KR20230134800A - A robot cleaner and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The robot vacuum cleaner according to the present invention includes a traveling unit that moves the main body, a cleaning unit that performs a cleaning function, a sensing unit that senses the surrounding environment of the cleaning area, and distance information to obstacles through the surrounding environment information input from the sensing unit. and a control unit that determines the shape of the obstacle and controls the traveling unit, wherein the control unit controls the traveling unit according to the shape of the obstacle with respect to the main moving direction of the main body.

Description

Robot cleaner and control method of robot cleaner {A ROBOT CLEANER AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF}

The present invention relates to a robot cleaner and a control method of the robot cleaner, and to a cleaning technology corresponding to the shape of an obstacle in the traveling direction.

Robots have been developed for industrial use and have played a part in factory automation.

Recently, the field of application of robots has expanded further, and medical robots, aerospace robots, etc. have been developed, and household robots that can be used in general homes are also being created. Among these robots, those that can travel on their own are called mobile robots. A representative example of a mobile robot used at home is a robot vacuum cleaner.

Various technologies are known for detecting the environment and users around a robot cleaner through various sensors provided in the robot cleaner. Additionally, technologies are known in which a robot cleaner learns and maps the cleaning area on its own and determines the current location on the map. A robot vacuum cleaner that cleans a cleaning area by traveling in a preset manner is known.

In addition, in the prior art (Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2017-0003764), a map (grid map) of the cleaning area is processed into a form that is easy for the user to check (outline changes, etc.), and a cleaning command is input through the map. Accordingly, a method for performing cleaning on a cleaning area is disclosed.

Meanwhile, in the prior art (Korean Patent No. 10-1629649), a control method for a robot vacuum cleaner acquires surrounding images while traveling in a cleaning area, and proceeds with cleaning while avoiding obstacles based on the acquired images.

According to the prior art, if there is a concave-shaped obstacle in the cleaning direction, a pattern is driven by turning outside the obstacle, so after cleaning the entire cleaning area, the map is analyzed again to determine the inside of the obstacle that has not been cleaned. Since the area has to be returned to be cleaned again, there is a problem that cleaning takes a long time and the energy used for cleaning is wasted.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2017-0003764 (Publication Date: July 18, 2018) Korean registered patent number 10-1629649 (Publication date: June 7, 2016)

The first object of the present invention is to provide a robot cleaner that classifies the shape of obstacles existing in a cleaning area according to the moving direction of the cleaner and cleans efficiently accordingly.

Additionally, the second task is to provide a robot vacuum cleaner that cleans efficiently when the shape of the obstacle is concave with respect to the main moving direction of the vacuum cleaner.

Additionally, the third task is to provide a robot vacuum cleaner that cleans efficiently by considering the size of the interior area of the obstacle and the degree of contamination of the interior area when the shape of the obstacle is concave with respect to the main moving direction of the vacuum cleaner.

A robot vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a traveling unit that moves the main body, a cleaning unit that performs a cleaning function, a sensing unit that detects the surrounding environment of the cleaning area, and obstacles and obstacles through the surrounding environment information input from the sensing unit. and a control unit that determines the distance information and the shape of the obstacle and controls the traveling unit, and the control unit controls the traveling unit according to the shape of the obstacle with respect to the main moving direction of the main body.

If the control unit determines that the obstacle has a concave shape with respect to the main moving direction of the main body, it enters the main body through the entrance of the obstacle to the edge of the inner area of the obstacle, and moves the main body to the edge of the inner area of the obstacle. It can be controlled to drive in a pattern while proceeding toward the entrance of the obstacle.

The control unit may control the main body to travel in a straight line parallel to the main moving direction of the main body when the main body travels through the entrance of the obstacle to the edge of the inner area of the obstacle.

The controller may control the main body to travel along the inner wall of the obstacle when the main body travels through the entrance of the obstacle to the edge of the inner area of the obstacle.

The control unit may determine that the obstacle has a concave shape when the internal space of the obstacle is open in a direction opposite to the main moving direction of the main body.

If the control unit determines that the main body is close to the obstacle while cleaning the cleaning area and that the obstacle has a concave shape with respect to the main moving direction of the main body, the main body first cleans the inner area of the obstacle, It can be controlled to clean the outer area of the obstacle.

The control unit may control the cleaning area to be cleaned until the main body approaches the entrance of the area inside the obstacle.

When the main body cleans the inner area of the obstacle, the control unit causes the main body to enter the edge of the inner area of the obstacle through the entrance of the inner area and then clean while proceeding in the direction of the entrance of the internal area. You can control it.

The control unit may control the main body to travel in a zigzag pattern when cleaning the main body while moving toward the entrance of the internal area.

The control unit may control the main body to travel in a straight line parallel to the main moving direction of the main body when the main body enters the edge of the inner area of the obstacle through the entrance of the internal area.

The control unit approaches the obstacle during cleaning of the cleaning area, and if the obstacle is determined to have a concave shape with respect to the main moving direction of the main body, if the internal area of the obstacle is within the sensing range of the sensing unit, If it is determined that the interior area of the obstacle is in a clean state, the main body may be controlled to clean the cleaning area without cleaning the interior area of the obstacle.

If the control unit determines that the internal area of the obstacle is in a non-clean state when the internal area of the obstacle is within the sensing range of the sensing unit, the main body cleans the internal area of the obstacle first and then cleans the external area of the obstacle. can be controlled to clean.

During cleaning of the cleaning area, the control unit approaches the obstacle, determines that the obstacle has a concave shape with respect to the main moving direction of the main body, and if the internal area of the obstacle is larger than the sensing range of the sensing unit, the main body It can be controlled to first clean the inner area of the obstacle and then clean the outer area of the obstacle.

In addition, the control method of the present invention includes an extraction step of extracting the location and shape of the obstacle based on information on the distance to the obstacle, a shape determination step of determining whether the extracted shape of the obstacle is concave with respect to the main moving direction of the main body, If the obstacle is determined to have a concave shape with respect to the main moving direction of the main body, an entry step in which the main body enters the edge of the inner area of the obstacle and a pattern driving process while advancing from the edge of the inner area of the obstacle toward the entrance of the obstacle. It is characterized in that it includes an internal cleaning step.

