning area from the user terminal, the water supply amount for each selected small area may be set for the current remaining water amount in the water tank. .

The control unit may perform machine learning to set the amount of water supplied to the small area by reflecting the area of the small area, the cleaning history, and the floor condition of the small area.

The control unit may perform machine learning to set the amount of water supplied to a plurality of selected small areas by reflecting the total travel distance and the remaining amount of water for the selected small areas.

The robot cleaner receives information about the cleaning order for a plurality of small areas of the cleaning area from the user terminal, and performs machine learning to adjust the automatic water supply amount in each small area entered according to the cleaning order. You can.

The robot cleaner may correct the water supply amount by periodically performing machine learning to automatically adjust the water supply amount in each small area.

The robot cleaner may perform preliminary cleaning to create a map of the cleaning area and perform machine learning to divide the cleaning area into predetermined small areas by function on the map.

The robot cleaner may further include a general mode that receives information about the amount of water supplied to each small area from the user terminal and cleans the cleaning area accordingly.

Through the above solution, it is possible to provide a system that efficiently utilizes space by providing a shared charging station that is compatible with all different types of robot cleaners in a space where different types of robot cleaners are placed.

In addition, by learning or receiving information about the area being cleaned, cleaner cleaning is possible through optimized water supply for each area.

In addition, by learning information about the area being cleaned and calculating whether there is a water shortage before and during cleaning, the amount of water supplied can be controlled and a user alarm can be issued to provide optimized wet cleaning.

Figure 1 shows a robot cleaner system including a robot cleaner and a charging base for charging the robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an elevation view of the robot cleaner of one embodiment of FIG. 1 viewed from the bottom.
FIG. 3 is an elevation view showing the robot cleaner of the embodiment of FIG. 1 including a cleaning cloth.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the control relationship between main components of the robot cleaner of the embodiment of FIG. 1.
Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the coupling relationship between the support plate and the charging base in the robot cleaner system of Figure 1.
Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the robot cleaner and the user terminal in the map creation cleaning mode.
FIGS. 7A to 7C show cleaning maps created through learning in the map creation cleaning mode of FIG. 6.
Figure 8 is a flowchart for controlling the water supply amount adjustment for each region in the robot vacuum cleaner.
Figures 9a to 9c show screens of applications provided to the user terminal in the control sequence of Figure 8.
Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the robot cleaner and the user terminal when wet cleaning starts.
Figures 11a to 11c show screens of applications provided to the user terminal in the control sequence of Figure 10.
Figure 12 is a flowchart showing automatic water supply amount control during wet cleaning in a robot vacuum cleaner.

In the magnitude comparison expressed verbally/mathematically throughout this description, 'less than or equal to (less than)' and 'less than' are easily interchangeable from the point of view of an ordinary technician, and 'greater than or equal to' From the point of view of a person skilled in the art, '(more than)' and 'greater than (greater than)' are degrees that can be easily substituted for each other, and of course, even if they are substituted in implementing the present invention, there is no problem in achieving the effect.

The mobile robot of the present invention refers to a robot that can move on its own, and may be a robot vacuum cleaner or the like.

Hereinafter, a robot cleaner will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

Figure 1 shows a robot cleaner system including a robot cleaner and a charging base for charging the robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the mobile robot system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes at least one robot cleaner 100, a charging base 200, and a support plate 250.

That is, a plurality of robot cleaners 100 may be placed in an area divided into one driving area. The robot cleaner 100 may be a robot cleaner 100 capable of wet cleaning and includes a cleaning cloth 60.

Such a robot vacuum cleaner 100 commonly provides assigned services while driving in a corresponding driving area, and when the power charged in the battery is discharged, it can dock with the charging base 200 to charge the battery.

The charging base 200 can be provided by adjusting the docking signal and charging voltage level according to the docking robot cleaner 100.

The mobile robot system according to the present invention may include a support plate 250 coupled to the shared charging base 200 in addition to the robot cleaner 100 and the charging base 200.

The wet cleaning robot cleaner 100 requires a support plate 250 that can accommodate the robot cleaner 100 while defining an area corresponding to each cleaning cloth 90, as shown in FIG. 1.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the robot cleaner 100 for wet cleaning will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4.

FIG. 2 is an elevation view of the robot cleaner of the embodiment of FIG. 1 as seen from below, FIG. 3 is an elevation view of the robot cleaner of the embodiment of FIG. 1 including a cleaning cloth, and FIG. 4 is a view of the robot cleaner of the embodiment of FIG. 1 . This is a block diagram showing the control relationship between the main components of .

The robot cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention moves within an area and removes foreign substances from the floor while traveling.

Additionally, the robot cleaner 100 stores charging power supplied from the charging base 200 in a battery (not shown) and travels the area.

The robot vacuum cleaner 100 includes a main body 10 that performs a designated operation, an obstacle detection unit (not shown) disposed in the front of the main body 10 to detect obstacles, and an image acquisition unit 17 that captures a 360-degree image. Includes. The main body 10 includes a casing (not shown) that forms the exterior and inside a space where the parts constituting the main body 10 are stored, a rotation map 80 that is rotatable, and movement of the main body 10. and a roller 89 that assists cleaning, and a power terminal 99 through which charging power is supplied from the charging base 200.

