KR102081340B1 - A plurality of autonomous cleaner and a controlling method for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A plurality of robot cleaners and control methods thereof are disclosed. The present invention provides a plurality of robot cleaners comprising a first vacuum cleaner and a second vacuum cleaner, wherein the first vacuum cleaner includes an optical module, emits an optical signal related to driving from the optical module, and projects the ceiling cleaner on the ceiling. A plurality of robot cleaners collaborate / follow by acquiring an image corresponding to an optical signal projected on the ceiling by using an upper camera provided in the apparatus, and generating a driving command by recognizing the position of the first cleaner based on the acquired image. Cleaning can be performed.

Description

A plurality of robot cleaners and its control method {A PLURALITY OF AUTONOMOUS CLEANER AND A CONTROLLING METHOD FOR THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a plurality of robot cleaners that can perform cleaning in cooperation.

A cleaner is a device that performs a cleaning function by inhaling dust and foreign matter or by mopping. In general, the cleaner performs a cleaning function for the floor, and the cleaner includes a wheel for movement. In general, the wheel is rolled by an external force applied to the cleaner body to move the cleaner body relative to the floor.

Recently, research on robot cleaners such as a robot cleaner that performs cleaning while driving by the user without a user's operation and a cleaner that moves itself along a nozzle that is moved by the user's operation has been actively conducted.

Such a robot cleaner may include a rechargeable battery and include an obstacle sensor that may avoid obstacles while driving, and may clean and run on its own. On the other hand, when the cleaning area is large or the functions are different from each other (for example, a dry cleaner that performs dust or foreign matter suction, a wet cleaner that performs only mopping), several robot cleaners may be used at the same time.

As such, in order to efficiently perform collaborative cleaning using a plurality of robot cleaners, a plurality of robot cleaners should be aware of each other's positions. To this end, each position sensor must be provided to exchange signals with each other through network communication. However, there is a problem in that location information for collaboration cannot be shared when the network connection or the network connection is lost.

In addition, when a plurality of robot cleaners play different roles, and one needs to clean one after another (eg, to clean a mop after inhaling dust), the preceding robot cleaner and the following robot cleaner are cleaned without turning back and forth. If you miss each other's location, even if the network is reconnected, there is a problem that the order can be reversed.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is that a plurality of robot cleaners may be equipped with a preceding robot cleaner and a following robot cleaner even in an environment in which the sensors are not mounted or sensors are mounted but network communication is not supported. The present invention provides a plurality of robot cleaners and a control method thereof capable of performing efficient tracking / collaborative cleaning by recognizing a position of a preceding robot cleaner without reversing.

In addition, another object of the present invention, even when the preceding robot cleaner is driving by changing the cleaning line, the following robot cleaner can follow without missing, a plurality of robot cleaner for efficient cleaning after changing the cleaning line The present invention provides a plurality of robot cleaners and their control methods capable of performing the alignment.

The robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention is a plurality of robot cleaners including a first cleaner and a second cleaner, the robot cleaner including an optical module and emitting light signals related to driving from the optical module to project onto a ceiling. A first cleaner; And a second cleaner for acquiring an image corresponding to the light signal projected on the ceiling by using an upper camera provided in the main body, and generating a driving command by recognizing the position of the first cleaner based on the acquired image. Characterized in that.

In addition, in one embodiment, the optical module is located above the first cleaner, characterized in that made of a plurality of laser or a plurality of LEDs.

The image corresponding to the optical signal may be a predetermined image including information related to at least one of the driving state and the driving direction of the first cleaner.

In addition, according to an embodiment, the second cleaner may store a driving state and a driving direction corresponding to the image corresponding to the optical signal in advance in a memory, and the driving state matches the image acquired through the upper camera. And information related to at least one of the driving directions is detected from the memory.

In an embodiment, the driving speed of the first cleaner may be displayed based on at least one of a light emission interval and a light emission range of the optical signal forming the image.

