KR20150107394A - A robot cleaner and a method for operating it - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a robot cleaner comprises: a main body part wherein first and second rotary members for fixing a circular cleaner protrude toward a cleaning target surface to be joined; a driving part fixated inside the main body part to drive the first rotary member in a first or second direction and the second rotary member in the first or second direction; one or more sensors provided on the outer side of the main body part to sense obstacles around the robot cleaner; and a control part connected to the sensor to control the driving part in order to control the rotation of the first and second rotary members. The control part controls the rotation of the robot cleaner around a reference area by rotating the first rotary member in the first direction at a first speed and the second rotary member in the first direction at a second speed when the reference area is determined in response to the detection of the selection of a spiral mode. The control part maintains the rotation speed difference between the first and second rotary members at a constant rate and separately increases the rotation speed of the first and second rotary members.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a robot cleaner,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a robot cleaner and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a robot cleaner capable of performing mop cleaning while moving autonomously, and a control method thereof.

With the development of industrial technology, various devices are being automated. As is well known, the robot cleaner is a device for automatically cleaning the area to be cleaned by suctioning foreign objects such as dust from the surface to be cleaned while rubbing itself in the area to be cleaned without user's operation, or wiping off foreign matter on the surface to be cleaned .

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

The robot cleaner including such a vacuum cleaner has a limitation in that it can not remove foreign objects stuck on the surface to be cleaned, stains or the like, and recently, there has been a problem that the robot cleaner has a mop attached thereto, Cleaners are emerging.

However, the mop cleaning method using a general robot cleaner is merely a simple method of attaching a mop or the like to a lower portion of a conventional vacuum cleaning robot cleaner, so that the effect of removing foreign matter is low and efficient mop cleaning can not be performed.

Particularly, in the case of the general cleaning method of the mop of the robot cleaner, since the traveling method using the conventional suction type vacuum cleaner and the avoidance method for the obstacle are used as they are, the foreign matter adhering to the surface to be cleaned There is a problem that it can not be easily removed.

In addition, in the case of a wiping structure of a general robot cleaner, the frictional force with the ground is increased by the rag face, so that additional driving force is required to move the wheel, which increases battery consumption.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a robot cleaner having a pair of rotary members to which a mop can be attached so as to effectively remove foreign objects fixed on a surface to be cleaned, The present invention is also directed to a robot cleaner and a control method thereof, which perform rotation control to achieve effective cleaning of a mop in response to a traveling path and an obstacle detection, as well as improve battery efficiency by using the robot cleaner as a moving source.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a robot cleaner, including: sensing a spiral mode selection; Setting a reference area corresponding to the spiral mode selection; When the reference area is set, the first rotary member is controlled to rotate in the first direction at the first speed and the second rotary member is rotated at the second speed in the first direction, Controlling rotation to be centered; And accelerating the rotational speeds of the first rotating member and the second rotating member while maintaining the rotational speed difference between the first rotating member and the second rotating member at a predetermined ratio.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a robot cleaner including: a main body coupled to a first rotating member and a second rotating member, to which a circular cleaner can be fixed, to protrude toward a surface to be cleaned; A second rotating member fixed in the main body and driving the first rotating member in a first direction or a second direction and being fixed in the main body and adapted to drive the second rotating member in the first direction or the second direction; A driving unit; At least one sensor provided on an outer surface of the main body for sensing an obstacle around the robot cleaner; And a control unit connected to the sensor and controlling the rotation of the first rotary member and the second rotary member by controlling the driving unit, wherein when the spiral mode selection is detected, Wherein the control unit controls the first rotary member to rotate in the first direction at the first speed when the reference area is set and controls the second rotary member to rotate in the first direction at the second speed, Wherein the control unit controls the first and second rotary members to perform rotational movement about the reference area and controls the rotation speed of the first rotary member and the second rotary member while maintaining the rotational speed difference between the first rotary member and the second rotary member at a predetermined ratio, Respectively.

The control method of the robot cleaner may be embodied as a computer-readable recording medium on which a program for executing the robot cleaner is recorded.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the robot cleaner can move while effectively removing foreign matter and the like fixed on the surface to be cleaned by using the rotational force of a pair of rotatable members to which the rag can attach.