The rotating mop 80 is disposed in the casing and is formed toward the bottom surface so that the cleaning cloth can be attached and detached.

The rotation map 80 includes a first rotation plate 81 and a second rotation plate 82, allowing the main body 10 to move along the bottom of the area through rotation.

When the rotating mop 80 used in the robot vacuum cleaner 100 of this embodiment rotates, slip occurs in which the robot vacuum cleaner 100 does not move compared to the actual rotation of the rotating mop. The rotating map may include a rolling map driven with a rotation axis parallel to the floor, or a rotation map driven with a rotation axis substantially perpendicular to the floor.

The robot cleaner 100 according to this embodiment includes a water tank 32 disposed inside the main body 10 to store water, and a pump 34 that supplies water stored in the water tank 32 to the rotating mop 80. ) and a connection hose forming a connection passage connecting the pump 34 and the water tank 32 or the pump 34 and the rotary map 80.

The robot cleaner 100 according to this embodiment includes a pair of rotating maps 80, and moves by rotating the pair of rotating maps 80.

The main body 10 travels forward, backward, left, and right as the first and second rotation plates 81 and 82 of the rotation map 80 rotate around the rotation axis. In addition, as the first and second rotating plates 81 and 82 of the main body 10 rotate, foreign substances on the floor are removed by the attached cleaning cloth to perform wet cleaning.

The main body 10 may include a driving unit (not shown) that drives the first rotating plate 81 and the second rotating plate 82. The driving unit may include at least one driving motor 38.

A control panel including a manipulation unit (not shown) that receives various commands for controlling the robot cleaner 100 from the user may be provided on the upper surface of the main body 10.

Additionally, an image acquisition unit 17 is disposed on the front or upper surface of the main body 10.

The image acquisition unit 17 captures images of the indoor area. Based on the image captured through the image acquisition unit 17, it is possible to not only monitor the indoor area but also detect obstacles around the main body 10.

The image acquisition unit 17 is disposed in the forward direction at a predetermined angle and can capture images of the front and top of the mobile robot. The image acquisition unit 17 may further include a separate camera that photographs the front. The image acquisition unit 17 may be disposed on the upper part of the main body 10 to face the ceiling, and in some cases, a plurality of cameras may be provided. Additionally, the image acquisition unit 17 may be separately equipped with a camera for photographing the floor surface.

The robot vacuum cleaner 100 may further include a location acquisition means (not shown) to obtain current location information. The robot vacuum cleaner 100 can determine the current location including GPS and UWB. Additionally, the robot vacuum cleaner 100 can determine its current location using images.

The main body 10 is equipped with a rechargeable battery (not shown), and the main body 10 is docked on the charging base 200 connected to a commercial power source, so that the power terminal 99 is connected to the charging terminal 221 of the charging base 200. The battery can be charged by the charging power supplied to the main body 10 by being electrically connected to a commercial power source through contact with .

The electrical components constituting the robot cleaner 100 can receive power from the battery, and therefore, while the battery is charged, the robot cleaner 100 can run under its own power while electrically disconnected from the commercial power source.

As shown in Figure 3, the rotation map 80 is It includes a first rotating plate 81 and a second rotating plate 82.

Cleaning cloths 91, 92, and 90 may be attached to the first rotating plate 81 and the second rotating plate 82, respectively.

The rotating mop 80 is configured so that the cleaning cloth can be attached and detached. The rotating mop 80 may be provided with mounting members for attaching a cleaning cloth to the first rotating plate 81 and the second rotating plate 82, respectively. For example, the rotating mop 80 may be equipped with Velcro, a fitting member, etc. to attach and secure the cleaning cloth. In addition, the rotating mop 80 may further include a cleaning pot (not shown) as a separate auxiliary means for fixing the cleaning cloth to the first rotating plate 81 and the second rotating plate 82.

The cleaning cloth 90 absorbs water and removes foreign substances through friction with the floor surface. The cleaning cloth 90 is preferably made of cotton fabric or cotton blend, but any material that contains moisture above a certain percentage and has a certain density can be used, and the material is not limited. The cleaning cloth 90 is formed in a circular shape.

The shape of the cleaning cloth 90 is not limited to the drawing and may be formed in a square, polygon, etc. However, considering the rotational motion of the first and second rotating plates 81 and 82, the first and second rotating plates 81 and 82 ) It is desirable to have a shape that does not interfere with the rotational movement. Additionally, the cleaning cloth 90 can be changed to a circular shape by using a separately provided cleaning cloth.

When the rotating mop 80 is equipped with the cleaning cloth 90, the cleaning cloth 90 is configured to contact the floor surface. The rotating map 80 takes into account the thickness of the cleaning cloth 90, and is configured so that the separation distance between the casing and the first and second rotating plates 81 and 82 changes depending on the thickness of the cleaning cloth 90.

The rotating map (80) adjusts the separation distance between the casing and the rotating plates (81, 82) so that the cleaning cloth (90) comes into contact with the floor, and generates pressure on the first and second rotating plates (81, 82) toward the floor. Additional members may be included.

