KR102386437B1 - A robot cleaner and a method for operating it - Google Patents

Abstract

A robot vacuum cleaner is disclosed. This robot cleaner has a main body, a driving unit provided on the main body to supply power for driving of the robot cleaner, and a first and second rotational axis by the power of the driving unit to rotate around the first and second rotational axes, respectively, to provide a moving force source for the driving of the robot cleaner. and controlling the driving unit to perform cleaning on the first surface to be cleaned by performing pattern running so that the first and second rotating members and the first area to which the cleaner for wet cleaning can be fixed respectively become a starting area and a return area. includes a control unit.

Description

Robot cleaner and its control method

The present invention relates to a robot cleaner and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a robot cleaner capable of performing wet cleaning while autonomously driving and a control method thereof.

With the development of industrial technology, various devices are being automated. As is well known, a robot vacuum cleaner is a device that automatically cleans the area to be cleaned by sucking foreign substances such as dust from the surface to be cleaned or wiping foreign substances from the surface to be cleaned while driving within the area to be cleaned without user's manipulation. is being utilized

In general, such a robot cleaner may include a vacuum cleaner that performs cleaning using a suction force using a power source such as electricity.

Robot cleaners including such vacuum cleaners have a limitation in that they cannot remove foreign substances or dirt adhering to the surface to be cleaned. .

However, the wet cleaning method using a general robot cleaner is only a simple method of attaching a mop to the lower part of the conventional vacuum cleaning robot cleaner, so the effect of removing foreign substances is low, and there are disadvantages in that efficient wet cleaning cannot be performed.

In particular, in the case of a wet cleaning method of a general robot cleaner, it runs using the existing suction vacuum cleaner movement method and obstacle avoidance method as it is, so even if dust scattered on the surface to be cleaned is removed, foreign substances adhering to the surface to be cleaned are removed. There are problems that cannot be easily eliminated.

In addition, in the case of the mop attachment structure of a general robot cleaner, the frictional force with the ground is increased by the mop surface, and additional propulsion force is required for the wheel to move, so there is a problem in that battery consumption increases.

1. Korean Patent Laid-Open Patent No. 10-2003-0049484 (June 25, 2003), a remote-controlled floor polishing device propelled in all directions 2. Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2010-0012350 (February 08, 2010), cell-based robot vacuum cleaner and cleaning method

The present invention has been devised in response to the above-mentioned necessity, and an object of the present invention is to use the rotational force itself of a pair of rotating members as a moving force source of the robot cleaner, and to fix the cleaner for wet cleaning to the rotating member, An object of the present invention is to provide a robot cleaner capable of running while cleaning and a method for controlling the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a robot cleaner that performs a cleaning operation in a specific pattern and a method for controlling the same.

A robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object includes a main body, a driving unit provided on the main body to supply power for driving of the robot cleaner, and the driving unit The first and second rotating members and the first area to which the cleaner for wet cleaning can be fixed respectively by rotating each of the first and second rotating shafts by power to provide a moving force source for driving the robot cleaner and a control unit for controlling the driving unit to clean the first surface to be cleaned by performing pattern running to become the starting area and the return area.

And, when the first cleaning travel pattern among the plurality of cleaning travel patterns of the robot cleaner is determined, the control unit includes a first traveling step in which the robot cleaner travels forward, a second traveling step in which the robot cleaner rotates around a specific area, The robot by controlling at least one of the rotational speed and the rotational direction of the rotating member to repeatedly perform the third traveling step of traveling while changing the traveling direction in one cycle, and repeating the operation of the one cycle at least twice or more The cleaner may return to the first area.

In addition, the control unit performs the first driving step by controlling the driving unit so that the first rotating member rotates, and the second rotating member rotates in the opposite direction at the same speed as the first rotating member, and , one of the first rotating member and the second rotating member does not rotate or rotates at a low speed, and the other rotates at a faster speed in the opposite direction by controlling the driving unit to perform the second driving step The third driving step may be performed by controlling the driving unit to change at least one of a rotation speed and a rotation direction of the first rotation member and the second rotation member according to the direction to be switched.

And, when the cleaning of the first surface to be cleaned is completed according to the return to the first area, the control unit performs the pattern running in a state in which the running direction is set to be different from the previous direction at the time of departure from the first area. By controlling the driving unit to repeat, it is possible to control to perform cleaning on another surface to be cleaned.

In addition, when a second cleaning travel pattern among the plurality of cleaning travel patterns of the robot cleaner is determined, the control unit may include a first traveling step in which the robot cleaner rotates to a second area around a first reference area, the first a second driving step of starting from area 2 and rotating around the second reference area to return to the second area, and a third driving step of rotatingly driving around the first reference area and returning to the first area to control at least one of a rotation speed and a rotation direction of the rotating member.

In addition, the control unit controls the driving unit to adjust the rotational speed difference between the first and second rotation members in a state in which the rotation directions of the first rotation member and the second rotation member are opposite to each other to control the first, second, and second rotation members. 3 driving steps can be performed.

In addition, when the cleaning of the first surface to be cleaned is completed according to the return to the first area, the control unit is configured to repeat the pattern driving in a state in which an area spaced apart from the first area by a predetermined distance is set as a starting area. By controlling the driving unit, it is possible to control the cleaning to be performed on another surface to be cleaned.

On the other hand, by rotating at least one of the first and second rotation members each rotating about the first rotational axis and the second rotational axis according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object, driving in a specific direction The control method of the robot cleaner includes the steps of determining a cleaning travel pattern of the robot cleaner, and performing first and second cleaning on a first surface to be cleaned by performing pattern travel such that the first area becomes a starting area and a return area. and controlling rotation of at least one of the rotating members.

And, when a first cleaning travel pattern among a plurality of cleaning travel patterns of the robot cleaner is determined according to the determining step, the controlling may include a first traveling step in which the robot cleaner travels forward, focusing on a specific area. At least one of the rotational speed and the rotational direction of the rotating member may be controlled so that the second traveling step of rotating and the third traveling step of switching the traveling direction are repeatedly performed in one cycle.

Also, the robot cleaner may return to the first area by repeating the operation of the one cycle at least twice or more.

And, in the controlling, the first rotating member rotates, and the second rotating member rotates in the opposite direction at the same speed as the first rotating member by controlling the driving unit to perform the first driving step and controlling the driving unit so that one of the first rotating member and the second rotating member does not rotate or rotates at a low speed, and the other rotates at a faster speed in the opposite direction to perform the second travel The third driving step may be performed by controlling the driving unit to change at least one of a rotation speed and a rotation direction of the first rotation member and the second rotation member according to the direction to be switched.

In addition, when the cleaning of the first surface to be cleaned is completed according to the return to the first region, the driving unit repeats the pattern driving in a state in which the driving direction is set to be different from the previous direction when starting from the first region. It may further include the step of controlling to perform cleaning on another surface to be cleaned by controlling the.