Further, it is possible not only to improve the battery efficiency by using the rotational force of the rotational member itself as a moving power source, but also to perform rotational control for achieving effective cleaning of the mop in response to the traveling path and the obstacle detection.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to improve the obstacle detection performance while minimizing the sensor configuration of the robot cleaner for moving the rotational force of the pair of rotary members as a movement source. Accordingly, it is possible not only to solve the problem that the robot cleaner can not move due to an obstacle when moving the robot cleaner, but also it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost by attaching the sensor.

In addition, according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a robot cleaner and a control method thereof that can efficiently perform mop cleaning in a pattern suitable for a feature item by supporting various traveling patterns.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an appearance of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a bottom view illustrating a first rotating member and a second rotating member of the robot cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a side view for explaining the position of a sensor of the robot cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a block diagram illustrating a system configuration for controlling a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 to 11 are views for explaining a spiral mode pattern according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The following merely illustrates the principles of the invention. Thus, those skilled in the art will be able to devise various apparatuses which, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the invention and are included in the concept and scope of the invention. Furthermore, all of the conditional terms and embodiments listed herein are, in principle, only intended for the purpose of enabling understanding of the concepts of the present invention, and are not to be construed as being limited to such specifically recited embodiments and conditions do.

It is also to be understood that the detailed description, as well as the principles, aspects and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific embodiments thereof, are intended to cover structural and functional equivalents thereof. It is also to be understood that such equivalents include all elements contemplated to perform the same function irrespective of the currently known equivalents as well as the equivalents to be developed in the future, i.e., the structure.

Thus, for example, it should be understood that the block diagrams herein represent conceptual views of exemplary circuits embodying the principles of the invention. Similarly, all flowcharts, state transition diagrams, pseudo code, and the like are representative of various processes that may be substantially represented on a computer-readable medium and executed by a computer or processor, whether or not the computer or processor is explicitly shown .

The functions of the various elements shown in the figures, including the functional blocks depicted in the processor or similar concept, may be provided by use of dedicated hardware as well as hardware capable of executing software in connection with appropriate software. When provided by a processor, the functions may be provided by a single dedicated processor, a single shared processor, or a plurality of individual processors, some of which may be shared.

Also, the explicit use of terms such as processor, control, or similar concepts should not be interpreted exclusively as hardware capable of running software, and may be used without limitation as a digital signal processor (DSP) (ROM), random access memory (RAM), and non-volatile memory. Other hardware may also be included.

In the claims hereof, the elements represented as means for performing the functions described in the detailed description include all types of software including, for example, a combination of circuit elements performing the function or firmware / microcode etc. , And is coupled with appropriate circuitry to execute the software to perform the function. It is to be understood that the invention defined by the appended claims is not to be construed as encompassing any means capable of providing such functionality, as the functions provided by the various listed means are combined and combined with the manner in which the claims require .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: There will be. In the following description, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the invention in unnecessary detail.

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

1 to 3 are views for explaining a physical configuration of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

More specifically, FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the structure of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a first rotating member and a second rotating member of the robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention And FIG. 3 is a side view for explaining the position of the sensor of the robot cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention.

1 to 3, a robot cleaner 100 according to the present invention includes a main body 10, a first rotating shaft (not shown) coupled to a driving unit fixed in the main body 10, A first rotary member 110 coupled to the first rotary shaft 151 and rotating together with the first rotary shaft 151, a second rotary member 152 coupled to the second rotary shaft 152, And at least one sensor 130a provided on a side surface and a central surface of the main body 10 and an input unit 180 and a communication unit 140 provided at an upper end of the main body 10, ). ≪ / RTI >

The first circular cleaner 210 and the second circular cleaner 220 are respectively connected to the first rotary member 110 and the second rotary member 120 coupled to the first rotary shaft 151 and the second rotary shaft 152, And can rotate according to the rotational motion.

The first rotary member 110 and the second rotary member 120 may be coupled to protrude in the direction of the surface to be cleaned from the main body 10 in the direction of the surface to be cleaned, So that the second circular cleaner 220 can be fixed.

The first circular cleaner 210 and the second circular cleaner 220 can clean various surfaces to be cleaned such as a microfiber cloth, a mop, a nonwoven fabric, a brush, And a fabric material such as cloth.

The circular cleaners 210 and 220 may be fixed using a method of covering the first rotary member 110 and the second rotary member 220 or a method using a different fixing means. For example, the first circular cleaner 210 and the second circular cleaner 220 may be attached and fixed to the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 with a Velcro tape or the like.