Referring to FIG. 4, the robot cleaner 100 further includes a motion detection unit 11 that detects the motion of the robot cleaner 100 according to the reference motion of the main body 10 when the rotation map 80 rotates. do. The motion detection unit 11 may further include a gyro sensor that detects the rotational speed of the robot 10 or an acceleration sensor that detects an acceleration value of the robot cleaner 100. Additionally, the motion detection unit 11 may use an encoder (not shown) that detects the moving distance of the robot cleaner 100.

The robot cleaner 100 according to this embodiment provides power to a drive motor 38 that rotates and controls the rotary mop, and a rotary mop control unit that reads the output current of the drive motor 38 and transmits it to the control unit 15. (16) may be included.

The rotation map control unit 16 may be formed as a separate chip with simple logic implemented and placed within the rotation map module including the drive motor 38, nozzle, and pump 34.

This rotation map control unit 16 transmits a current to rotate the drive motor 38 according to the start signal of the control unit 15, and reads the output current of the drive motor 38 according to a set cycle. It is transmitted to the control unit 15.

The control unit 15 may read sensing information from a plurality of sensors formed in the water tank 32 and determine driving-related and rotation map-related states.

Meanwhile, the robot cleaner 100 may further include a floor detection unit including a cliff sensor that detects the presence of a cliff on the floor within the cleaning area. The cliff sensor according to this embodiment may be placed in the front part of the robot cleaner 100. Additionally, the cliff sensor according to this embodiment may be placed on one side of the bumper.

If the control unit 15 includes a cliff sensor, the light output from the light emitting element is reflected from the floor and the control unit 15 can determine the material of the floor based on the amount of reflected light received by the light receiving element, but is not limited to this. .

The communication unit 18 includes a transmitter and a receiver, and the transmitter can transmit information about the robot cleaner 100 to the user terminal 300 and the central server. The receiving unit may receive information from the user terminal 300. The information transmitted by the transmitter or the information received by the receiver may include configuration information of the robot cleaner. An alarm or information according to the judgment result of the control unit 15 can be provided to the server or user terminal 300 through the communication unit 18.

The control unit 15 processes and judges various information. The control unit 15 may perform information processing to learn the cleaning area. The control unit 15 can control the overall operation of the robot cleaner 100 through control of various components constituting the robot cleaner 100.

The control method according to this embodiment can be performed by the control unit 15. The present invention may be a control method of a robot cleaner 100, or may be a robot cleaner 100 including a control unit 15 that performs the control method. The present invention may be a computer program including each step of the control method, or may be a recording medium on which a program for implementing the control method on a computer is recorded. The ‘recording medium’ refers to a computer-readable recording medium. The present invention may be a mobile robot control system that includes both hardware and software.

The control unit 15 of the robot vacuum cleaner 100 processes and determines various information, such as mapping and/or recognizing the current location. The control unit 15 may be equipped to map the cleaning area through the image and learning and recognize the current location on the map. That is, the control unit 15 can perform the SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) function.

The control unit 15 can control the operation of the rotation map control unit 16.

The cleaning area in reality may correspond to the cleaning area on the map. The cleaning area may be defined as the sum of all areas on the plane in which the robot cleaner 100 has driving experience and areas on the plane in which the robot cleaner 100 is currently driving.

The control unit 15 may determine the movement path of the robot vacuum cleaner 100 based on information from the motion detection unit. For example, the control unit 15 can determine the current or past movement speed and distance traveled of the robot vacuum cleaner 100 based on the rotation speed of each rotation map, and can determine the current or past movement speed of the robot cleaner 100 based on the rotation direction of each rotation map. The direction change process can also be identified. Based on the driving information of the robot cleaner 100 determined in this way, the location of the robot cleaner 100 on the map may be updated. Additionally, the location of the robot cleaner 100 on the map may be updated using the image information.

Specifically, the control unit 15 controls the driving of the robot cleaner 100 and controls the driving of the rotary mop control unit 16 according to the set driving mode. As a driving mode of the rotation map control unit 16, zigzag mode, edge mode, spiral mode, or combined mode can be selectively set.

The zigzag mode is defined as a mode that cleans while driving in a zigzag manner while being spaced a predetermined distance away from a wall or obstacle. Edge mode is defined as a mode that sticks to a wall and cleans while traveling in a zigzag motion. Spiral mode is defined as a mode of cleaning in a spiral manner within a certain area centered on one location in the atmosphere.

Meanwhile, the control unit 15 creates a map of the cleaning area. That is, the control unit 15 can form a map of the cleaning area by obtaining the location recognized through prior cleaning, images acquired at each point, and sensing data from the floor detection unit 12 and the motion detection unit 11. there is. The control unit 15 matches the image acquired at each point with each node on the map. Acquired images can correspond one-to-one to nodes.

Additionally, the control unit 15 can recognize the current location of the robot cleaner 100 on the created map.

The output unit (not shown) can inform the user of various information. The output unit may include a speaker and/or display.

The robot cleaner 100 according to this embodiment may further include an input unit 14 for inputting a user's command. The user can set the driving method of the robot cleaner 100 or the operation of the rotating map 80 through the input unit 14.

