KR20160104424A - A robot cleaner and a method for operating it - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a robot cleaner. The robot cleaner comprises: a body; a driving unit which is provided in the body to provide power for driving the robot cleaner; a first and a second rotary member which provide moving power source for running the robot cleaner by rotating respectively around a first and a second rotary shaft with the power of the driving unit, wherein a cleaner for wet cleaning can be fixed on the first and the second rotary members respectively; and a controller which controls the driving unit to run the robot cleaner by determining a running pattern of the robot cleaner and sequentially repeating a first rotation step of rotating based on the first rotary member, and a second rotation step of rotating based on the second rotary member, according to the determined running pattern.

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 [0001] 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 traveling 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 matter, stains, etc. adhering to the surface to be cleaned. Recently, a robot cleaner has been developed which can perform wet cleaning by attaching a mop to the robot cleaner .

However, the wet cleaning method using a general robot cleaner is merely a simple method of attaching a mop or the like to the lower part of a conventional vacuum cleaner, which lowers the effect of removing foreign matter and can not perform efficient wet cleaning.

Particularly, in the case of the wet cleaning method of a general robot cleaner, since it travels by using the conventional moving method for the suction type vacuum cleaner and the avoidance method for the obstacle, the foreign matter adhering to the surface to be cleaned even if the dust scattered on the surface to be cleaned is removed 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 It is an object of the present invention to provide a robot cleaner in which a rotating force of a pair of rotary members is used as a moving source of a robot cleaner and a cleaner for wet cleaning is fixed to a rotary member, And a robot cleaner which is capable of traveling while performing cleaning.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a robot cleaner that performs cleaning traveling in a specific pattern and a control method thereof.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a robot cleaner including a main body, a drive unit for supplying power for driving the robot cleaner provided in the main body, The robot cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the robot cleaner comprises: a robot cleaner for rotating the robot cleaner; a cleaner for cleaning the robot cleaner; A control unit for controlling the driving unit to repeat the first rotation step of rotating based on the first rotation member in accordance with the determined cleaning travel pattern and the second rotation step of rotating based on the second rotation member, .

The control unit may control the driving unit such that the rotation direction of the first rotation step and the rotation direction of the second rotation step are the same or different from each other.

The controller may control the driving unit such that the first rotating member does not rotate or rotates at a low speed and the second rotating member rotates in the same direction at a faster speed than the first rotating member, The first rotary member performs a first rotary step and the second rotary member does not rotate or rotates at a low speed and the first rotary member controls the drive unit to rotate in the same direction at a faster speed than the second rotary member Thereby performing the second rotation step.

The controller may control the driving unit to perform a third rotation step in which the robot cleaner rotates a specific region around the center of rotation.

The controller may control the driving unit such that the first rotary member and the second rotary member rotate at the same speed in the same direction so that the robot cleaner rotates the center of the body around the rotation, Can be performed.

One of the first rotating member and the second rotating member does not rotate or rotates at a low speed while the other controls the driving unit to rotate in the same direction at a higher speed, So as to perform a third rotation step of rotating the member about the center of rotation.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a robot cleaner, including rotating at least one of first and second rotating members rotating about first and second rotating shafts, A first rotating step of rotating the robot cleaner in a specific traveling direction, determining a cleaning traveling pattern of the robot cleaner during traveling, and a first rotating step of rotating the first rotating member on the basis of the determined traveling pattern, And controlling the rotation of at least one of the first and second rotating members so as to run while repeating a second rotating step that rotates about the second rotating member in order.

The step of controlling the rotation of at least one of the first and second rotating members may include the steps of rotating the first rotating step and the rotating direction of the second rotating step such that the rotating direction of the first rotating step and the rotating direction of the second rotating step are different from each other, The rotation of at least one of the first and second rotating members can be controlled.

It is preferable that the step of controlling rotation of at least one of the first and second rotating members is performed such that the first rotating member does not rotate or rotates at a low speed, So that the first rotating member and the second rotating member do not rotate or rotate at a low speed, and the first rotating member is rotated at the same speed as the second rotating member And the second rotation step may be included.

The step of controlling the rotation of at least one of the first and second rotary members may include a step of controlling the rotation of the first and second rotary members so that the robot cleaner performs a third rotation step At least one rotation can be controlled.

The step of controlling the rotation of at least one of the first and second rotary members may control the first rotary member and the second rotary member to rotate at the same speed in the same direction, To rotate about the center of rotation.

