KR20220125655A - Robot cleaner and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A robot cleaner is disclosed. The robot cleaner of the present invention comprises: a driving device; a sensor; a memory; and a processor that controls the driving device to allow the robot cleaner to travel in a space where the robot cleaner is located, generates a map of the space where the robot cleaner is located on the basis of information acquired through the sensor, and stores the generated map in the memory. The processor performs the following tasks: dividing a space to be cleaned on the map into a plurality of rooms; recognizing an object located in the space through the sensor; mapping and storing information about the recognized object to a location corresponding to the location of the recognized object on the map; and generating a room name on the basis of information on the object located in each space divided into rooms.

Description

Robot cleaner and its control method

The present disclosure relates to a robot cleaner and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a robot cleaner capable of generating a map of a space and dividing and controlling a cleaning area on the map in units of rooms and a control method thereof.

In general, robots are developed for industrial use and are widely used in various industrial sites. In recent years, the field of using robots has been further expanded, and it is being used not only in the medical field and aerospace field, but also in general households.

A typical example of robots used at home is a robot vacuum cleaner. The robot vacuum cleaner performs the function of cleaning while inhaling foreign substances such as dust while driving in the indoor space of the home by itself.

As such, in a situation where the number of users using the robot cleaner is increasing, it is required to find a way to more efficiently control the robot cleaner.

The present disclosure has been made in response to the above-mentioned necessity, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a robot cleaner capable of classifying and controlling a cleaning area on a map generated by the robot cleaner in units of rooms, and a control method thereof.

In order to achieve the above object, the robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure controls the driving device to travel through a driving device, a sensor, a memory, and a space in which the robot cleaner is located, and information obtained through the sensor and a processor for generating a map for a space in which the robot cleaner is located based on Recognizes an object located in the space, maps information on the recognized object to a location corresponding to the recognized object's location on the map and stores it, and based on information on objects located in each area divided by room to create a room name.

In this case, the processor may generate a room name based on at least one of a type of an object located in the room and an area of the room.

Meanwhile, when a division command for one room is input on the map, the processor divides a room on the map to correspond to the input division command, and generates a room name for each room generated through division, , when a merge command for merging a plurality of rooms into one is input on the map, a plurality of rooms can be merged on the map to correspond to the input merging command, and a room name can be generated for one room created through merging. have.

In this case, the processor may generate a name of each divided room based on information on a thing located in each room generated through division.

On the other hand, the processor, based on the area of each room created through division, designates the name of the room before the division for the room with the largest area, and for the remaining rooms, the room name based on the information of objects located in the room can create

Meanwhile, the processor may generate a merged room name based on information on a thing located in one room generated through merging.

Meanwhile, the processor may generate the name of the room having the largest area as the merged room name, based on the area of each of the plurality of rooms before merging.

On the other hand, when the operation prohibition time setting command is input for at least one of the plurality of rooms on the map, the processor cleans the robot cleaner in a set time period in the cleaning area corresponding to the room to which the operation prohibition time setting command is input operation can be stopped.

Meanwhile, when a command for cleaning around furniture is input, the processor may control the driving device to perform a cleaning operation on a preset area centered on the location of the furniture among objects stored on the map.

Meanwhile, when it is identified that the robot cleaner has malfunctioned more than a preset number of times in one area on the map, the processor may set a cleaning area corresponding to the one area as a cleaning exclusion area.

On the other hand, the processor provides a notification suggesting map creation when there is no map stored in the memory, moves the space when a first user command is input, creates a map, and performs a cleaning operation when a second user command is input You can create a map at the same time you do it.

On the other hand, the user terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when receiving map information from the robot cleaner through a communication interface, a display, and the communication interface, displays a map UI in which the cleaning area on the map is divided into rooms. a processor for controlling a display, wherein the map UI displays a room name corresponding to each divided room, and the robot cleaner generates a room name based on information on objects located in each area divided by room unit do.

In this case, the processor displays an edit UI for receiving a split command for one room or a merge command for merging a plurality of rooms into one on the map UI, and the split command or merge command received through the edit UI When the communication interface is controlled to transmit to the robot cleaner and updated map information is received from the robot cleaner, a map UI with an updated room name may be displayed.

On the other hand, the control method of the robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes the steps of generating a map for a space in which the robot cleaner is located based on information obtained through a sensor while driving in a space in which the robot cleaner is located; Storing the map, dividing the cleaning area on the map by room unit, recognizing an object located in the space through the sensor, and providing information on the recognized object to the location of the recognized object on the map It may include the steps of storing the mapping to a location corresponding to , and generating a room name based on the information of the object located in each area divided by the room unit.

In this case, the generating of the room name may include generating the room name based on at least one of a type of an object located in the room and an area of the room.

Meanwhile, in the generating of the room name, when a division command for one room is input on the map, the room is divided on the map to correspond to the input division command, and each room created through division is When a merge command for generating a room name and merging a plurality of rooms into one is input on the map, a plurality of rooms are merged on the map to correspond to the input merging command, and a room created through merging is You can create a name.