A map of the cleaning area may be stored in the storage unit 13. The map may be input by an external user terminal 300 that can exchange information with the robot cleaner 100 through wired or wireless communication, or may be generated by the robot cleaner 100 through self-learning. there is. In the former case, examples of the user terminal 300 include a remote control, PDA, laptop, smart phone, tablet, etc. equipped with an application for map settings.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the mobile robot system according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a shared charging base 200 and a support plate 250.

To charge the battery, a charging stand 200 is provided as a charging power supply, and includes a support plate 250 that is coupled to the charging stand 200 and guides docking of the robot vacuum cleaner 100.

At this time, the support plate 250 can be provided individually depending on the robot vacuum cleaner 100, but in the case of the robot vacuum cleaner 100 for wet cleaning, the support plate 250 is provided while including a separate driving unit for the cleaning cloth 90. possible.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 5, the combined configuration of the charging base 200 and the support plate 250 of the mobile robot system of the present invention will be described.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the coupling relationship between the support plate 250 and the charging base 200 in the robot cleaner system of Figure 1.

Referring to Figure 5, the support plate 250 is physically coupled to the charging base 200.

The support plate 250 includes a caster guide and can guide the caster provided at the front bottom of the robot cleaner 100. The support plate 250 guides the robot cleaner 100 toward the main body 210 through a caster guide and guides the charging terminal 221 and the power terminal to vertically overlap and contact each other.

The charging base 200 is a charging base 200 that can be applied to the robot vacuum cleaner 100 in one space, and includes a main body 210 having a power module 240 for supplying power suitable for the robot vacuum cleaner 100, and the main body 210. It may include a plate 220 coupled to the bottom of 210.

The mobile robot 100 or the support plate 250 may physically contact the upper part of the plate 220.

The main body 210 may have a power module 240 therein. The power module 240 is electrically connected to an external power source and can receive external electricity. The power module 240 is electrically connected to the charging terminal 221 and can supply supplied electricity to the power terminal 99 of the mobile robot 100.

The power module 240 may function as a control module for controlling the charging base 200.

The main body 210 of the charging base 200 may be coupled to the front end of the plate 220 and protrude upward to form a wall. In this case, when the mobile robot 100 leaves the support plate 250 on the plate 220 and moves further forward, it can function as a wall to prevent the mobile robot 100 from leaving.

The plate 220 may have a square or curved shape, but is not limited thereto.

The length of the plate 220 may be shorter than the length of the support plate 250 that is later combined with the plate 220.

The plate 220 may be provided with a charging terminal 221 for receiving power by physically contacting the power terminal 99 of the mobile robot 100.

Such a charging terminal 221 can be placed within the coupling portion 230 coupled to the support plate 250, but a separate charging terminal 221 is installed at the boundary between the plate 220 and the main body 210 of the charging base 200. It may also be provided.

The coupling portion 230 formed on the plate 220 can be implemented as two coupling grooves 231 spaced apart from each other.

A charging terminal that provides charging power may be formed on the bottom of the coupling groove 231. When the charging terminal is formed on the bottom of the coupling groove 231, the plate 220 and the support plate ( When the mobile robot 100 is docked while the protrusion 331 of the mobile robot 250 is physically coupled, the power terminal 99 of the mobile robot 100 penetrates the protrusion 331 of the support plate 250 and is connected to the charging terminal. It can be implemented to make contact.

As an example of the support plate 250, a circular support plate 250 may be provided, and can be applied as the support plate 250 of the robot cleaner 100 for wet cleaning.

The shape of the support plate 250 is not limited to this, and includes simple changes such as a polygonal shape, based on those of ordinary skill in the art.

The robot vacuum cleaner 100 is docked at the top of the support plate 250. Referring to Figure 1, a robot vacuum cleaner 100 is docked on a circular flat surface.

The support plate 250 may include an inclined surface at the rear. The robot vacuum cleaner 100 can climb the slope and head to the top. The inclined surface may be formed around the rear edge of the support plate 250.

The coupling portion 330 is a space at the front where the mobile robot 100 is docked, and is formed to be flat. A coupling protrusion 331 protrudes from the rear of the coupling portion 330 and can be fitted into the coupling groove 231 of the plate 220 of the charging base 200.

The coupling protrusions 331 of the coupling portion 330 are respectively inserted into the coupling grooves 231 to allow the charging base 200 to recognize the presence of the support plate 250. Various sensor module configurations may be provided for this purpose, but are not limited thereto.

The front of the coupling portion 330 includes a protrusion to prevent the robot vacuum cleaner 100 from leaving the coupling portion 230.

The protrusion may be formed along the circumference of the circular support plate 250 from the side of the support plate 250 to the front of the support plate 250. Therefore, when the robot vacuum cleaner 100 leaves the coupling portion 330 and enters, the robot vacuum cleaner 100 can be accurately guided to the coupling portion 330.

Additionally, a separate heating unit 320 may be formed for heating the cleaning cloth 90. In addition, the heating unit 320 and the cleaning cloth 90 can be arranged to overlap vertically.

The charging terminal 221 is a device that is electrically connected to the robot vacuum cleaner 100 and charges the battery placed inside the robot vacuum cleaner 100. The charging terminal 221 protrudes from the upper front of the plate 220 of the main body 210, and is connected to the robot vacuum cleaner 100. ) is electrically connected to the power module 240. The charging terminal 221 may be placed in front of the plate 220. The charging terminal 221 may be arranged as a left/right pair around the vertical central axis.