The step of controlling the rotation of at least one of the first and second rotating members may include the step of rotating one of the first rotating member and the second rotating member without rotating or rotating at a low speed, A third rotating step of rotating the rotating member about the center of rotation by controlling the rotating member to rotate in the same direction at a high speed.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, the robot cleaner can travel while performing the wet cleaning using the rotating force of the pair of rotating members as a moving power source.

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

In addition, according to various embodiments of the present invention, the robot cleaner may include a first cleaner and a second cleaner, which are respectively rotated by rotational movements of the first rotating member and the second rotating member, It is possible to more effectively remove the adhered foreign matter and the like. In particular, according to various embodiments of the present invention, the robot cleaner can perform cleaning running with various cleaning traveling patterns, and can perform efficient wet cleaning by selecting a cleaning traveling pattern suitable for a topical object.

In addition, according to various embodiments of the present invention, the robot cleaner can minimize the manufacturing cost by minimizing the sensor configuration for detecting an obstacle when traveling.

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 traveling operation of the robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a flowchart illustrating a pattern running method of the robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a view showing a cleaning traveling pattern according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a view showing a cleaning traveling pattern according to another embodiment of the present invention.
12 to 13 illustrate how a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention rotates a specific region around the center of rotation.
14 is a view showing a cleaning traveling pattern according to another 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 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 4 are views for explaining a structure of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a bottom plan view of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. Fig. 4 is a sectional view corresponding to a front view of Fig. 3; Fig.

1 to 4, a robot cleaner 100 according to the present invention includes a main body 10 that forms an outer appearance of a robot cleaner 100 structurally, a main body 10 formed around an outer periphery of the main body 10, A bumper 20 that protects the robot 10, a sensing unit 130 that senses an external impact applied to the bumper 20, a driving unit that is installed in the main body 10 and supplies power for driving the robot cleaner 100, A first rotating member 110 coupled to the driving unit 150 to rotate and a second rotating member 120 coupled to the driving unit 150 and a power supply unit 190 installed inside the main unit 10, have.

The robot cleaner 100 can perform the wet cleaning using the cleaners 210 and 220 for wet cleaning. Here, the wet cleaning may mean cleaning by wiping the surface to be cleaned using the cleaners 210 and 220, and may include cleaning using, for example, a dry mop or the like, or cleaning using a wet mop or the like.

The driving unit 150 includes a first driving unit 151 installed inside the main body 10 to be coupled with the first rotating member 110 and a second driving unit 151 disposed inside the main body 10 and coupled to the second rotating member 120 And may include a first driver 152. Here, the driving unit 150 may include a motor, a gear assembly, and the like.

The first rotating member 110 is coupled to the first driving unit 151 to transmit the power by the first driving unit 151 and to rotate about the first rotating shaft 310 by the power. Member 111 as shown in FIG. Further, the first cleaner 210 for wet cleaning may include a first fixing member 112 to which the first cleaner 210 can be fixed.

The second rotating member 120 is coupled to the second driving unit 152 and transmits power by the second driving unit 152 and rotates about the second rotating shaft 320 by the power. 2 transmitting member 121, as shown in FIG. In addition, the second cleaner 220 for wet cleaning may include a second fixing member 122 to which the second cleaner 220 can be fixed.

Here, when the lower end regions of the first transmitting member 111 and the second transmitting member 112 are coupled to the main body 10, they may be protruded in the direction of the surface to be cleaned. Or when the first transmitting member 111 and the second transmitting member 112 are coupled to the main body 10, they may not be protruded in the direction of the surface to be cleaned.

When the first fixing member 112 and the second fixing member 122 are coupled to the main body 10, the first fixing member 112 and the second fixing member 122 may be protruded in the direction of the surface to be cleaned, for example, The first cleaner 210 and the second cleaner 220 for cleaning may be fixed.

The first cleaner 210 and the second cleaner 220 are made of a cloth capable of wiping various surfaces to be cleaned such as a microfiber cloth, a mop, a nonwoven fabric, a brush, And can be made of the same fiber material. 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 forms without limitation.

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 a method using a different attachment means have. For example, the first cleaner 210 and the second cleaner 220 may be attached and fixed to the first fixing member 112 and the second fixing member 122 with a Velcro tape or the like.

In the robot cleaner 100 according to the present invention, the first cleaner 210 and the second cleaner 220 are rotated by the rotation of the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120, As a result, it is possible to remove foreign matter adhering to the floor 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, 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, The moving speed and direction of the robot cleaner 100 can be adjusted according to the size and direction of operation.