In this case, in the generating of the room name, each divided room name may be generated based on information on objects located in each room generated through division.

On the other hand, in the generating of the room name, based on the area of each room created through division, the room with the largest area designates the name of the room before division, and for the remaining rooms, information of objects located in the room is used. You can create a room name based on it.

Meanwhile, in the generating of the room name, the merged room name may be generated based on information on a thing located in one room generated through merging.

Meanwhile, in the generating of the room name, the name of the room having the largest area may be generated as the merged room name, based on the area of each of the plurality of rooms before merging.

1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an electronic system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
3 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a user terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a UI that provides a notification suggesting map creation when there is no stored map.
6 is a diagram for explaining a map UI provided through a user terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an operation of dividing a cleaning area on a map UI by room unit and displaying a room name for each room on the map UI.
8 is a diagram for explaining an operation of generating a room name based on information on objects located in each area divided by room on the map UI.
9 is a diagram for explaining an operation of dividing a room by creating a dividing line on the map UI.
10 is a diagram for explaining an operation of dividing a room by correcting a dividing line on the map UI.
11 is a diagram for explaining an operation of merging rooms by deleting a dividing line on the map UI.
12 is a diagram for explaining an operation of selecting a plurality of adjacent rooms on a map UI and merging the rooms.
13 is a view for explaining a UI for setting an operation prohibition time of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
14 is a view for explaining a UI suggesting to clean an uncleaned area in which cleaning is not completed due to an obstacle after the robot cleaner performs a cleaning operation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
15 is a view for explaining a UI suggesting to clean an uncleaned area in which cleaning is not completed due to a malfunction of the robot cleaner after the robot cleaner performs a cleaning operation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 16 is a view for explaining a UI suggesting to clean an uncleaned area in which cleaning is not completed due to an operation prohibition time set in the robot cleaner after performing a cleaning operation of the robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
17 is a view for explaining a UI for controlling a cleaning operation around furniture of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
18 is a view for explaining a UI for guiding the robot cleaner to set the area as a cleaning exclusion area when a malfunction continuously occurs in an area on a map by the robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
19 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

It should be understood that the embodiments described below are illustratively shown to help the understanding of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure may be implemented with various modifications, unlike the embodiments described herein. However, in the following description of the present disclosure, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known function or component may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present disclosure, the detailed description and specific illustration thereof will be omitted. In addition, the accompanying drawings are not drawn to scale in order to help understanding of the disclosure, but dimensions of some components may be exaggerated.

The terms used in this specification and claims have been chosen in consideration of the function of the present disclosure. However, these terms may vary depending on the intention, legal or technical interpretation of a person skilled in the art, and the emergence of new technology. Also, some terms are arbitrarily selected by the applicant. These terms may be interpreted in the meaning defined in the present specification, and if there is no specific term definition, it may be interpreted based on the general content of the present specification and common technical knowledge in the art.

In the description of the present disclosure, the order of each step should be understood as non-limiting unless the preceding step must be logically and temporally performed before the subsequent step. That is, except for the above exceptional cases, even if the process described as the subsequent step is performed before the process described as the preceding step, the essence of the disclosure is not affected, and the scope of rights should also be defined regardless of the order of the steps.

In the present specification, expressions such as “have,” “may have,” “include,” or “may include” indicate the presence of a corresponding characteristic (eg, a numerical value, function, operation, or component such as a part). and does not exclude the presence of additional features.

Terms such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various elements, but the elements should not be limited by the terms. The above terms may be used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as a first component.

In addition, since the present specification describes components necessary for the description of each embodiment of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto. Accordingly, some components may be changed or omitted, and other components may be added. In addition, they may be distributed and arranged in different independent devices.

Furthermore, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and the contents described in the accompanying drawings, but the present disclosure is not limited or limited by the embodiments.

Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an electronic system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the electronic system 1000 may include a robot cleaner 100 , a user terminal device 200 , and a server 300 .

The robot cleaner 100 is a device that travels in space and automatically performs a cleaning operation.

Here, the cleaning operation may mean that the robot cleaner 100 sucks foreign substances such as dirt and dust present on the floor surface. To this end, the robot cleaner 100 may include a cleaning device (ie, a cleaning tool) for sucking in foreign substances. The cleaning device is rotatably installed and may include a brush for collecting foreign substances, and may generate a suction force through a motor or the like to suck the foreign substances from the floor. In this case, the sucked foreign substances may be accommodated in a dust bin provided in the robot cleaner 100 .

The user terminal device 200 is a device capable of performing various functions, such as providing information to a user or receiving a user command, and may be various electronic devices such as a smart phone, a tablet, a wearable device, and a PC.

The user terminal device 200 may provide the user with information received from an external device such as the robot cleaner 100 and the server 300 , or transmit a command inputted from the user to the external device. To this end, the user terminal device 200 may provide various UIs.

The user terminal device 200 may download and install an application from a server (not shown) that provides the application. In this case, the user executes an application on the user terminal device 200 and inputs a user account, and can log in to the server 300 through the input user account, and the user terminal device 100 receives the logged in user account. Based on the communication with the server 300 may be performed.