In the mobile robot system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 15 of the robot cleaner 100 transmits and receives a cleaning start command, sets the water supply amount for each area of the cleaning area, and automatically adjusts the water supply amount. Control can be performed, etc.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9, the creation of a map of the robot cleaner and the control of the water supply amount for each area will be described.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operations of the robot cleaner and the user terminal in the map creation cleaning mode, and FIGS. 7A to 7C show a cleaning map created through learning in the map creation cleaning mode of FIG. 6.

The control unit 15 performs prior cleaning for map creation, maps the cleaning area using the obtained information, processes the mapped map and provides it to the user terminal 300, and divides the cleaning area into a plurality of small areas. You can set the optimal water supply amount for each subarea by dividing it into .

Overlapping content in each flowchart is indicated with the same reference numeral, and overlapping descriptions are omitted.

The control method may be performed by the control unit 15. Each step of the flowchart drawings of the control method and combinations of the flowchart drawings can be performed by computer program instructions. The instructions may be mounted on a general-purpose computer or a special-purpose computer, and the instructions create a means of performing the functions described in the flowchart step(s).

Additionally, in some embodiments it is possible for functions mentioned in the steps to occur out of order. For example, two steps shown in succession may in fact be performed substantially simultaneously, or the steps may sometimes be performed in reverse order depending on the corresponding function.

Referring to FIG. 6, the control method according to one embodiment begins with receiving a request to create a map from the user terminal 300 (S01).

When the robot cleaner 100 starts operating, it maps the cleaning area through prior cleaning and generates a map (S10).

Preliminary cleaning is intended to determine the shape of the cleaning area, and is a driving mode to determine the size and shape of the space to be cleaned. Driving may be performed in edge mode or zigzag mode.

Specifically, the robot vacuum cleaner 100 collects a detection signal by detecting the surrounding environment from each detection unit (S11).

In this way, prior cleaning is performed, and while continuously accumulating detection signals obtained from previous cleaning, water supply-related data from previous cleaning is also accumulated.

As an example, such learning data may include region classification, area for each region, cumulative movement distance for each region, floor material for each region, number of times water is supplied for each region, water supply amount for each region, etc.

The control unit 15 obtains the detection signal for driving through the cleaning area multiple times, stores it in the storage unit 13, and accumulates it.

Next, when the accumulated detection signal is greater than or equal to the threshold, the robot vacuum cleaner 100 returns to the charging base 200 and ends preliminary cleaning for map creation (S12).

Next, the robot vacuum cleaner 100 can perform machine learning using the accumulated detection signals, extract learning data, and generate a map as shown in FIG. 7A (S13).

At this time, as learning data, information from the user terminal 300 can also be received when necessary, and data accessible from the server can be received.

At this time, the map of FIG. 7A may be a grid map, and the cleaning area according to previous cleaning may be divided into small areas and displayed, and the role or characteristics of each small area may be displayed. For example, as shown in Figure 7b, a plurality of small areas can be classified by function, and an icon indicating each small area can be set for each small area. At this time, the small areas can be classified into a bedroom, living room, kitchen, hallway, study, or children's room, and icons representing each function can be displayed in each small area.

In each such small area, the area of each small area and the moving distance of the robot cleaner 100 for cleaning may be calculated through machine learning, and this moving distance can be calculated by the cumulative moving distance as shown in FIG. 7b. there is. The number of times water is supplied and the amount of water supplied in a small area for the corresponding cumulative travel distance are also applied to machine learning.

Additionally, the floor materials of each small area can be matched together.

Once the map is created and the small area is confirmed, the map is stored in the storage unit 13, the learning data is stored in the storage unit 13, and map creation is finished (S14).

At this time, map creation and confirmation of the small area can be performed after transmitting the temporary map to the user terminal 300 and receiving a confirmation response from the user terminal 300 (S16).

Such a map can be created as shown in FIG. 7A and transmitted to the robot cleaner application running on the user terminal 300 and provided to the user.

The user terminal 300 may run an application as shown in FIG. 7C to display a map of the cleaning space where the robot cleaner 100 is placed.

The user terminal 300 can set a cleaning order for a plurality of small areas on the map of the cleaning space displayed as shown in FIG. 7C.

When a cleaning order is set, the cleaning order is transmitted to the robot cleaner 100, and the robot cleaner 100 performs wet cleaning while traveling through a plurality of small areas according to the set order.

In addition, the water supply mode for each area can be changed to the robot cleaner 100 through an application on the user terminal 300, and a normal mode or automatic water supply mode is also possible.

In the normal mode, the robot cleaner 100 supplies water to the rotary mop modules 80 and 81 according to the water supply amount set for each small area and performs wet cleaning of the corresponding small area.

In the case of the automatic water supply mode, the amount of remaining water in the current water tank (not shown) and the area of the uncleaned area in the cleaning space are calculated to determine the optimal amount of water, that is, the mop of the rotary mop module (80, 81) from the pump (34). Calculate water discharge per distance served.

When the automatic water supply mode for a specific small area is selected from the user terminal 300, the optimal water volume is calculated according to the remaining water amount in the current water tank and the area of the small area and provided as the water supply amount. At this time, a plurality of small areas are provided. When the automatic water supply mode is selected, the amount of water can be calculated by integrating the areas of multiple small areas.

