KR100266984B1 - Driving controller of robot cleaner and its method - Google Patents

Abstract

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a traveling controller for a robot cleaner and a method thereof, wherein the robot cleaner performs driving while driving a left and right wheel motor according to a cleaning start signal from an operation unit, and performs cleaning while driving the cleaning area. Recognizing the surrounding environment of the cleaning area according to the RF receiver for receiving image information of the area and the driving information of the robot cleaner, and the information data received by the RF receiver, and sets the cleaning path according to the surrounding environment of the recognized cleaning area. And a control unit for driving and controlling the left and right motors so as to change the robot cleaner forward driving and driving direction, and receives the image information of the cleaning area and the driving information of the robot cleaner through a CCD camera installed in the cleaning area. The robot cleaner cleans the cleaning area by setting the cleaning path by accurately recognizing the surrounding environment. Allow yourself to drive.

Description

Driving controller of robot cleaner and its method

The present invention relates to a robot cleaner for cleaning while driving the cleaning area by itself. In particular, the robot cleaner to set the cleaning path according to the image information of the cleaning area and the driving information of the robot cleaner to accurately drive the cleaning area. The present invention relates to a traveling control apparatus for a cleaner and a method thereof.

In general, the robot cleaner automatically cleans the cleaning area by suctioning foreign matters such as dust from the floor while driving the area to be cleaned without user's manipulation.

In the robot cleaner, when the user turns on the operation button, the left wheel and the right wheel in the robot cleaner are driven, and the robot cleaner starts running and power is supplied to the suction motor to drive the suction motor.

When the suction motor is driven, foreign substances such as dust on the bottom surface are sucked through the suction port by the suction force of the suction motor, and the foreign substances such as dust sucked through the suction port are collected in the dust collecting pack through the suction passage and are cleaned. Is performed.

However, in such a conventional robot cleaner, the obstacle sensor is installed only on the front of the robot cleaner, so the obstacle information on the left, right, and rear sides is not known, so it is difficult to escape when the robot cleaner is trapped in an area with many obstacles. In addition, there was a problem that the area not cleaned because the information of the cleaning area is not correctly recognized.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and receives image information of the cleaning area and driving information of the robot cleaner through a solid state imaging tube camera (hereinafter referred to as a CCD camera) installed in the cleaning area. It is an object of the present invention to provide a robot cleaner traveling control apparatus and a method for enabling the robot cleaner to smoothly travel the cleaning area by setting a cleaning path by accurately recognizing the surrounding environment of the cleaning area.

In order to achieve the above object, the traveling control apparatus for a robot cleaner according to the present invention is a robot cleaner for driving while driving a cleaning area by driving a left and right motor in response to a cleaning start signal from an operation unit, and sending it from a CCD camera. RF receiving unit for receiving the image information of the cleaning area and the driving information of the robot cleaner and the surrounding environment of the cleaning area according to the information data received by the RF receiving unit, and the cleaning path according to the surrounding environment of the recognized cleaning area It characterized by consisting of a control unit for controlling the drive of the left and right wheel motor so as to change the forward movement and driving direction by setting the robot cleaner.

Further, the traveling control method of the robot cleaner according to the present invention is a cleaning method of a robot cleaner for driving while driving a cleaning area by driving a left and right motor according to a cleaning start signal from an operation unit. An information receiving step of receiving image information of the cleaning area and the driving information of the robot cleaner transmitted from the CCD camera, and a cleaning area recognition step of recognizing the surrounding environment of the cleaning area according to the information data received at the information receiving step; It characterized in that it comprises a driving step of driving the robot cleaner forward driving and driving direction by driving the left and right wheels by setting the cleaning path according to the surrounding environment of the cleaning area recognized in the cleaning area recognition step.

1 is a front view of a robot cleaner according to the present invention;

2 is a plan view of removing the upper cover of the robot cleaner according to the present invention;

3 is an installation diagram of a CCD camera in a cleaning area of a robot cleaner according to the present invention;

4 is a control block diagram of a driving control apparatus for a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

5 is a flowchart showing a driving control operation procedure of the robot cleaner according to the present invention;

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

10: traveling robot 14: suction pipe

16,18: Left and right wheel 20,22: Left and right motor

24,26: Left and right encoder 50: Handy cleaner

54 suction motor 70 drive means

80: driving distance detection means 90: obstacle detection means

100: driving robot control unit 140: cleaner control unit

150: suction motor drive unit

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic front view of a robot cleaner according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a top cover of the robot cleaner according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a view of a CCD camera in a cleaning area of the robot cleaner according to the present invention. Installation diagram.