In the entry step, the main body may travel along the inner wall of the obstacle through the entrance of the obstacle to the edge of the inner area of the obstacle.

In the entry step, the main body may travel in a straight line parallel to the main travel direction of the main body from the entrance of the obstacle to the edge of the inner area of the obstacle.

In the internal cleaning step, the main body may travel in a zigzag pattern while proceeding toward the entrance of the internal area.

In the entry step, if the inner area of the obstacle is larger than the sensing range of the sensing unit, the main body may enter the edge of the inner area of the obstacle.

In addition, the control method of the present invention includes an extraction step of extracting the location and shape of the obstacle based on information on the distance to the obstacle, a shape determination step of determining whether the extracted shape of the obstacle is concave with respect to the main moving direction of the main body, If the obstacle is determined to have a concave shape with respect to the main moving direction of the main body, a contamination state determination step of determining the contamination state of the inner region of the obstacle if the inner region of the obstacle is within the sensing range of the sensing unit, If it is determined that the internal area is clean, the method may include an external area cleaning step of cleaning an external area of the obstacle without cleaning the internal area of the obstacle.

In addition, the present invention provides an entry step in which the main body enters the edge of the inner region of the obstacle when it is determined that the inner region of the obstacle is in a non-clean state in the contamination state determination step, and the obstacle enters the edge of the inner region of the obstacle. It may further include an internal cleaning step of driving in a pattern while proceeding in the direction of the entrance.

Through the above solution, the present invention has the advantage of reducing cleaning time and energy consumption of the cleaner by determining the cleaning method according to the type of obstacles in the cleaning area.

In addition, in the present invention, when the main body travels through the entrance of the obstacle to the edge of the inner area of the obstacle, if the main body travels in a straight line parallel to the main moving direction of the main body, the main body travels twice when entering and escaping from the inner space of the obstacle. The problem of reduced cleaning efficiency can be solved by cleaning.

In addition, in the present invention, the robot cleaner moves to the front of the interior space of the obstacle in a straight line and runs in a pattern at the front of the interior space, so that the size of the interior space can be accurately recognized and the interval of the pattern run can be adjusted.

Additionally, in the present invention, if the size of the internal area is small and clean, the cleaning area can be cleaned without the need to complicate the movement line of the robot cleaner, enabling efficient cleaning.

Additionally, in the present invention, if the size of the internal area is small, the internal area is scanned with a camera, and cleaning is performed if the internal area is contaminated, thereby enabling efficient cleaning.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a robot cleaner and a charging base for charging the robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an elevation view of the robot cleaner of FIG. 1 viewed from above.
Figure 3 is an elevation view of the robot cleaner of Figure 1 viewed from the front.
FIG. 4 is an elevation view of the robot cleaner of FIG. 1 viewed from the bottom.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the control relationship between the main components of the robot cleaner of FIG. 1.
Figure 6 is a diagram explaining the pattern driving of a robot vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 is a diagram for explaining a control method of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 8 is a diagram for explaining a control method of a robot cleaner according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 9 is a flowchart showing a control method of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the magnitude comparison expressed verbally/mathematically throughout this description, 'less than or equal to (less than)' and 'less than' are easily interchangeable from the point of view of an ordinary technician, and 'greater than or equal to' From the point of view of a person skilled in the art, '(more than)' and 'greater than (greater than)' are degrees that can be easily substituted for each other, and of course, even if they are substituted in implementing the present invention, there is no problem in achieving the effect.

The mobile robot 100 of the present invention refers to a robot that can move on its own using wheels, etc., and can be a home helper robot or a robot vacuum cleaner.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, the robot vacuum cleaner 100 among mobile robots will be described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The robot cleaner 100 includes a main body 110. Hereinafter, in defining each part of the main body 110, the part facing the ceiling in the travel area is defined as the upper surface part (see Figure 2), and the part facing the floor in the driving area is defined as the bottom part (see Figure 4). And, of the portion forming the circumference of the main body 110 between the upper and lower surfaces, the portion facing the traveling direction is defined as the front portion (see FIG. 3). Additionally, the portion facing the opposite direction from the front portion of the main body 110 may be defined as the rear portion. The main body 110 may include a case 111 that forms a space in which various parts constituting the robot cleaner 100 are accommodated.

The robot vacuum cleaner 100 includes a sensing unit 130 that senses the surrounding situation. The sensing unit 130 can sense information from outside the robot cleaner 100. The sensing unit 130 detects users around the robot cleaner 100. The sensing unit 130 can detect objects around the robot cleaner 100.

The sensing unit 130 can sense information about the cleaning area. The sensing unit 130 can detect obstacles such as walls, furniture, and cliffs on the driving surface. The sensing unit 130 can sense information about the ceiling. The sensing unit 130 may include an object placed on the driving surface and/or an external upper object. The external upper object may include the ceiling or the lower side of furniture disposed above the robot cleaner 100. Through the information sensed by the sensing unit 130, the robot cleaner 100 can map the cleaning area.

The sensing unit 130 can sense information about users around the robot cleaner 100. The sensing unit 130 can detect the user's location information. The location information may include direction information about the robot cleaner 100. The location information may include distance information between the robot cleaner 100 and the user. The sensing unit 130 can detect the user's direction toward the robot cleaner 100. The sensing unit 130 can sense the distance between the user and the robot cleaner 100.

The location information may be obtained directly through detection by the sensing unit 130, or may be obtained through processing by the control unit 140.

The sensing unit 130 may include an image sensing unit 135 that detects surrounding images. The image detection unit 135 can detect an image in a specific direction with respect to the robot cleaner 100. For example, the image detection unit 135 may detect an image in front of the robot cleaner 100. The image detection unit 135 takes pictures of the driving area and may include a digital camera. The digital camera is an image sensor (e.g., CMOS image sensor) that includes at least one optical lens and a plurality of photodiodes (e.g., pixels) that form an image by light passing through the optical lens. It may include a digital signal processor (DSP) that configures an image based on signals output from the photodiodes. The digital signal processor is capable of generating not only still images but also moving images composed of frames composed of still images.