In addition, when it is detected that the second cleaner enters the inaccessible area while driving the first cleaner, the optical signal corresponding to the stop command may be projected onto the ceiling.

In an embodiment, when the driving line of the first cleaner is changed, the first cleaner operates the optical module to project the image related to the change of direction on the ceiling and stops the driving of the first cleaner for a predetermined time. It is characterized by.

In addition, in an embodiment, when the image related to the change of direction is obtained, the second vacuum cleaner rotates based on the acquired image and the previous image to change the driving direction, and the first cleaner may elapse according to the elapse of the predetermined time. When the driving of the cleaner is started, the driving apparatus may be adjusted by adjusting the position of the second cleaner so that the image related to the change of direction is at the center of the angle of view range.

In an embodiment, when the first image related to the change of direction is projected on the ceiling in the first cleaner, the second image corresponding to the stop command is projected from the optical module provided in the second cleaner to the ceiling, and The driving stop is performed based on the second image obtained by using the upper camera provided in the first cleaner.

Further, in one embodiment, the first cleaner stops driving until projection of the second image is stopped, and when projection of the second image is stopped according to completion of the change of direction of the first cleaner, the first cleaner The cleaner may follow the first cleaner and travel in a direction corresponding to the first image.

In addition, in an embodiment, when the driving of the second cleaner starts in a direction corresponding to the first image, the second cleaner projects the third image onto the ceiling to perform alignment with the first image emitted from the first cleaner. It is characterized by.

As described above, according to the plurality of robot cleaners according to an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of robot cleaners may not be equipped with sensors for locating each other, or even in an environment in which a sensor is mounted but network communication is not supported. By acquiring and analyzing the image corresponding to the light signal projected on the ceiling, the preceding robot cleaner and the following robot cleaner can recognize the position of the preceding robot cleaner without performing backward and reverse, and perform efficient following / collaborative cleaning. .

In addition, by adjusting the driving of the cleaner so that the image projected on the ceiling is at a specific position of the angle of view range, or by adjusting the driving of the cleaner so that a plurality of different images projected on the ceiling overlap each other, matching the traveling path of the preceding cleaner. Can follow.

1 is a perspective view showing an example of a robot cleaner according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the robot cleaner shown in FIG. 1.
3 is a side view of the robot cleaner shown in FIG. 1.
4 is a block diagram illustrating exemplary components of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5A is a conceptual diagram illustrating a vision network between a plurality of robot cleaners according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5B is a conceptual diagram illustrating another example related to network communication of FIG. 5A.
5C is a view for explaining tracking control between a plurality of robot cleaners according to an exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a conceptual view illustrating a method of recognizing a position of a preceding cleaner based on an image corresponding to an optical signal projected on a ceiling by a plurality of robot cleaners according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a representative flowchart for explaining the conceptual diagram illustrated in FIG. 6 in detail.
8A to 8F are examples of various projection images related to the driving state projected by the preceding cleaner in relation to the running command of the trailing cleaner.
9 and 10 are flowcharts illustrating different examples of operations associated with changing a driving direction of a preceding cleaner in a plurality of robot cleaners according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
11A through 11F are exemplary conceptual diagrams of operations for describing the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 10 in more detail.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the robot cleaner which concerns on this invention is demonstrated in detail with reference to drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Exemplary embodiments disclosed herein will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the technical terms used herein are merely used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the spirit of the technology disclosed herein. It should be noted.

1 is a perspective view showing an example of a robot cleaner 100 according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the robot cleaner 100 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a robot cleaner 100 shown in FIG. 1. Side view.

In the present specification, a mobile robot, a robot cleaner, and a cleaner performing autonomous driving may be used in the same sense. Also, in the present specification, the plurality of cleaners may include at least some of the components shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.