3 and 4, the first rotary shaft 310 and the second rotary shaft 320 of each of the first and second rotary members 110 and 120 are driven by the motive power of the pair of the driving units 151 and 152, Can be inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the central axis 300 corresponding to the vertical axis of the main body 100. In this case, the first and second rotary members 110 and 120 may be inclined downward outward with respect to the central axis. That is, the area of the first and second rotary members 110 and 120 located farther from the central axis 300 can be strongly adhered to the surface to be cleaned than the area located closer to the center axis 300.

Here, the center axis 300 may mean the axis perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned of the robot cleaner 100. For example, assuming that the robot cleaner 100 travels in an XY plane formed by the X and Y axes to clean the robot cleaner 100 during the cleaning operation, the center axis 300 is perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned of the robot cleaner 100 Axis Z axis.

The predetermined angle may be a first angle (a degree) corresponding to an inclined angle of the first rotation axis 310 with respect to the center axis 300 and a second angle (a degree) corresponding to the second rotation axis 320 with respect to the center axis 300. [ And a second angle (b degrees) corresponding to this tilted angle. Here, the first angle and the second angle may be the same or different from each other.

Further, each of the first angle and the second angle may preferably be an angle within an angular range of 1 degree or more and 3 degrees or less. Here, the angle range described above can be a range capable of optimally maintaining the wet cleaning ability, the traveling speed, and the traveling performance of the robot cleaner 100, as shown in Table 1 below.

Tilted angle  Cleaning ability (based on 3 points)  Driving speed (based on 3 points) Less than 1 degree Clean all surfaces cleaned with cleaner (3) Very slow (0) 1 degree Clean all surfaces cleaned with cleaner (3) Slow (1) 1.85 degrees Clean all of the cleaning surfaces that rub against the cleaner except for a part near the center axis (2) Usually (2) 3 degrees Clean all of the cleaning surfaces that rub against the cleaner except for a part near the center axis (1) Fast (3) Greater than 3 degrees Clean most of the cleaning surfaces that come into contact with the cleaner except for a large number of areas around the central axis (0) Fast (3)

That is, referring to Table 1, the robot cleaner 100 has a pair of rotation shafts 310 and 320 inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the central axis 300, And cleaning ability. In particular, by keeping the predetermined angle in the range of 1 degree to 3 degrees, the wet cleaning ability and the traveling speed of the robot cleaner can be maintained optimally. However, various embodiments of the present invention may not be limited to the angular ranges described above.

On the other hand, when the pair of rotating members 110 and 120 rotate according to a predetermined angle, a relative frictional force generated between the pair of rotating members 110 and 120 and the surface to be cleaned can be generated largely outside 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 rotating members 110 and 120, respectively. According to the 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 obstacle may include various obstacles that obstruct the cleaning operation of the robot cleaner 100, such as a low obstacle such as a threshold, a carpet, an obstacle floating on a certain height such as a sofa or a bed, and a high obstacle such as a wall.

In this case, the bumper 20 formed around the outside of the body 10 of the robot cleaner 100 can protect the body 10 from an external impact caused by a collision with an obstacle, and can absorb an external impact. The sensing unit 130 installed in the main body 10 can sense an impact applied to the bumper 10.

The bumper 20 includes a first bumper 21 formed on the first outer periphery of the main body 10 and a second bumper 22 formed on the 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 with respect to the direction F toward which the front surface of the robot cleaner 10 faces. 1 to 4, the first bumper 21 may be formed around the left side of the main body 10 with respect to a direction F toward the front of the robot cleaner 10, (22) may be formed around the right side of the main body (10) with respect to the direction (F) in which the front face faces.

Here, the first bumper 21 and the second bumper 22 may be physically separated into different bumpers. Accordingly, the bumpers of the robot cleaner can operate independently of each other. That is, when the first bumper 21 collides with the obstacle during traveling of the robot cleaner 100, the first bumper 21 absorbs the external impact and transmits the absorbed external impact to the first bumper 21 1 sensing unit. However, the second bumper 22 is physically separate from the first bumper 21, and the second sensing unit, which is not affected by the collision and is installed in correspondence with the second bumper 22, It may not be delivered.