1 to 3, the robot cleaner according to the present invention includes a traveling robot 10 which allows the robot cleaner to drive the cleaning area by itself, and a handy cleaner 50 that sucks and cleans foreign substances such as dust. The handy cleaner 50 is detachable to the traveling robot 10, and the CCD camera 200 is installed on the ceiling of the cleaning area to capture image information of the cleaning area and driving information of the robot cleaner. It is.

The traveling robot 10 includes a suction brush 12 for collecting foreign substances such as dust on the bottom surface, and a suction pipe 14 serving as a passage to transfer the dust collected through the suction brush 12 to a collection place. ), The left and right wheel motors 20 and 22 which generate driving force so that the left and right wheels 18 for moving the traveling robot 10 switch forward, backward and left and right movements, and the left and right wheels 18. Left and right encoders 24 and 26 for detecting a travel distance to the left and right sides according to the rotation speed of the right wheel motors 20 and 22, and an auxiliary wheel 28 for supporting the robot cleaner while freeing the movement of the robot cleaner. ), A wide sensor 30 comprising a plurality of infrared ray transmitting elements 30a and infrared ray receiving elements 30b, and the wide sensor 30 so as not to detect an obstacle in front of the traveling robot 10. Band switch 34 for detecting the obstacle that can not be photographed by the CCD camera 200 A cleaning area is of an RF receiver 36 for receiving the running information of the image information and the robot cleaner is installed.

The handy cleaner 50 has a suction port 52 which is connected to the suction pipe 14 of the traveling robot 10 when coupled to the traveling robot 10, and a suction motor 54 which generates suction force to suck foreign substances such as dust. ) And a dust collecting pack 56 for collecting foreign substances such as dust sucked by the suction motor 54.

A circuit block diagram for controlling a cleaning operation of the robot cleaner configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

As shown in FIG. 4, the robot cleaner includes the traveling robot 10, the handy cleaner 50, and the handy cleaner 50 when the portable cleaner 10 is coupled to the traveling robot 10. It comprises a connector 60 consisting of a power connector 62 and a control signal connector 64 to electrically connect 50.

The traveling robot 10 may include driving means 70 for controlling forward, backward, left, and right movement of the traveling robot 10, and traveling of the traveling robot 10 moved by the driving means 70. Travel distance detecting means 80 for detecting a distance, obstacle detecting means 90 for detecting an obstacle located in front of the traveling robot 10 moved by the driving means 70, and the traveling distance detecting means ( Overall operation of the traveling robot 10 to receive the traveling distance data detected by the 80 and the obstacle detection data detected by the obstacle detecting means 90 so that the traveling robot 10 smoothly travels the cleaning area. The mobile robot control unit 100 for controlling the power supply, and the power supply of the connector unit 60 when the handy cleaner 50 is coupled to the travel robot 10 while supplying power required to drive the travel robot 10. Power the handy cleaner 50 through 62 That consists of a battery 120 to be charged received power is supplied from the external charging device 122.

The driving means 70 includes a left wheel motor driving unit 72 for driving the left wheel motor 20 to move the robot cleaner to the right, and a right wheel for driving the right wheel motor 22 to move the robot cleaner to the left. The motor drive part 74 is comprised.

The traveling distance detecting means 80 generates a pulse signal that is proportional to the rotational speed of the left wheel 16 driven by the left wheel motor driving unit 72, that is, the rotational speed of the left wheel motor 20, thereby providing A pulse signal proportional to the rotational speed of the left wheel encoder 24 for detecting the traveling distance moving to the right and the right wheel 18 driven by the right wheel motor driver 74, that is, the rotation speed of the right wheel motor 22. It consists of a right wheel encoder 26 for detecting the traveling distance that the robot cleaner moves to the left.

The obstacle detecting means 90 includes a plurality of infrared ray transmitting elements 30a arranged horizontally and an infrared ray receiving element 30b for receiving reflected infrared rays reflected from the plurality of infrared ray transmitting elements 30a hitting an obstacle. A wide sensor (30) and a sensor driver (92) for driving the wide sensor (30) so that the wide sensor (30) can transmit infrared rays.