The robot cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a first circular cleaner 210 and a second circular cleaner 220 by the rotation of the first rotary member 110 and the second rotary member 120, The foreign matter adhering to the floor can be removed through friction with the surface to be cleaned. Further, when a frictional force with the surface to be cleaned is generated, the frictional force can be used as a moving source of the robot cleaner 100.

More specifically, as the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 rotate, the robot cleaner 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention generates frictional force with the surface to be cleaned, The moving speed and direction of the robot cleaner 100 can be adjusted according to the size and direction of operation.

Particularly, although not shown in the drawing, the rotary shafts 151 and 152, which are coupled with the pair of rotary members 110 and 120, may be formed to be inclined toward the center of the body 10. Accordingly, the pair of rotary members 110 and 120 can be coupled upward from the outer periphery of the body 10 in the center direction. Accordingly, when the pair of rotating members 110 and 120 rotate, the relative frictional force generated between the pair of rotating members 110 and 120 and the surface to be cleaned can be largely generated at the outer periphery of the center of the main body 10. Accordingly, the moving speed and direction of the robot cleaner 100 can be controlled by the relative frictional force generated by controlling the rotations of the pair of rotary members 110 and 120, respectively.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to perform rotation control for achieving efficient cleaning of the rag in response to the detection of the path and the obstacle by controlling the moving speed and the direction of the robot cleaner 100. [ A concrete control configuration will be described later.

Meanwhile, in the embodiment of the present invention, the sensor unit 130 may include a plurality of sensors provided at appropriate positions for detecting front and rear obstacles. For example, the sensor units 130a, 130b, 130c, and 130d may be provided on a side surface and a center surface of the main body 10 for detecting an obstacle. In particular, the sensor units 130a, 130b, 130c, and 130d may be provided at the front and rear sides of the robot cleaner 100 in a direction corresponding to the moving direction of the robot cleaner 100, . According to an embodiment of the present invention, the robot cleaner 100 may detect a front obstacle based on information sensed by the sensor unit 130a and the sensor unit 130b based on the traveling direction, The rear obstacle can be detected based on the information sensed by the sensor 130d.

Here, according to the embodiment of the present invention, since the robot cleaner 100 has an eight-character structure in which a pair of rotating members are connected, many sensors may be required for obstacle detection. However, in the embodiment of the present invention, the sensor unit of the robot cleaner 100 may include a first rotating member 110 and a second rotating member 110 that can perform obstacle detection and avoidance only with the sensor units 130a, 130b, 130c, Rotation control of the two rotary member 120 can be provided. Accordingly, it is possible not only to solve the problem that the robot cleaner 100 can not be caught by the obstacle when moving the robot cleaner 100, but also it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost by attaching the sensor.

4 is a block diagram illustrating a system configuration for controlling a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4, a system for controlling a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a sensor unit 130, a communication unit 140, a first rotating member 110, and a second rotating member 120 A storage unit 160, a control unit 170, an input unit 180, an output unit 185, and a power supply unit 190, as shown in FIG.

The sensor unit 130 may include one or more sensor units 130a, 130b, 130c and 130d provided on the side surface and the center surface of the main body 10 as described above. The sensor unit 130 senses the peripheral condition of the robot cleaner 100, And generates a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the vacuum cleaner 100. The sensor unit 130 may transmit a sensing signal, which is detected according to the surrounding state, to the controller 170. The sensor unit 130 may include an obstacle detection sensor or a camera sensor that emits an infrared or ultrasound signal to the outside and receives a signal reflected from the obstacle.

The communication unit 140 may include one or more modules for enabling 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.

The robot cleaner 100 can be controlled in its operation state or operation mode by a control signal received by the communication unit 140. [ The terminal for controlling the robot cleaner 100 may include, for example, a smart phone, a tablet, a personal computer, and a remote controller (a remote controller) that can communicate with the robot cleaner 100.

The driving unit 150 generates a control signal for rotating the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 under the control of the controller 170. The driving unit 150 may include a first driving unit and a second driving unit. The first driving unit generates a control signal for controlling the rotation of the first rotating shaft 151 axially coupled to the first rotating member 110 And the second driving unit may generate a control signal for controlling the rotation of the second rotation shaft 152 axially coupled to the second rotation member 120. [ The driving unit 150 may include an assembly coupled with a motor, a gear, and the like.