Meanwhile, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the height of the upper end and the lower end of the bumper 20 is made to match the predetermined condition, so that the robot cleaner 100 can detect various obstacles encountered while driving. This will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

Referring to FIG. 4, the lower ends of the first bumper 21 and the second bumper 22 may be formed as close as possible to the surface to be cleaned. The distance between the lower ends of the first bumper 21 and the second bumper 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 low obstacles such as shallow thresholds, carpets, and the like, so that the robot cleaner 100 can detect and avoid low obstacles.

The upper ends of the first bumper 21 and the second bumper 22 may be formed to prevent the obstacle from being 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 higher than the height of the main body 10. Accordingly, the first bumper 21 and the second bumper 22 collide with obstacles floating on a predetermined height, such as a sofa or a bed, so that the bumper 21, It is possible to prevent a case where it is caught.

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

If the cleaners 210 and 220 are not fixed at the optimum positions, the portions of the cleaners 210 and 220 contacting the surface to be cleaned are changed by the rotation of the first and second rotating members 112 and 122, An unbalanced state is created for the pair of cleaners 210 and 220. In this case, the robot cleaner 100 may not be able to perform a desired travel. For example, the robot cleaner 100 in the straight running mode may not be able to perform a straight run, but may be curved and run.

Therefore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the lower surface on which the cleaners 210 and 220 are fixed in the first rotating member 112 and the second rotating member 122 are protruded toward the surface to be cleaned along the rim of the lower surface, And guiding portions 113 and 123 for guiding the cleaners 210 and 220 to be fixed at optimum positions. Accordingly, the user of the robot cleaner 100 can fix the cleaners 210 and 220 at optimal positions.

On the other hand, the sensing unit 130 may sense an external impact applied to the bumper 10. Here, the sensing unit 130 may include a plurality of sensing units provided at positions corresponding to each of the plurality of bumpers. For example, when implemented with two bumpers 21 and 22, the sensing unit 130 may include at least one first sensing unit corresponding to the first bumper 21 and at least one sensing unit corresponding to the second bumper 22, And may be implemented as a touch sensor, an optical sensor, or the like. The sensing unit 130 may transmit the sensed result to the controller 170.

The control unit 170 determines the collision position where the collision with the obstacle occurs in the area of the bumper 20 using the detection result of the sensing unit 130 and controls the first driving unit 151, 2 driver 152 can be controlled.

5 is a block diagram illustrating a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. 5, a robot cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a sensing unit 130, a communication unit 140, a first rotary member 110, and a second rotary member 120 And may 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 senses various information required for the operation of the robot cleaner 100 and transmits a sensing signal to the controller 170. Here, the sensing unit 130 may include an external impact sensing unit that senses an external impact applied to the bumper 20 and transmits a sensing signal to the controller 170. The external impact sensing unit may be implemented by a touch sensor, an optical sensor, or the like.

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

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) (Random Access Memory), a static 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 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.

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 display unit displays (outputs) information processed by the robot cleaner 100. For example, when the robot cleaner is being cleaned, a UI (User Interface) or a GUI (Graphic User Interface) indicating a cleaning time, a cleaning method, a cleaning area, and the like related to the cleaning mode can be displayed.

The power supply unit 190 supplies power to the robot cleaner 100. Specifically, the power supply unit 190 supplies power to the respective functional units of the robot cleaner 100, and when the remaining power is insufficient, the power supply unit 190 can receive the charging current and be charged. Here, the power supply unit 190 may be implemented as a rechargeable battery.

The control unit 170 typically controls the overall operation of the robot cleaner 100. The control unit 170 may control at least one of the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 to control the driving unit 150 so that the robot cleaner 100 travels in a specific traveling direction .

For example, 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 rotating speed of the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120.

More specifically, when the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 are rotated at the same speed in the same direction, they are relatively moved on the opposite sides with respect to the center of the main body 10 of the robot cleaner 100 And the direction in which the one end and the other end, which are located opposite to each other, move relative to the surface to be cleaned are opposite to each other. That is, the direction in which one end of the robot cleaner 100 positioned opposite to the first rotary member 110 moves with respect to the surface to be cleaned by the rotation of the first rotary member 110, The direction in which the other end of the robot cleaner 100 located opposite to the second rotary member 120 moves relative to the surface to be cleaned is opposite to each other.

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.

As another example, the control unit 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 determined by the frictional force of the second rotating member 110, And the other end may move in the same direction. Accordingly, the robot cleaner 100 can perform straight running in a specific direction. This will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 6 to 7. FIG.