The driving robot controller 100 receives the image information of the cleaning area photographed by the CCD camera 200 and the driving information of the robot cleaner through the RF receiver 36 to accurately recognize the surrounding environment of the cleaning area, The cleaning path is set according to the surrounding environment of the cleaning area to generate a control signal for moving forward and changing the driving direction of the robot cleaner.

In addition, the handy cleaner 50 is provided with a switch for on / off operation of the operation of the robot cleaner, the operation unit 130 for converting the switch operation by the user to the corresponding electrical signal, and the operation unit Control the overall operation of the handy cleaner 50 according to the cleaning start signal input from the 130 and at the same time start cleaning with the traveling robot control unit 100 through the control signal connector 64 of the connector unit 60. A cleaner controller 140 for outputting a signal, a suction motor driver 150 for driving the suction motor 54 to suck foreign substances such as dust according to a control signal from the cleaner controller 140, and the handy cleaner ( It is composed of a battery 160 that is charged by receiving power from the battery 120 of the traveling robot 10 through the power connector 62 of the connector 60 to supply the power required to drive 50. All.

Hereinafter, the operation control apparatus of the robot cleaner configured as described above and the operational effects of the method will be described.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a travel control operation procedure of the robot cleaner according to the present invention, in which S denotes a step.

First, when the user couples the handy cleaner 50 to the travel robot 10, the suction port 52 of the handy cleaner 50 communicates with the suction pipe 14 of the travel robot 10, and the connector 60 of the connector 60 is connected. Power lines of the traveling robot 10 and the handy cleaner 50 are connected to each other through the power connector 62, and the traveling robot 10 and the handy cleaner 50 are connected to the control signal connector 64 of the connector 60. Signal lines are connected to each other.

As described above, when the power supply lines of the traveling robot 10 and the handy cleaner 50 are connected to each other, power is supplied from the battery 120 of the traveling robot 10 to the handy cleaner 50 so as to carry out the handy cleaner 50. While the battery 160 is charged, power is supplied to drive the handy cleaner 50.

As described above, even when the handy cleaner 50 is detached from the traveling robot 10 as the battery 160 of the handy cleaner 50 is charged, the handy cleaner is powered by the power charged in the battery 160 of the handy cleaner 50. 50 can operate independently.

That is, when the user operates the operation unit 130 to input the cleaning start signal to the cleaner control unit 140, the cleaner control unit 140 controls the suction motor driving unit 150 to drive the suction motor 54 to perform a handy cleaner ( 50) is working.

On the other hand, in a state in which the handy cleaner 50 is coupled to the traveling robot 10, in step S1, the initial position of the robot cleaner is set by positioning the robot cleaner at the initial position of the cleaning area to be cleaned.

At this time, when the user operates the manipulation unit 130 provided in the handy cleaner 50, a cleaning start signal corresponding thereto is input to the cleaner control unit 140, so in step S2, the cleaner control unit 140 determines whether a cleaning start signal is input. If the cleaning start signal is not input (NO), the operation of step S2 or less is repeated until the cleaning start signal is input.

As a result of the determination in step S2, when the cleaning start signal is input (YES), the process proceeds to step S3 and the cleaner controller 140 transmits a control signal for driving the suction motor 54 to the suction motor driver 150. Output

Therefore, the suction motor driver 150 drives the suction motor 54 according to a control signal output from the cleaner controller 140.

At this time, since the suction port 52 of the handy cleaner 50 communicates with the suction brush 12 through the suction pipe 14 of the traveling robot 10, the suction port 52 is sucked by a strong vacuum suction input driven by the suction motor 54. As foreign matters such as dust collected by the brush 12 are sucked through the suction pipe 14, the dust is collected in the dust collecting pack 56 through the suction port 52 of the handy cleaner 50 and is cleaned.

Subsequently, in step S4, the cleaner controller 140 outputs a cleaning start signal to the traveling robot controller 100 through the control signal connector 64 of the connector 60, thereby driving the robot cleaner in the traveling robot controller 100. The control signal for controlling the output to the drive means (70).

Accordingly, the left wheel motor driving unit 72 and the right wheel motor driving unit 74 of the driving unit 70 receive the control signals output from the traveling robot control unit 100 to receive the left wheel motor 20 and the right wheel motor 22. By driving, the left and right wheels 18 switch forward, backward, and movement to the left and right, and the robot cleaner starts to travel.