Meanwhile, the storage unit 160 may store a program for the operation of the controller 170, and temporarily store input / output data. The storage unit 160 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory) A random access memory (SRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM) A magnetic disk, and / or an optical disk.

The input unit 180 generates input data for controlling the operation of the robot cleaner 100 by the user. The input unit 180 may include a key pad dome switch, a touch pad (static / static), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

The output unit 185 is for generating an output related to visual, auditory, etc., and may include a display unit, an audio output module, an alarm unit, and the like although not shown in the figure.

The control unit 170 typically controls the overall operation of the robot cleaner 100. For example, it performs processes and controls related to determining the cleaning time, determining the cleaning route, setting the traveling mode, avoiding obstacles, and the like.

In particular, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 170 simultaneously or sequentially rotates at least one of the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 according to the traveling mode, ) In a specific traveling direction.

The control unit 170 determines whether or not an obstacle is detected from the signal sensed by the sensor unit 130 while the robot cleaner 100 continues to travel. When the obstacle is not detected for a predetermined time or more, The first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 can be rotated in the same direction and at the same speed for a predetermined period of time.

According to such a configuration, if the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 are rotated at the same speed in the same direction, the robot cleaner 100 can perform the rotating motion in place. The robot cleaner 100 can rotate in place according to the speed at which the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 rotate.

Therefore, the resultant force of the frictional force acting on the robot cleaner 100 may be opposite to each other and serve as a rotational force for the robot cleaner 100.

In addition, the controller 170 may change the traveling direction by arbitrarily adjusting the rotation time that rotates in place after a predetermined time. Thus, according to the embodiment of the present invention, when an obstacle is not detected but a specific time elapses, it is possible to escape the case where the obstacle can not proceed due to the obstacle which is not sensed . For example, the robot cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be in a state in which the robot cleaner 100 can not hang up on a carpet. However, by performing the rotation control as described above, the robot cleaner 100 can easily escape without additional sensors.

On the other hand, when an obstacle is detected, the control unit 170 controls the rotation of the first and second rotary members in a direction for avoiding the obstacle according to the position of the detected obstacle, , And a direction in which the obstacle is not detected can be set to the traveling direction.

The control unit 170 may include a forward mode setting unit that selects either the first forward mode or the second forward mode as the traveling mode.

Wherein the forward mode setting unit selects either the first forward mode or the second forward mode according to the speed setting of the robot cleaner or the forward mode setting unit selects either the first forward mode or the second forward mode according to the cleaning mode setting of the robot cleaner, Mode can be selected. The traveling direction may be varied according to a predetermined traveling route according to a traveling route or user input determined by the controller 170. [

The control unit 170 controls at least one of the first rotating member and the second rotating member according to the selected traveling mode and the set traveling direction so as to be in a first forward mode or a second forward mode specific to the robot cleaner 100 It is possible to carry out the traveling and carry out efficient cleaning.

In the embodiment of the present invention, when the first advancing mode is selected, the controller 170 rotates the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 in different directions and at the same speed, Can be controlled. 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 determined by the frictional force of the second rotating member 110, And the other end may move in the same direction. Accordingly, when the first forward mode is selected, the control unit 170 can perform the straight running in the specific direction.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the second forward mode is selected, the controller 170 rotates the first rotary member 110 in the first and second directions for a first time, (120) to rotate in the same direction as the second direction at a second speed higher than the first speed; and when the first time elapses, the first rotating member (110) A second step of controlling the second rotating member (120) so as to rotate in the first direction and the first direction while rotating in a first direction different from the second direction at a predetermined speed, Can be controlled. Accordingly, when the second forward mode is selected, the controller 170 forms an S-shaped path with respect to a specific direction and can perform the traveling. In this case, although the moving speed may be somewhat reduced as compared with the first forward mode, there is an advantage that the obstacle detection performance and cleaning efficiency can be improved.

The power supply unit 190 receives external power and internal power under the control of the controller 170 and supplies power necessary for operation of the respective components.

Hereinafter, the traveling control method of the robot cleaner 100 using the rotation control will be described in more detail.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5, the robot cleaner 100 sets a traveling direction (S101), and controls the first and second rotary members 110 and 120 according to the forward mode to start traveling (S103) .

As described above, the controller 170 sets the traveling direction according to the predetermined traveling route, and selects the forward traveling mode to perform the traveling.

Then, the robot cleaner 100 determines whether an obstacle is detected (S105).

