KR20130030909A - Robot cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a robot cleaner for providing information related to reservation cleaning to a user using a social network service (SNS).
The present invention includes a main body forming an appearance, a traveling part provided on one side of the main body to move the main body, a sensing part provided on one side of the main body to generate movement and restriction information of the traveling part, and provided on one side of the main body. A cleaning driving unit for collecting dust collected while inhaling foreign substances together with air, an operation unit provided at the main body to enable reservation cleaning input, and a side of the main body to move data through a wireless network The control unit includes a communication unit and a micro control unit for controlling each of the components, the micro control unit, and a cleaning function control unit to perform a cleaning operation is completed during the cleaning reservation time input by the user, and input by the user Whether the scheduled cleaning time is started or terminated g Service: Communication control unit for informing the user's terminal using the SNS) is included. According to this, there is an advantage that the user can easily check whether or not the scheduled cleaning is performed in the absence of the user can be improved product satisfaction.

Description

Robot cleaner {

The present invention relates to a robot cleaner.

In general, the robot cleaner sucks and removes foreign substances on the bottom surface while moving by the driving force of the motor, and performs a cleaning operation while moving the cleaning area according to a predetermined driving algorithm.

To this end, the robot cleaner generates a suction force by rotating the motor, and a cleaning function unit for collecting foreign substances contained in the air, a driving unit for autonomous driving, a sensing unit for detecting obstacles and cliffs while driving, and the respective functional units. It is configured to include a control unit for controlling.

Then, the control unit of the robot cleaner using the above configuration is configured to perform a cleaning operation according to a predetermined algorithm, and to return to the charging device to charge the spent battery after the cleaning operation.

In addition, the robot cleaner includes a cleaning reservation function so that cleaning can be performed at a scheduled time even when the user is absent.

However, in the robot cleaner of the related art, when the cleaning operation is performed using the cleaning reservation function, the user cannot check whether the robot cleaner is cleaned because the user completes the cleaning operation in the absence state and returns to the charging device. There is a problem.

Therefore, the user may doubt whether the robot cleaner being charged is being charged after actually performing the cleaning operation or being charged without performing the cleaning operation, thereby lowering the reliability of the cleaning performance of the robot cleaner.

On the other hand, in order to solve the above problems in the prior art has been disclosed a technique for controlling the cleaner and monitoring the cleaning function using the Internet from a remote location.

As an example, Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2008-0050954 discloses a technique for remotely controlling a cleaning apparatus and a method of operating the same, and FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a cleaning apparatus according to the prior art.

Referring to the drawings, the cleaner 10 according to the related art is connected to the Internet through the data processor 11 and configured to receive data.

In addition, the image capturing apparatus 12 such as a camera may capture image data and transmit the image data to the terminal, and inspect the reservation cleaning time or perform the cleaning operation using the driving means 15 and the cleaning means 14. Can be.

Meanwhile, in the cleaner 10 according to the related art, a display device for displaying a control signal processor 21 and image data for transmitting reservation information or a control command to the cleaner 10 using the terminal 20 to the user ( 22).

Therefore, the cleaner 10 according to the related art configured as described above may drive a cleaning function or monitor a cleaning state by using a computer connected to the Internet, and transmit cleaning reservation information to the cleaner 10.

However, in the prior art as described above, since a connection is made using a computer in an area where the Internet can be used, there is a limitation in use, and it is difficult to use when a user cannot use the computer.

An object of the present invention is to provide a robot cleaner that can deliver the start and end of cleaning information to the user through the SNS when performing the scheduled cleaning.

The present invention includes a main body forming an appearance, a traveling part provided on one side of the main body to move the main body, a sensing part provided on one side of the main body to generate movement and restriction information of the traveling part, and provided on one side of the main body. A cleaning driving unit for collecting dust collected while inhaling foreign substances together with air, an operation unit provided at the main body to enable reservation cleaning input, and a side of the main body to move data through a wireless network The control unit includes a communication unit and a micro control unit for controlling each of the components, the micro control unit, and a cleaning function control unit to perform a cleaning operation is completed during the cleaning reservation time input by the user, and input by the user Whether the scheduled cleaning time is started or terminated g Service: characterized in that the communication control unit for informing the user of the terminal using the SNS.

