Mobile robot and method of controlling the mobile robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022066463-A1
Application number	US-201917309880-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 26, 2019
Priority date	Dec 26, 2018
Publication date	Mar 3, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is a mobile robot including a driving unit for moving a main body; an image acquisition unit for obtaining an image of a periphery; and a controller for analyzing the image obtained by the image acquisition unit and determining whether a reflector exists in the vicinity of the main body, wherein the controller determines whether a reflector exists in the vicinity of the main body based on similarity between the image obtained by the image acquisition unit and the pre-stored image of the main body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A mobile robot, comprising:
a driving unit for moving a main body; an image acquisition unit for obtaining an image of a periphery; and a controller for analyzing the image obtained by the image acquisition unit and determining whether a reflector exists in the vicinity of the main body, wherein the controller determines whether a reflector exists in the vicinity of the main body based on similarity between the image obtained by the image acquisition unit and a pre-stored image of the main body.

2 . The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein, when similarity between the image obtained by the image acquisition unit and the pre-stored image of the main body exceeds a reference value, the controller determines that a reflector exists in the vicinity of the main body.

3 . The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein, when the controller determines that a reflector exists in the vicinity of the main body, the controller specifies a reflector area in which the reflector is located on a map of a driving area based on the obtained image.

4 . The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the driving unit so that the main body drives while avoiding the reflector area.

5 . The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein, when the controller determines that the reflector exists in front of the main body while the main body is driving, the controller controls the driving unit to stop.

6 . The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein, when the controller determines that the reflector exists in front of the main body while the main body is driving, the controller controls the driving unit to reduce a speed of the main body.

7 . The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein the controller calculates a distance between the reflector and the main body based on a size of an image of the main body in the obtained image.

8 . The mobile robot of claim 1 , further comprising an obstacle detection sensor for detecting an obstacle in front of the main body,
wherein, when similarity between a front image obtained by the image acquisition unit and the pre-stored image of the main body exceeds a reference value and no obstacle is detected in front of the main body, the controller determines that a reflector exists in front of the main body.

9 . The mobile robot of claim 8 , wherein, when similarity between the front image obtained by the image acquisition unit and the pre-stored image of the main body exceeds a reference value, and an obstacle is detected in front of the main body, the controller determines that another mobile robot exists in front of the main body.

10 . A method of controlling a mobile robot, the method comprising:
obtaining an image of a periphery of the mobile robot; analyzing the obtained image; comparing the analyzed image with a pre-stored image of the mobile robot; and determining whether a reflector exists based on a comparison result between the analyzed image and the pre-stored image of the mobile robot.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the determining of whether a reflector exists comprises determining whether a reflector exists in the vicinity of the mobile robot based on similarity between the image obtained by the image acquisition unit and the pre-stored image of the mobile robot.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the determining of whether a reflector exists comprises determining that a reflector exists in the vicinity of the mobile robot when similarity between the image obtained by the image acquisition unit and the pre-stored image of the mobile robot exceeds a reference value.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising specifying a reflector area in which the reflector is located on a map of a driving area based on the obtained image.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising avoidance driving step in which the mobile robot drives while avoiding the reflector area.

15 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
detecting an obstacle in the vicinity of the mobile robot; and classifying the reflector and the obstacle based on whether an obstacle exists in the vicinity of the mobile robot.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Byun Jaejung

Classifications

• G06F18/24

  Classification techniques · CPC title

• G06F18/22

  Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures · CPC title

• G06V20/10

  Terrestrial scenes (scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59) · CPC title

• B25J11/0085 Primary

  Cleaning · CPC title

• B25J9/1666

  Avoiding collision or forbidden zones · CPC title