In this case, the left wheel encoder 24 generates a pulse signal proportional to the rotational speed of the left wheel 16 according to the driving of the left wheel motor 20, and outputs a pulse signal to the traveling robot controller 100, and in the right wheel encoder 26. A pulse signal proportional to the rotational speed of the right wheel 18 according to the driving of the right wheel motor 22 is generated and outputted to the traveling robot controller 100.

While the robot cleaner is traveling, the plurality of wide sensors 30 arranged horizontally on the front surface of the traveling robot 10 in step S5 transmit infrared rays to the front surface where the robot cleaner advances through the infrared transmitting element 30a. In addition, the infrared ray transmitted from the infrared ray transmitting element 30a receives a signal reflected by the collision with the obstacle through the infrared ray receiving element 30b to detect and determine an obstacle located in front of the robot cleaner.

As a result of the discrimination in step S5, when an obstacle is detected (YES), the control unit 100 moves to the left and right wheel driving units 72 and 74 to control the left wheel motor 20 or the right wheel. By driving the motor 22, the left wheel 16 or the right wheel 18 is selectively driven so that the robot cleaner switches the driving direction to the left or the right.

When the driving direction of the robot cleaner is switched, in step S7, the RF receiver 36 receives image information of the cleaning area photographed by the CCD camera 200 installed on the ceiling in the cleaning area in which the robot cleaner travels and the driving information of the robot cleaner. The driving robot controller 100 receives the image information of the cleaning area and the driving information of the robot cleaner, which are received through the RF receiver 36, and accurately recognizes the surrounding environment of the cleaning area in step S8.

Here, in step S9, the driving robot control unit 100 sets the cleaning path according to the recognized environment of the cleaning area to drive the left and right wheel motors 20 and 22 to advance the robot cleaner according to the cleaning path set. Cleaning while changing the driving direction.

Subsequently, in step S10, the robot cleaner finishes the driving of the cleaning area and determines whether the cleaning is completed. If the cleaning is not completed (NO), the robot cleaner returns to the step S7 until the cleaning is completed. The operation of step S7 and below is repeatedly performed while receiving image information of the cleaning area and driving information of the robot cleaner photographed in step 6).

As a result of the determination in step S10, when the cleaning is completed (YES), the process proceeds to step S11 and the traveling robot control unit 100 controls the left and right motor driving units 72 and 74 to control the left and right motors 20 and 22. ) And at the same time outputs a cleaning completion signal to the cleaner control unit 140 through the control signal connector (64).

Accordingly, the cleaner controller 140 controls the suction motor driver 150 to stop the suction motor 54 and the cleaning operation of the robot cleaner is terminated.

According to the traveling control apparatus and method of the robot cleaner according to the present invention as described above, by receiving the image information of the cleaning area and the driving information of the robot cleaner through a CCD camera installed in the cleaning area to determine the surrounding environment of the cleaning area. By accurately recognizing and setting the cleaning path, the robot cleaner can move the cleaning area smoothly.

Claims (3)

A robot cleaner for cleaning while driving a cleaning area by driving a left and right motor according to a cleaning start signal from an operation unit. An RF receiver for receiving image information of the cleaning area and driving information of the robot cleaner, sent from the CCD camera; The left and right wheels recognize the surrounding environment of the cleaning area according to the information data received by the RF receiver, and set the cleaning path according to the recognized surrounding area of the cleaning area to convert the robot cleaner to forward driving and driving directions. Travel control device for a robot cleaner, characterized in that the control unit for controlling the drive of the motor. The method of claim 1, And the CCD camera is installed in a cleaning area in which the robot cleaner travels. In the cleaning method of the robot cleaner which performs the cleaning while driving the cleaning area by driving the left and right motors according to the cleaning start signal from the operation unit, An information receiving step of receiving image information of the cleaning area and traveling information of the robot cleaner, sent from the CCD camera installed in the cleaning area; A cleaning area recognition step of recognizing the surrounding environment of the cleaning area according to the information data received at the information receiving step; The robot cleaner comprises a driving step of driving the robot cleaner forward and driving direction by setting the cleaning path according to the surrounding environment of the cleaning area recognized in the cleaning area recognition step to drive the left and right wheel motors. Driving control method.