The user terminal device 200 may access the server 300 through various communication networks, and may transmit/receive various information to and from the server 300 through an application installed in the user terminal device 200 . For example, the user terminal device 200 may transmit a control signal for controlling the robot cleaner 100 through the server 300 or receive information provided from the robot cleaner 100 .

The server 300 may refer to an electronic device that collects and processes data of an external device. For example, the server 300 is not only a device that performs a function dedicated to the server, such as a cloud server, but also various electronic devices such as a smartphone, tablet, wearable device, and PC that can perform the function of the server together with other functions. may be implemented. However, this is only an example, and the server 300 may be implemented with various types of electronic devices not listed here. Also, the server 300 may be implemented as a single device or as an aggregate comprising a plurality of devices. For example, the server 300 may be a server that provides a SmartThings™ service.

Meanwhile, various operations performed by the electronic device, such as the robot cleaner 100 , the user terminal device 200 , and the like disclosed herein, may be performed through the server 300 .

2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the robot cleaner 100 may include a driving device 110 , a sensor 120 , a memory 130 , and a processor 140 .

The driving device 110 is configured to move the robot cleaner 100 . For example, the driving device 110 may include wheels installed on the left and right sides of the main body of the robot cleaner 100 , respectively, and a motor for driving the wheels. Accordingly, the driving device 110 may perform various driving operations such as movement, stopping, speed control, direction change, and angular velocity change of the robot cleaner 100 .

The sensor 120 may acquire various information related to the robot cleaner 100 and the robot cleaner 100 , and may acquire sensing data by sensing the environment of the space around the robot cleaner 100 . . For example, the sensor 120 is a distance sensor (eg, radar (Radar, Radio Detection And Ranging), LiDAR, Light Detection and Ranging), ultrasonic sensor, etc.), a camera that acquires an image of the surrounding space of the robot cleaner 100 (eg, a mono camera, a stereo camera, etc.), a depth camera, a geomagnetic sensor, that detects the angular velocity of the robot cleaner 100 It may include at least one of a gyro sensor and an encoder that detects the number of rotations of the wheels installed in the robot cleaner 100 .

The memory 130 is electrically connected to the processor 140 and may store data necessary for various embodiments of the present disclosure.

For example, a map generated for a space in which the robot cleaner 100 is located may be stored in the memory 130 .

The memory 130 may store commands or data related to at least one other component of the robot cleaner 100 . The memory 130 may be implemented as a non-volatile memory, a volatile memory, a flash-memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), or a solid state drive (SSD). The memory 130 is accessed by the processor 140 , and reading/writing/modification/deletion/update of data by the processor 140 may be performed. In the present disclosure, the term memory refers to a memory 130, a ROM, a RAM, or a memory card (eg, a micro SD card, a memory stick) mounted in the robot cleaner 100 in the processor 140 . may include

The processor 140 may generate (or update) a map of the space in which the robot cleaner 100 is located based on the information obtained through the sensor 120 . In addition, the processor 140 may store the generated (or updated) map in the memory 130 .

In this case, the processor 140 may generate a map corresponding to the space in which the robot cleaner 100 is located by using a simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithm.

For example, the processor 140 may set a position (eg, coordinates) at which the robot cleaner 100 starts traveling and a rotation angle of the robot cleaner 100 as a reference position and a reference rotation angle, respectively, to generate a map. have. Then, the processor 140 calculates the distance between the robot cleaner 100 and the surrounding object, the rotation angle and the movement distance of the robot cleaner 100 obtained while the robot cleaner 100 is driving, of the SLAM algorithm to generate a map. As an input, a position (eg, coordinates) and a rotation angle (eg, a rotation angle reflecting the position of the robot cleaner 100 ) of the robot cleaner 100 may be acquired through the SLAM algorithm. In this case, the processor 140 may acquire the distance between the robot cleaner 100 and the surrounding object through the lidar sensor. Then, the processor 140 calculates the rotation angle of the robot cleaner 100 based on the angular velocity of the robot cleaner 100 obtained through the gyro sensor, and based on the number of rotations of the wheels obtained through the encoder, the robot cleaner ( 100) can be calculated.

Thereafter, the processor 140 performs the steps obtained from the reference position based on the distance between the robot cleaner 100 and the surrounding object obtained through the lidar sensor while the robot cleaner 100 moves from the reference position to the acquired position. The location (eg, coordinates) of the obstacle to the location may be identified.

As a result, the processor 140 may generate a map corresponding to the space in which the robot cleaner 100 is located by repeatedly performing the above-described process while the robot cleaner 100 moves through the space. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the processor 140 may generate a map using various well-known methods.

In addition, the processor 140 may divide the map into a plurality of regions. For example, the processor 140 may generate a Voronoi graph for the map, and divide the map into a plurality of regions using the Voronoi graph.