In addition, when the user terminal 300 individually sets the water supply amount for each small area, water shortage can be calculated based on the current water reserve and the area of the small area, and the result can be alarmed in advance. Depending on the condition, water replenishment or mode change may be induced.

Hereinafter, a method of receiving the map shown in FIG. 7A from the user terminal 300 and selecting the water supply amount for the corresponding cleaning area will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9C.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart for controlling the water supply amount adjustment for each region in the robot cleaner 100, and FIGS. 9A to 9C show a screen of an application provided to the user terminal 300 in the control sequence of FIG. 8.

Referring to FIG. 8, the user terminal 300 executes an application for the robot cleaner 100 and selects map information (S100).

Accordingly, an application window is provided in which the map of the cleaning space created previously is displayed, as shown in FIG. 9A.

On the map of Figure 9, the cleaning area is divided into a plurality of small areas, and icons representing the characteristics of each small area are displayed.

The user can set the cleaning order for each small area, and the water supply amount for each small area can be set individually.

That is, a water supply control button may be displayed at the bottom of the application window of FIG. 9A.

When the water supply control button on the application is selected on the user terminal 300, the screen moves to the water supply control window as shown in FIG. 9B (S110).

In the water supply control window, a map showing the entire small area is provided, along with a water supply control button for all areas and a water supply control button for each area (S111).

When the all-area water supply control button is activated, the bar at the bottom can be moved to set the level of water supplied to each area to be supplied across all sub-areas.

Meanwhile, when adjusting the water supply amount for a specific small area in the cleaning area, for example, area A, the water supply amount adjustment button for each area at the bottom is activated.

At this time, when area A is selected on the map, the area is displayed as selected as shown in Figure 9b, and when the complete button at the bottom is selected, the screen moves to the next window (S112).

As shown in Figure 9c, a water supply control window for the selected individual small area is opened.

In the water supply control window for individual cow areas, only selected individual cow areas are displayed on the map, and detailed information (B) about the selected area is provided (S113).

At this time, detailed information may include the area of the selected small area, floor material, average water supply amount, recommended water supply amount, and currently set water supply amount.

Additionally, a bar that allows you to adjust the amount of water supplied to the selected small area is displayed at the bottom.

When the user terminal 300 sets the water supply amount for the currently selected small area by moving the bar and selects the complete button at the bottom, it moves back to the window of FIG. 9B and other small areas are displayed as selectable (S114) .

By selecting this area and individually setting the water supply amount for each small area, it is possible to set the water supply amount for each small area.

At this time, if the water supply amount control button for each region in FIG. 9B is selected to be in the inactive state, the water supply amount control for each zero heat is terminated (S115).

Accordingly, the water supply amount for each small area set so far is stored and delivered to the robot cleaner 100.

The robot cleaner 100 supplies water to the rotary map modules 80 and 81 by adjusting the pump 34 and the nozzle according to the set water supply amount while traveling in each small area according to the set information.

Control of the pump and nozzle according to the water supply amount can be controlled so that a large amount of water is provided to the rotation map modules 80 and 81 by setting the water injection amount per distance to a large amount when the water supply amount is strong. At this time, the water injection amount can be controlled by setting the intensity and cycle of the nozzle and pump 34.

Below, a cleaning method of the robot cleaner 100 will be described according to the set water supply amount.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operations of the robot cleaner 100 and the user terminal 300 at the start of wet cleaning, and FIGS. 11A to 11C show the screen of the application provided to the user terminal 300 in the control sequence of FIG. 10. It is shown.

Referring to FIG. 10, the robot cleaner 100 prepares to clean the currently deployed cleaning area according to a set schedule or by a cleaning start command through an application from the user terminal 300 (S200).

First, the robot cleaner 100 checks whether the cleaning order is set for the plurality of small areas divided into the corresponding cleaning area (S201).

That is, the user terminal 300 executes the application for the robot cleaner 100 of the user terminal 300 as shown in FIG. 11A, displays a map of the cleaning area, and selects water supply control in the map display state, as shown in FIG. 11B. Go to the window.

In the application window of FIG. 11B, the user selects a plurality of small areas to be cleaned, and the selection order is designated as the cleaning order.

Meanwhile, when the water supply control button is selected without selecting a plurality of small areas, the robot cleaner 100 sets a predetermined order according to the current position of the robot cleaner 100 for the entire cleaning area (S202).

In this way, when the robot cleaner 100 determines the cleaning order, information about the cleaning order can be transmitted to the user terminal 300, and the user terminal 300 displays this cleaning order as Arabic numbers on the map of the application. It can be displayed as shown in Figure 11b.

In this way, when the selection of the small area to be cleaned and the cleaning order are determined, the robot cleaner 100 measures the amount of water currently remaining in the water tank of the robot cleaner 100 (S203).

This amount of residual water can be measured using various sensors provided in the water tank. For example, an image sensor, an infrared sensor, a pressure sensor, etc. may be applied as a water level sensor.

Next, the robot cleaner 100 calculates the total amount of water required for this cleaning for each water supply amount set in each small area (S204).

