Robot cleaner, robot cleaner system and control method of the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10143349-B2
Application number	US-201615017306-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2016
Priority date	Dec 27, 2013
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

A robot cleaner includes a case, a suction device provided in the case, a suction nozzle for sucking dust from a floor by driving of the suction device, a dust collection device for collecting foreign substances contained in the air sucked via the suction nozzle, a driving unit for allowing the case to drive automatically, a controller for controlling the driving of the suction device and the driving unit, and for generating cleaning history information comprising map information on a cleaning area and moving path information, a memory unit for storing the cleaning history information; and a wireless communication module provided in the case to transmit the cleaning history information to the external terminal, when the external terminal requests the cleaning history information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control method of a robot cleaner system including a robot cleaner and an external terminal, the control method comprising:
establishing a wireless communication between the external terminal and the robot cleaner;
in response to a user selection of a diary menu displayed on a display of the external terminal, sending, by the external terminal, a request to the robot cleaner for cleaning history information, wherein the cleaning history information includes a plurality of individual lists;
in response to the request, transmitting, to the external terminal, the individual lists of the cleaning history information;
displaying, on the display of the external terminal, a screen of the individual lists of bibliographical information for distinguishing a series of cleanings from start to end of the cleanings from other cleanings, wherein a preset number of individual lists are stored in a chronological order, wherein the preset number of individual lists are stored and a new individual list replaces an oldest individual list for storage, wherein the displayed screen of the individual lists is displayed prior to receiving, at the external terminal and from the robot cleaner, a map file and a moving path file corresponding to a latest cleaning history of the individual lists,
wherein the displayed screen of the individual lists includes cleaning mode information and presence of reserved cleaning, and cleaning end time information marks, and an auxiliary menu corresponding to a specific one of the cleaning end time information marks is displayed on the display at an area corresponding to a specific one of the individual lists, and
in response to selection of the auxiliary menu;
requesting, from the external terminal to the robot cleaner, the map file and the map path file of the specific individual list corresponding to the selected auxiliary menu,
receiving from the robot cleaner, the map file and the moving path file of the specific individual list corresponding to the selected auxiliary menu, and
displaying on the display of the external terminal, a map showing performed cleaning, and a moving path of the robot cleaner is played on the map as a video file, and a mark corresponding to the robot cleaner is displayed on the map and a forward direction of the robot cleaner is displayed to show the moving path of the robot cleaner.

2. The control method of the robot cleaner system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of menus for selecting video play speed adjustment, video playing or video pausing is displayed on the display of the external terminal.

3. The control method of the robot cleaner system of claim 1 , wherein during the establishing of the wireless communication, a state information of the robot cleaner is transmitted to the external terminal, and
after the wireless communication has been established, the state information of the robot cleaner is displayed on a screen of the display of the external terminal.

4. The control method of the robot cleaner system of claim 3 , wherein the latest cleaning history is realized when an object is selected.

5. The control method of the robot cleaner system of claim 4 , wherein after the establishing of the wireless communication, the diary menu is displayed on the display of the external terminal to request the robot cleaner for a cleaning history file corresponding to the cleaning history information.

6. The control method of the robot cleaner system of claim 5 , wherein a plurality of cleaning histories are realized when the diary menu is selected.

7. The control method of the robot cleaner system of claim 6 , wherein a menu for playing only the latest cleaning history and a menu for playing a plurality of cleaning histories are displayed simultaneously on a screen of the display of the external terminal.

8. The control method of the robot cleaner system of claim 1 , wherein the individual lists of the cleaning history information is transmitted to the external terminal in response to the request sent to the robot cleaner.

9. The control method of the robot cleaner system of claim 1 , wherein a cleaning impossible area, a wall or obstacle recognized area and a cleaning area are visually distinguished on the display of the map.

10. The control method of the robot cleaner system of claim 9 , wherein the cleaning area is marked distinguishably from a portion before the robot cleaner passes and a portion after the robot cleaner passes.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Bongju
• Choe Suuk
• Lee Sunghun

Classifications

• A47L9/2894 Primary

  Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners · CPC title

• A47L2201/06

  Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning · CPC title

• A47L9/2805

  Parameters or conditions being sensed · CPC title

• A47L9/009

  Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles · CPC title

• A47L2201/04

  Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection · CPC title