1 to 3, the robot cleaner 100 performs a function of cleaning a floor while driving a certain area by itself. Cleaning of the floor here includes suctioning dust (including foreign matter) from the floor or mopping the floor.

The robot cleaner 100 may include a cleaner body 110, a cleaning unit 120, a sensing unit 130, and a dust bin 140.

The cleaner main body 110 includes various components, including a controller (not shown) for controlling the robot cleaner 100. In addition, the cleaner body 110 is provided with a wheel unit 111 for driving the robot cleaner 100. The robot cleaner 100 may be moved back, forth, left, and right by the wheel unit 111 or rotated.

Referring to FIG. 3, the wheel unit 111 includes a main wheel 111a and a sub wheel 111b.

The main wheels 111a are provided at both sides of the cleaner body 110, and are configured to be rotatable in one direction or the other direction according to the control signal of the controller. Each main wheel 111a may be configured to be driven independently of each other. For example, each main wheel 111a may be driven by different motors. Or, it may be driven by a plurality of different shafts provided in one motor.

The sub wheel 111b supports the cleaner body 110 together with the main wheel 111a, and is configured to assist the robot cleaner 100 by the main wheel 111a. The sub wheel 111b may also be provided in the cleaning unit 120 described later.

The controller controls the driving of the wheel unit 111, so that the robot cleaner 100 autonomously runs on the floor.

On the other hand, the cleaner body 110 is equipped with a battery (not shown) for supplying power to the robot cleaner (100). The battery may be configured to be chargeable, and may be configured to be detachably attached to the bottom of the cleaner body 110.

In FIG. 1, the cleaning unit 120 may be disposed to protrude from one side of the cleaner body 110 to suck or mop air containing dust. The one side may be a side in which the cleaner body 110 travels in the forward direction F, that is, the front side of the cleaner body 110.

In this figure, the cleaning unit 120 is shown to have a form protruding in both the front and left and right sides from one side of the cleaner body 110. Specifically, the front end portion of the cleaning unit 120 is disposed at a position spaced forward from one side of the cleaner body 110, the left and right both ends of the cleaning unit 120 are spaced apart from one side of the cleaner body 110 to both left and right sides, respectively. Is placed in a closed position.

As the cleaner body 110 is formed in a circular shape, and both rear ends of the cleaning unit 120 protrude from the cleaner body 110 to left and right sides, respectively, the cleaner body 110 and the cleaning unit 120 may be empty. Spaces, ie gaps can be formed. The empty space is a space between the left and right ends of the cleaner body 110 and the left and right ends of the cleaning unit 120 and is recessed inwardly of the robot cleaner 100.

If an obstacle is jammed in the empty space, the robot cleaner 100 may be caught in an obstacle and may not move. To prevent this, the cover member 129 may be disposed to cover at least a portion of the empty space.

The cover member 129 may be provided in the cleaner body 110 or the cleaning unit 120. In the present exemplary embodiment, the cover members 129 are protruded from both rear ends of the cleaning unit 120, respectively, to cover the outer circumferential surface of the cleaner body 110.

The cover member 129 is disposed to fill at least a part of the empty space, that is, the empty space between the cleaner body 110 and the cleaning unit 120. Therefore, the obstacle may be prevented from being pinched in the empty space, or a structure may be easily separated from the obstacle even if the obstacle is pinched in the empty space.

The cover member 129 protruding from the cleaning unit 120 may be supported on the outer circumferential surface of the cleaner body 110.

If the cover member 129 protrudes from the cleaner body 110, the cover member 129 may be supported on the rear portion of the cleaning unit 120. According to the above structure, when the cleaning unit 120 is impacted by hitting an obstacle, a part of the shock may be transmitted to the cleaner main body 110 to distribute the impact.

The cleaning unit 120 may be detachably coupled to the cleaner body 110. When the cleaning unit 120 is separated into the cleaner body 110, the mop module (not shown) may be detachably coupled to the cleaner body 110 in place of the separated cleaning unit 120.