The sensing unit 130 may include a distance sensing unit 131 that detects the distance to the surrounding wall. The distance between the robot cleaner 100 and the surrounding wall can be detected through the distance detection unit 131. The distance detection unit 131 detects the distance to the user in a specific direction of the robot cleaner 100. The distance detection unit 131 may include a camera, an ultrasonic sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a lidar sensor, etc.

The distance sensing unit 131 may be placed on the front part of the main body 110 or on the side part.

The distance detection unit 131 can detect surrounding obstacles. A plurality of distance detection units 131 may be provided.

The sensing unit 130 may include a cliff detection unit 132 that detects the presence or absence of a cliff on the floor within the driving area. A plurality of cliff detection units 132 may be provided.

The sensing unit 130 may further include a lower image sensor 137 that acquires an image of the floor.

The robot cleaner 100 includes a traveling unit 160 that moves the main body 110. The traveling unit 160 moves the main body 110 with respect to the floor. The traveling unit 160 may include at least one driving wheel 166 that moves the main body 110. The traveling unit 160 may include a driving motor. The driving wheels 166 may be provided on the left and right sides of the main body 110, respectively, and are hereinafter referred to as left wheels 166(L) and right wheels 166(R), respectively.

The left wheel 166(L) and the right wheel 166(R) may be driven by a single drive motor, but if necessary, the left wheel drive motor and the right wheel 166(R) drive the left wheel 166(L). ) may each be provided with a right-wheel drive motor that drives the motor. The driving direction of the main body 110 can be switched to the left or right by making a difference in the rotation speed of the left wheel 166(L) and the right wheel 166(R).

The robot cleaner 100 includes a cleaner 180 that performs a cleaning function.

The robot cleaner 100 moves through the cleaning area and can clean the floor by the cleaner 180. The cleaning unit 180 includes a suction device for sucking in foreign substances, brushes 184 and 185 for mopping, a dust bin (not shown) for storing foreign substances collected by the suction device or brush, and/or a mopping unit for mopping. (not shown), etc. may be included.

An intake port 180h through which air is sucked may be formed at the bottom of the main body 110. Inside the main body 110, there is a suction device (not shown) that provides suction force so that air can be sucked in through the inlet (180h), and a dust bin (not shown) that collects dust sucked along with the air through the inlet (180h). This can be provided.

An opening for inserting and removing the dust bin may be formed in the case 111, and a dust bin cover 112 that opens and closes the opening may be rotatable with respect to the case 111.

A roll-shaped main brush 184 having brushes exposed through the suction port 180h, and an auxiliary brush 185 located on the front side of the bottom of the main body 110 and having a brush composed of a plurality of radially extending wings. may be provided. Dust is removed from the floor in the driving area by the rotation of these brushes 184 and 185, and the dust separated from the floor is sucked in through the suction port 180h and collected in the dust bin.

The battery 138 can supply power necessary for not only the drive motor but also the overall operation of the robot cleaner 100. When the battery 138 is discharged, the robot cleaner 100 can return to the charging station 200 for charging. During this return trip, the robot cleaner 100 automatically determines the position of the charging station 200. can be detected.

The charging base 200 may include a signal transmitting unit (not shown) that transmits a predetermined return signal. The return signal may be an ultrasonic signal or an infrared signal, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

Meanwhile, the image detection unit 135 is provided on the upper surface of the main body 110 and acquires an image of the ceiling within the blue area, but the location and shooting range of the image detection unit 135 are not necessarily limited to this. . For example, the image detection unit 135 may be provided to acquire an image in front of the main body 110.

Additionally, the robot cleaner 100 may further include a control unit (not shown) that can turn on/off or input various commands.

Referring to FIG. 5, the robot cleaner 100 includes a storage unit 150 that stores various data. Various data necessary for controlling the robot cleaner 100 may be recorded in the storage unit 150. The storage unit 150 may include volatile or non-volatile recording media. The recording medium stores data that can be read by a microprocessor, such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Disk), SDD (Silicon Disk Drive), ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, It may include magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage device, etc.

A map of the cleaning area may be stored in the storage unit 150. The map may be input by an external terminal capable of exchanging information with the robot cleaner 100 through wired or wireless communication, or may be generated by the robot cleaner 100 through self-learning. In the former case, examples of external terminals include remote controls, PDAs, laptops, smart phones, and tablets equipped with applications for map settings.

The map may display the locations of a plurality of nodes corresponding to a plurality of points within the cleaning area (one-to-one correspondence). Each area within the cleaning area may be displayed on the map. Additionally, the current location of the robot cleaner 100 may be displayed on the map. The current location of the robot cleaner 100 on the map may be updated during the driving process.

The driving displacement measurement unit 165 may measure the driving displacement based on the image acquired by the image detection unit 135. Traveling displacement is a concept that includes the moving direction and moving distance of the robot cleaner 100. For example, the traveling displacement measurement unit 165 may measure the traveling displacement through continuous pixel comparison of the floor image that changes depending on the continuous movement of the robot cleaner 100.

Additionally, the traveling displacement measurement unit 165 may measure the traveling displacement of the robot cleaner 100 based on the operation of the traveling unit 160. For example, the control unit 140 can measure the current or past moving speed and traveled distance of the robot cleaner 100 based on the rotation speed of the driving wheels 136, and each driving wheel 136 (L ), 136(R)), the current or past direction change process can also be measured depending on the direction of rotation.

The driving displacement measurement unit 165 may also measure the driving displacement using at least one of the distance detection unit 131 and the image detection unit 135.

The control unit 140 can recognize the location of the robot vacuum cleaner 100 on the map based on the traveling displacement measured in this way.

The transmitter 170 can transmit information about the robot cleaner to another robot cleaner or a central server. The receiving unit 190 may receive information from other robot cleaners or a central server. The information transmitted by the transmitter 170 or the information received by the receiver 190 may include configuration information of the robot cleaner.

The robot vacuum cleaner 100 includes a control unit 140 that processes and determines various information. The control unit 140 may perform information processing to learn the cleaning area. The control unit 140 may perform information processing to recognize the current location on the map. The control unit 140 includes various components constituting the robot vacuum cleaner 100 (e.g., a traveling displacement measuring unit 165, a distance sensing unit 131, an image sensing unit 135, a traveling unit 160, and a transmitting unit). Through control of (170, receiver 190, etc.), the overall operation of the robot cleaner 100 can be controlled.