The control unit 170 may determine whether or not an obstacle is detected based on the sensing signals output from the plurality of sensors 130a, 130b, 130c, and 130d included in the sensor unit 130. [

In addition, the controller 170 may determine whether an obstacle is detected by using only a part of sensing signals corresponding to the traveling direction of the robot cleaner 100 among the sensors of the sensor unit 130. For example, the control unit 170 determines whether or not an obstacle is positioned in the traveling direction based on a sensing signal output from the sensor 130a and the sensor 130b located at one side relative to the relatively long side of the body 10 can do.

When an obstacle is detected, the robot cleaner 100 controls the first rotary member 110 and the second rotary member 120 to switch the direction to avoid the obstacle (S111) The traveling direction is reset (S113), and travel starts to control the first rotating member and the second rotating member again according to the forward mode (S103).

The control unit 170 may measure the direction and the distance in which the obstacle is positioned based on the direction of travel based on the sensing signal output from the sensor unit 130.

There are several ways to control the rotation of the control unit 170 in the direction to avoid an obstacle. For example, the control unit 170 controls the rotation direction and speed of the first and second rotary members 110 and 120 to rotate in the same direction as the direction in which the obstacle is detected, .

When the direction in which the obstacle is detected is relatively close to the specific rotating member, for example, the first rotating member 110, the control unit 170 controls the rotation of the second rotating member 110 in the stopped state, The rotation direction of the rotary member 110 may be controlled to rotate in a direction away from the obstacle by rotating for a predetermined time in a direction opposite to the current direction.

When the obstacle is detected both in front of the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120, the controller 170 controls the rotation of the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120, Direction can be reversed by rotating all the directions in opposite directions different from the current direction.

Then, the controller 170 may select a specific direction other than the direction in which the obstacle is detected, and reset the selected 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 travel route, depending on the direction change result.

On the other hand, if no obstacle is detected, the robot cleaner 100 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed (S107). If the predetermined time has not elapsed, the driving according to the forward mode is continued (S103).

However, if the predetermined time has elapsed, the robot cleaner 100 rotates the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 in the same direction for a predetermined period of time (S109).

As described above, the driving of the robot cleaner 100 depends on the rotational force of the rotary member, and a cleaner such as a rag may be attached to the rotary member. Therefore, it is possible to run abnormally due to a pillar hanging in the middle portion of the body 10 or an obstacle difficult to sense such as a change in the height of the surface to be cleaned or a change in material. In order to solve this problem, the control unit 170 controls the rotation direction and speed of the first and second rotary members 110 and 120 to be the same It is possible to control to perform in-situ rotation.

The robot cleaner 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention detects the obstacles located in the periphery more effectively through rotation to perform avoidance by rotating the robot cleaner 100 according to the rotation control of the controller 170 in a predetermined time period . In addition, the robot cleaner 100 can escape through a periodic rotation even if it is caught in a specific position on the surface to be cleaned and is in a deadlock state in which obstacle sensing is difficult.

Hereinafter, the spiral mode pattern of the traveling mode according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 11. FIG.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the robot cleaner 100 can provide a spiral mode pattern as a traveling mode. The spiral mode pattern may include a pattern that sequentially changes the rotation mode around a specific region, or a pattern that travels a circular path while progressively increasing or decreasing the radius of rotation.

Also, according to one embodiment, the mopping effect can be doubled by providing a path for the robot cleaner 100 to move in a circular path as a whole while rotating the circular rotation member, respectively. Particularly, intensive wiping is performed on the basis of a preset specific area, so that foreign substances and the like adhered to the area can be effectively removed.

Referring to FIG. 6, the robot cleaner 100 detects a spiral mode selection (S401).

The control unit 170 may detect the spiral mode selection in response to a user command received from the input unit 180 or the communication unit 140. [ For example, the control unit 170 may detect a spiral mode selection corresponding to a user button input received from the input unit 180. For example, Also, the controller 170 may detect the spiral mode selection based on the command data received from the user terminal through the communication unit 140.

Then, the robot cleaner 100 sets a reference area in response to the spiral mode selection detection (S403).

The control unit 170 may set the position of the robot cleaner 100 at the time when the spiral mode selection is sensed as a reference area when the spiral mode selection is detected.