Here, the Voronoi graph is one of methods for decomposing and displaying a given metric space. Specifically, each line of the Voronoi graph represents the boundary of these sets when the distance to a specific object is not greater than the distance to another object in the metric space in which the objects are arranged. is the line That is, the Voronoi graph can be said to be a line connecting intermediate points at the same distance for two objects in a given metric space.

In this case, the processor 140 generates a normal for the Voronoi graph generated based on the map, and divides the map into a plurality of regions in consideration of the area of the closed space and the length of the normal divided in the map based on the normal line. can For example, when the area of the closed space divided on the map based on a normal whose length falls within a preset range is greater than the preset size, the processor 140 identifies the closed space as one region, and the identified region It is possible to identify a gate connecting the area and other areas. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the processor 140 may divide the map into a plurality of regions using various well-known methods.

Meanwhile, the processor 140 may classify a cleaning area in which a cleaning operation is performed by the robot cleaner 100 on the map in units of rooms, and may generate a room name for each area divided in units of rooms. A detailed description related thereto will be described later with reference to FIGS. 6 to 12 .

Meanwhile, the processor 140 may control the driving device 110 to drive the cleaning area included in the map based on the information obtained through the sensor 120 .

Specifically, the processor 140 takes the distance between the robot cleaner 100 and the surrounding object, the rotation angle and the movement distance of the robot cleaner 100 as inputs of the SLAM algorithm, and the robot cleaner 100 on the map through the SLAM algorithm. The position and rotation angle of can be obtained. In addition, the processor 140 may control the driving device 110 so that the robot cleaner 100 travels in the cleaning area of the map based on the obtained position and rotation angle of the robot cleaner 100 . At this time, the processor 140 is based on the map, the position and rotation angle of the robot cleaner 100 on the map, and the distance between the robot cleaner 100 and the surrounding object obtained through the lidar sensor, around the robot cleaner 100 obstacles can be detected.

Meanwhile, the processor 140 may recognize a surrounding object using an image acquired through a camera. For example, the processor 140 may recognize an object from an image acquired through a camera and acquire information such as a type and a location of an object existing around the robot cleaner 100 .

In addition, the processor 140 may map and store information on the recognized object at a location corresponding to the recognized object's location on the map.

In addition, the processor 140 may generate a room name based on information on objects located in each area divided into rooms on the map. A detailed description related thereto will be described later with reference to FIGS. 6 to 12 .

3 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the robot cleaner 100 includes a driving device 110 , a sensor 120 , a memory 130 , a processor 140 , a communication interface 150 , and an input interface 160 . and an output interface 170 . A detailed description of the portion overlapping with the configuration shown in FIG. 2 among the configuration shown in FIG. 3 will be omitted.

The communication interface 150 may transmit/receive various data by performing communication with an external device. For example, the robot cleaner 100 may transmit/receive information to and from the user terminal device 200 and the server 300 through the communication interface 150 .

The communication interface 150 may communicate with an external device through a local area network (LAN), an Internet network, and a mobile communication network, as well as BT (Bluetooth), BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), UWB ( Ultra-wideband), WI-FI (Wireless Fidelity), WI-FI Direct (Wireless Fidelity Direct), Zigbee, and various communication methods such as NFC can communicate with an external device. To this end, the communication interface 150 may include various communication modules for performing network communication. For example, the communication interface 150 may include a Bluetooth chip, a Wi-Fi chip, a wireless communication chip, and the like.

The input interface 160 may receive various user commands. For example, the input interface 160 may receive a user command for controlling the robot cleaner 100 . The input interface 160 may include a physical button for receiving a user command, a microphone for receiving a user's spoken voice, and a display for receiving a user command through a touch screen.

The output interface 170 may include at least one of a display and a speaker. Here, the display is a device for outputting information in a visual form (eg, text, image, etc.). The display may display the image frame in all or part of the display area. The display area may refer to the entire area of a pixel unit in which information or data is visually displayed. A speaker is a device that outputs information in an audible form (eg, voice). The speaker may directly output various types of notification sounds or voice messages as well as various audio data on which various processing operations such as decoding, amplification, and noise filtering have been performed by the audio processing unit.

4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a user terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the user terminal device 200 may include a communication interface 210 , a display 220 , and a processor 230 .

The communication interface 210 may communicate with an external device such as the robot cleaner 100 and the server 300 to transmit/receive various information. The communication interface 210 may transmit a signal for controlling the robot cleaner 100 , such as a user command input through the user terminal device 200 , and may receive information from the robot cleaner 100 . For example, the user terminal device 200 may receive a map generated from the robot cleaner 100 through the communication interface 210 .

The display 220 may output information to the display 130 in a visual form. The display 220 may display various UIs for providing information or receiving user commands.