The control method according to this embodiment may be performed by the control unit 140. The present invention may be a control method of a robot cleaner 100, or may be a robot cleaner 100 including a control unit 140 that performs the control method. The present invention may be a computer program including each step of the control method, or may be a recording medium on which a program for implementing the control method on a computer is recorded. The ‘recording medium’ refers to a computer-readable recording medium. The present invention may be a mobile robot control system that includes both hardware and software.

The control unit 140 of the robot vacuum cleaner 100 processes and determines various information, such as mapping and/or recognizing the current location. The control unit 140 may be equipped to map the cleaning area through the image and learning and recognize the current location on the map. That is, the control unit 140 can perform a SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) function.

The control unit 140 may control the driving of the traveling unit 160. The control unit 140 may control the operation of the cleaning unit 180.

The robot cleaner 100 includes a storage unit 150 that stores various data. The storage unit 150 records various information necessary for controlling the robot cleaner 100, and may include a volatile or non-volatile recording medium.

The input unit 171 can receive On/Off or various commands. The input unit 171 may include buttons, keys, or a touch-type display. The input unit 171 may include a microphone for voice recognition.

The output unit 173 can inform the user of various information. The output unit 173 may include a speaker and/or a display.

The cleaning area in reality may correspond to the cleaning area on the map. The cleaning area may be defined as the sum of all areas on the plane in which the robot cleaner 100 has driving experience and areas on the plane in which the robot cleaner 100 is currently driving.

The control unit 140 may determine the movement path of the robot cleaner 100 based on the operation of the traveling unit 160. For example, the control unit 140 can determine the current or past moving speed and travel distance of the robot cleaner 100 based on the rotation speed of the driving wheels 166, and each driving wheel 166 (L) , 166(R)), the current or past direction change process can also be identified depending on the direction of rotation. Based on the driving information of the robot cleaner 100 determined in this way, the location of the robot cleaner 100 on the map may be updated. Additionally, the location of the robot cleaner 100 on the map may be updated using the image information.

Specifically, the control unit 140 controls the driving of the robot cleaner 100 and controls the driving of the traveling unit 160 according to the set driving mode. As a driving mode of the driving unit 160, zigzag mode, edge mode, spiral mode, or complex mode can be selectively set.

The zigzag mode is defined as a mode that cleans while driving in a zigzag manner while being spaced a predetermined distance away from a wall or obstacle. Edge mode is defined as a mode that sticks to a wall and cleans while traveling in a zigzag motion. Spiral mode is defined as a mode of cleaning in a spiral manner within a certain area centered on one location in the atmosphere.

Meanwhile, the control unit 140 generates a map of the cleaning area. That is, the control unit 140 can form a spatial map of the cleaning area through the locations recognized through prior cleaning and images acquired at each point. The control unit 140 may also update a previously generated map, classify the type of cleaning area in the generated spatial map according to conditions, and match a cleaning method according to the classified type. In addition, the control unit 140 calculates the efficiency of cleaning in the basic mode and cleaning in the matched cleaning method, and performs cleaning of the robot cleaner 100 in a highly efficient method.

This control unit 140 generates a map according to the detection signals of the sensing unit 130, specifically, the detection signals from the distance detection unit 131 and the cliff detection unit 132. Such a map may be a general grid map, and may be created based on the direction in which the robot cleaner 100 rotates while traveling, the distance it moves straight, the distance from the wall, etc.

The control unit 140 may extract spatial information from image data from the image detection unit 135 and add the extracted spatial information to the map to generate a spatial map.

The control unit 140 may further include a map forming unit for forming a map, but processing is possible together within the control unit 140.

The map generator may generate a map using a detection signal obtained through prior cleaning, and may generate a spatial map by adding spatial information from image data to the basic map. At this time, the map generator may extract spatial information, which is detailed information about space, from image data generated by continuously shooting and add it to the spatial map.

The map generator may divide the vehicle into a plurality of cleaning areas so that cleaning can be carried out at once based on the spatial map.

The formation of such a map and the division of cleaning areas can be performed in the map creation unit, but as described above, they can be performed all at once in the control unit 140.

The control unit 140 may divide the cleaning zone according to the area of the mapped cleaning zone and match the optimal cleaning method according to the shape of each sub-cleaning zone. Additionally, the control unit 140 may determine the presence or absence of an obstacle, divide the cleaning area if there is an obstacle, and match the optimal cleaning method according to the shape of each sub-cleaning area.

Additionally, the control unit 140 can determine the current location using at least one of the distance detection unit 131 and the image detection unit 135 and recognize the current location on the map.

The control unit 140 can perform wall following to recognize the current location, and determines the current location through wall following and determines the current location through a server (not shown) or a user terminal (not shown). (No) can be transmitted.

In this way, the control unit 140 performs prior cleaning and maps the cleaning area using the information obtained, and can provide the map to the user in two or three dimensions, and allows the user to configure the map provided to the user's terminal. You can select a specific driving mode to clean the corresponding cleaning area.

When the control unit 140 receives a cleaning start command or a cleaning start command by scheduled cleaning from the outside, it accurately determines where the current location of the robot vacuum cleaner falls on a previously created map, and cleans in the assigned mode from that location along the map. proceed.

To this end, the control unit 140 may perform wall following at the beginning of cleaning, and determine the current location through such wall following to determine the current location through a server (not shown) or a user terminal (not shown). (No) can be transmitted.

Wall following is defined as the robot cleaner 100 moving toward the wall closest to its current location and, when it reaches the wall, performing mapping while traveling a predetermined distance along the wall.

In addition, wall following is defined as the robot cleaner 100 extracting the closest corner from the current location and, when it reaches the corner, performing mapping while traveling a predetermined distance along the wall. Here, a corner can be defined as the point where walls meet.

While performing mapping, the control unit 140 may define at least one of the wall passages formed on the wall as a virtual wall in order to efficiently partition the cleaning area. Here, the virtual wall is not a real wall, but is set as a wall on the map, or is treated as a wall by the robot vacuum cleaner 100 and becomes an object to avoid or follow.

Hereinafter, the pattern running of the present invention and the main moving direction of the main body will be described.