Accordingly, the user may mount the cleaning unit 120 on the cleaner main body 110 to remove dust from the floor, and may install a mop module on the cleaner main body 110 to clean the floor.

When the cleaning unit 120 is mounted on the cleaner body 110, the mounting may be guided by the cover member 129 described above. That is, since the cover member 129 is disposed to cover the outer circumferential surface of the cleaner body 110, the relative position of the cleaning unit 120 with respect to the cleaner body 110 may be determined.

The cleaning unit 120 may be provided with a caster 123. The caster 123 assists the robot cleaner 100 in driving and also supports the robot cleaner 100.

The sensing unit 130 is disposed on the cleaner body 110. As shown, the sensing unit 130 may be disposed on one side of the cleaner body 110 in which the cleaning unit 120 is located, that is, in front of the cleaner body 110.

The sensing unit 130 may be disposed to overlap the cleaning unit 120 in the vertical direction of the cleaner body 110. The sensing unit 130 is disposed above the cleaning unit 120 to detect an obstacle or a feature in front of the robot cleaner 100 so that the cleaning unit 120 located in front of the robot cleaner 100 does not collide with the obstacle.

The sensing unit 130 may be configured to additionally perform other sensing functions in addition to the sensing function.

For example, the sensing unit 130 may include a camera 131 for acquiring the surrounding image. The camera 131 may include a lens and an image sensor. In addition, the camera 131 may convert an image around the cleaner body 110 into an electrical signal that can be processed by the controller, and may transmit, for example, an electrical signal corresponding to the upper image to the controller. The electrical signal corresponding to the upper image may be used by the controller to detect the position of the cleaner body 110.

In addition, the sensing unit 130 may detect obstacles such as walls, furniture, and a cliff on the driving surface or the driving path of the robot cleaner 100. In addition, the sensing unit 130 may detect the presence of a docking device that performs battery charging. In addition, the sensing unit 130 may detect the ceiling information to map the driving area or the cleaning area of the robot cleaner 100.

The vacuum cleaner body 110 is detachably coupled to a dust container 140 that separates and collects dust in sucked air.

In addition, the dust container 140 is provided with a dust container cover 150 covering the dust container 140. In one embodiment, the dust container cover 150 is hinged to the cleaner body 110 may be configured to be rotatable. The dust container cover 150 may be fixed to the dust container 140 or the cleaner body 110 to maintain a state covering the upper surface of the dust container 140. In a state where the dust container cover 150 is disposed to cover the upper surface of the dust container 140, the dust container 140 may be prevented from being separated from the cleaner body 110 by the dust container cover 150.

A part of the dust container 140 is accommodated in the dust container accommodating part 113, but the other part of the dust container 140 protrudes toward the rear of the cleaner body 110 (that is, the reverse direction R opposite to the forward direction F). Can be formed.

The dust container 140 has an inlet through which the air containing dust is introduced and an outlet through which the dust separated air is discharged, and when the dust container 140 is mounted on the cleaner body 110, the inlet and the outlet are the main body 110. It is configured to communicate through the opening 155 formed in the inner wall of the. As a result, the intake flow passage and the exhaust flow passage inside the cleaner body 110 may be formed.

According to this connection relationship, the air containing the dust introduced through the cleaning unit 120 is introduced into the dust container 140 through the intake flow path inside the cleaner body 110, the filter or cyclone of the dust container 140 As it passes, air and dust separate from each other. The dust is collected in the dust container 140, and the air is discharged from the dust container 140 and finally discharged to the outside through the exhaust port 112 through the exhaust flow path inside the cleaner body 110.

In the following FIG. 4, an embodiment related to the components of the robot cleaner 100 is described.

Robot cleaner 100 or a mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, the communication unit 1100, the input unit 1200, the traveling unit 1300, the sensing unit 1400, the output unit 1500, the power supply unit 1600 , At least one of the memory 1700, the controller 1800, and the cleaner 1900, or a combination thereof.