This can be calculated by multiplying the area of each small area, the corresponding travel distance, and the water injection amount according to the set water supply amount, but various applications are possible.

In this way, the total amount of water required for this cleaning can be calculated by adding up the amount of water required for each small area.

By comparing the total amount of water calculated in this way with the amount of remaining water in the current water tank, it is determined whether water shortage will occur during cleaning (S205).

That is, if the calculated total water amount is smaller than the residual water amount, it is determined that there is no water shortage during cleaning, and cleaning of the selected small area is performed according to the previously set water supply amount (S208).

Meanwhile, if the calculated total water amount is greater than or equal to the residual water amount, it is determined that a water shortage will occur during cleaning, and information about this is transmitted through the application of the user terminal 300 (S206).

The user terminal 300 may provide water shortage information to the user by displaying an alarm window as shown in FIG. 11C.

At this time, as in Alarm C, “During cleaning, there is not enough water, so changing to dry mop mode is expected. Do you want to clean using the automatic water supply control function?” A confirmation button can be provided along with the phrase.

At this time, when the automatic water supply amount adjustment function is selected, the user terminal 300 transmits a request for automatic water supply amount adjustment to the robot cleaner 100 (S209).

When the robot cleaner 100 receives the automatic water supply amount adjustment request, it enters the automatic water supply amount adjustment mode.

Specifically, the control unit 15 of the robot cleaner 100 performs machine learning to reduce the amount of water supplied to each small area by a predetermined ratio in the absence of water replenishment based on the current amount of residual water, thereby reducing the amount of water supplied to each small area by a predetermined ratio. Adjust the water supply to enable wet cleaning (S210).

At this time, the amount of water supplied to each small area that is changed may be uniformly reduced at a predetermined rate as described above, but in contrast, the ratio can be set differently depending on the material of the floor or by machine learning the pollution history of each small area. .

That is, with reference to the pollution history, in the case of a small area where the pollution level of a specific small area is very small, the water supply amount can be set as the first threshold, and the first threshold may be the minimum water supply at which wet cleaning is maintained. .

Meanwhile, if the automatic water supply amount control function is not selected in the user terminal 300, information about this is also transmitted to the robot cleaner 100.

If the automatic water supply adjustment function is not selected and water is not replenished, the robot cleaner 100 cleans each small area according to the previously set water supply amount, and when all water is used up, it returns to dry mop mode. This can be converted and an alarm can be sent back to the user terminal 300.

Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the automatic water supply amount adjustment mode during wet cleaning in the robot cleaner 100.

When the automatic water supply amount control function is selected, the robot cleaner 100 enters the automatic water supply amount control mode and can periodically adjust the water supply amount even during wet cleaning.

Referring to FIG. 12, when the robot cleaner 100 receives a cleaning start command (S300), it moves to the first small area, which is the first cleaning area, according to a set cleaning order or a calculated cleaning order (S310).

At this time, it is determined whether the automatic water supply amount control function is selected (S320).

When the automatic water supply amount adjustment function is selected, the robot cleaner 100 performs a treadmill exercise to calculate the optimal water supply amount for the corresponding first small area (S360).

At this time, the optimal water supply amount for the first small area can be calculated based on the current amount of residual water for the entire area where cleaning is performed.

In particular, the water supply per distance is calculated as the average value by dividing the current amount of residue with respect to the driving distance of the entire area, and the weight of each sub-area is calculated from the average value to calculate the optimal water supply for each sub-area. there is.

At this time, the total sum of each calculated water supply amount does not exceed the current residual water amount.

When the optimal water supply amount for the first small area is calculated in this way, the robot cleaner 100 performs wet cleaning on the first small area while pouring water according to the calculated water supply amount (S370).

At this time, while cleaning the first small area, the robot cleaner 100 periodically determines the accuracy of the current water supply amount and corrects the water supply amount (S380).

As an example, the robot cleaner 100 calculates the distance of the area that has been cleaned to date with respect to the first small area and calculates the amount of water poured into the first small area so far.

The robot cleaner 100 calculates the ratio of the moving distance of the area that has been cleaned to date to the total distance of the first small area and the ratio of the amount of water actually supplied to date to the total amount of water supplied to the first small area, respectively. And determine whether the two ratios are the same.

At this time, the robot vacuum cleaner 100 can be calculated not only by the distance ratio but also by the area ratio.

In this case, when the two ratios are the same, it is determined that the currently set water supply amount is optimal, and cleaning of the first small area is maintained with the corresponding water supply amount.

On the other hand, if the two ratios are not the same, the robot cleaner 100 determines that the currently set water supply amount needs to be modified, and performs a treadmill to correct this.

That is, the weight for the first small area can be changed by converting the amount of water consumed to the distance traveled.

The water supply amount to the first small area is recalculated according to the changed weight, and the robot cleaner 100 continuously performs wet cleaning of the first small area according to the recalculated water supply amount.

Meanwhile, when the automatic water supply amount control mode is not running, the robot cleaner 100 performs wet cleaning of the first small area according to the water supply amount set for the first small area (S330).

At this time, when cleaning of the first small area is completed (S340), it is determined whether a different cleaning area exists according to the set cleaning order (S350), and if it exists, it moves to the next cleaning area, the second small area. Re-perform judgment to see if the automatic water supply volume control mode is activated.