The control unit 170 may measure the relative distance between the robot cleaner 100 and the reference region based on the sensing information received from the sensor unit 130. For this, the sensor unit 130 may further include at least one of a position sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a speed sensor in addition to the plurality of sensors 130a, 130b, 130c, and 130d described above. Accordingly, the control unit 170 can track the movement path change and the distance from the reference area according to the sensing data measured by the sensor unit 130, using the position of the robot cleaner 100 as a reference area.

Then, the robot cleaner 100 performs the first rotation mode around the reference area (S405).

8 shows rotation control according to the first rotation mode according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8, the first rotation mode may refer to the in-situ rotation mode described above. The control unit 170 may perform the first rotation mode control by controlling the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 to rotate in the same direction at the same speed. As described above, the moving direction of one side of the robot cleaner 100, which relatively moves according to the frictional force generated by the first rotating member 110, and the moving direction of the robot cleaner 100, Since the moving directions of the other side of the robot cleaner 100 are opposite to each other, the robot cleaner 100 performs the in-situ rotation around the reference area 500, which is the center point thereof, by the resultant force.

Accordingly, according to the first rotation mode, the robot cleaner 100 can perform the rotation around the reference area 500. Accordingly, the robot cleaner 100 can perform concentrated wiping for the cleaning area 510 corresponding to the first rotation mode.

The first rotation mode may be performed after the robot cleaner 100 has been rotated for a predetermined number of times or more for a predetermined time, and may be terminated.

Referring again to FIG. 6, the first rotation mode is terminated and the robot cleaner 100 performs a second rotation mode control (S407).

FIG. 9 shows rotation control according to the second rotation mode according to the embodiment of the present invention.

9, the controller 170 controls the second rotation member 120 to rotate only the first rotation member 110 at a specific speed and in a specific direction, thereby performing control of the second rotation mode can do.

In the case of the second rotation mode, unlike the first rotation mode, only the frictional force generated by the first rotating member 110 exists, and the second rotating member 120 is fixed without rotating or at a very low speed, Only one side of the robot cleaner 100 on the side of the first rotating member 110 rotates about the reference area 500.

Accordingly, in accordance with the second rotation mode, the robot cleaner 100 can perform self rotation around the reference area 500. [ However, unlike the first rotation mode, the cleaning area 520 covered by the robot cleaner 100 may be different. The cleaning area 520 of the second rotation mode may include a cleaning area that is wider than the first rotation mode. Even if the foreign material removing effect is reduced rather than the first rotation mode, There is a difference that is widened.

In particular, since the user selects an area having the greatest amount of foreign material when the reference area 500 is selected, the embodiment of the present invention changes the first rotation mode to the second rotation mode in which the area is widened, Cleaning for the area can be controlled to be done quickly and quickly.

11, the second rotation mode is terminated and the robot cleaner 100 accelerates the first rotary member 110 at a high speed and controls the speed of the second rotary member to be accelerated to a low speed (Step S409), and accelerates gradually while maintaining the speed difference between the first rotating member 120 and the second rotating member 120 (S411).

More specifically, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the controller 170 can control the first rotary member 110 to rotate at a first speed and a first direction at a high speed, The robot cleaner can control the robot cleaner to perform a spiral (spiral) rotational movement centering on the reference area by controlling the rotation in the first direction and the second speed of the robot cleaner.

The control unit 170 controls the rotation speed of the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 while maintaining the rotational speed difference between the first rotating member 120 and the second rotating member 120 at a predetermined ratio, The rotation radius of the spiral rotation movement can be increased by accelerating the rotation speed of the spiral rotation unit 120, respectively. The acceleration of each rotating member can be controlled in a sequential or gradual manner. When sequentially controlled, the turning radius may be sequentially increased, and in the case of gradually controlled turning, the turning radius may be gradually increased. Such a change in the turning radius is shown in Fig.

As in the case of the second rotation mode described above, the embodiment of the present invention controls the spiral rotation movement so as to widen the region sequentially or gradually after the second rotation mode, Can be controlled to be performed widely and quickly. Here, the certain ratio may be a predetermined speed ratio of 30:70, 20:80, etc., and the predetermined ratio may not be a default value but may vary in real time according to the state or environment of the robot cleaner 100.

If the robot cleaner 100 determines that the robot cleaner has been separated from the reference area by a maximum distance or longer than the predetermined time from the time when the spiral mode is selected, The rotational speeds of the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 are respectively reduced while maintaining the rotational speed difference of the second rotating member 120 at the predetermined ratio (S413).