The display 220 may be implemented as a display including a self-luminous device or a display including a non-light-emitting device and a backlight. For example, Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLED) displays, Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), micro LEDs (micro LEDs), Mini LEDs, Plasma Display Panel (PDP), Quantum dot (QD) displays. , Quantum dot light-emitting diodes (QLEDs) may be implemented in various types of displays. The display 130 may also include a driving circuit, a backlight unit, and the like, which may be implemented in the form of an a-si TFT, a low temperature poly silicon (LTPS) TFT, or an organic TFT (OTFT). On the other hand, the display 220 is implemented as a touch screen combined with a touch sensor, a flexible display, a rollable display, a three-dimensional display (3D display), a display in which a plurality of display modules are physically connected, etc. can be

The processor 230 is electrically connected to the communication interface 210 and the display 220 , and may control the overall operation of the user terminal device 200 .

Specifically, when the processor 230 receives map information from the robot cleaner 100 through the communication interface 210, the processor 230 may control the display 220 to display a map UI in which the cleaning areas on the map are divided into rooms. have. In this case, the map UI may display room names corresponding to each of the divided rooms.

Meanwhile, the processor 230 may display an edit UI for receiving a split command for one room or a merge command for merging a plurality of rooms into one on the map UI. In this case, the communication interface 210 may be controlled to transmit a division command or a merge command input through the editing UI to the robot cleaner 100 . And, when the updated map information is received from the robot cleaner 100 , a map UI with an updated room name may be displayed. A detailed description related thereto will be described later with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12 .

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a UI that provides a notification suggesting map creation when there is no stored map.

The UI shown in FIG. 5 may be provided through the display 220 of the user terminal device 200 .

When there is no map stored in the memory 130 , the robot cleaner 100 may provide a notification suggesting map creation. Referring to FIG. 5 , the notification may be displayed as a UI displayed through the display 220 of the user terminal device 200 .

The notification UI may include a UI 510 for receiving a first user command to instruct to perform spatial learning alone and a UI 520 for receiving a second user command to command to perform spatial learning at the same time as cleaning. can The user terminal device 200 may provide the received user command to the robot cleaner 100 .

When the first user command is input, the robot cleaner 100 may move in space and generate a map. In this case, the robot cleaner 100 may move to a central location of each room and generate a map based on information sensed by the sensor 120 .

When a second user command is input, the robot cleaner 100 may generate a map while performing a cleaning operation. In this case, the robot cleaner 100 may perform a cleaning operation while moving in all rooms, and at the same time may generate a map based on information sensed by the sensor 120 .

The robot cleaner 100 may store the generated map in the memory 130 , and performs a cleaning operation even after the map is stored, and information about a new space is sensed, a change in the size of the space is sensed, or the space is arranged in a space. When a change in the type, location, etc. of an object is sensed, the map may be updated.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a map UI provided through a user terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 7 is a view showing a cleaning area on the map UI divided into rooms, and for each room on the map UI. A diagram for explaining an operation of displaying a room name.

When the user terminal device 200 receives map information from the robot cleaner 100 , the user terminal device 200 may display a map UI in which the cleaning areas on the map are divided into rooms through the display.

Referring to FIG. 6 , the map UI may display room names corresponding to each of the divided rooms. The user can set a cleaning exclusion zone on the map through the map UI, or command to save the created map.

Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 7 , the map UI may display a room name designated for each area divided by room unit.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a room name may be generated based on information on a thing located in each room. The robot cleaner 100 may recognize an object located in a space through the sensor 120 and store information on the recognized object on a map. In this case, the robot cleaner 100 may map and store the location of the object on the map so as to correspond to the recognized location of the object.

The robot cleaner 100 may generate a room name based on information on objects located in each area divided into rooms.

8 is a diagram for explaining an operation of generating a room name based on information on objects located in each area divided by room on the map UI.

The robot cleaner 100 may generate a room name based on at least one of a type of an object located in the room and an area of the room. The robot cleaner 100 may acquire the type, location, etc. of the home appliance by performing object recognition through a camera or performing BLE communication with various home appliances arranged in the space. Also, the robot cleaner 100 may acquire the area of each room based on the created map.

8 exemplarily illustrates various embodiments of setting a room name.

For example, the room identified as having kitchen appliances, including refrigerators, ovens, etc., is named “kitchen”, the room with the largest area is named “living room”, and the room identified as having the bed is named “bedroom”. , the room identified as having a table and bookshelf is named “Study”, the room identified as having food items placed is named “Pantry”, and the room identified as having a toilet, bathtub, or sink is named “Toilet” For example, the name of a room identified as having only a washing machine or dryer may be set as “laundry room”, and the name of an area in which two or more shoes are disposed and identified as having a step may be set as “entrance”. On the other hand, in the case of a room in which a preset condition as described above is not identified, a number may be added to the room, such as “room #,” to be displayed as the name of the room.

Meanwhile, the user may edit the area of the room on the map UI. Specifically, according to a user command input, one room may be divided to create a plurality of rooms, or a plurality of rooms may be merged to create one room.

To this end, the user terminal device 200 may display an edit UI for receiving a split command for one room or a merge command for merging a plurality of rooms into one on the map UI. The user terminal device 200 may transmit a split command or a merge command input through the edit UI to the robot cleaner 100 , and upon receiving updated map information from the robot cleaner 100 , the room name is updated map UI can be displayed.