And, when a second cleaning travel pattern among the plurality of cleaning travel patterns of the robot cleaner is determined according to the determining step, the controlling may include rotating the robot cleaner to a second area around the first reference area. a first driving step of starting from the second region and rotating around a second reference region to return to the second region, and rotatingly driving around the first reference region to the first region At least one of a rotation speed and a rotation direction of the rotating member may be controlled to perform a third driving step of returning to the .

In addition, the controlling may include controlling the driving unit to adjust a difference in rotational speed between the first and second rotating members in a state in which the rotational directions of the first and second rotational members are opposite to each other to control the first and second rotational members. , a third driving step may be performed.

And, when the cleaning of the first surface to be cleaned is completed according to the return to the first area, the driving unit is controlled to repeat the pattern driving in a state where an area spaced apart from the first area by a predetermined distance is set as a starting area. It may further include the step of controlling the cleaning to be performed on the other surface to be cleaned.

According to various embodiments of the present invention described above, the robot cleaner may run while performing wet cleaning by using the rotational force of a pair of rotating members as a moving force source.

In addition, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the robot cleaner may improve battery efficiency by using the rotational force of a pair of rotating members as a moving force source.

In addition, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the robot cleaner is applied to the surface to be cleaned through friction between the first and second cleaners and the surface to be cleaned, respectively rotating by the respective rotational movements of the first and second rotation members. It is possible to more effectively remove adhering foreign substances. In particular, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the robot cleaner can perform a cleaning driving in various cleaning driving patterns, and efficiently performing wet cleaning by selecting a cleaning driving pattern suitable for a terrain feature.

In addition, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the robot cleaner can reduce manufacturing costs by minimizing the sensor configuration for detecting obstacles while driving.

1 is an exploded perspective view of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a bottom view of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a front view of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a cross-sectional view of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a block diagram illustrating a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 to 7 are views for explaining a driving operation of the robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a robot cleaner for driving while drawing a first cleaning driving pattern according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a view showing a first cleaning driving pattern according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a diagram illustrating a method of enlarging a cleaning area using a first cleaning driving pattern according to an embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the robot cleaner for driving while drawing a second cleaning driving pattern according to an embodiment of the present invention.
13 is a view showing a second cleaning driving pattern according to an embodiment of the present invention.
14 is a diagram illustrating a method of enlarging a cleaning area using a second cleaning driving pattern according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The following is merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Therefore, those skilled in the art will be able to devise various devices that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the present invention and are included within the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, all conditional terms and examples listed herein are, in principle, expressly intended only for the purpose of understanding the concept of the present invention, and it should be understood that they are not limited to the specifically enumerated embodiments and states as such. do.

Moreover, it is to be understood that all detailed description reciting specific embodiments, as well as principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention, are intended to include structural and functional equivalents of such matters. It should also be understood that such equivalents include not only currently known equivalents, but also equivalents developed in the future, i.e., all devices invented to perform the same function, regardless of structure.

Thus, for example, the block diagrams herein are to be understood as representing conceptual views of illustrative circuitry embodying the principles of the present invention. Similarly, all flowcharts, state transition diagrams, pseudo code, etc. may be tangibly embodied on computer-readable media and be understood to represent various processes performed by a computer or processor, whether or not a computer or processor is explicitly shown. should be

The functions of the various elements shown in the figures including a processor or functional blocks represented by similar concepts may be provided by the use of dedicated hardware as well as hardware having the ability to execute software in association with appropriate software. When provided by a processor, the functionality may be provided by a single dedicated processor, a single shared processor, or a plurality of separate processors, some of which may be shared.

In addition, the clear use of terms presented as processor, control, or similar concepts should not be construed as exclusively referring to hardware having the ability to execute software, and without limitation, digital signal processor (DSP) hardware, ROM for storing software. It should be understood to implicitly include (ROM), RAM (RAM) and non-volatile memory. Other common hardware may also be included.

In the claims of this specification, a component expressed as a means for performing the function described in the detailed description includes, for example, a combination of circuit elements that perform the function or software in any form including firmware/microcode, etc. It is intended to include all methods of performing the functions of the device, coupled with suitable circuitry for executing the software to perform the functions. Since the present invention defined by these claims is combined with the functions provided by the various enumerated means and in a manner required by the claims, any means capable of providing the functions are equivalent to those contemplated from the present specification. should be understood as

The above objects, features and advantages will become more apparent through the following detailed description in relation to the accompanying drawings, and accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can easily implement the technical idea of the present invention. There will be. In addition, in the description of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a known technology related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

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

1 to 4 are views for explaining the structure of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. More specifically, FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an embodiment of the present invention It is a front view of the robot cleaner, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the front view of FIG. 3 .

1 to 4 , the robot cleaner 100 of the present invention has a body 10 that structurally forms the exterior of the robot cleaner 100, and is formed around the outer periphery of the body 10 to protect the body from external impact. The bumper 20 to protect the 10, the sensor 130 for detecting an external shock applied to the bumper 20, and a driving unit installed on the main body 10 to supply power for driving the robot cleaner 100 150 , a first rotating member 110 , a second rotating member 120 that is coupled to the driving unit 150 for rotational movement, and a power supply unit 190 installed inside the main body 10 . there is.

The robot cleaner 100 may run while performing wet cleaning using the cleaners 210 and 220 for wet cleaning. Here, wet cleaning may refer to cleaning the surface to be cleaned using the cleaners 210 and 220 , and may include, for example, cleaning using a dry rag and cleaning using a rag wet with a liquid.

The driving unit 150 is a first driving unit 151 installed in the main body 10 and coupled to the first rotating member 110 , and is installed in the main body 10 to be coupled to the second rotating member 120 . A first driving unit 152 may be included. Here, the driving unit 150 may be implemented including a motor, a gear assembly, and the like.

The first rotation member 110 is coupled to the first driving unit 151 to transmit power by the first driving unit 151, and a first transmission that rotates about the first rotation shaft 310 by the power. A member 111 may be included. Also, the first cleaner 210 for wet cleaning may include a fixable first fixing member 112 .

In addition, the second rotation member 120 is coupled to the second driving unit 152 to transmit power by the second driving unit 152, and the second rotation member 120 rotates about the second rotation shaft 320 by the power. Two transmission members 121 may be included. In addition, the second cleaner 220 for wet cleaning may include a fixable second fixing member 122 .

Here, the lower regions of the first transmission member 111 and the second transmission member 112 may be implemented to protrude in the direction of the surface to be cleaned when coupled to the main body 10 . Alternatively, when the first transmission member 111 and the second transmission member 112 are coupled to the main body 10, they may be implemented so as not to protrude in the direction of the surface to be cleaned.