In this case, the components shown in FIG. 4 are not essential, and thus, a robot cleaner having more or fewer components may be implemented. In addition, as described above, the plurality of robot cleaners described in the present invention may include only the same components as some of the components described below. That is, the plurality of robot cleaners may be formed of different components, respectively.

Hereinafter, each component will be described.

First, the power supply unit 1600 includes a battery that can be charged by an external commercial power supply and supplies power to the mobile robot. The power supply unit 1600 may supply driving power to each of the components included in the mobile robot, thereby supplying operation power required for the mobile robot to travel or perform a specific function.

At this time, the controller 1800 may detect the remaining power of the battery, and if the remaining power is insufficient to control to move to the charging station connected to the external commercial power, the battery can be charged by receiving a charging current from the charging stand. The battery may be connected to the battery detector so that the battery remaining amount and the charging state may be transmitted to the controller 1800. The output unit 1500 may display the battery remaining amount on the output unit 1500 by a control unit.

The battery may be located at the bottom of the center of the robot cleaner, or may be located at either the left or the right. In the latter case, the mobile robot may further comprise a counterweight to eliminate the weight bias of the battery.

The controller 1800 may be configured to process information based on artificial intelligence, and may include one or more modules that perform at least one of learning information, inferring information, perceiving information, and processing natural language. Can be.

The controller 1800 uses a machine running technology to learn a large amount of information (big data) such as information stored in a cleaner, environment information around a mobile terminal, and information stored in an external storage that can be communicated with. At least one of inference and processing may be performed. The controller 1800 predicts (or infers) at least one action of the at least one cleaner that is executable by using the information learned using the machine learning technique, and has the highest feasibility among the at least one predicted actions. The cleaner may be controlled to execute an operation.

Machine learning technology is a technology that collects and learns a large amount of information based on at least one algorithm, and determines and predicts information based on the learned information. Learning information is an operation of grasping characteristics, rules, and judgment criteria of information, quantifying the relationship between information, and predicting new data using the quantized pattern.

The algorithms used by machine learning technology can be algorithms based on statistics, for example, decision trees that use tree structure forms as predictive models, artificial neural networks that mimic the structure and function of neural networks of living things. (neural network), genetic programming based on biological evolution algorithms, clustering that distributes observed examples into subsets of clusters, and Monte Carlo methods that compute function values randomly from randomly extracted random numbers. (Monter carlo method) and the like.

As a field of machine learning technology, deep learning technology is a technology that performs at least one of learning, determining, and processing information by using a Deap Neuron Network (DNN) algorithm. The artificial neural network (DNN) may have a structure that connects between layers and transfers data between layers. Such deep learning technology can learn a huge amount of information through an artificial neural network (DNN) using a graphic processing unit (GPU) optimized for parallel computing.

The controller 1800 may use a training engine stored in an external server or memory and may include a learning engine that detects a feature for recognizing a predetermined object. At this time, the feature for recognizing the object may include the size, shape and shadow of the object.

In detail, when the controller 1800 inputs a part of the image acquired through the camera included in the cleaner to the learning engine, the learning engine may recognize at least one object or life included in the input image.

As such, when the learning engine is applied to the driving of the cleaner, the controller 1800 may recognize whether obstacles such as a chair leg, a fan, and a balcony balcony of a specific shape that hinder the running of the cleaner are present around the cleaner. The efficiency and reliability of running the cleaner can be improved.

On the other hand, the learning engine as described above may be mounted on the controller 1800, or may be mounted on an external server. When the learning engine is mounted on the external server, the controller 1800 may control the communication unit 1100 to transmit at least one image to be analyzed to the external server.

The external server may recognize at least one object or life included in the image by inputting the image received from the cleaner to the learning engine. In addition, the external server may transmit information related to the recognition result back to the cleaner. In this case, the information related to the recognition result may include the number of objects included in the image to be analyzed and information related to the name of each object.