Figure 6 is a diagram explaining the pattern driving of a robot vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, in the pattern driving, the robot cleaner 100 travels in a straight line along a set long axis (LA), and changes the driving direction at one end of the long axis (LA) to intersect with the long axis (LA). This may mean driving straight along the shorter minor axis (SA), changing the driving direction at one end of the minor axis (SA) to intersect the minor axis (SA) at approximately 90 degrees, and repeating driving as long as the set major axis (LA). there is.

Here, the angle formed between the major axis (LA) and the minor axis (SA) is preferably 88° to 92°. It is preferable that the major axes (LA) are parallel to each other, and the multiple minor axes (SA) are parallel to each other. Of course, the major axis (LA) and minor axis (SA) do not mean straight lines in the mathematical sense, but are concepts that include curves close to straight lines.

In addition, pattern driving drives straight along the long axis (LA) set until an obstacle 200 appears or meets the boundary of the driving area, and when the obstacle 200 or the border of the driving area is encountered, the driving direction is changed to the long axis (LA). LA) and drive straight along the minor axis (SA), which is set to be shorter than the major axis (LA), and change the driving direction at one end of the minor axis (SA) to intersect approximately 90 degrees with the minor axis (SA) to avoid obstacles ( This may mean repeating driving along the set long axis (LA) until 200) appears or until it meets the boundary of the driving area.

Here, the reflection of the minor axis (SA) becomes the main traveling direction, and the direction of the major axis (LA) becomes the direction of the pattern traveling direction (θ1). Here, there is no limit to the length of the major axis (LA) and minor axis (SA), but the length of the major axis (LA) is set to 10 to 15 meters, and the length of the minor axis (SA) is 0.5 to 2 times the length of the body. It is desirable to set it between.

Here, the direction angle means the angle formed by the long axis (LA) and the reference line (ST). The direction angle is measured clockwise from the baseline (ST). Here, the baseline (ST) and measurement direction may be changed. For example, in FIG. 6, the direction angle of the pattern travel is 90°, and the traveling direction is from rear to front. The direction angle of travel is 180 degrees.

Based on the direction shown in Figure 6, the main moving direction of the main body 111 is defined as forward (F), and the direction opposite to the main moving direction of the main body 111 is defined as rear (R), and in Figure 6, the upper side The lower side can be defined as the left room (Le), and the lower side can be defined as the right room (Ri).

Figure 7 is a diagram for explaining a control method of the robot cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

7A to 7D show the control method of the robot cleaner 100 in chronological order.

First, referring to FIG. 7A, the control unit 140 determines the distance information to the obstacle 200 and the shape of the obstacle 200 through the surrounding environment information input from the sensing unit 130, and controls the driving unit. .

The control unit 140 controls the traveling unit according to the shape of the obstacle 200 relative to the main moving direction of the main body 111.

The control unit 140 determines whether the obstacle 200 has a concave shape with respect to the main moving direction of the main body 111.

If the internal space of the obstacle 200 is open in a direction opposite to the main moving direction of the main body 111, the control unit 140 may determine that the obstacle 200 has a concave shape. Specifically, when the robot cleaner 100 moves in a pattern with the front as its main direction, the inner space of the obstacle 200 is opened to the rear in the map information of the cleaning area A1, and the front, left, and right rooms are open to the rear. The blocked shape can be judged as a concave shape with respect to the main direction of travel.

Specifically, the shape of the obstacle 200 may be identified by a camera, an ultrasonic sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a lidar sensor, etc., and may be identified by already stored map information.

The internal space of the obstacle 200 may be a space defined by the first and second obstacle walls 221 and 223 facing each other in the left and right directions, and the third obstacle wall 222 in front. The center of an arbitrary line connecting the rear end of the first obstacle wall 221 and the rear end of the second obstacle wall 223 may be defined as the entrance 213 of the internal space of the obstacle 200.

When the lengths of the first obstacle wall 221 and the second obstacle wall 223 are different, the internal space of the obstacle 200 is at the front between the rear end of the first obstacle wall 221 and the rear end of the second obstacle wall 223. When an arbitrary line is drawn in the left and right directions from the rear end of an obstacle wall biased toward You can.

If the control unit 140 determines that the obstacle 200 has a concave shape with respect to the main moving direction of the main body 111, the main body 111 first cleans the inner area A2 of the obstacle 200 and then cleans the internal area A2 of the obstacle 200. ) can be controlled to clean the outer area.

At this time, in the case of general pattern driving, the robot cleaner 100 cannot enter the inner space of the obstacle 200 due to the outer wall of the obstacle 200, and returns to the obstacle 200 after cleaning the cleaning area A1 to the end. The internal space of the is cleaned. Therefore, this cleaning method has the disadvantage of taking a long time and causing inefficient cleaning.

Therefore, in the present invention, efficient cleaning is possible and cleaning time can be reduced by first cleaning the inner space of the obstacle 200 and then cleaning the remaining cleaning area A1.

In order to clean more efficiently, the control unit 140 moves the robot cleaner 100 to the front end of the interior space of the obstacle 200 in the shortest distance when it enters the interior space of the obstacle 200, and moves the robot cleaner 100 to the front end of the interior space of the obstacle 200. ) can clean the inner area (A2) while driving in a pattern in the direction of escaping the inner space of the obstacle (200).

Specifically, referring to FIG. 7B, the control unit 140 enters the main body 111 through the entrance 213 of the obstacle 200 to the edge of the inner area A2 of the obstacle 200, It can be controlled to drive in a pattern while proceeding from the edge of the inner area A2 toward the entrance 213 of the obstacle 200.

Here, the edge of the inner area A2 is the end of the main traveling direction in the inner area A2 and is the front end of the inner area A2 in FIG. 7A.

When the main body 111 travels through the entrance 213 of the obstacle 200 to the edge of the inner area A2 of the obstacle 200, the control unit 140 controls the main body 111 to control the main progress of the main body 111. It can be controlled to drive in a straight line parallel to the direction.

When the main body 111 of the robot cleaner 100 travels through the entrance 213 of the obstacle 200 to the edge of the inner area A2 of the obstacle 200, the main body 111 is moved to the main body of the robot cleaner 111. When driving in a straight line parallel to the direction of travel, the problem of reduced cleaning efficiency can be solved by cleaning twice when entering and exiting the inner space of the obstacle 200.