In addition, when the first fixing member 112 and the second fixing member 122 are coupled to the main body 10, they may be implemented to protrude in the direction of the surface to be cleaned, for example, to protrude in the direction of the floor surface, The first cleaner 210 and the second cleaner 220 for cleaning may be formed to be fixed.

The first cleaner 210 and the second cleaner 220 include a cloth capable of wiping various surfaces to be cleaned, such as a microfiber cloth, a mop, a non-woven fabric, a brush, etc. It may be composed of the same fiber material. In addition, the shapes of the first cleaner 210 and the second cleaner 220 may be circular as shown in FIG. 1 , but may be implemented in various shapes without limitation in shape.

In addition, the fixing of the first and second cleaners 210 and 220 may be performed using a method of covering the first fixing member 112 and the second fixing member 122 or using a separate attachment means. there is. For example, the first cleaner 210 and the second cleaner 220 may be attached to and fixed to the first fixing member 112 and the second fixing member 122 using Velcro tape or the like.

As described above, in the robot cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first cleaner 210 and the second cleaner 220 are rotated by the rotational movement of the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 . As a result, foreign substances adhering to the floor can be removed through friction with the surface to be cleaned. In addition, when a frictional force with the surface to be cleaned is generated, the frictional force may be used as a moving force source of the robot cleaner 100 .

More specifically, in the robot cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, as the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 rotate, frictional force with the surface to be cleaned is generated, respectively, and the resultant force is Depending on the size and direction of the action, the moving speed and direction of the robot cleaner 100 may be adjusted.

In particular, referring to FIGS. 3 to 4 , the first and second rotational shafts 310 and 320 of each of the first and second rotational members 110 and 120 by the power of the pair of driving units 151 and 152 are robot cleaners. It may be inclined to have a predetermined angle with respect to the central axis 300 corresponding to the vertical axis of (100). In this case, the first and second rotation members 110 and 120 may be downwardly inclined outward with respect to the central axis. That is, among the regions of the first and second rotation members 110 and 120 , a region located farther from the central axis 300 may strongly adhere to the surface to be cleaned than a region located closer to the central axis 300 .

Here, the central axis 300 may mean a vertical axis with respect to the surface to be cleaned of the robot cleaner 100 . For example, assuming that the robot cleaner 100 drives and cleans the X-Y plane formed by the X and Y axes during the cleaning operation, the central axis 300 is perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned of the robot cleaner 100 . It may mean the Z-axis which is an axis.

On the other hand, the predetermined angle is a first angle (a degree) corresponding to an angle at which the first rotation axis 310 is inclined with respect to the central axis 300 and the second rotation axis 320 with respect to the central axis 300 . A second angle (b degree) corresponding to the inclined angle may be included. Here, the first angle and the second angle may be the same as or different from each other.

In addition, each of the first angle and the second angle may preferably be an angle within an angle range of 1 degree or more and 3 degrees or less. Here, as can be seen from Table 1 below, the above-described angle range may be a range capable of optimally maintaining the wet cleaning capability, running speed, and running performance of the robot cleaner 100 .

inclined angle Cleaning ability (based on 3 points) Driving speed (based on 3 points) less than 1 degree Both the cleaning surface rubbing with the cleaner can be cleaned (3) very slow (0) 1 degree Both the cleaning surface rubbing with the cleaner can be cleaned (3) slow(1) 1.85 degrees All cleaning surfaces that rub against the cleaner can be cleaned except for a part near the central axis (2) Normal (2) 3 degrees All cleaning surfaces that rub against the cleaner can be cleaned except for a part near the central axis (1) fast(3) more than 3 degrees It is possible to clean except for most areas near the central axis among the cleaning surfaces that rub against the cleaner (0) fast(3)

That is, referring to Table 1 above, the pair of rotation shafts 310 and 320 of the robot cleaner 100 have a structure inclined to have a predetermined angle with respect to the central axis 300 , and the traveling speed of the robot cleaner 100 . and cleaning ability. In particular, by maintaining the predetermined angle in the range of 1 degree or more and 3 degrees or less, the wet cleaning ability and running speed of the robot cleaner can be optimally maintained. However, various embodiments of the present invention may not be limited to the above-described angle range.

On the other hand, when the pair of rotating members 110 and 120 rotate according to a predetermined angle, the relative frictional force generated between the surface to be cleaned and the surface to be cleaned may be greater at the outside than the center of the body 10 . Accordingly, the movement speed and direction of the robot cleaner 100 may be controlled by the relative friction force generated by controlling the rotation of the pair of rotating members 110 and 120, respectively. As such, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the movement speed and direction control of the robot cleaner 100 will be described later.

Meanwhile, when the robot cleaner 100 travels by the above-described operation, the robot cleaner 100 may collide with various obstacles existing on the surface to be cleaned. Here, the obstacles may include various obstacles that obstruct the cleaning operation of the robot cleaner 100, such as low obstacles such as thresholds and carpets, obstacles floating above a certain height such as sofas or beds, and high obstacles such as walls.

In this case, the bumper 20 formed on the outer periphery of the robot cleaner 100 main body 10 may protect the main body 10 from external impact caused by collision with an obstacle and absorb the external shock. In addition, the sensing unit 130 installed inside the body 10 may sense an impact applied to the bumper 10 .

The bumper 20 includes a first bumper 21 formed on a first outer periphery of the main body 10 and a second bumper 22 formed on a second outer periphery of the main body 10 separately from the first bumper 21 . can do. Here, the bumper 20 may be formed around the left and right sides of the main body 10, respectively, based on the direction F in which the front of the robot cleaner 10 faces. As an example, referring to FIGS. 1 to 4 , the first bumper 21 may be formed around the left side of the main body 10 with respect to the direction F in which the front of the robot cleaner 10 faces, and the second bumper (22) may be formed on the right periphery of the main body 10 based on the direction (F) to which the front faces.

Here, the first bumper 21 and the second bumper 22 may be implemented as physically separate and different bumpers. Accordingly, the bumpers of the robot cleaner may operate independently of each other. That is, when the first bumper 21 collides with an obstacle while the robot cleaner 100 is running, the first bumper 21 absorbs an external shock and applies the absorbed external shock to the first bumper 21 corresponding to the first bumper 21 . 1 It can be transmitted to the sensing unit. However, the second bumper 22 is implemented as a bumper physically separate from the first bumper 21 , and is not affected by the collision, and the second sensing unit installed corresponding to the second bumper 22 detects an external impact. may not be delivered.

Meanwhile, according to an embodiment of the present invention, by forming the height of the upper end and the lower end of the bumper 20 to meet a predetermined condition, the robot cleaner 100 can detect various obstacles encountered while driving. This will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 4 .