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

FIG. 6 shows a rotation control table for implementing the straight running of the robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. The control unit 170 may control the driving unit 150 based on the rotation control table values stored in the storage unit 160 to control rotation of the respective rotation members 110 and 120. [ The rotation control table may include at least one of a direction value, a velocity value, and a time value assigned to each of the rotary members 110 and 120 for each movement mode. As shown in FIG. 6, the rotation direction of the first rotating member 110 may be different from the rotating direction of the second rotating member 120. Further, the rotational speed and time of each of the rotating members 110 and 120 may have the same value.

The rotation direction of the rotary member according to the embodiment of the present invention can be described based on the direction from the upper side of the robot cleaner 100. For example, the first direction may be a direction in which the robot cleaner 100 rotates in the counterclockwise direction while the robot 300 is lowered from the upper side with the advancing direction 300 at 12 o'clock. In addition, the second direction may be a direction different from the first direction, and may be a direction in which the advancing direction 300 is rotated clockwise by 12 o'clock.

In this case, the robot cleaner 100 can perform straight running as shown in FIG. 7, the robot cleaner 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention rotates the first rotary member 110 in the first direction and rotates the second rotary member 120 in the first direction, By rotating in two directions, it is possible to generate a relative movement force in accordance with the frictional force and perform the straight running in the running direction.

The inclined directions of the rotation shafts 310 and 320 in FIGS. 1 to 7 are merely examples, and may be realized by tilting in different directions according to an embodiment. For example, the first rotary shaft 310 and the second rotary shaft 320 of the first and second rotary members 110 and 120 are coupled to the central axis 300 corresponding to the vertical axis of the robot cleaner 100, To 4, as shown in FIG. In this case, the first and second rotary members 110 and 120 may be inclined upward outward with respect to the central axis 300. That is, a region of the first and second rotary members 110 and 120 located close to the central axis 300 can be strongly adhered to the surface to be cleaned more than a region located away 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 pair of rotating members 110 and 120 and the surface to be cleaned may be larger at the center of the main body 10 than at the outer periphery thereof.

Therefore, contrary to the case of FIGS. 1 to 7, the movement speed and the direction of the robot cleaner 100 can be controlled by controlling the rotation of the pair of rotary members 110 and 120, respectively. Specifically, the robot cleaner 100 rotates the first rotating member 110 in the second direction and rotates the second rotating member 120 in the first direction different from the second direction so that the relative movement according to the frictional force And a straight running in the traveling direction can be performed.

Meanwhile, the robot cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of cleaning travel patterns. Here, the complex cleaning / traveling pattern means a shape of a locus drawn while the robot cleaner 100 travels for wet cleaning, and is a pattern in which the robot cleaner 100 travels in an S-shape, the robot cleaner 100 moves forward And a pattern of running backward sequentially and repeatedly.

In this case, the control unit 170 controls the first driving unit 151 and the second driving unit 152 so as to determine one of the plurality of cleaning driving patterns of the robot cleaner 100, The rotation of at least one of the first and second rotatable members 22 and 23 can be controlled.

For example, when a user input for selecting a cleaning traveling pattern of the robot cleaner 100 is received through the input unit 180, the controller 170 transmits a cleaning traveling pattern corresponding to the user's input among the plurality of cleaning traveling patterns to the robot cleaner 100 as a clean running pattern.

As another example, the controller 170 determines whether or not the obstacle is located in the traveling direction of the robot cleaner 100 while cleaning the robot cleaner 100. If it is determined that there is no obstacle, the controller 170 determines one of the plurality of cleaner travel patterns of the robot cleaner 100 Can be determined. This will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

Referring to FIG. 8, the robot cleaner 100 includes a first rotating member 110 and a second rotating member 120. The first rotating member 110 rotates about the first rotating shaft 310 and the second rotating shaft 320, One can be rotated to travel in a specific traveling direction (S101).

Then, the robot cleaner 100 can determine whether an obstacle is positioned in the traveling direction (S102). For example, the sensing unit 130 of the robot cleaner 100 may include a plurality of obstacle detection sensors, and the controller 170 may determine whether an obstacle is positioned in the traveling direction based on a sensing signal of the obstacle sensing sensor have. Here, the obstacle detection sensor may include an obstacle detection sensor or a camera sensor that emits an infrared or ultrasonic signal to the outside and receives a signal reflected from the obstacle.