The controller 170 may determine whether the robot cleaner 100 is separated from the reference area by a maximum distance or not based on information sensed by the sensor unit 130. [ It is also possible to determine whether or not a time limit has elapsed by measuring a timer that is running from the time when the spiral mode is selected.

The control unit 170 may decelerate the rotational speeds of the first rotating member 120 and the second rotating member 120, which have been accelerated, in a state where the predetermined ratio is maintained. Here, the predetermined ratio may be a predetermined speed ratio such as 30:70, 20:80, etc., and may vary in real time according to the moving state of the robot cleaner 100 or the environment.

Such a deceleration step may be performed sequentially or gradually as in the acceleration step described above.

Thereafter, the robot cleaner 100 determines whether the time allocated to the spiral mode has elapsed or whether the robot cleaner 100 returns to the reference area (S415). Conversely, the second rotation mode is performed (S417) After controlling the first rotation mode (S419), the spiral mode is terminated (S421).

When the controller 180 determines that the robot cleaner 100 has returned to the reference area based on the data sensed by the sensing unit 130, the control unit 170 performs the second and first rotation mode controls in the reverse order, Can be terminated.

The control unit 170 stores the allocation time determined in the detection of the spiral mode selection in the storage unit 160 and performs the second and first rotation mode control in the reverse order when the allocation time has elapsed, Can be terminated.

When the spiral mode ends, the robot cleaner 100 travels in another random travel pattern or switches to a preset travel mode (S423).

The predetermined traveling mode may be the first forward mode or the second forward mode. When the spiral mode is terminated, the controller 170 may switch the first forward mode or the second forward mode in the random direction by designating the random direction.

FIG. 16 shows a total movement route of the robot cleaner 100 according to the spiral pattern running control.

As shown in FIG. 16, the robot cleaner 100 sequentially wipes the turning radius of the moving path sequentially to the positions of (1), (2), (3), (4) Can be performed. Particularly, since the robot cleaner 100 of the present invention, which moves by the rotational force of the circular rotary members 110 and 120, provides a path that rotates and moves back to a circular path while performing rotary wringing, the waving effect can be doubled. Therefore, in concentrated wiping based on a preset specific area, it is possible to maximize the foreign matter removing effect of the area.

12 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a robot cleaner according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 12, when the robot cleaner 100 travels in the spiral mode (S431), the robot cleaner 100 determines whether a peripheral obstacle is detected (S433).

The controller 170 may determine whether or not an obstacle is detected based on a sensing signal sensed by the plurality of sensors 130a, 130b, 130c, and 130d provided on the side surface of the body 10. [ If no obstacle is detected, the spiral mode driving is continued (S431).

If an obstacle is detected, the robot cleaner 100 determines the possibility of maintaining the pattern in the spiral mode (S435).

For example, when the time at which the obstacle is detected continuously exceeds a predetermined time, the control unit 170 can determine that the spiral mode pattern can not be maintained. Also, the controller 170 can determine that the spiral mode pattern can not be maintained, for example, when the degree of direction change for avoiding the obstacle is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

The robot cleaner 100 continues to travel in the spiral mode when there is a temporary obstacle or an obstacle having a small degree of redirection (S431).

However, if it is determined that the pattern can not be maintained, the robot cleaner 100 can release the spiral mode and switch to the traveling mode in the random pattern and the random direction described above (S437) and end the spiral mode.

Therefore, according to the control method of the robot cleaner according to another embodiment of the present invention, even when there is an obstacle in the spiral mode, it can be processed flexibly, so that the cleaning can be continued without interruption by other patterns.

As described above, the present invention provides a robot cleaner including a pair of rotatable members to which a mop can be attached so as to effectively remove foreign matter adhered to a surface to be cleaned, And a rotation control according to a traveling mode that supports various patterns for achieving effective cleaning of the rag in response to a traveling path and an obstacle detection, and a control method thereof.