Referring to FIG. 4 , the lower ends of the first bumper 21 and the second bumper 22 may be formed to be as close to the surface to be cleaned as possible. Specifically, the distance between the lower ends of the first and second bumpers 21 and 22 and the surface to be cleaned may be the same as the thickness of the cleaners 210 and 220 or smaller than the thickness of the cleaners 210 and 220 . Accordingly, the first bumper 21 and the second bumper 22 collide with a low obstacle such as a shallow threshold or a carpet, and the robot cleaner 100 can detect and avoid the low obstacle.

In addition, the upper ends of the first bumper 21 and the second bumper 22 may be formed to prevent a case in which an obstacle is caught only in the main body 10 without colliding with the bumpers 21 and 22 . Specifically, the height of the upper ends of the first bumper 21 and the second bumper 22 may be the same as the height of the main body 10 or may be formed higher than the height of the main body 10 . Accordingly, the first bumper 21 and the second bumper 22 collide with an obstacle floating above a certain height, such as a sofa or a bed, and only the body 10 in a state that does not collide with the bumpers 21 and 22 . You can avoid getting caught.

Meanwhile, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the robot cleaner 100 may include guide parts 113 and 123 for guiding the cleaners 210 and 220 to be fixed at an optimal position.

If the cleaners 210 and 220 are not fixed at the optimal positions, the portions in which the cleaners 210 and 220 and the surface to be cleaned come into contact with each other according to the rotation of the first and second rotation members 112 and 122 are changed, which An imbalance is created with respect to the pair of cleaners 210 and 220 . In this case, the robot cleaner 100 may not be able to perform a desired driving. For example, the robot cleaner 100 in the straight travel mode may not be able to travel in a straight line, but may cause a situation in which the robot cleaner 100 is bent in a curved direction.

Accordingly, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the lower surface to which the cleaners 210 and 220 are fixed in each of the first and second rotation members 112 and 122 protrude toward the surface to be cleaned along the edge of the lower surface. It is formed and may include guide portions 113 and 123 for guiding the cleaners 210 and 220 to be fixed at an optimal position. Accordingly, the user of the robot cleaner 100 can fix the cleaners 210 and 220 to an optimal position.

Meanwhile, the sensing unit 130 may detect an external impact applied to the bumper 10 . Here, the sensing unit 130 may include a plurality of sensing units installed at positions corresponding to the respective bumpers. For example, when implemented with two bumpers 21 and 22 , the sensing unit 130 includes at least one first sensing unit installed to correspond to the first bumper 21 and at least one installed corresponding to the second bumper 22 . may include a second sensing unit of , and may be implemented as a contact sensor, an optical sensor, or the like. The sensing unit 130 may transmit the sensing result to the control unit 170 .

Then, the control unit 170 determines the collision location where the collision with the obstacle occurs in the area of the bumper 20 using the detection result of the sensing unit 130, and based on this, the first driving unit 151, the second driving unit 151 to avoid the obstacle. 2 The driving unit 152 can be controlled.

5 is a block diagram illustrating a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5 , the robot cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured to drive the sensing unit 130 , the communication unit 140 , the first rotating member 110 , and the second rotating member 120 . It may be configured to include a driving unit 150 , a storage unit 160 , a control unit 170 , an input unit 180 , an output unit 185 , and a power supply unit 190 .

The sensing unit 130 may detect various pieces of information required for the operation of the robot cleaner 100 , and transmit a detection signal to the control unit 170 . Here, the sensing unit 130 may include an external shock sensing unit that detects an external shock applied to the bumper 20 and transmits a detection signal to the control unit 170 . Such an external impact sensor may be implemented as a contact sensor, an optical sensor, or the like.

The communication unit 140 may include one or more modules that enable wireless communication between the robot cleaner 100 and another wireless terminal or between the robot cleaner 100 and a network in which the other wireless terminal is located. For example, the communication unit 140 may communicate with a wireless terminal as a remote control device, and may include a short-range communication module or a wireless Internet module for this purpose.

The robot cleaner 100 may have an operation state or an operation method controlled by a control signal received by the communication unit 140 as described above. The terminal for controlling the robot cleaner 100 may include, for example, a smartphone, a tablet, a personal computer, a remote controller (remote control device), etc. capable of communicating with the robot cleaner 100 .

The driving unit 150 may supply power to rotate the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 under the control of the control unit 170 . Here, the driving unit 150 may include the first driving unit 151 and the second driving unit 152 , and may be implemented including a motor and/or a gear assembly.

Meanwhile, the storage unit 160 may store a program for the operation of the control unit 170 and may temporarily store input/output data. Storage unit 160 is a flash memory type (flash memory type), hard disk type (hard disk type), multimedia card micro type (multimedia card micro type), card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory, etc.), Random Access Memory (RAM), Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), Programmable Read-Only Memory (PROM), Magnetic Memory, It may include at least one type of storage medium among a magnetic disk and an optical disk.

The input unit 180 may receive a user input for operating the robot cleaner 100 . In particular, the input unit 180 may receive a user input for selecting an operation mode of the robot cleaner 100 .

Here, the input unit 180 may include a keypad, a dome switch, a touch pad (static pressure/capacitance), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

The output unit 185 is for generating outputs related to sight and hearing, and although not shown in the drawings, a display unit, a sound output module, an alarm unit, and the like may be included.

The display unit displays (outputs) information processed by the robot cleaner 100 . For example, when the robot cleaner is cleaning, a user interface (UI) or a graphic user interface (GUI) that displays a cleaning time, a cleaning method, a cleaning area, etc. related to a cleaning mode may be displayed.

The power supply unit 190 supplies power to the robot cleaner 100 . Specifically, the power supply unit 190 supplies power to each functional unit constituting the robot cleaner 100 , and when the remaining power is insufficient, the power supply unit 190 may be charged by receiving a charging current. Here, the power supply 190 may be implemented as a rechargeable battery.

The controller 170 generally controls the overall operation of the robot cleaner 100 . Specifically, the control unit 170 may control the driving unit 150 to rotate at least one of the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 to drive the robot cleaner 100 in a specific moving direction. .

For example, if the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 rotate in the same direction and at the same speed, the robot cleaner 100 may perform a rotational motion in place. The robot cleaner 100 may rotate in place according to the rotation speed of the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 .

More specifically, when the first rotation member 110 and the second rotation member 120 rotate in the same direction and at the same speed, each relatively opposite to the center of the body 10 of the robot cleaner 100 The direction of movement of the one end and the other end positioned with respect to the surface to be cleaned is opposite to each other. That is, by the rotation of the first rotating member 110, one end located on the opposite side of the first rotating member 110 of the robot cleaner 100 with respect to the surface to be cleaned moves in the direction in which the second rotating member 120 rotates. Accordingly, the direction in which the other end of the robot cleaner 100 opposite to the second rotating member 120 moves with respect to the surface to be cleaned is opposite to each other.