In addition, since the robot vacuum cleaner 100 moves to the front of the interior space of the obstacle 200 in a straight line and runs in a pattern at the front of the interior space, the size of the interior space can be accurately recognized and the interval of the pattern run can be adjusted. .

Preferably, the control unit 140 controls the main body 111 to move the main body 111 to the edge of the inner area A2 of the obstacle 200 through the entrance 213 of the obstacle 200. ) can be controlled to run along the inner wall of the.

The control unit 140 allows the main body 111 to proceed along the first obstacle wall 221 or the second obstacle wall 223 by wall following and then proceed to the corner point where it meets the third obstacle wall 222. there is.

Referring to FIG. 7C, after the main body 111 proceeds along the first obstacle wall 221 or the second obstacle wall 223 in wall-following driving, it main body 111 moves at a corner point where it meets the third obstacle wall 222. You can drive in a pattern by proceeding in the opposite direction (rearward).

In addition, when the control unit 140 approaches the obstacle 200 while cleaning the cleaning area A1 and determines that the obstacle 200 has a concave shape with respect to the main moving direction of the main body 111, the main body 111 The internal area A2 of the obstacle 200 may be cleaned first, and then the external area of the obstacle 200 may be controlled to be cleaned.

The control unit 140 may control the main body 111 to clean the cleaning area A1 until the main body 111 approaches the entrance 213 of the internal area A2 of the obstacle 200.

That is, when the robot cleaner 100 encounters the entrance 213 of the concave obstacle 200 while cleaning the cleaning area A1, the control unit 140 enters the inner space of the obstacle 200 and cleans the obstacle ( 200) can be used to project the internal space.

Meanwhile, the control unit 140 may control the main body 111 to travel in a zigzag pattern when cleaning while moving toward the entrance 213 of the internal area A2. However, the pattern driving method is not limited to this, and various pattern driving such as circular pattern driving may be performed depending on the shape of the internal space of the obstacle 200.

Referring to FIG. 7D, when the main body 111 escapes from the inner space of the obstacle 200, the control unit 140 may control the main body 111 to run in a pattern again in the main direction of travel. When the robot cleaner 100 has finished cleaning the inner area A2 of the obstacle 200, it can clean the cleaning area while traveling in a pattern again in the original direction.

If the obstacle 200 does not have a concave shape with respect to the main moving direction of the main body 111, the control unit 140 continues pattern driving in the cleaning area A1 while moving in the main moving direction.

As another example, the robot cleaner 100 may use different cleaning methods depending on the size of the internal space of the obstacle 200.

Specifically, if the control unit 140 determines that the obstacle 200 has a concave shape with respect to the main moving direction of the main body 111, the internal area A2 of the obstacle 200 is within the sensing range of the sensing unit 130. You can judge.

Here, the sensing unit 130 is preferably a camera that photographs the interior space of the obstacle 200.

If the control unit 140 determines that the internal area A2 of the obstacle 200 is in a clean state as long as the internal area A2 of the obstacle 200 is within the sensing range of the sensing unit 130, the main body 111 Control may be made to proceed with cleaning of the cleaning area (A1) without cleaning the inner area (A2) of the obstacle 200.

In addition, when the control unit 140 determines that the internal area A2 of the obstacle 200 is within the sensing range of the sensing unit 130, the control unit 140 determines that the internal area A2 of the obstacle 200 is in a non-clean state, 111 may be controlled to first clean the inner area A2 of the obstacle 200 and then clean the outer area of the obstacle 200 .

If the size of the internal area (A2) is small, the internal area is scanned with a camera, and if the internal area (A2) is clean, the cleaning area is cleaned without the need to complicate the movement line of the robot vacuum cleaner 100, and the internal area is cleaned. If (A2) is in a contaminated state, cleaning can be performed to perform efficient cleaning.

In addition, if the control unit 140 determines that the obstacle 200 has a concave shape with respect to the main moving direction of the main body 111, the internal area A2 of the obstacle 200 is larger than the sensing range of the sensing unit 130. , the main body 111 may be controlled to first clean the inner area A2 of the obstacle 200 and then clean the outer area of the obstacle 200 .

Figure 8 is a diagram for explaining a control method of the robot cleaner 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Compared to the embodiment of FIG. 7 , there is a difference in the shape of the obstacle 200 in the embodiment of FIG. 8 . In this embodiment, the description will focus on the differences from the embodiment of FIG. 7, and without special explanation, it is the same as the embodiment of FIG. 7.

Referring to FIG. 8A , the control unit 140 determines whether the obstacle 200 has a concave shape with respect to the main moving direction of the main body 111.

Specifically, the shape of the obstacle 200 may be identified by a camera, an ultrasonic sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a lidar sensor, etc., and may be identified by already stored map information.

The internal space of the obstacle 200 may be a space defined by the first and second obstacle walls 221 and 223 facing each other in the left and right directions, and the third obstacle wall 222 in front. The center of an arbitrary line connecting the rear end of the first obstacle wall 221 and the rear end of the second obstacle wall 223 may be defined as the entrance 213 of the internal space of the obstacle 200.

When the first obstacle wall 221 and the second obstacle wall 223 have different lengths, the internal space of the obstacle 200 is the rear end of the first obstacle wall 221 and the rear end 211 of the second obstacle wall 223. , 212), when an arbitrary line is drawn in the left and right directions from the rear end of the forward-biased obstacle wall 200, the arbitrary lines, the first obstacle wall 221, the second obstacle wall 223, and the third obstacle wall ( 222) may be a space surrounded by

That is, in FIG. 8A, the internal space of the obstacle 200 is an arbitrary space drawn in the left and right directions from the third obstacle wall 222, the second obstacle wall 223, and the rear end 212 of the second obstacle wall 223. It is defined as a space surrounded by a line and a first obstacle wall 221.

If the control unit 140 determines that the obstacle 200 has a concave shape with respect to the main moving direction of the main body 111, the control unit 140 drives the main body 111 in a pattern along the main moving direction until it enters the inner space of the obstacle 200. It is controlled to drive straight from the entrance 213 of the internal space of the obstacle 200 parallel to the main direction of travel, and to enter the front end of the internal area A2 of the obstacle 200.