In this way, when the robot cleaner 100 automatically adjusts the water supply amount, it moves according to the cleaning order, recalculates the optimal water supply amount for each small area through machine learning, and periodically cleans the corresponding small area. By performing corrections to the current water supply, the weights become increasingly accurate, and the water supply can be increasingly optimized accordingly.

Therefore, if the current remaining water amount is insufficient, wet cleaning can be performed with a given amount of water and a plurality of small areas with different characteristics, each with an optimized water supply amount, by selecting the automatic water supply amount control function.

100: Robot vacuum cleaner
15: control unit 13: storage unit
34: Pump 80, 81: Rotating Mop
200: charging stand 250: support plate
300: User terminal

Claims (20)

a body housing a water tank containing water;
a rotating mop module that rotates in contact with the floor of the cleaning area and moves the main body and performs wet cleaning;
a pump for injecting water into the rotation map module according to a set water supply amount; and
A control unit that creates a map dividing the cleaning area into a plurality of small areas and controls the pump according to the water supply amount set for each small area.
A robot vacuum cleaner including. According to paragraph 1,
The robot cleaner, wherein when the automatic water supply amount control mode is set for the cleaning area, the control unit sets the water supply amount for each selected small area relative to the current remaining water amount in the water tank. According to paragraph 2,
The control unit performs machine learning to set the amount of water supplied to the small area by reflecting the area of the small area, cleaning history, and floor condition of the small area. According to paragraph 3,
The control unit performs machine learning to set the water supply amount for a plurality of selected small areas by reflecting the total moving distance and the remaining amount of water for the selected small areas. According to paragraph 4,
The control unit performs machine learning to set a weight for each small area, and reflects the weight when calculating the water supply amount. According to clause 5,
The robot cleaner receives information about the cleaning order for a plurality of small areas of the cleaning area from the outside, and performs machine learning to automatically adjust the water supply amount in each small area entered according to the cleaning order. A robot vacuum cleaner that does. According to clause 6,
The robot cleaner is characterized in that it corrects the water supply amount by periodically performing machine learning to automatically adjust the water supply amount in each small area. According to paragraph 1,
The robot cleaner performs preliminary cleaning to create a map of the cleaning area, and performs machine learning to divide the cleaning area into predetermined small areas by function on the map. According to paragraph 1,
The robot cleaner further includes a general mode in which the robot cleaner receives information about the amount of water supplied to each small area from the outside and cleans the cleaning area accordingly. According to clause 9,
The control unit
When a cleaning command is received, a robot cleaner predicts whether a water shortage will occur during cleaning based on the amount of water remaining in the water tank and the water supply amount set based on the selected small area, and transmits the result to the outside. . A user terminal installed with an application for controlling a robot cleaner, executing the application to communicate with the robot cleaner, and transmitting a cleaning control command including information on the amount of water supplied to the cleaning space; and
A robot cleaner that receives the cleaning control command from the user terminal through the application, generates a map of the cleaning space according to the cleaning control command, transmits it to the user terminal, and performs cleaning of the cleaning space.
Includes,
The robot vacuum cleaner
a body housing a water tank containing water;
a rotation mop module disposed on the bottom of the main body to move and wet clean the main body through rotational movement;
a pump for injecting water into the rotation map module according to a set water supply amount; and
A control unit that divides the cleaning area into a plurality of small areas on the map and controls the pump according to the water supply amount set for each small area.
A robot vacuum cleaner system including a. According to clause 11,
The user terminal selects a water supply amount for each small area on the map and transmits it to the robot cleaner. According to clause 12,
When cleaning begins, the control unit predicts whether a water shortage situation will occur during cleaning based on the amount of water remaining in the water tank and the water supply amount set based on the selected small area, and transmits the result to the user terminal. A robot vacuum cleaner system. According to clause 13,
When receiving an automatic water supply amount control command for the cleaning area from the user terminal, the control unit of the robot cleaner sets the water supply amount for each selected small area with respect to the current remaining water amount in the water tank. Characterized by a robot vacuum cleaner system. According to clause 14,
The robot cleaner system, wherein the control unit performs machine learning to set the amount of water supplied to the small area by reflecting the area of the small area, cleaning history, and floor condition of the small area. According to clause 14,
The robot cleaner system, wherein the control unit performs machine learning to set the water supply amount for the selected small areas by reflecting the total moving distance and the remaining amount of water for the selected small areas. According to claim 15 or 16,
The robot cleaner receives information about the cleaning order for a plurality of small areas of the cleaning area from the user terminal, and performs machine learning to adjust the automatic water supply amount in each small area entered according to the cleaning order. A robot vacuum cleaner system characterized in that. According to clause 17,
The robot cleaner system is characterized in that the robot cleaner periodically performs machine learning to automatically adjust the water supply amount in each small area to correct the water supply amount. According to clause 11,
The robot cleaner system is characterized in that the robot cleaner performs preliminary cleaning to create a map of the cleaning area, and performs machine learning to divide the cleaning area into predetermined small areas by function on the map. According to clause 11,
The robot cleaner system further includes a general mode in which the robot cleaner receives information about the water supply amount for each small area from the user terminal and cleans the cleaning area accordingly.