Accordingly, the resultant force of the frictional force acting on the robot cleaner 100 may act as a rotational force with respect to the robot cleaner 100 while being opposite to each other.

As another example, the controller 170 may control the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 to rotate in different directions and at the same speed. In this case, the direction in which one end moves with respect to the surface to be cleaned by the frictional force of the first rotating member 110 with respect to the body 10 of the robot cleaner 100 is the surface to be cleaned by the frictional force of the second rotating member 110 . It may be the same as the direction in which the other end moves with respect to . Accordingly, the robot cleaner 100 may perform straight travel in a specific direction. This will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 6 to 7 .

6 to 7 are views for explaining a running operation of the robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a view showing a rotation control table for implementing the straight travel of the robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. The controller 170 may control the rotation of each of the rotation members 110 and 120 by controlling the driving unit 150 based on the rotation control table value stored in the storage 160 . The rotation control table may include at least one of a direction value, a speed value, and a time value allocated to each of the rotation members 110 and 120 for each movement mode. 6 , the rotation direction of the first rotation member 110 and the rotation direction of the second rotation member 120 may be different from each other. In addition, the rotation speed and time of each of the rotation members 110 and 120 may have the same value.

The rotation direction of the rotating member according to an embodiment of the present invention may be described based on the direction in which the robot cleaner 100 is viewed from the top. For example, the first direction may mean a direction in which the robot cleaner 100 is rotated counterclockwise in a state in which the moving direction 300 is viewed from the top at 12 o'clock. In addition, the second direction is different from the first direction, and may mean a direction in which the traveling direction 300 is rotated in a clockwise direction at 12 o'clock.

In this case, the robot cleaner 100 may perform a straight travel as shown in FIG. 7 . Referring to FIG. 7 , the robot cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention rotates the first rotating member 110 in a first direction, and rotates the second rotating member 120 in a second direction different from the first direction. By rotating in the two directions, a relative movement force according to the frictional force is generated, and straight travel in the travel direction can be performed.

On the other hand, the inclination direction of the rotation shafts 310 and 320 in FIGS. 1 to 7 described above is only an example, and may be implemented by being inclined in another direction depending on the embodiment. As an example, the first and second rotational shafts 310 and 320 of each of the first and second rotational members 110 and 120 are shown in FIG. 3 with respect to the central axis 300 corresponding to the vertical axis of the robot cleaner 100 . In contrast to the case of to 4, it may be inclined at an angle. In this case, the first and second rotation members 110 and 120 may be upwardly inclined outward with respect to the central axis 300 . That is, among the regions of the first and second rotating members 110 and 120 , a region located closer to the central axis 300 may strongly adhere to the surface to be cleaned than a region located far from the central axis 300 . In this case, when the pair of rotating members 110 and 120 rotate, the relative frictional force generated between the surface to be cleaned and the outside may be greater at the center of the main body 10 than at the outside.

Accordingly, contrary to the case of FIGS. 1 to 7 , the movement speed and direction of the robot cleaner 100 can be controlled by controlling the rotation of the pair of rotating members 110 and 120 , respectively. Specifically, the robot cleaner 100 rotates the first rotating member 110 in a second direction and rotates the second rotating member 120 in a first direction different from the second direction, thereby relative movement according to frictional force. It can generate a force and perform a straight run in the moving direction.

Meanwhile, the robot cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may have a plurality of cleaning driving patterns. Here, the cleaning driving pattern means a shape of a trajectory drawn by the robot cleaner 100 while driving for wet cleaning, and for example, a pattern in which the robot cleaner 100 travels while drawing an S shape, and the robot cleaner 100 moves forward. and a pattern of sequentially repeating and driving backwards.

In this case, the control unit 170 determines one cleaning travel pattern from among a plurality of cleaning travel patterns of the robot cleaner 100 , and the first drive unit 151 and the second drive unit 152 to perform cleaning travel according to the determined pattern. Rotation of at least one of them may be controlled.

For example, when a user input for selecting a cleaning travel pattern of the robot cleaner 100 is received through the input unit 180, the controller 170 sets the cleaning travel pattern corresponding to the user input among a plurality of cleaning travel patterns to the robot cleaner ( 100) can be determined by the cleaning driving pattern.

As another example, the control unit 170 determines whether an obstacle is located in the driving direction of the robot cleaner 100 during the cleaning driving, and when it is determined that there is no obstacle, one cleaning driving pattern among a plurality of cleaning driving patterns of the robot cleaner 100 can be decided This will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 8 .

Referring to FIG. 8 , first, the robot cleaner 100 includes at least one of a first rotational member 110 and a second rotational member 120 that rotate about a first rotational shaft 310 and a second rotational shaft 320 , respectively. By rotating one, it can travel in a specific driving direction (S101).

Then, the robot cleaner 100 may determine whether an obstacle is located in the driving direction ( S102 ). For example, the detection unit 130 of the robot cleaner 100 may include a plurality of obstacle detection sensors, and the control unit 170 may determine whether an obstacle is located in the driving direction based on the detection signal of the obstacle detection sensor. there is. Here, the obstacle detection sensor may include an obstacle detection sensor or a camera sensor that transmits an infrared or ultrasonic signal to the outside and receives a signal reflected from the obstacle.

As another example, the control unit 170 controls the driving unit 150 so that the robot cleaner 100 travels straight for a preset distance or time, and an external shock is detected from the sensor 130 while the robot cleaner 100 travels straight. It can be determined whether or not If the bumper 20 and the obstacle do not collide and the sensor 130 does not detect an external impact, the controller 170 may determine that the obstacle is not located in the traveling direction of the robot cleaner 100 . In this case, the robot cleaner 100 can reduce the manufacturing cost by minimizing the sensor configuration for detecting obstacles while driving.

If it is determined that the obstacle is not located (S102:N), the robot cleaner 100 determines one of a plurality of cleaning driving patterns of the robot cleaner 100 (S103), and performs cleaning driving according to the determined pattern (S103). It can be (S104). In this case, the controller 170 may control at least one of a rotation direction and a rotation speed of at least one of the first rotation member 110 and the second rotation member 120 to perform a cleaning operation in a determined pattern.

However, when it is determined that an obstacle is located (S102: Y), the robot cleaner 100 may switch to a direction avoiding the obstacle (S105), and may travel in the switched direction and determine whether the obstacle is located (S102) . In this case, the control unit 170 controls the rotation of at least one of the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 to avoid obstacles located in the traveling direction of the robot cleaner 100 and to perform straight travel. can be controlled to do so.

