Robot cleaner and controlling method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025068182-A1
Application number	US-202418947799-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 14, 2024
Priority date	Aug 17, 2023
Publication date	Feb 27, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is a robot cleaner includes: a sensor; at least one memory storing one or more instructions; and at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor, by executing the one or more instructions, is configured to identify a plurality of objects based on sensing data acquired through the sensor, identify a target object located on a travel surface of the robot cleaner among the plurality of objects, acquire power information indicating remaining power of the robot cleaner, determine whether to avoid the target object based on a result of comparing the power information with a threshold power value, based on the power information being less than the threshold power value, control the robot cleaner to travel to avoid the target object, based on the power information being greater than or equal to the threshold power value, acquire feature information of the target object based on the sensing data, acquire type information of the target object based on the feature information, based on the type information including a predetermined type, control the robot cleaner to travel to avoid the target object, and based on the type information not including the predetermined type, control the robot cleaner to travel based on a movement path for moving the target object to a target location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A robot cleaner comprising:
a sensor; at least one memory storing one or more instructions; and at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor, by executing the one or more instructions, is configured to: identify a plurality of objects based on sensing data acquired through the sensor, identify a target object located on a travel surface of the robot cleaner among the plurality of objects, acquire power information indicating remaining power of the robot cleaner, determine whether to avoid the target object based on a result of comparing the power information with a threshold power value, based on the power information being less than the threshold power value, control the robot cleaner to travel to avoid the target object, based on the power information being greater than or equal to the threshold power value, acquire feature information of the target object based on the sensing data, acquire type information of the target object based on the feature information, based on the type information including a predetermined type, control the robot cleaner to travel to avoid the target object, and based on the type information not including the predetermined type, control the robot cleaner to travel based on a movement path for moving the target object to a target location.

2 . The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
based on the type information not including the predetermined type, control the robot cleaner to travel according to a test mode where the robot cleaner comes into contact with the target object at a predetermined acceleration, and based on the robot cleaner moving the target object while traveling in the test mode, determine the movement path for moving the target object to the target location, and control the robot cleaner to travel based on a movement mode of moving the target object along the movement path.

3 . The robot cleaner of claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
based on the robot cleaner being unable to move the target object while traveling in the test mode, control the robot cleaner to travel to avoid the target object.

4 . The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the feature information comprises at least one of size information of the target object, mass information of the target object, or texture information of the target object, and
wherein the type information comprises information regarding a possibility of moving the target object.

5 . The robot cleaner of claim 4 , wherein the size information comprises a height of the target object, and
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: based on the height of the target object being equal to or greater than a threshold height, identify the type information as including the predetermined type.

6 . The robot cleaner of claim 4 , wherein the mass information comprises a mass of the target object, and
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: based on the mass of the target object being greater than or equal to a threshold mass, identify the type information as including the predetermined type.

7 . The robot cleaner of claim 4 , wherein the texture information comprises a texture of the target object, and
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: based on the texture of the target object being a glass texture, identify the type information as comprising the predetermined type.

8 . The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the movement path is a first movement path, and
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: based on the power information being less than a threshold power level, control the robot cleaner to travel to move the target object to a temporary location, based on the target object being moved to the temporary location, control the robot cleaner to travel to a charging location without the target object, upon completion of a charging operation, change the first movement path to a second movement path to move the target object from the temporary location to the target location, and travel based on the second movement path.

9 . The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
identify a movement type corresponding to the power information from among a plurality of movement types stored in the at least one memory, and determine the target location based on the movement type.

10 . The robot cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
based on the type information does not including the predetermined type, control the robot cleaner to travel to clean the movement path without the target object, and upon completion of cleaning the movement path, control the robot cleaner to travel to move the target object to the target location along the movement path.

11 . A method of controlling a robot cleaner, the method comprising:
identifying a plurality of objects based on sensing data, identifying a target object located on a travel surface of the robot cleaner among the plurality of objects, acquiring power information indicating remaining power of the robot cleaner, determining whether to avoid the target object based on a result of comparing the power information with a threshold power value, based on the power information being less than the threshold power value, traveling to avoid the target object, based on the power information being greater than or equal to the threshold power value, acquiring feature information of the target object based on the sensing data, acquiring type information of the target object based on the feature information, based on the type information including a predetermined type, traveling to avoid the target object, and based on the type information not including the predetermined type, traveling based on a movement path for moving the target object to a target location.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
based on the type information not including the predetermined type, traveling according to a test mode where the robot cleaner comes into contact with the target object at a predetermined acceleration, and based on the robot cleaner moving the target object while traveling in the test mode, determining the movement path for moving the target object to the target location, and traveling based on a movement mode of moving the target object along the movement path.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
based on the robot cleaner being unable to move the target object while traveling in the test mode, traveling to avoid the target object.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the feature information comprises at least one of size information of the target object, mass information of the target object, or texture information of the target object, and
wherein the type information comprises information regarding a possibility of moving the target object.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the size information comprises a height of the target object, and
wherein the method further comprising: based on the height of the target object being equal to or greater than a threshold height, identifying the type information as including the predetermined type.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the mass information comprises a mass of the target object, and
wherein the method further comprising: based on the mass of the target object being greater than or equal to a threshold mass, identifying the ty

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chung Seongwook
• Park Woojin

Classifications

• G05D2109/10

  Land vehicles · CPC title

• G05D2105/10

  for cleaning, vacuuming or polishing · CPC title

• G05D2101/20

  using external object recognition · CPC title

• A47L9/009 Primary

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

• A47L11/4002

  Installations of electric equipment · CPC title