Referring to FIG. 8B, after the main body 111 proceeds along the first obstacle wall 221 or the second obstacle wall 223 in wall-following driving, it main body 111 moves at a corner point where it meets the third obstacle wall 222. You can drive in a pattern by proceeding in the opposite direction (rearward).

Referring to FIG. 8C, when the main body 111 escapes from the inner space of the obstacle 200, the control unit 140 may control the main body 111 to run in a pattern in the main direction of travel again. When the robot cleaner 100 has finished cleaning the inner area A2 of the obstacle 200, it can clean the cleaning area while driving in a pattern again in the original direction.

Here, the robot cleaner 100 can escape from the shorter side of the first obstacle wall 221 and the second obstacle wall 223 and travel in a pattern in the main travel direction.

Specifically, the robot cleaner 100 escapes to the rear end 212 of the second obstacle wall 223, and moves in a pattern in the main direction from the cleaning area located on the right side of the interior space of the obstacle 200 to the cleaning area. can be cleaned.

Hereinafter, the cleaning operation of the robot cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 9.

Figure 9 is a flowchart showing a control method of the robot cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Content that overlaps with each other in each flowchart is indicated with the same reference numeral, and overlapping descriptions are omitted.

The control method may be performed by the control unit 140. Each step of the flowchart drawings of the control method and combinations of the flowchart drawings can be performed by computer program instructions. The instructions may be mounted on a general-purpose computer or a special-purpose computer, and the instructions create a means of performing the functions described in the flowchart step(s).

Additionally, in some embodiments it is possible for functions mentioned in the steps to occur out of order. For example, two steps shown in succession may in fact be performed substantially simultaneously, or the steps may sometimes be performed in reverse order depending on the corresponding function.

Referring to FIG. 9, the control method according to one embodiment includes an extraction step (S10) of extracting the location and shape of the obstacle 200 based on information on the distance to the obstacle 200, and the shape of the extracted obstacle 200. In the shape determination step (S20) of determining whether the obstacle 200 is concave with respect to the main moving direction of the main body 111, if it is determined that the obstacle 200 has a concave shape with respect to the main moving direction of the main body 111, the main body 111 is the obstacle ( An entry step (S50) of entering to the edge of the inner area (A2) of the obstacle 200) and an internal cleaning step of pattern driving while proceeding from the edge of the inner area (A2) of the obstacle 200 toward the entrance 213 of the obstacle 200. Includes (S60).

The robot cleaner 100 receives a cleaning command from the user terminal or server and starts cleaning at the current location according to the cleaning start information.

The control unit 140 of the robot vacuum cleaner 100 determines whether map information about a map of the entire cleaning area A1 is stored in the storage unit 150.

If there is no corresponding map information in the storage unit 150, the control unit 140 can request the corresponding map information from an external server or user terminal, and when the map information is transmitted from the server or user terminal, it is sent to the corresponding cleaning area (A1). It is defined as map information about the whole.

If there is no corresponding map information in the storage unit 150, the robot vacuum cleaner 100 drives for mapping.

Specifically, driving for mapping involves mapping the cleaning area (A1) while performing wall-following driving or pattern driving. The extraction step may be performed while the main body 111 is traveling or while wall-following.

More specifically, the control unit 140 drives from the current location to the nearest wall through the distance detection unit 131 and the image detection unit 135, and then controls the driving unit to perform wall-following driving along the wall. .

In the extraction step (S10), the control unit 140 extracts the location and shape of the obstacle 200 based on information on the distance to the obstacle 200.

In the shape determination step (S20), the control unit 140 determines whether the shape of the extracted obstacle 200 is concave with respect to the main moving direction of the main body 111.

In the entry step (S50), if the control unit 140 determines that the obstacle 200 has a concave shape with respect to the main moving direction of the main body 111, the main body 111 moves to the edge of the inner area A2 of the obstacle 200. Control entry to In the entry step (S50), the main body 111 may travel along the inner wall of the obstacle 200 through the entrance 213 of the obstacle 200 to the edge of the inner area A2 of the obstacle 200.

Additionally, in the entry step (S50), the main body 111 runs in a straight line parallel to the main moving direction of the main body 111 from the entrance 213 of the obstacle 200 to the edge of the inner area A2 of the obstacle 200. You can drive.

In the entry step (S50), it is determined whether the inner area (A2) of the obstacle 200 is larger than the sensing range of the sensing unit 130 (S30), and the inner area (A2) of the obstacle 200 is greater than the sensing range of the sensing unit 130 (S30). If the sensing range is larger than the main body 111 moves to the edge of the inner area (A2) of the obstacle 200, and the inner area (A2) of the obstacle 200 is smaller than the sensing range of the sensing unit 130. , the degree of contamination of the inner area (A2) of the obstacle 200 is determined (S40).

If the internal area (A2) of the obstacle 200 is smaller than the sensing range of the sensing unit 130 and the internal area (A2) of the obstacle 200 is in a non-clean state, the main body 111 is in the internal area of the obstacle 200 ( Proceed to the edge of A2) (S50) and escape while cleaning the inner area (A2) (S50).

If the inner area (A2) of the obstacle 200 is smaller than the sensing range of the sensing unit 130 and the inner area (A2) of the obstacle 200 is in a clean state, the main body 111 cleans the outer area of the obstacle 200. Do (S70)

In the internal cleaning step (S60), the control unit 140 controls the main body 111 to travel in a pattern from the edge of the inner area A2 of the obstacle 200 toward the entrance 213 of the obstacle 200.

The control method of another embodiment of the present invention includes an extraction step (S10) of extracting the location and shape of the obstacle 200 based on information on the distance to the obstacle 200, and the shape of the extracted obstacle 200 is determined by the main body 111. Shape determination step (20) for determining whether the obstacle 200 is concave with respect to the main moving direction of the main body 111. If it is determined that the obstacle 200 has a concave shape with respect to the main moving direction of the main body 111, the inner area A2 of the obstacle 200 is connected to the sensing unit. If it is within the sensing range of (130) (S30), the contamination state determination step (S40) of determining the contamination state of the inner area (A2) of the obstacle 200, the clean state of the inner area (A2) of the obstacle 200. If it is determined that this is the case, an external area cleaning step (S70) may be included in which the external area of the obstacle 200 is cleaned without cleaning the internal area A2 of the obstacle 200.