Here, there may be several methods of rotation control in which the controller 170 switches to a direction to avoid obstacles. For example, the control unit 170 controls the rotation direction and rotation speed of the first rotation member 110 and the second rotation member 120 to be the same to rotate in place for a predetermined time in a direction away from the direction in which the obstacle is detected. can be controlled to do so.

In addition, when the control unit 170 is relatively close to a specific rotation member in the direction in which the obstacle is detected, for example, the first rotation member 110 , the second rotation member 110 stops the rotation of the first rotation member 110 . The rotation direction of the rotating member 110 may be controlled to rotate in a direction opposite to the current direction for a predetermined time to rotate in a direction away from the obstacle.

In addition, when the obstacle is detected in front of both the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 , the control unit 170 rotates the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 . You can also reverse the direction of travel by rotating both directions in the opposite direction different from the current one.

Also, the controller 170 may select a specific direction other than the direction in which the obstacle is detected and reset the direction to the moving direction. In this case, the specific direction may be a random direction excluding the direction in which the obstacle is detected, or a direction determined according to the predetermined movement path according to the result of the direction change.

On the other hand, when a cleaning travel pattern (hereinafter, referred to as a first cleaning travel pattern and a second cleaning travel pattern) according to an embodiment of the present invention is determined among the plurality of cleaning travel patterns of the robot cleaner 100, the control unit ( 170 may control the driving unit 150 to perform pattern driving in which the pattern driving start region and the pattern driving return region of the robot cleaner 100 coincide with each other.

For example, when a first cleaning driving pattern is determined among a plurality of cleaning driving patterns of the robot cleaner, the controller 170 may perform a first driving step in which the robot cleaner travels forward, a second driving step in which the robot cleaner rotates around a specific area, At least one of the rotational speed and the rotational direction of the rotating members 110 and 120 may be controlled to repeat the third driving step of driving while changing the driving direction in one cycle. The robot cleaner 100 may return to the pattern driving starting area by repeating the operation of the one cycle at least twice or more. This will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11 .

As another example, when the second cleaning travel pattern among the plurality of cleaning travel patterns of the robot cleaner 100 is determined, the control unit 170 controls the robot cleaner 100 to rotate the robot cleaner 100 from the first reference area to the second area. A first driving step, a second driving step of starting from the second area and rotating around the second reference area to return to the second area, and a third driving step of rotatingly driving around the first reference area and returning to the first area At least one of a rotation speed and a rotation direction of the rotation members 110 and 120 may be controlled to perform the steps. This will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 12 to 14 .

Hereinafter, the first and second cleaning driving patterns according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 9 to 14 . In FIGS. 9 to 14 , the rotation member marked with gray shades may be the first rotation member 110 , and the rotation member not marked with gray shades may be the second rotation member 120 .

9 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a robot cleaner for driving while drawing a first cleaning driving pattern according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a view showing a first cleaning driving pattern according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 9 to 10 , when it is determined that an obstacle in the driving direction is not located, the robot cleaner 100 may start a first cleaning mode in which it travels while drawing a first cleaning driving pattern ( S201 ).

When the first cleaning mode is started, the robot cleaner 100 may determine the driving direction 920 when the pattern driving starts ( S202 ). When the driving direction at the time of departure is determined, the controller 170 may store information on the driving direction at the time of departure in the storage unit 160 . The information on the driving direction may be used during cleaning driving on another surface to be cleaned after returning to the starting area 910 .

Thereafter, the robot cleaner 100 may perform a first driving step of forward driving in the determined driving direction ( S203 ). In this case, the control unit 170 controls the first and second driving units 151 and 152 so that the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 rotate in opposite directions at the same speed in the first driving step. can be performed. For example, as shown in FIG. 10 , in the controller 170 , the first rotating member 110 rotates in a counterclockwise direction, and the second rotating member 120 rotates in a clockwise direction at the same speed as that of the first rotating member 110 . The first driving step may be performed by controlling the first and second driving units 151 and 152 to rotate.

Thereafter, the robot cleaner 100 may perform a second driving step of rotationally driving around a specific area ( S204 ). In this case, the control unit 170 controls the first and second driving units 151 and 152 so that the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 rotate in opposite directions at different speeds to drive the second driving unit. steps can be performed. For example, as shown in FIG. 10 , in the controller 170 , the first rotating member 110 rotates in a counterclockwise direction, and the second rotating member 120 rotates at a speed slower than that of the first rotating member 110 in a clockwise direction. The second driving step may be performed by controlling the first and second driving units 151 and 152 to rotate.

Thereafter, the robot cleaner 100 may perform a third driving step of driving while changing the driving direction ( S205 ). In this case, the controller 170 may perform the third driving step by controlling at least one of the rotation speed and the rotation direction of the first rotation member 110 and the second rotation member 120 according to the direction to be switched. For example, as shown in FIG. 10 , in the controller 170 , the first rotating member 110 rotates in a counterclockwise direction, and the second rotating member 120 rotates at a speed slower than that of the first rotating member 110 in a clockwise direction. The third driving step may be performed by controlling the first and second driving units 151 and 152 to rotate.

Thereafter, the robot cleaner 100 repeats the operation of one cycle including the above-described first, second, and third driving steps S203, S204, and S205 at least twice or more, thereby forming the pattern driving starting area 910 ) can be returned to (S206). For example, as shown in FIG. 10 , the operation of one cycle including the above-described first, second, and third driving steps S203 , S204 , and S205 may be repeated four times to return to the pattern driving starting area 910 . .

Meanwhile, the angle between the driving path lines when the driving direction is changed in the third driving step may vary depending on whether the robot cleaner 100 is set to return to the pattern driving starting area by repeating how many cycles. For example, as shown in FIG. 10 , when the robot cleaner 100 is set to repeat the operation of one cycle including the above-described first, second, and third driving steps S203, S204, and S205 four times, the control unit ( 170) selects at least one of the rotation speed and rotation direction of the first rotation member 110 and the second rotation member 120 so that the sum of the angles a, b, c, d between the travel path lines is approximately 360 degrees. can be controlled As another example, when the robot cleaner 100 is set to repeat the operation of one cycle including the first, second, and third driving steps S203, S204, and S205 described above five times, the controller 170 controls the driving path At least one of a rotation speed and a rotation direction of the first rotation member 110 and the second rotation member 120 may be controlled so that the sum of the angles between the lines is approximately 540 degrees.

According to the first cleaning travel pattern of an embodiment of the present invention, the robot cleaner 100 may run while intensively cleaning the surface to be cleaned of a predetermined area.