When a division command for one room is input on the map, the robot cleaner 100 divides the room on the map to correspond to the input division command, and generates a room name for each room generated through division. . Also, when a merge command for merging a plurality of rooms into one is input on the map, a plurality of rooms may be merged on the map to correspond to the input merging command, and a room name may be generated for one room generated through the merging. .

Hereinafter, various embodiments of an editing UI for receiving a split command or a merge command will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12 .

9 is a diagram for explaining an operation of dividing a room by creating a dividing line on a map displayed on the editing UI, and FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an operation of dividing a room by modifying the dividing line on the map displayed on the editing UI to be.

Referring to FIG. 9 , a user may create a dividing line through a touch/drag operation on the map displayed on the editing UI. The editing UI may display a notification window for receiving input whether to apply the generated dividing line, and when an application command is input, the room may be divided on the map based on the generated dividing line.

According to an embodiment, the names of the two rooms generated through division may be set based on information on objects located in each room. For example, the room name may be set by applying the room name setting method described with reference to FIG. 8 based on information on objects located in each divided area.

According to another embodiment, based on the area of each room created through division, the room with the largest area is named the room before the division, and for the remaining rooms, the room name is given based on information on objects located in the room. can create

According to another embodiment, when it is identified that a recognized object is located in the divided room 1 and there is no recognized object in the divided room 2, the divided room 1 is a room name based on the information of the object located in the room 1. You can specify the name of the room before the split room 2, which is set.

Referring to FIG. 10 , a user may divide a room by modifying a dividing line displayed on the editing UI. The editing UI can display a notification window that receives input whether to modify the selected dividing line when selecting a previously created dividing line, and can divide a room on the map based on the modified dividing line when an edit command is input.

11 is a diagram illustrating an operation of merging rooms by deleting a dividing line on the map UI, and FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an operation of merging rooms by selecting a plurality of adjacent rooms on the map UI.

Referring to FIG. 11 , the user may merge rooms by deleting the dividing line displayed on the editing UI. The editing UI can display a notification window that asks if you want to delete the selected dividing line when you select an existing dividing line, and when a delete command is entered, you can merge multiple rooms based on the deleted dividing line have.

Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 12 , the user may select a plurality of adjacent rooms on the editing UI and merge the rooms. For example, when a 'merge rooms' command is input, a UI for selecting a room to be merged is displayed, and when one room is selected, the UI can be controlled to select a room adjacent to the selected room.

According to an embodiment, when a room merging command is input, a name of a room having a larger area may be designated as the merged room name by comparing the areas of the merged rooms.

According to another embodiment, a merged room name may be generated based on information on a thing located in one room generated through merging. For example, the room name may be set by applying the room name setting method described with reference to FIG. 8 based on the information on the object located in the merged area.

According to another embodiment, when a recognized object is located in room 1 before merging and it is identified that there is no recognized object in room 2 before merging, the name of the merged room may be designated the same as the name of room 1 in which the object is located. have.

13 is a view for explaining a UI for setting an operation prohibition time of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

When the operation prohibition time setting command is input for at least one of a plurality of rooms on the map, the robot cleaner 100 may stop the cleaning operation in the set time period in the cleaning area corresponding to the room in which the operation prohibition time setting command is input. have. In this case, the operation prohibition time can be set for each room. For example, the user may set the time to study as the prohibition time of the study room, set the time period in which TV is mainly viewed as the operation prohibition time of the living room, or set the time to sleep as the operation prohibition time of the bedroom.

The user terminal device 200 may receive an operation prohibition time setting command through the UI for setting the operation prohibition time and transmit it to the robot cleaner 100 . Referring to FIG. 13 , a user may select a room from a map displayed on the UI to set a start time and an end time of the operation prohibition time.

14 is a view for explaining a UI suggesting to clean an uncleaned area in which cleaning is not completed due to an obstacle after a cleaning operation of the robot cleaner is performed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 15 is a diagram of the present disclosure It is a diagram for explaining a UI suggesting to clean an uncleaned area in which cleaning is not completed due to a malfunction of the robot cleaner after performing the cleaning operation of the robot cleaner according to an embodiment.

When the cleaning operation is completed, the robot cleaner 100 may provide a cleaning report on the cleaning result to the user terminal device 200 . When there is an uncleaned area in which cleaning is not completed due to an obstacle or a malfunction of the robot cleaner, the user terminal device 200 may provide a UI for controlling the user to perform a cleaning operation on the uncleaned area again. .

In this case, by displaying the location of the obstacle on the map through the UI and providing information about the obstacle, it is possible to guide the cleaning of the uncleaned area after the obstacle is removed. In addition, when an uncleaned area occurs due to a malfunction of the robot cleaner 100 , a location where the malfunction occurs may be displayed on a map, and a cause of the malfunction may be provided.

Meanwhile, an uncleaned area may occur due to the operation prohibition time set in the robot cleaner 100 .

FIG. 16 is a view for explaining a UI suggesting to clean an uncleaned area in which cleaning is not completed due to an operation prohibition time set in the robot cleaner after performing a cleaning operation of the robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Referring to FIG. 16 , when an uncleaned area occurs due to the operation prohibition time, the user terminal device 200 may provide a UI for controlling the cleaning operation to be performed again after the operation prohibition time ends.

