Cleaning robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016274580-A1
Application number	US-201415031978-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 23, 2014
Priority date	Oct 25, 2013
Publication date	Sep 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is a cleaning robot including a main body; a driving unit configured to move the main body; a communication unit configured to establish wireless communication with a user terminal to which a manipulation command is input; and a controller configured to transmit a position detecting signal to the user terminal, and detect a position of the user terminal based on a time difference between the position detecting signal and a response signal transmitted from the user terminal.

First claim

1 . A cleaning robot comprising:
a main body; a driving unit configured to move the main body; a communication unit configured to establish wireless communication with a user terminal to which a manipulation command is input; and a controller configured to transmit a position detecting signal to the user terminal, and detect a position of the user terminal based on a time difference between the position detecting signal and a response signal transmitted from the user terminal.

2 . The cleaning robot of claim 1 , wherein the communication unit comprises at least two ultra-wide band communication modules configured to transmit an impulse signal.

3 . The cleaning robot of claim 2 , wherein, in order to transmit the position detecting signal to the user terminal, the controller controls the communication unit to cause each of the at least two ultra-wide band communication modules to transmit the impulse signal to the user terminal.

4 . The cleaning robot of claim 3 , wherein the controller detects a distance between each of the at least two ultra-wide band communication modules and the user terminal, based on a difference between time when each of the at least two ultra-wide band communication modules transmits the impulse signal and time when each of the at least two ultra-wide band communication modules receives the response signal.

5 . The cleaning robot of claim 4 , wherein the controller detects coordinates of the user terminal using the distance between each of the at least two ultra-wide band communication modules and the user terminal and using triangulation.

6 . The cleaning robot of claim 5 , wherein, when a ‘follow’ command is input via the user terminal, the controller controls the driving unit such that the distances between the at least two ultra-wide band communication modules and the user terminal are less than or equal to a predetermined reference distance.

7 . The cleaning robot of claim 5 , wherein, when a ‘follow’ command is input via the user terminal, the controller controls the driving unit such that the coordinates of the user terminal are in a predetermined range of coordinates.

8 . The cleaning robot of claim 5 , wherein, when a manual cleaning command is input via the user terminal, the controller controls the driving unit to move the main body along a moving trajectory of the user terminal.

9 . The cleaning robot of claim 8 , wherein, in order to detect the moving trajectory of the user terminal, the controller calculates a moving direction and displacement of the user terminal, based on a change in the coordinates of the user terminal.

10 . The cleaning robot of claim 9 , wherein the controller controls the driving unit to move the main body by the moving displacement in the moving direction.

11 . The cleaning robot of claim 2 , wherein the communication unit establishes wireless communication with a beacon located at a reference position, and
the controller transmits the position detecting signal to the beacon, and detects a position of the main body relative to the reference position, based on a time difference between the position detecting signal and a response signal transmitted from the beacon.

12 . The cleaning robot of claim 11 , wherein the controller detects a position of the beacon relative to the main body based on the time difference, and calculates the position of the main body based on the position of the beacon.

13 . The cleaning robot of claim 2 , wherein, when a designated-position cleaning command is input, the controller detects a position indicted by the user terminal, based on location information and posture information of the user terminal.

14 . The cleaning robot of claim 2 , wherein the communication unit outputs a sensing radio wave and receives a radio wave reflected from a user's body, and
the controller detects a position of the user's body based on a time difference between the sensing radio wave and the reflected radio wave, and controls the driving unit when a follow-user command is input, such that a distance between the user and the main body is less than or equal to a predetermined reference distance.

15 . A cleaning robot comprising:
a main body; a driving unit configured to move the main body; a front-obstacle sensing unit configured to transmit a front-sensing radio wave toward a front of the main body and detect a front-reflected radio wave reflected from a front obstacle; and a controller configured to detect location information of the front obstacle based on the front-reflected radio wave, wherein the front-obstacle sensing unit comprises at least two ultra-wide band radar sensors configured to transmit an impulse radio wave.

16 . The cleaning robot of claim 15 , wherein the controller detects a position of the front obstacle based on a time difference between the front-sensing radio wave and the front-reflected radio wave.

17 . The cleaning robot of claim 16 , wherein the controller detects the location information of the front obstacle, based on a distance between at least two ultra-wide band radar sensors and distances between the at least two ultra-wide band radar sensors and the front obstacle.

18 . The cleaning robot of claim 15 , further comprising a floor-obstacle sensing module configured to emit a floor-sensing radio wave toward a floor of a space to be cleaned, and detect a floor-reflected radio wave reflected from a floor obstacle,
wherein the floor-obstacle sensing module comprises at least one ultra-wide band radar sensor configured to transmit an impulse radio wave.

19 . The cleaning robot of claim 18 , wherein the controller detects a position of the floor obstacle based on the floor-reflected radio wave.

20 . The cleaning robot of claim 19 , wherein the controller detects a location of the floor obstacle, based on a time difference between the floor-sensing radio wave and the floor-reflected radio wave.

21 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jung Jae Young
• Kim Shin
• Yoon Sang Sik
• Kim Byung Chan
• Lee Byoung In

Classifications

• A47L11/24

  Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven · CPC title

• A47L11/4013

  Contaminants collecting devices, i.e. hoppers, tanks or the like · CPC title

• A47L2201/04

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

• A47L11/4011

  Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor · 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