11 is a diagram illustrating a method of enlarging a cleaning area using a first cleaning driving pattern according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 11 , the robot cleaner 100 sequentially repeats the above-described first, second, and third driving steps ( S203 , S204 , and S205 ) to return to the pattern driving starting area and the first surface to be cleaned 1110 . can complete the cleaning of

Thereafter, the control unit 170 sets the driving direction to be different from the previous direction when starting in the pattern driving starting area, and sequentially repeats the above-described first, second, and third driving steps ( S203 , S204 , S205 ). The driving unit 150 may be controlled to do so. In this case, the controller 170 may read information on the driving direction at the time of the previous departure from the storage unit 160 to determine the driving direction at the time of the current departure of the robot cleaner 100 . Accordingly, the robot cleaner 100 may perform intensive cleaning on the surfaces to be cleaned 1120 , 1130 , and 1140 other than the first surface to be cleaned 1110 .

According to the first cleaning driving pattern of the embodiment of the present invention, the robot cleaner 100 may intensively clean the surface to be cleaned of a predetermined area and then sequentially expand the intensive cleaning area.

12 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the robot cleaner for driving while drawing a second cleaning driving pattern according to an embodiment of the present invention. 13 is a view showing a second cleaning driving pattern according to an embodiment of the present invention. 12 to 13 , when it is determined that the driving direction obstacle is not located, the robot cleaner 100 may start a second cleaning mode in which the robot cleaner 100 travels while drawing a second cleaning driving pattern (S301).

When the second cleaning mode is started, the robot cleaner 100 may perform a first driving step of rotationally traveling from the pattern driving starting region 1210 to the passing region 1220 around the first reference region 1230. (S302). In this case, the control unit 170 controls the first and second driving units 151 and 152 so that the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 rotate in opposite directions at different speeds to perform the first driving step. can be performed. For example, as shown in FIG. 13 , in the controller 170 , the first rotating member 110 rotates in a counterclockwise direction, and the second rotating member 120 rotates at a slower speed than the first rotating member 110 in a clockwise direction. The first driving step may be performed by controlling the first and second driving units 151 and 152 to rotate for a predetermined time at a faster speed than the first rotating member 110 in a clockwise direction after rotation for a predetermined time.

Thereafter, the robot cleaner 100 may perform a second driving step of starting from the gas oil area 1220 and rotating around the second reference area 1240 to return to the gas oil area 1220 ( S303 ). . In this case, the control unit 170 controls the first and second driving units 151 and 152 so that the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 rotate in opposite directions at different speeds to drive the second driving unit. steps can be performed. For example, as shown in FIG. 13 , in the controller 170 , the first rotating member 110 rotates in a counterclockwise direction, and the second rotating member 120 rotates at a speed slower than that of the first rotating member 110 in a clockwise direction. The second driving step may be performed by controlling the first and second driving units 151 and 152 to rotate.

Thereafter, the robot cleaner 100 may perform a third driving step of rotationally traveling from the pass-through region 1220 to the pattern driving starting region 1210 around the first reference region 1230 ( S304 ). In this case, the control unit 170 controls the first and second driving units 151 and 152 so that the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 rotate in opposite directions at different speeds to perform the first driving step. can be performed. Here, the path line of the third driving stage may be an ellipse opposite to the ellipse drawn by the path line of the first driving stage. For example, as shown in FIG. 13 , in the controller 170 , the first rotating member 110 rotates in a counterclockwise direction, and the second rotating member 120 rotates at a slower speed than the first rotating member 110 in a clockwise direction. The third driving step may be performed by controlling the first and second driving units 151 and 152 to rotate for a predetermined time at a faster speed than the first rotating member 110 in a clockwise direction after rotation for a predetermined time.

According to the second cleaning travel pattern of this embodiment of the present invention, the robot cleaner 100 can travel while drawing a figure 8 trajectory and intensively cleaning the surface to be cleaned of a predetermined area.

14 is a diagram illustrating a method of enlarging a cleaning area using a second cleaning driving pattern according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 14 , the robot cleaner 100 returns to the pattern driving starting area 1210 by performing the first, second, and third driving steps S302 , S303 , and S304 described above, and returns to the first surface to be cleaned 1410 . ) can be cleaned.

Thereafter, the control unit 170 controls the driving unit 150 to repeat the above-described figure 8 pattern driving in a state where a region spaced apart from the pattern driving starting region by a predetermined distance is set as the starting region, so that the robot cleaner 100 is the first It is possible to control the cleaning to be performed on other surfaces to be cleaned (1420, 1430) other than the surface to be cleaned (1410).

More specifically, the control unit 170 controls the rotation of the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member so that the driving distance in the third driving stage is greater than or smaller than the driving distance in the first driving stage, The robot cleaner 100 may be controlled to return to an area spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the previous pattern travel starting area. In this case, the control unit 170 controls the driving unit 150 to repeat the above-described figure 8 pattern driving in a state in which the return area is set as the starting area, so that the robot cleaner 100 operates on other objects other than the first surface to be cleaned 1410 . It is possible to control the cleaning surfaces 1420 and 1430 to be cleaned.

According to this second cleaning driving pattern of an embodiment of the present invention, the robot cleaner 100 can draw a figure 8 trajectory and intensively clean the surface to be cleaned of a predetermined area, and then sequentially expand the intensive cleaning area. .

On the other hand, the robot cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention has a structure in which the front and the back are symmetrical, and according to the reference direction setting, forward driving may be reverse driving, or reverse driving may be forward driving. there is. In addition, the robot cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention has a structure in which the left side and the right side are symmetrical, and according to the reference direction setting, left-turning driving may be right-turning driving, or conversely, right-turning driving may be left rotating driving. may be Accordingly, the directions in the above-described examples are merely examples, and may be interpreted as a symmetrical direction depending on implementation.

Also, the controller 170 may control the robot cleaner 100 to determine the cleaning environment of the surface being cleaned, and determine an appropriate cleaning driving pattern according to the determination result. For example, in a cleaning environment in which the degree of slip of the surface to be cleaned is large, the controller 170 may set the priority of the first cleaning driving pattern to be higher than that of the second cleaning driving pattern. That is, since the second cleaning travel pattern requires more rotational travel than the first cleaning travel pattern, it may be difficult to travel according to the second cleaning travel pattern on a surface to be cleaned having high slip property. Accordingly, the control unit 170 may determine the degree of slip of the surface to be cleaned, and may select one of the first cleaning travel pattern and the second cleaning travel pattern according to the determination result to perform the cleaning operation.

Meanwhile, the above-described control method according to various embodiments of the present invention may be implemented as a program code and stored in various non-transitory computer readable media, and may be provided to each server or device.

The non-transitory readable medium refers to a medium that stores data semi-permanently, rather than a medium that stores data for a short moment, such as a register, cache, memory, and the like, and can be read by a device. Specifically, the various applications or programs described above may be provided by being stored in a non-transitory readable medium such as a CD, DVD, hard disk, Blu-ray disk, USB, memory card, ROM, and the like.

