Cleaning robot and remote controller included therein

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11550316-B2
Application number	US-202017014365-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2020
Priority date	Feb 28, 2014
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

A cleaning robot includes a navigator to move a main body, a remote controller to output a modulated infrared ray in accordance with a control command of a user and to form a light spot, a light receiver to receive the infrared ray from the remote controller, and a controller to control the navigator such that the main body tracks the light spot when the modulated infrared ray is received in accordance with the control command. Because the cleaning robot tracks a position indicated by the remote controller, a user may conveniently move the cleaning robot.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cleaning system comprising:
a remote controller configured to emit an infrared ray and visible light; and
a cleaning robot configured to track the infrared ray emitted from the remote controller,
wherein the remote controller comprises:
a visible light source configured to emit the visible light,
an infrared ray source configured to emit the infrared ray, and
a lens configured to refract the infrared ray and the visible light,
wherein a distance between the visible light source and the lens is different from a distance between the infrared ray source and the lens.

2. The cleaning system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the remote controller further comprises:
a user interface configured to be input by a user in order to receive a drag command for controlling the cleaning robot to track the infrared ray emitted from the infrared ray source, and
a first controller configured to control the infrared ray source to emit an infrared ray modulated according to the drag command by repeating turning on and off the infrared ray source according to the drag command.

3. The cleaning system according to claim 2 , wherein:
the cleaning robot comprises:
a navigator configured to move the cleaning robot;
a light receiver configured to receive the modulated infrared ray emitted from the infrared ray source; and
a second controller configured to control the navigator to move the cleaning robot along an automatic cleaning path,
wherein, the second controller is configured to, in response to receiving the modulated infrared ray while the cleaning robot is moving along the automatic cleaning path, control the navigator such that the cleaning robot leaves the automatic cleaning path and tracks the modulated infrared ray.

4. The cleaning system according to claim 3 , wherein the light receiver comprises:
a plurality of infrared ray receivers configured to receive the modulated infrared ray; and
an infrared ray demodulator configured to acquire the drag command by demodulating the modulated infrared ray.

5. The cleaning system according to claim 4 , wherein the plurality of infrared ray receivers comprise:
a first infrared ray receiver disposed in a front of the cleaning robot; and
at least two infrared ray receivers disposed along an outer edge of the cleaning robot.

6. The cleaning system according to claim 5 , wherein
at least one infrared ray receiver of the plurality of infrared ray receivers receives the modulated infrared ray, and
the second controller determines a position of the modulated infrared ray in accordance with the at least one of the infrared ray receiver that receives the modulated infrared ray.

7. The cleaning system according to claim 6 , wherein the second controller moves the cleaning robot such that the first infrared ray receiver receives the modulated infrared ray.

8. The cleaning system according to claim 7 , wherein the second controller rotates the cleaning robot such that the first infrared ray receiver receives the modulated infrared ray and moves the cleaning robot in a straight line toward the modulated infrared ray.

9. The cleaning system according to claim 7 , wherein the second controller moves the cleaning robot in a curve such that the first infrared ray receiver receives the modulated infrared ray.

10. The cleaning system according to claim 3 , wherein, when a path save command is received, the second controller controls the navigator such that the cleaning robot moves along the modulated infrared ray and stores a movement path of the cleaning robot.

11. The cleaning system according to claim 10 , wherein, when an automatic cleaning command is received, the second controller controls the navigator such that the cleaning robot moves along the stored movement path of the cleaning robot.

12. The cleaning system according to claim 10 , wherein, when an intensive cleaning command is received, the second controller controls the navigator such that the cleaning robot moves within the stored movement path of the cleaning robot.

13. The cleaning system according to claim 10 , wherein, when an entry forbiddance command is received, the second controller controls the navigator such that the cleaning robot remains outside the stored movement path of the cleaning robot.

14. The cleaning system according to claim 3 , wherein the cleaning robot is configured to move along a spiral cleaning path within a predetermined range from a position where the cleaning robot leaves the automatic cleaning path during an intensive cleaning operation.

15. The cleaning system according to claim 14 , wherein the cleaning robot is configured to perform an automatic cleaning operation when the intensive cleaning operation is finished.

16. The cleaning system according to claim 3 , wherein the second controller is configured to, in response to not receiving the modulated infrared ray while the cleaning robot is tracking the modulated infrared ray, control the navigator such that the cleaning robot stops tracking the modulated infrared ray and performs an intensive cleaning operation based on a position where the cleaning robot stopped tracking.

17. The cleaning system according to claim 16 , wherein the second controller is configured to, in response to completing the intensive cleaning operation, control the navigator such that the cleaning robot moves in a random direction from the position at which the intensive cleaning operation is completed.

18. The cleaning system according to claim 3 , wherein the visible light emitted by the visible light source configured to form a light spot on an area adjacent to a position where the modulated infrared ray is projected.

19. The cleaning system according to claim 18 , wherein the light spot and the modulated infrared ray are overlapped on a surface to be cleaned.

20. The cleaning system according to claim 1 , wherein the lens includes a first lens portion that refracts the visible light transmitted by the visible light source and a second lens portion that refracts the infrared ray to focus the infrared ray transmitted by the infrared ray source, and
a distance between the first lens portion and the visible light source is different from a distance between the second lens portion and the infrared ray source.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• So Jea Yun
• Kim Jin Hee
• Lee Won Min
• Jung Gwang Jin
• Choi Sang Hwa
• Kim Shin
• Yoon Sang Sik
• Lee Byoung In
• Jung Hyun Soo

Classifications

• A47L2201/06

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

• B25J9/0003

  Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use · CPC title

• A47L2201/04

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

• A47L11/24

  Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven · CPC title

• A47L9/2857

  User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays · CPC title