17 is a view for explaining a UI for controlling a cleaning operation around furniture of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

When a command to clean around furniture is input, the robot cleaner 100 may perform a cleaning operation on a preset area centered on the location of the furniture among objects stored on the map. The robot cleaner 100 may recognize the location of furniture in various ways, such as object recognition using an image captured by a camera, and location recognition using BLE communication between home appliances. The robot cleaner 100 may determine a cleaning area around the furniture by recognizing the size and shape of the furniture. For example, the robot cleaner 100 may determine an area within a preset distance from the furniture as an area around the furniture, and perform a cleaning operation on the area when a cleaning command is input around the furniture.

18 is a view for explaining a UI for guiding the robot cleaner to set the area as a cleaning exclusion area when a malfunction continuously occurs in an area on a map by the robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

When it is identified that a malfunction has occurred more than a preset number of times in one area on the map, the robot cleaner 100 may set a cleaning area corresponding to the area in which the malfunction occurs as a cleaning exclusion area. Referring to FIG. 18 , if a malfunction occurs more than a preset number of times in the same area, a UI for guiding to set the cleaning exclusion area may be displayed through the user terminal device 200 . In this case, an area in which a malfunction has occurred may be displayed on the map, and a cause of the malfunction may be provided.

19 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The control method of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes generating a map for a space in which the robot cleaner is located based on information obtained through a sensor while driving in a space in which the robot cleaner is located (S1910), the generated map A step of storing (S1920), a step of dividing the cleaning area on the map by room unit (S1930), a step of recognizing an object located in the space through a sensor (S1940), information about the recognized object on the map recognized object It may include the step of storing the mapping to a location corresponding to the location (S1950) and generating a room name based on the information of the object located in each area divided by the room (S1960).

First, the robot cleaner may drive and generate a map for a space in which the robot cleaner is located based on information obtained through a sensor (S1910).

Then, the robot cleaner may store the generated map (S1920).

In addition, the robot cleaner may divide the cleaning area on the map in units of rooms ( S1930 ).

In addition, the robot cleaner may recognize an object located in the space through the sensor (S1940).

In addition, the robot cleaner may map and store information on the recognized object to a location corresponding to the recognized object's location on the map ( S1950 ).

In addition, the robot cleaner may generate a room name based on the information of an object located in each area divided by room unit (S1960).

In this case, the robot cleaner may generate a room name based on at least one of a type of an object located in the room and an area of the room.

Meanwhile, when a division command for one room is input on the map, the robot cleaner may divide a room on the map to correspond to the input division command, and generate a room name for each room generated through division. Also, when a merge command for merging a plurality of rooms into one is input on the map, a plurality of rooms may be merged on the map to correspond to the input merging command, and a room name may be generated for one room generated through the merging. .

When a division command is input, each divided room name may be generated based on information on objects located in each room generated through division.

On the other hand, based on the area of each room created through division, the room with the largest area is designated as the name of the room before the division, and for the remaining rooms, a room name can be generated based on information on objects located in the room. .

When a merge command is input, a merged room name may be generated based on information on objects located in one room generated through merging.

Meanwhile, the name of the room having the largest area may be generated as the merged room name based on the area of each of the plurality of rooms before merging.

The various embodiments described herein may be implemented individually, as well as a plurality of embodiments may be implemented in combination.

Meanwhile, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the various embodiments described above may be implemented as software including instructions stored in a machine-readable storage media readable by a machine (eg, a computer). The device is a device capable of calling a stored command from a storage medium and operating according to the called command, and may include an electronic device (eg, the electronic device A) according to the disclosed embodiments. When executed by the processor, the processor may perform a function corresponding to the instruction, either directly or by using other components under the control of the processor, The instruction may include code generated or executed by a compiler or an interpreter. A device-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium, where the 'non-transitory storage medium' is a tangible device and a signal (eg, electromagnetic waves), and this term does not distinguish between a case in which data is stored semi-permanently in a storage medium and a case in which data is temporarily stored. It may contain buffers.

According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in this document may be provided in a computer program product (computer program product). Computer program products may be traded between sellers and buyers as commodities. The computer program product is distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (eg compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)), or through an application store (eg Play Store™) or on two user devices ( It can be distributed (eg downloaded or uploaded) directly or online between smartphones (eg smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product (eg, a downloadable app) is stored at least in a machine-readable storage medium, such as a memory of a manufacturer's server, a server of an application store, or a relay server. It may be temporarily stored or temporarily created.

