Robot cleaner and method for controlling same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12016519-B2
Application number	US-201917261519-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2019
Priority date	Jul 20, 2018
Publication date	Jun 25, 2024
Grant date	Jun 25, 2024

Abstract

Disclosed are a robot cleaner and a method for controlling same. The robot cleaner comprises: a travel unit for moving a main body; a communication unit for communicating with a remote control device by using ultra-wideband signals; and a control unit which, in response to a first optical signal emitted from the remote control device to the main body, calculates the position of the remote control device by using the ultra-wideband signals that are output to the communication unit. Also, the control unit recognizes, in response to a second optical signal emitted from the remote control device directly after the first optical signal, the position of a target point corresponding to the second optical signal and calculated on the basis of the determined position of the remote control device, and generates a travel command to move the main body to the recognized position of the target point.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robot cleaner, comprising:
a traveling unit to move a main body thereof;
a communication unit to perform communication with a remote control device using an ultra-wideband (UWB) signal; and
a control unit to calculate a position of the remote control device using the UWB signal output to the communication unit, in response to a first optical signal emitted from the remote control device to the main body,
wherein in response to a second optical signal and a third optical signal continuously emitted from the remote control device to different points directly after the first optical signal, the control unit recognizes a position of a target point corresponding to the second optical signal calculated based on the position of the remote control device, acquires a position of a second target point corresponding to the third optical signal additionally calculated based on the calculated position of the remote control device, and acquires a relative position of the second target point with respect to the position of the target point corresponding to the second optical signal, and
wherein the control unit generates a first travel command for moving the main body to the position of the target point corresponding to the second optical signal, and generates a second travel command for moving the main body to the relative position of the second target point when a task at the target point corresponding to the second optical signal is completed.

2. The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the communication unit comprises a UWB module to transmit or receive the UWB signal, and determines a relative position of the remote control device by transmitting a UWB signal to the remote control device through the UWB module in response to the first optical signal and receiving a corresponding UWB signal through another UWB module provided in the remote control device.

3. The robot cleaner of claim 2 , wherein the control unit acquires first coordinate information corresponding to the relative position of the remote control device with respect to the main body based on the UWB signal received through the communication unit,
transmits the acquired first coordinate information to the remote control device such that the remote control device calculates second coordinate information corresponding to the position of the target point based on the first coordinate information,
receives third coordinate information calculated based on the second coordinate information and the main body, from the remote control device, and
controls the main body to move to a position corresponding to the third coordinate information.

4. The robot cleaner of claim 2 , wherein the control unit acquires first coordinate information corresponding to the relative position of the remote control device with respect to the main body based on the UWB signal received through the communication unit,
receives second coordinate information corresponding to a relative position of the target point, to the remote control device, the relative position of the target point being calculated with respect to the remote control device, and
estimates a relative position of the target point with respect to the main body based on the first coordinate information and the second coordinate information.

5. A robot cleaner, comprising:
a traveling unit to move a main body thereof;
a communication unit to perform communication with a remote control device using an ultra-wideband (UWB) signal; and
a control unit to calculate a position of the remote control device using the UWB signal output from the communication unit,
wherein the control unit generates a virtual trajectory centered on the position of the remote control device when an optical signal pointing to a target point is emitted from the remote control device, and
generates a second travel command for following a path of the virtual trajectory until arriving at the target point, at which the optical signal is received from the remote control device, when the main body enters the virtual trajectory according to a first travel command.

6. The robot cleaner of claim 5 , wherein the virtual trajectory has a radius corresponding to a distance from the calculated position of the remote control device to the target point corresponding to the optical signal, and
wherein the control unit determines a direction of entering the virtual trajectory so that the main body follows the path of the virtual trajectory in a predetermined direction.

7. The robot cleaner of claim 5 , wherein the main body comprises a plurality of receivers to receive an optical signal emitted from the remote control device, and
wherein the control unit, when the main body arrives near a point where the optical signal is received within the virtual trajectory according to the second travel command, recognizes the position of the target point based on signal strength of the optical signal received by the plurality of receivers, and controls the traveling unit to move to the recognized position of the target point.

8. The robot cleaner of claim 5 , wherein the control unit controls the traveling unit to follow the virtual trajectory along around an obstacle when the obstacle is detected in the virtual trajectory while traveling along the path of the virtual trajectory.

9. The robot cleaner of claim 5 , wherein the control unit, when a second optical signal corresponding to a changed target point is generated from the remote control device while the main body travels along the path of the virtual trajectory,
generates a second virtual trajectory having a radius corresponding to a distance from the remote control device to the changed target point corresponding to the second optical signal, and
controls the traveling unit so that the main body enters the second virtual trajectory from a current position according to the second travel command.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kwak Donghoon
• Ko Jaehwan
• Kweon Hyukdo

Classifications

• G08C23/00

  Non-electrical signal transmission systems, e.g. optical systems · CPC title

• G08C17/00

  Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link · CPC title

• B25J11/0085

  Cleaning · CPC title

• B25J9/1666

  Avoiding collision or forbidden zones · CPC title

• A47L2201/04

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