In addition, in the present invention, in the contamination state determination step (S40), if it is determined that the inner area (A2) of the obstacle 200 is in a non-clean state, the main body 111 moves to the edge of the inner area (A2) of the obstacle 200. It may further include an entering step (S50) and an internal cleaning step (S60) of driving in a pattern while proceeding from the edge of the inner area (A2) of the obstacle 200 toward the entrance 213 of the obstacle 200.

100: robot vacuum cleaner 120: sensing unit
140: control unit 150: storage unit
160: driving unit 135: image sensing unit
180: Cleaner 200: Charging stand

Claims (20)

A running part that moves the main body;
Janitors who perform cleaning functions;
A sensing unit that detects the surrounding environment of the cleaning area; and
A control unit that determines distance information to an obstacle and a shape of the obstacle through the surrounding environment information input from the sensing unit, and controls the driving unit,
The control unit,
A robot vacuum cleaner that controls the traveling unit according to the shape of the obstacle relative to the main moving direction of the main body. According to paragraph 1,
The control unit,
If it is determined that the obstacle has a concave shape with respect to the main moving direction of the main body,
A robot cleaner that controls the main body to enter the edge of the inner area of the obstacle through the entrance of the obstacle and drive in a pattern while proceeding from the edge of the inner area of the obstacle toward the entrance of the obstacle. According to paragraph 2,
The control unit,
A robot cleaner that controls the main body to travel in a straight line parallel to the main moving direction of the main body when the main body travels through the entrance of the obstacle to the edge of the inner area of the obstacle. According to paragraph 2,
The control unit,
A robot cleaner that controls the main body to travel along the inner wall of the obstacle when the main body travels through the entrance of the obstacle to the edge of the inner area of the obstacle. According to paragraph 2,
The control unit,
A robot vacuum cleaner that determines that the obstacle has a concave shape when the internal space of the obstacle is open in a direction opposite to the main moving direction of the main body. According to paragraph 1,
The control unit,
If the main body approaches the obstacle while cleaning the cleaning area and the obstacle is determined to be concave with respect to the main moving direction of the main body,
A robot vacuum cleaner that controls the main body to first clean the inner area of the obstacle and then clean the outer area of the obstacle. According to clause 6,
The control unit,
A robot cleaner that controls the main body to clean the cleaning area until the main body approaches the entrance of the area inside the obstacle. According to clause 6,
The control unit,
When the main body cleans the inner area of the obstacle, the main body enters the edge of the inner area of the obstacle through the entrance of the inner area, and then controls the main body to clean while moving toward the entrance of the inner area. . According to clause 8,
The control unit,
A robot cleaner that controls the main body to run in a zigzag pattern when cleaning while moving toward the entrance of the internal area. According to clause 8,
The control unit,
A robot cleaner that controls the main body to travel in a straight line parallel to the main moving direction of the main body when the main body enters the edge of the inner area of the obstacle through the entrance of the internal area. According to paragraph 1,
The control unit,
During cleaning of the cleaning area, when approaching the obstacle and determining that the obstacle has a concave shape with respect to the main moving direction of the main body,
When the inner area of the obstacle is within the sensing range of the sensing unit, if it is determined that the inner area of the obstacle is in a clean state, the main body is controlled to proceed with cleaning of the cleaning area without cleaning the inner area of the obstacle. robotic vacuum. According to clause 11,
The control unit,
If the inner area of the obstacle is within the sensing range of the sensing unit,
A robot cleaner that controls the main body to first clean the inner area of the obstacle and then clean the outer area of the obstacle, when it is determined that the inner area of the obstacle is in a non-clean state. According to paragraph 1,
The control unit,
During cleaning of the cleaning area, when approaching the obstacle and determining that the obstacle has a concave shape with respect to the main moving direction of the main body,
When the inner area of the obstacle is larger than the sensing range of the sensing unit, the robot cleaner controls the main body to first clean the inner area of the obstacle and then clean the outer area of the obstacle. An extraction step of extracting the location and shape of the obstacle based on information on the distance to the obstacle;
A shape determination step of determining whether the extracted shape of the obstacle is concave with respect to the main moving direction of the main body;
an entry step in which the main body enters the edge of the inner area of the obstacle when it is determined that the obstacle has a concave shape with respect to the main moving direction of the main body; and
A control method of a robot cleaner including an internal cleaning step of driving in a pattern while proceeding from an edge of an area inside the obstacle toward an entrance of the obstacle. According to clause 14,
In the entry phase,
A method of controlling a vacuum cleaner in which the main body travels along the inner wall of the obstacle through the entrance of the obstacle to the edge of the inner area of the obstacle. According to clause 14,
In the entry phase,
A method of controlling a vacuum cleaner in which the main body travels in a straight line parallel to the main moving direction of the main body from the entrance of the obstacle to the edge of the inner area of the obstacle. According to clause 14,
In the internal cleaning step,
A method of controlling a vacuum cleaner in which the main body travels in a zigzag pattern while moving toward the entrance of the internal area. According to clause 14,
In the entry phase,
When the inner area of the obstacle is larger than the sensing range of the sensing unit, the main body enters the edge of the inner area of the obstacle. An extraction step of extracting the location and shape of the obstacle based on information on the distance to the obstacle;
A shape determination step of determining whether the extracted shape of the obstacle is concave with respect to the main moving direction of the main body;
If it is determined that the obstacle has a concave shape with respect to the main moving direction of the main body, a contamination state determination step of determining a contamination state of the inner region of the obstacle if the inner region of the obstacle is within the sensing range of the sensing unit;
A control method of a cleaner comprising an external area cleaning step of cleaning an external area of the obstacle without cleaning the internal area of the obstacle, when it is determined that the internal area of the obstacle is in a clean state. According to clause 19,
In the contamination state determination step, if it is determined that the inner region of the obstacle is in a non-clean state, an entry step in which the main body enters the edge of the inner region of the obstacle; and
A method of controlling a vacuum cleaner further comprising an internal cleaning step of driving in a pattern while proceeding from an edge of an area inside the obstacle toward an entrance of the obstacle.

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