According to the present invention, since the reservation cleaning information performed in the absence of the user is provided to the user through the social networking service (SNS), there is an advantage that the reliability of the cleaning of the robot cleaner can be improved.

In addition, the reservation cleaning performance information of the robot cleaner according to the present invention as described above is provided directly to the user's terminal through the social networking service (SNS), there is an advantage that the user does not need to directly access the Internet.

In addition, since the initial setting does not require a separate setting input or use operation for receiving reservation cleaning information, there is an advantage in that it is easy to use.

1 is a flow chart showing a method of operating a cleaning apparatus according to the prior art.
2 is a view showing an embodiment of a robot cleaner according to the present invention.
3 is a view showing a control configuration of the robot cleaner according to the present invention.
Figure 4 is a view of the functional part of the microcontrol unit that is the main configuration of the robot cleaner according to the present invention.
5 is a view showing the robot cleaner and the user's terminal connected to a social networking service according to the present invention.
6 is a view for showing a reservation cleaning notification process of the robot cleaner according to the present invention.
7 is a view showing an embodiment of the reservation cleaning notification message provided to the user terminal by the robot cleaner according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the spirit of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments presented, and those skilled in the art who understand the spirit of the present invention can easily suggest other embodiments within the scope of the same idea.

2 is a view showing an embodiment of a robot cleaner according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a view showing a control configuration of the robot cleaner according to the present invention.

Referring to these drawings, the robot cleaner 1 according to the present invention is configured such that the main body 100, which is formed in a substantially disk shape, can suck foreign substances together with air while being moved by the rotational force of the motor.

To this end, the main body 100 is provided with a driving unit 500 for moving the main body 100 by using the rotational force of the motor and a cleaning driving unit 800 for generating suction force by the rotational force of the motor.

And, although not shown, the traveling wheel 500 is provided inside the main body 100 is connected to the driving motor for generating a rotational force and the rotating shaft of the driving motor connected to the rotating shaft while supporting the main body 100 to rotate It is configured to include. The driving wheel is rotated by the driving control unit (see FIG. 4 440) to be described below to control the rotational direction and the rotation force to enable the rotation and forward / backward of the main body 100.

In addition, the cleaning driving unit 800 is provided in the main body 100, the suction motor for generating a suction force, the suction flow path for transmitting the suction force generated in the suction motor and dust collected in connection with the suction flow path Dust bins are included to separate and store them.

The dust container is configured to be detachable from the inside of the main body 100 and can be selectively emptied by the user, and is shielded by the dust container cover 120 provided on the upper surface of the main body 100 so as not to be exposed to the outside.

On the other hand, the upper surface of the main body 100 is provided with an operation unit 160 to allow the user to perform a cleaning operation by setting the time and the end time of the cleaning in absence.

The operation unit 160 may include a display and an operation button for allowing a user to check the reservation setting contents. In the embodiment of the present invention, the operation unit 160 may include a touch display. And, one side of the operation unit 160 is further provided with a start button 140 to allow the operation of the robot cleaner 1 to be started.

Power supply for the operation of the robot cleaner 1 according to the present invention is provided through the power supply unit 900. The power supply unit 900 is configured in the form of a rechargeable battery connected to a charging device (not shown) to provide operating power to the driving unit 500, the cleaning driving unit 800, and the like.

In addition, the main body 100 is provided with a sensing unit 300 to check the position of the moving unit and the movement restriction information, as well as the position of the charging device for power supply, and to move to the identified position. do.

To this end, the detection unit 300 may include one or more detection sensors such as an ultrasonic sensor, a photo sensor, and an infrared sensor, and each sensor detects the position of an obstacle, a cliff, and a charging device, and the like. By transmitting the sensing information to the robot cleaner 1 is able to recognize the movement position and travel stably.

In addition, the robot cleaner 1 according to the present invention is provided with a status display unit 200 along the edge of the main body 100.

The state display unit 200 is composed of a plurality of LEDs 220 are arranged at a predetermined interval, it is possible to check the operating state of the robot cleaner 1 according to the present invention through the lighting state and the lighting pattern of the LED 220. Will be.

Meanwhile, the main body 100 transmits / receives a wireless signal and is connected to a network network so that data communication can be performed, and data transmitted through the communication unit 600, and a social network to be described below. A memory 700 that can store information related to a social networking service (SNS) is further provided.