The controller 170 controls the driving unit 150 so that the robot cleaner 100 travels straight for a predetermined distance or time so that the robot cleaner 100 can perform an external shock It can be determined whether or not it is detected. If no external impact is sensed by the sensing unit 130 because the obstacle does not collide with the bumper 20, the controller 170 may determine that the obstacle is not positioned in the traveling direction of the robot cleaner 100. In this case, the robot cleaner 100 can minimize the manufacturing cost by minimizing the sensor configuration for detecting obstacles when traveling.

If it is determined that the obstacle is not located (S102: N), the robot cleaner 100 determines one of the plurality of cleaning traveling patterns of the robot cleaner 100 (S103) (S104). In this case, the controller 170 may control at least one of the rotational direction and the rotational speed of at least one of the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 so as to clean and run in a determined pattern.

However, if it is determined that the obstacle is located (S102: Y), the robot cleaner 100 switches the direction to avoid the obstacle (S105), and travels in the diverted direction to determine whether or not the obstacle is located (S102) . In this case, the controller 170 controls the rotation of at least one of the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 to avoid an obstacle located in the traveling direction of the robot cleaner 100, Can be controlled.

Here, there are several ways to control the rotation of the controller 170 in the direction of avoiding an obstacle. For example, the control unit 170 may control the rotation direction and the rotation 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, .

In addition, when the control unit 170 is relatively close to the specific rotating member in the direction in which the obstacle is detected, for example, the first rotating member 110, the rotation of the second rotating member 110 is stopped, 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 control unit 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.

In addition, 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.

If a cleaning traveling pattern (hereinafter, referred to as a chain pattern) according to an embodiment of the present invention is determined among a plurality of cleaning traveling patterns of the robot cleaner 100, the controller 170 controls the first rotary member 110 And the second rotating step rotating with respect to the second rotating member 120. The driving unit 150 may be controlled to rotate the first and second rotating members 120 and 120 in sequence. This will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 9 to 14.

9 is a flowchart illustrating a pattern running method of the robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a view showing a cleaning traveling pattern according to an embodiment of the present invention. 9 to 10, if it is determined that the obstacle in the traveling direction is not located, the robot cleaner 100 may start the first chain pattern mode in which the robot cleaner 100 travels in the first chain pattern (S201).

When the first chain pattern mode is started, the robot cleaner 100 can determine the running direction 1100 in which the first chain pattern is drawn (S202).

Thereafter, the robot cleaner 100 may perform a first rotation step in which the robot cleaner 100 rotates counterclockwise with respect to the first rotary member 110 in consideration of the determined travel direction 1100 (S203). In this case, the first rotating member 110 does not rotate or rotates clockwise at a low speed, and the second rotating member 120 rotates clockwise at a faster speed than the first rotating member 110 The driving unit 150 may be controlled to perform the first rotation step. In particular, the rotational angle a of the first rotational phase may be determined in consideration of the running direction 1100, and the controller 170 may control the driving unit 150 to perform the first rotational phase by reflecting the determined rotational angle a, Can be controlled. Here, the rotation angle a may be an angle such that the side direction of the robot cleaner 100 and the traveling direction 1100 are parallel to each other.

Thereafter, the robot cleaner 100 may perform a second rotation step of rotating the second rotary member 120 in the clockwise direction in consideration of the determined travel direction 1100 (S204). In this case, the second rotating member 120 does not rotate or rotates counterclockwise at a low speed, and the first rotating member 110 rotates counterclockwise at a higher speed than the second rotating member 120 The driving unit 150 may be controlled to perform the second rotation step. In particular, the rotational angle b of the second rotational phase may be determined in consideration of the running direction 1100, and the controller 170 may perform the second rotational phase by reflecting the rotational angle b of the second rotational phase The driving unit 150 can be controlled. Here, the rotation angle b may be an angle such that the side direction of the robot cleaner 100 and the direction of travel 1100 are parallel to each other.

Thereafter, the robot cleaner 100 can travel in the traveling direction 1100 by repeating the first rotation step S203 and the second rotation step S204 described above in order.

In FIGS. 9 to 10, the rotation direction of the first rotation step S203 is counterclockwise and the rotation direction of the second rotation step S204 is implemented in the clockwise direction and are opposite to each other. However, But may be embodied to rotate in the same direction with respect to each other according to an embodiment.

According to the first chain pattern mode of the embodiment of the present invention, the robot cleaner 100 rotates about the first or second rotating member and can travel in a specific direction 1100, The cleaning area can be ensured by the length between the left and right sides of the vehicle.