On the other hand, the driving unit 1300 is provided with a motor, by driving the motor, by rotating the left and right main wheels in both directions can rotate or move the main body. In this case, the left and right main wheels may move independently. The driving unit 1300 may move the main body of the mobile robot back, front, left, and right, curve the vehicle, or rotate it in place.

The input unit 1200 receives various control commands for the robot cleaner from the user. The input unit 1200 may include one or more buttons. For example, the input unit 1200 may include a confirmation button, a setting button, and the like. The confirmation button is a button for receiving a command for confirming detection information, obstacle information, location information, map information from the user, and the setting button is a button for receiving a command for setting the information from the user.

In addition, the input unit 1200 may cancel a previous user input and input a reset button for receiving user input again, a delete button for deleting a preset user input, a button for setting or changing an operation mode, and a command for returning to the charging station. It may include a button for receiving an input.

In addition, the input unit 1200 may be installed on the upper part of the mobile robot using a hard key, a soft key, a touch pad, or the like. In addition, the input unit 1200 may have a form of a touch screen together with the output unit 1500.

On the other hand, the output unit 1500 may be installed on the upper portion of the mobile robot. Of course, the installation location or installation form may vary. For example, the output unit 1500 may display a battery state or a driving method on a screen.

In addition, the output unit 1500 may output state information inside the mobile robot detected by the sensing unit 1400, for example, current states of respective components included in the mobile robot. In addition, the output unit 1500 may display external state information, obstacle information, location information, map information, etc. detected by the sensing unit 1400 on the screen. The output unit 1500 may be any one of a light emitting diode (LED), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display panel, and an organic light emitting diode (OLED). It can be formed as an element of.

The output unit 1500 may further include sound output means for audibly outputting an operation process or an operation result of the mobile robot performed by the controller 1800. For example, the output unit 1500 may output a warning sound to the outside according to the warning signal generated by the controller 1800.

In this case, the sound output means (not shown) may be a means for outputting sounds such as a beeper and a speaker, and the output unit 1500 may include audio data or message data having a predetermined pattern stored in the memory 1700. It can be output to the outside through the sound output means using.

Therefore, the mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention may output the environmental information about the driving area on the screen or output the sound through the output unit 1500. According to another exemplary embodiment, the mobile robot may transmit map information or environmental information to the terminal device through the communication unit 1100 such that the terminal device outputs a screen or sound to be output through the output unit 1500.

The memory 1700 stores a control program for controlling or driving the robot cleaner and data corresponding thereto. The memory 1700 may store audio information, image information, obstacle information, location information, map information, and the like. In addition, the memory 1700 may store information related to a driving pattern.

The memory 1700 mainly uses a nonvolatile memory. The non-volatile memory (NVM, NVRAM) is a storage device that can maintain stored information even when power is not supplied. For example, a ROM, a flash memory, or a magnetic computer. Storage devices (eg, hard disks, diskette drives, magnetic tapes), optical disk drives, magnetic RAMs, PRAMs, and the like.

The sensing unit 1400 may include at least one of an external signal sensor, a front sensor, a cliff sensor, a 2D camera sensor, and a 3D camera sensor.

The external signal sensor may detect an external signal of the mobile robot. The external signal detection sensor may be, for example, an infrared ray sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an RF sensor, or the like.

The mobile robot can check the position and direction of the charging station by receiving a guide signal generated by the charging station using an external signal detection sensor. At this time, the charging station may transmit a guide signal indicating the direction and distance so that the mobile robot can return. That is, the mobile robot may receive a signal from the charging station to determine the current position and set the direction of movement to return to the charging station.