That is, the communication unit 600 is configured to connect to the Internet network using a communication method such as CDMA, WCDMA, HSDPA, WIFI, Wibro, etc. The robot cleaner 1 according to the present invention uses the user to subscribe Access to Social Networking Service (SNS). The description thereof will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings below.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing the functional parts of the microcontrol unit that is the main component of the robot cleaner according to the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the microcontrol unit 400 according to the present invention is provided with a travel control unit 440, a cleaning function control unit 430 and a power management unit 450 to control the basic cleaning function, and the reservation cleaning operation and Managing the lighting control unit 470 and each of the functional units to enable the on / off control of the LED 220 using the communication control unit 460 and the status display unit 200 to provide the relevant performance information to the user It is configured to include a main controller 410 for.

In detail, the driving controller 440 loads and executes various driving modes according to a program embedded in the main controller 410, and reflects the sensing information of the sensing unit 300 according to the loaded driving mode. The driving unit 500 is controlled.

In addition, the driving control unit 440 controls the operation and termination of the driving unit 500 according to the reservation cleaning operation input by the user.

In addition, the cleaning function control unit 430 controls the rotation of the suction motor, and similarly to the traveling control unit 440 to control the operation of the suction motor according to the cleaning mode.

The lighting control unit 470 is configured to control the on / off of the LED 220 constituting the state display unit 200, the on / off of the robot cleaner 1, performing a cleaning operation, In response to various situations such as a failure or an error situation, the LED 220 is controlled on / off.

 In addition, when the user enters the cleaning reservation information by using the operation unit 160 and goes out, the communication control unit 460 uses a social network service (SNS) subscribed to by the user using the communication unit 600. ) To inform the user of the performance of reservation cleaning.

In detail, FIG. 5 is a view showing a robot cleaner and a terminal of a user connected to a social networking service according to the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a view for showing a reservation cleaning notification process of the robot cleaner according to the present invention. It is.

Referring to these drawings, the robot cleaner 1 according to the present invention is connected to a social networking service (SNS) through the communication unit 600. In addition, the memory 700 includes a cleaner ID (ID) and a password of a social networking service (SNS) to which the robot cleaner 1 according to the present invention is connected, as well as a user ID (ID) for notifying a reservation cleaning situation. Is built.

That is, the robot cleaner 1 according to the present invention sets up an account of the robot cleaner 1 in a social networking service (SNS) to which the user is wirelessly connected through the communication unit 600 and establishes a relationship with the user. By signing up, you will be informed of the reservation cleaning status.

As an example, when a user who owns the robot cleaner 1 according to the present invention has an account on Twitter, a Twitter account is created by the robot cleaner 1 according to the present invention.

That is, a user having the robot cleaner 1 according to the present invention will have his personal account on Twitter and an account of the robot cleaner 1 for providing performance information of reservation cleaning to his personal account. The robot cleaner 1 account may be created while the user accesses the management server of the robot cleaner 1 according to the present invention and inputs user information.

In detail, the user of the robot cleaner 1 according to the present invention accesses a management server for product registration of the robot cleaner 1 and inputs personal information.

Here, the input personal information includes the product number and the Twitter account of the robot cleaner (1), when the user enters the Twitter account, the management server to connect to Twitter (Twitter) to create a Twitter account of the cleaner, and create You will be prompted to follow your Twitter account.

On the other hand, when the user follows the Twitter of the robot cleaner 1 after the Twitter account of the robot cleaner 1 is created through the management server as described above, the robot cleaner 1 of the reservation cleaning operation When tweeting the start and end messages, the tweet message is delivered to the user terminal 2.

In addition, the memory 700 includes a social networking service (SNS) account of the robot cleaner 1 generated through the management server as described above, and a reservation cleaning operation of the social networking service (SNS) and the robot cleaner 1 of the user. Therefore, the contextual notification message to be delivered to the user is stored.

In detail, the situation-specific notification message stored in the memory 700 includes a start message delivered when the reservation cleaning operation is performed and an end message delivered at the end of the reservation cleaning operation.