11 is a view showing a cleaning traveling pattern according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 11, when it is determined that the obstacle in the traveling direction is not located, the robot cleaner 100 can start the second chain pattern mode running in the second chain pattern. Here, the second chain pattern and the first chain pattern may be different from each other in terms of rotational angle.

Specifically, when the second chain pattern mode is started, the robot cleaner 100 can determine the traveling direction 1200 in which the second chain pattern is drawn.

Thereafter, the robot cleaner 100 may perform a first rotation step in which the robot cleaner 100 rotates a predetermined angle (a) counterclockwise with respect to the first rotary member 110 in consideration of the determined travel direction 1200 (S301 ). In this case, the first rotating member 110 does not rotate or rotates clockwise at a low speed, and the second rotating member 120 rotates clockwise at a faster speed than the first rotating member 110 The driving unit 150 may be controlled to perform the first rotation step. Here, the rotation angle a may be an angle such that the side direction of the robot cleaner 100 and the traveling direction 1200 are not parallel to each other.

After that, the robot cleaner 100 may perform a second rotation step in which the robot cleaner 100 rotates clockwise by a predetermined angle (b) with respect to the second rotary member 120 in consideration of the determined running direction 1100 (S302) . In this case, the second rotating member 120 does not rotate or rotates counterclockwise at a low speed, and the first rotating member 110 rotates counterclockwise at a higher speed than the second rotating member 120 The driving unit 150 may be controlled to perform the second rotation step. Here, the rotation angle b may be an angle such that the side direction of the robot cleaner 100 and the direction of travel 1200 are not parallel to each other.

Thereafter, the robot cleaner 100 can travel in the traveling direction 1200 by sequentially repeating the first rotation step S301 and the second rotation step S302 described above.

According to the second chain pattern mode of the embodiment of the present invention, the robot cleaner 100 rotates about the first or second rotating member and can travel in a specific direction 1100, Can perform a wet cleaning while traveling in the shape of a person walking in a sling.

12 to 13 illustrate how a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention rotates a specific region around the center of rotation.

12, the controller 170 controls the driving unit 150 to rotate the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 in the same direction at the same speed so that the robot cleaner 100 rotates the first It is possible to control to perform the rotation mode.

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, The robot cleaner 100 can rotate around the center 500 of the main body 10 by the resultant force because the moving directions of the other side of the robot cleaner 100 are opposite to each other.

Accordingly, the robot cleaner 100 can rotate in the center of the body 10 with the center 500 of the body 10 as the center of rotation. Accordingly, the robot cleaner 100 can perform intensive cleaning on the cleaning area 510 centered on the center 500 of the main body 10.

The first rotation mode may be terminated after the robot cleaner 100 rotates for more than a predetermined number of times, rotates for a predetermined period of time, and then stops.

13, one of the first rotating member 110 and the second rotating member 120 does not rotate or rotates at a low speed while the other rotates at a faster speed in the same direction, 150 to control the robot cleaner 100 to perform the second rotation mode.

For example, the controller 170 may control the second rotary member 120 by controlling the first rotary member 110 to rotate only at a specific speed and in a specific direction.

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 the side of the first rotary member 110 side of the robot cleaner 100 traveling on the first rotary member 120 can rotate around the second rotary member 120 as the center of rotation.

Therefore, according to the second rotation mode, the robot cleaner 100 can rotate the rotary member about the rotation. 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 matter removal effect is reduced rather than the first rotation mode, the concentrated cleaning area is widened .

The first rotation mode or the second rotation mode of the present invention may be added to the first and second chain pattern modes described above to form a specific pattern. This will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

14 is a view showing a cleaning traveling pattern according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 14, when it is determined that the obstacle in the traveling direction is not located, the robot cleaner 100 can start the third chain pattern mode running in the third chain pattern.

When the third chain pattern mode is started, the robot cleaner 100 can determine the running direction 1300 in which the robot 300 runs in the third chain pattern.

Thereafter, the robot cleaner 100 may perform a first rotation step in which the robot cleaner 100 rotates counterclockwise with respect to the first rotary member 110 in consideration of the determined driving direction 1300 (S403).

Thereafter, the robot cleaner 100 may perform a second rotation step of rotating the second rotary member 120 in the clockwise direction in consideration of the determined travel direction 1100 (S404).

Thereafter, the robot cleaner 100 may perform a third rotation step (S405) in which the robot cleaner 100 rotates around a specific region according to the first rotation mode or the second rotation mode.