In addition, although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and the technical field to which the present invention belongs without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the claims In addition, various modifications are possible by those of ordinary skill in the art, and these modifications should not be individually understood from the technical spirit or perspective of the present invention.

100: robot cleaner 10: body
20: bumper 110: first rotation member
120: second rotation member 130: sensing unit
140: communication unit 150: driving unit
160: storage unit 170: control unit
180: input unit 185: output unit
190: power supply

Claims (15)

In the robot vacuum cleaner,
main body;
a driving unit provided on the main body to supply power for driving of the robot cleaner;
The first and second rotational members each rotate about the first and second rotational axes by the power of the driving unit to provide a moving force source for driving the robot cleaner, and first and second rotational members to which the cleaner for wet cleaning can be fixed, respectively. A plurality of rotating members including; and
A control unit for controlling the driving unit to perform cleaning on the first surface to be cleaned by performing pattern driving;
The control unit is
When a first cleaning driving pattern among the plurality of cleaning driving patterns of the robot cleaner is determined, a first driving step in which the robot cleaner starts from a first area and travels forward, a second driving step in which the robot cleaner rotates around a specific area; Controlling at least one of the rotational speed and the rotational direction of the rotating member to repeatedly perform the third driving step of driving while changing the driving direction in one cycle,
The control unit is
The first rotating member rotates, and the second rotating member performs the first traveling step by controlling the driving unit to rotate in the opposite direction at the same speed as the first rotating member,
One of the first rotating member and the second rotating member does not rotate or rotates at a low speed, and the other rotates at a faster speed in the opposite direction by controlling the driving unit to perform the second driving step do,
The third driving step is performed by controlling the driving unit to change at least one of a rotation speed and a rotation direction of the first rotation member and the second rotation member according to the direction to be switched. According to claim 1,
The control unit is
The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the robot cleaner returns to the first area by repeating the operation of the one cycle at least twice or more. delete 3. The method of claim 2,
The control unit is
When the cleaning of the first surface to be cleaned is completed according to the return to the first region, the driving unit is controlled to repeat the pattern driving in a state in which the driving direction is set to be different from the previous direction when starting from the first region. A robot cleaner, characterized in that it controls to perform cleaning on another surface to be cleaned. In the robot vacuum cleaner,
main body;
a driving unit provided on the main body to supply power for driving of the robot cleaner;
The first and second rotational members each rotate about the first and second rotational axes by the power of the driving unit to provide a moving force source for driving the robot cleaner, and first and second rotational members to which the cleaner for wet cleaning can be fixed, respectively. A plurality of rotating members including; and
A control unit for controlling the driving unit to clean the first surface to be cleaned by performing pattern driving such that the first area becomes a starting area and a return area, and
The control unit is
When a second cleaning driving pattern is determined among the plurality of cleaning driving patterns of the robot cleaner, a first driving step in which the robot cleaner rotates around a first reference region to a second region; 2 of the rotating member to perform a second driving step of rotatingly driving around the reference region to return to the second region, and a third driving step of rotatingly driving around the first reference region to return to the first region. Characterized in controlling at least one of a rotation speed and a rotation direction,
The control unit is
The first, second, and third driving steps are performed by controlling the driving unit to adjust the difference in rotational speed between the two rotating members in a state in which the rotational directions of the first rotating member and the second rotating member are opposite to each other A robot vacuum cleaner, characterized in that. delete 6. The method of claim 5,
The control unit is
When the cleaning of the first surface to be cleaned is completed according to the return to the first area, the driving unit is controlled to repeat the pattern driving in a state where an area spaced apart from the first area by a predetermined distance is set as the starting area. A robot cleaner, characterized in that it controls to perform cleaning on the surface to be cleaned. A control method of a robot cleaner that rotates at least one of a plurality of rotating members including first and second rotating members respectively rotating about a first rotating shaft and a second rotating shaft by the power of the driving unit to travel in a specific moving direction In
determining a first cleaning travel pattern from among a plurality of cleaning travel patterns of the robot cleaner; and
Controlling rotation of at least one of the first and second rotating members to perform pattern driving to perform cleaning on the first surface to be cleaned according to the determination of the first cleaning driving pattern;
The controlling includes a first driving step in which the robot cleaner starts from a first area and travels forward, a second traveling step in which the robot cleaner rotates around a specific area, and a third traveling step in which the robot cleaner travels while switching the traveling direction. Characterized in controlling at least one of the rotational speed and the rotational direction of the rotating member to be repeatedly performed periodically,
The controlling step is
The first rotating member rotates, and the second rotating member performs the first traveling step by controlling the driving unit to rotate in the opposite direction at the same speed as the first rotating member,
One of the first rotating member and the second rotating member does not rotate or rotates at a low speed, and the other rotates at a faster speed in the opposite direction by controlling the driving unit to perform the second driving step do,
The third driving step is performed by controlling the driving unit to change at least one of a rotation speed and a rotation direction of the first rotation member and the second rotation member according to the direction to be switched. delete 9. The method of claim 8,
The control method, characterized in that the robot cleaner returns to the first area by repeating the operation of the one cycle at least twice or more. delete 11. The method of claim 10,
When the cleaning of the first surface to be cleaned is completed according to the return to the first region, the driving unit is controlled to repeat the pattern driving in a state in which the driving direction is set to be different from the previous direction when starting from the first region. and controlling the cleaning to be performed on another surface to be cleaned. A control method of a robot cleaner that rotates at least one of a plurality of rotating members including first and second rotating members respectively rotating about a first rotating shaft and a second rotating shaft by the power of the driving unit to travel in a specific moving direction In
determining a second cleaning travel pattern from among a plurality of cleaning travel patterns of the robot cleaner; and
According to the determination of the second cleaning travel pattern, pattern travel is performed so that the first area becomes a starting area and a return area, and at least one of the first and second rotation members rotates to clean the first surface to be cleaned. Including;
The controlling step is
A first driving step in which the robot cleaner rotates around a first reference region to a second region, and a second driving in which the robot cleaner starts from the second region and rotates around a second reference region to return to the second region step, characterized in that at least one of the rotational speed and the rotational direction of the rotating member is controlled to perform a third driving step of rotatingly driving around the first reference region and returning to the first region,
In the controlling, the first, second, and second rotating members are controlled by controlling the driving unit to adjust a difference in rotational speed of both rotating members in a state in which the rotational directions of the first rotating member and the second rotating member are opposite to each other. 3 A control method, characterized in that the driving step is performed. delete 14. The method of claim 13,
When the cleaning of the first surface to be cleaned is completed according to the return to the first area, the driving unit is controlled to repeat the pattern driving in a state where an area spaced apart from the first area by a predetermined distance is set as the starting area. Control method comprising the; controlling to perform cleaning on the surface to be cleaned;

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