The start message may include a start date and time of the reservation cleaning operation and a cleaning mode input by the user, and the end message may include information such as the end date and time of the reservation cleaning operation and the dust container usage.

On the other hand, when the setting of the reservation cleaning is input by the user in the micro-control unit 400, first, by logging into the social networking service (SNS) subscribed by the user through the communication unit 600 to maintain a standby state.

To this end, the microcontrol unit 400 is programmed to automatically log in to a social networking service (SNS) to which a user subscribes using a cleaner account built in the memory 700 when a reservation cleaning input is completed. The robot cleaner 1 waits while maintaining a login state to the social networking service (SNS) until the reservation cleaning start time set by the user is reached.

As described above, when the robot cleaner 1 reaches the set reservation cleaning start time while maintaining the login state, a start message is input to the social networking service (SNS) to notify the cleaning start through wireless network communication.

That is, when the reservation cleaning time is reached in the microcontrol unit 400, the start message is loaded from the memory 700 and the start message is placed on the social networking service (SNS) account of the robot cleaner 1.

On the other hand, when the start message is posted on the social networking service (SNS) account of the robot cleaner 1 as described above, the start message is delivered to the user terminal 2 by the social networking service (SNS), and the user starts such a start. By checking the message, you can confirm that the reservation cleaning has started.

For more detailed description, FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a reservation cleaning notification message provided to a user terminal by a robot cleaner according to the present invention.

 Referring to the drawings, when the robot cleaner 1 reaches the reservation cleaning time and uploads a start message to the social networking service SNS, the social networking service ID of the robot cleaner 1 is shown as shown. A start message is shown in the user terminal 2 together with.

And, even if the start message as described above is not listed in real time, since the uploaded time is listed separately, the start date and start time of the start message is confirmed by checking the reservation time of the robot cleaner 1 at the scheduled time. You can check whether cleaning has started.

On the other hand, in the robot cleaner 1 when the cleaning is performed after the cleaning is performed until the set time by the scheduled cleaning, the end message is posted to the social networking service (SNS).

In addition, the end message uploaded to the social networking service (SNS) is delivered to the user terminal 2 similarly to the start message, so that the user can confirm that the reservation cleaning of the robot cleaner 1 has ended.

In addition, similar to the start message, even if the user does not check in real time, the end message can be confirmed, since the uploaded time can be easily checked by the user.

100 ..... Main unit 200 ..... Status display
300 ..... Detection part 400 ..... Microcontrol unit
410 ..... Main control unit 440 ..... Travel control unit
460 ..... Communication control part 470 ..... Lighting control part
500 ..... Travel 600 ..... Communication
700 ..... Memory 800 ..... Cleaning
900 ..... Power

Claims (6)

The main body forming the appearance,
A traveling part provided at one side of the main body to move the main body;
A sensing unit provided at one side of the main body to generate movement and movement restriction information of the driving unit;
A cleaning driving unit provided at one side of the main body to collect dust collected while inhaling foreign substances together with air;
An operation unit provided in the main body to enable reservation cleaning input;
A communication unit provided at one side of the main body to enable data movement through a wireless network; And
Includes a micro-control unit for controlling each of the components,
The micro control unit,
A cleaning function control unit for performing a cleaning operation to be completed during the cleaning reservation time input by the user;
The robot cleaner includes a communication control unit for notifying the user of the start and end of the cleaning reservation time input by the user to the user terminal using a social networking service (SNS).
The method of claim 1, wherein the main body,
Information including the type of social network service (SNS) to which the user subscribes, the user ID of the subscribed social network service (SNS), and the cleaner ID generated by the same social network service (SNS) as the user. Robot cleaner provided with a memory for storing the.
The method of claim 2, wherein in the microcontrol unit,
The robot cleaner is connected to the social network service (SNS) to which the user subscribes and maintains a login state when the cleaning reservation task is input by the user.
The method of claim 2, wherein the memory,
When a scheduled cleaning operation is performed, a robot which stores a notification message for each situation including a start message of a scheduled cleaning operation and a termination message of a scheduled cleaning operation using a novel network service (SNS) subscribed to by the user vacuum cleaner.
The method of claim 4, wherein the start message,
Robot cleaner including the start date and time of cleaning.
The method of claim 4, wherein the end message,
Robot cleaner including the end date of the cleaning operation.

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