In the meantime, according to the above-described example, the third rotation step is performed after the first and second steps, but the order is not limited thereto.

According to the third chain pattern mode of the embodiment of the present invention, the robot cleaner 100 travels in a specific direction 1300 and can secure a cleaning area for the length between the left and right sides of the robot cleaner 100, It is possible to perform concentrated cleaning of a specific area.

Meanwhile, the robot cleaner 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is structured such that the front surface and the rear surface are symmetrical, and the forward travel can be backward traveling according to the reference direction setting, or conversely, have. In addition, the robot cleaner 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention has a structure in which the left side and the right side are symmetrical, and a left-turn running can be a right-turn running according to a reference direction setting, or a right- It is possible. Thus, in the above examples, the directions are only exemplary and may be interpreted in a symmetrical direction according to the implementation.

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

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 detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

100: robot cleaner 10: main body
20: bumper 110: first rotating member
120: second rotating member 130:
140: communication unit 150:
160: Storage unit 170: Control unit
180: input unit 185: output unit
190: Power supply

Claims (12)

In the robot cleaner,
main body;
A driving unit provided in the main body to supply power for driving the robot cleaner;
First and second rotatable members rotatable about a first rotation axis and a second rotation axis by the power of the driving unit to provide a movement source for traveling of the robot cleaner and each having a cleaner for wet cleaning; And
A first rotating step of rotating the first rotating member on the basis of the determined cleaning traveling pattern and a second rotating step of rotating the second rotating member on the basis of the determined traveling pattern, And a controller for controlling the driving unit to repeatedly travel. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
Wherein the controller controls the driving unit so that the rotating direction of the first rotating step and the rotating direction of the second rotating step are the same direction or different directions from each other. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
The first rotating member does not rotate or rotates at a low speed and the second rotating member controls the driving unit to rotate in the same direction at a faster speed than the first rotating member to perform the first rotating step and,
The second rotating member does not rotate or rotates at a low speed and the first rotating member controls the driving unit to rotate in the same direction at a faster speed than the second rotating member to perform the second rotating step And a robot cleaner for cleaning the robot cleaner. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
Wherein the robot cleaner controls the driving unit to perform a third rotation step in which the robot cleaner rotates a specific area around the center of rotation. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein,
And controls the driving unit so that the first rotating member and the second rotating member rotate at the same speed in the same direction so that the robot cleaner performs a third rotating step in which the center of the main body rotates about the center of rotation . 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein,
One of the first rotating member and the second rotating member does not rotate or rotates at a low speed while the other controls the driving unit to rotate in the same direction at a higher speed so that the rotating member is rotated about the center of rotation And performs a third rotating step of rotating the robot cleaner. A control method for a robot cleaner,
Rotating at least one of the first and second rotary members rotating about the first and second rotary shafts so as to travel the robot cleaner in a specific traveling direction;
Determining a cleaning traveling pattern of the robot cleaner during traveling; And
A first rotation step of rotating based on the first rotation member in accordance with the determined cleaning travel pattern and a second rotation step of rotating based on the second rotation member, And controlling at least one rotation of the member. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the step of controlling rotation of at least one of the first and second rotating members comprises:
And controls the rotation of at least one of the first and second rotary members so that the rotation direction of the first rotation step and the rotation direction of the second rotation step are the same direction or different directions from each other. . 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the step of controlling rotation of at least one of the first and second rotating members comprises:
The first rotating member does not rotate or rotates at a low speed, and the second rotating member controls the first rotating member to rotate in the same direction at a faster speed than the first rotating member; And
The second rotary member does not rotate or rotates at a low speed and the first rotary member controls the rotary member to rotate in the same direction at a faster speed than the second rotary member, Wherein the control method comprises: 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the step of controlling rotation of at least one of the first and second rotating members comprises:
Wherein the robot cleaner controls the rotation of at least one of the first and second rotating members so that the robot cleaner performs a third rotating step in which the specific area rotates about the center of rotation. 11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the step of controlling rotation of at least one of the first and second rotating members comprises:
Controls the robot cleaner to perform a third rotation step in which the robot cleaner rotates the center of the main body about the rotation, by controlling the first rotary member and the second rotary member to rotate at the same speed in the same direction Way. 11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the step of controlling rotation of at least one of the first and second rotating members comprises:
One of the first rotating member and the second rotating member does not rotate or rotates at a low speed and the other rotates in the same direction at a faster speed to rotate the rotating member about the center of rotation And the third rotation step is performed.

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