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

A non-transitory readable medium is a medium that stores data for a short period of time, such as a register, cache, memory, etc., but semi-permanently stores data and is readable by the apparatus. In particular, the various applications or programs described above may be stored on non-volatile readable media such as CD, DVD, hard disk, Blu-ray disk, USB, memory card, ROM,

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but, on the contrary, It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

100: Robot cleaner
10: Body
110: first rotating member
120: second rotating member
130: sensing unit
130a, 130b, 130c, 130d:
140:
150:
151:
152: second rotating shaft
160:
170:
180: input
185:
190: Power supply
210, 220, circular cleaner

Claims (20)

A control method for a robot cleaner,
Sensing a spiral mode selection;
Setting a reference area corresponding to the spiral mode selection;
When the reference area is set, the first rotary member is controlled to rotate in the first direction at the first speed and the second rotary member is rotated at the second speed in the first direction, Controlling rotation to be centered; And
And accelerating the rotational speeds of the first rotating member and the second rotating member while maintaining the rotational speed difference between the first rotating member and the second rotating member at a predetermined ratio. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein when the robot cleaner is judged that the robot cleaner is spaced from the reference area by a maximum distance or more, the first rotating member and the second rotating member are rotated while maintaining the rotational speed difference between the first rotating member and the second rotating member at the predetermined ratio And a step of decelerating the rotation speed of the member, respectively. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein when the spiral mode is elapsed for a predetermined time or more from a time when the spiral mode is selected, the rotation speed of the second rotating member and the rotation speed of the second rotating member And decelerating the robot cleaner. The method according to claim 1,
The step of accelerating
And gradually accelerating the rotational speeds of the first rotary member and the second rotary member, respectively. The method according to claim 1,
The rotational speeds of the second rotating member and the second rotating member are maintained at the predetermined ratios while the difference in rotational speed between the first rotating member and the second rotating member is maintained at the predetermined ratio until the robot cleaner returns to the reference region Decelerating; And
And terminating the spiral mode when the robot cleaner returns to the reference area. The method according to claim 1,
Determining whether an obstacle is detected from a sensor corresponding to a moving direction of the robot cleaner while the robot cleaner is continuously moving in the spiral mode; And
And terminating the spiral mode when the time at which the obstacle is detected continuously exceeds a predetermined time. The method according to claim 6,
Further comprising the step of, when the spiral mode is terminated, switching to a preset traveling mode in the random direction by designating a random direction. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first speed and the second speed are the same. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first speed is relatively greater than the second speed. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the step of detecting the spiral mode comprises:
And detecting the spiral mode selection based on a user command received through at least one of the input unit and the communication unit. In the robot cleaner,
A first rotary member to which the circular cleaner can be fixed and a second rotary member to be protruded toward the surface to be cleaned;
A driving unit fixed in the body and driving the first rotating member in a first direction or a second direction and driving the second rotating member in the first direction or the second direction;
At least one sensor provided on an outer surface of the main body to detect an obstacle around the robot cleaner; And
And a control unit connected to the sensor and controlling the rotation of the first rotating member and the second rotating member by controlling the driving unit,
Wherein the control unit sets a reference area corresponding to the selection of the spiral mode when the spiral mode is selected and controls the first rotating member to rotate at a first speed and a first direction when the reference area is set, To control the robot cleaner to perform rotational movement about the reference area by controlling the rotation speed of the robot cleaner in the first direction and the second speed, And the rotation speed of the first rotating member and the rotating speed of the second rotating member are respectively accelerated. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the control unit controls the second rotary member and the second rotary member while maintaining the rotation speed difference between the first rotary member and the second rotary member at the predetermined ratio when it is determined that the robot cleaner is separated from the reference area by a maximum distance or more, And the rotation speed of the second rotary member is reduced. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein when the spiral mode is elapsed for a predetermined period of time or more, the control unit controls the second rotary member and the second rotary member while maintaining the rotational speed difference between the first rotary member and the second rotary member at the predetermined ratio, Respectively. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the control unit gradually accelerates the rotation speeds of the first rotating member and the second rotating member, respectively. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the control unit controls the rotation of the second rotary member and the rotation of the second rotary member while maintaining the rotational speed difference between the first rotary member and the second rotary member at the predetermined ratio until the robot cleaner returns to the reference region, And the robot cleaner ends the spiral mode when the robot cleaner returns to the reference area. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the robot cleaner determines whether or not an obstacle is detected from a sensor corresponding to a moving direction of the robot cleaner while the robot cleaner is moving in the spiral mode, A robot cleaner that exits the mode. 17. The method of claim 16,
Further comprising the step of, when the spiral mode is terminated, switching to a preset traveling mode in the random direction by designating a random direction. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the first speed and the second speed are the same. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the first speed is relatively greater than the second speed. A computer-readable recording medium on which a program for causing a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is recorded.

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