In addition, each of the components (eg, a module or a program) according to the above-described various embodiments may be composed of a single or a plurality of entities, and some sub-components of the aforementioned sub-components may be omitted, or other sub-components may be omitted. Components may be further included in various embodiments. Alternatively or additionally, some components (eg, a module or a program) may be integrated into a single entity to perform the same or similar functions performed by each corresponding component prior to integration. According to various embodiments, operations performed by a module, program, or other component may be sequentially, parallel, repetitively or heuristically executed, or at least some operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or other operations may be added. can

In the above, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described, but the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and is commonly used in the technical field to which the disclosure belongs without departing from the gist of the present disclosure as claimed in the claims. Various modifications may be made by those having the knowledge of

100: robot cleaner 200: user terminal device
300: server

Claims (20)

In the robot vacuum cleaner,
drive;
sensor;
Memory; and
a processor that controls the driving device to travel in the space in which the robot cleaner is located, generates a map of the space in which the robot cleaner is located based on information obtained through the sensor, and stores the generated map in the memory; including,
The processor is
The cleaning area on the map is divided into rooms,
Recognizing an object located in the space through the sensor,
information on the recognized object is mapped to a location corresponding to the location of the recognized object on the map and stored;
A robot cleaner that generates a room name based on information on objects located in each area divided into rooms. According to claim 1,
The processor is
A robot cleaner that generates a room name based on at least one of a type of an object located in the room and an area of the room. According to claim 1,
The processor is
When a division command for one room is input on the map, the room is divided on the map to correspond to the input division command, and a room name is generated for each room created through division,
When a merging command for merging a plurality of rooms into one is input on the map, a robot that merges a plurality of rooms on the map to correspond to the input merging command, and generates a room name for one room generated through merging vacuum cleaner. 4. The method of claim 3,
The processor is
A robot cleaner that generates a name for each divided room based on information on objects located in each room generated through division. 4. The method of claim 3,
The processor is
Based on the area of each room created through division, the room with the largest area names the room before division, and for the remaining rooms, a room name is generated based on the information of objects located in the room, a robot cleaner. According to claim 1,
The processor is
A robot cleaner that generates a merged room name based on information on objects located in one room generated through merging. According to claim 1,
The processor is
A robot cleaner that generates the name of the room having the largest area as the merged room name, based on the area of each of the plurality of rooms before merging. According to claim 1,
The processor is
When an operation prohibition time setting command is input for at least one of a plurality of rooms on the map, in the cleaning area corresponding to the room to which the operation prohibition time setting command is input, the robot cleaner stops the cleaning operation at a set time period. vacuum cleaner. According to claim 1,
The processor is
When a cleaning command around furniture is input, the robot cleaner controls the driving device to perform a cleaning operation on a predetermined area centered on the location of the furniture among the objects stored on the map. According to claim 1,
The processor is
When it is identified that the robot cleaner has malfunctioned more than a preset number of times in one area on the map, a cleaning area corresponding to the one area is set as a cleaning exclusion area. According to claim 1,
The processor is
If there is no map stored in the memory, a notification suggesting map creation is provided, a map is created while moving through space when a first user command is input, and a cleaning operation is performed when a second user command is input and a map is created at the same time A robot vacuum cleaner. In the user terminal device,
communication interface;
display; and
When the map information is received from the robot cleaner through the communication interface, the processor controls the display to display a map UI in which the cleaning areas on the map are divided into rooms;
The map UI displays a room name corresponding to each divided room,
The robot cleaner generates a room name based on information on objects located in each area divided by room unit, a user terminal device. 13. The method of claim 12,
The processor is
displaying an editing UI for receiving a split command for one room or a merge command for merging a plurality of rooms into one on the map UI;
controlling the communication interface to transmit a division command or a merge command input through the editing UI to the robot cleaner,
Upon receiving the updated map information from the robot cleaner, the user terminal device for displaying the updated map UI with a room name. In the control method of a robot cleaner,
generating a map of the space in which the robot cleaner is located based on information obtained through a sensor while driving in the space in which the robot cleaner is located;
storing the generated map;
dividing the cleaning area on the map into rooms;
recognizing an object located in the space through the sensor;
mapping and storing information on the recognized object to a location corresponding to the location of the recognized object on the map; and
A control method comprising a; generating a room name based on the information of the object located in each area divided by the room unit. 15. The method of claim 14,
The step of generating the room name is,
A control method for generating a room name based on at least one of a type of an object located in the room and an area of the room. 15. The method of claim 14,
The step of generating the room name is,
When a division command for one room is input on the map, the room is divided on the map to correspond to the input division command, and a room name is generated for each room created through division,
When a merging command for merging a plurality of rooms into one is input on the map, a control for merging a plurality of rooms on the map to correspond to the input merging command, and generating a room name for one room generated through merging Way. 17. The method of claim 16,
The step of generating the room name is,
A control method for generating a name of each divided room based on information of a thing located in each room generated through division. 17. The method of claim 16,
The step of generating the room name is,
Based on the area of each room created through division, the room with the largest area is named the room before the division, and for the remaining rooms, a room name is generated based on information on objects located in the room, a control method. 17. The method of claim 16,
The step of generating the room name is,
A control method for generating a merged room name based on information on objects located in one room generated through merging. 17. The method of claim 16,
The step of generating the room name is,
A control method for generating a name of a room having the largest area as a merged room name based on the area of each of the plurality of rooms before merging.

Images