On the other hand, the front sensor may be installed at a predetermined interval along the front of the mobile robot, specifically the side outer peripheral surface of the mobile robot. The front sensor is located on at least one side of the mobile robot to detect an obstacle in front of the mobile robot, and the front sensor detects an object in the moving direction of the mobile robot, in particular, an obstacle and transmits the detection information to the controller 1800. I can deliver it. That is, the front sensor may detect the protrusions, the household appliances, the furniture, the wall, the wall edges, and the like existing on the moving path of the mobile robot and transmit the information to the controller 1800.

The front sensing sensor may be, for example, an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an RF sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, and the like, and the mobile robot may use one type of sensor as the front sensing sensor or two or more types of sensors as needed. have.

For example, the ultrasonic sensor may generally be mainly used to detect a long distance obstacle. The ultrasonic sensor includes a transmitter and a receiver, and the controller 1800 determines whether the obstacle is present by whether the ultrasonic wave radiated through the transmitter is reflected by an obstacle or the like and is received by the receiver. It can be used to calculate the distance to the obstacle.

In addition, the controller 1800 may detect the information related to the size of the obstacle by comparing the ultrasound emitted from the transmitter and the ultrasound received from the receiver. For example, the controller 1800 may determine that the larger the obstacle is, the more ultrasonic waves are received in the receiver.

In one embodiment, a plurality (eg, five) ultrasonic sensors may be installed along the outer circumferential surface of the front side of the mobile robot. In this case, the ultrasonic sensor may be installed on the front of the mobile robot alternately the transmitter and the receiver.

That is, the transmitter may be disposed to be spaced apart from the center of the front of the main body to the left and right, and one or more transmitters may be disposed between the receivers to form a reception area of the ultrasonic signal reflected from an obstacle or the like. This arrangement allows the receiving area to be extended while reducing the number of sensors. The transmission angle of the ultrasonic waves may maintain an angle in a range that does not affect the different signals to prevent crosstalk. In addition, the reception sensitivity of the receivers may be set differently.

In addition, the ultrasonic sensor may be installed upward by a predetermined angle so that the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the ultrasonic sensor is output upward, and may further include a predetermined blocking member to prevent the ultrasonic wave from being radiated downward.

Meanwhile, as described above, the front sensor may use two or more types of sensors together, and accordingly, the front sensor may use any one type of sensor, such as an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or an RF sensor. .

For example, the front sensing sensor may include an infrared sensor as another type of sensor in addition to the ultrasonic sensor.

The infrared sensor may be installed on the outer circumferential surface of the mobile robot together with the ultrasonic sensor. The infrared sensor may also detect obstacles present in the front or side and transmit the obstacle information to the controller 1800. That is, the infrared sensor detects protrusions, household appliances, furniture, walls, wall edges, and the like existing on the moving path of the mobile robot and transmits the information to the controller 1800. Therefore, the mobile robot can move the main body within a specific area without colliding with an obstacle.

Meanwhile, the cliff detection sensor (or the cliff sensor) may mainly detect various obstacles on the floor supporting the main body of the mobile robot by using various types of optical sensors.

That is, the cliff detection sensor is installed on the back of the mobile robot on the floor, of course, may be installed in different positions according to the type of mobile robot. The cliff detection sensor is located on the back of the mobile robot and is used to detect obstacles on the floor. The cliff detection sensor is an infrared sensor, a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit, an ultrasonic sensor, an RF sensor, and a PSD (Position). Sensitive Detector) sensor or the like.

For example, one of the cliff detection sensors may be installed at the front of the mobile robot, and the other two cliff detection sensors may be installed at the rear.

For example, the cliff detection sensor may be a PSD sensor but may be configured of a plurality of different types of sensors.

The PSD sensor uses a semiconductor surface resistance to detect the short and long distance positions of incident light by one p-n junction. The PSD sensor includes a one-dimensional PSD sensor that detects light in only one axis direction and a two-dimensional PSD sensor that can detect a light position on a plane, and both may have a pin photodiode structure. PSD sensor is a type of infrared sensor, and uses infrared light to measure the distance by measuring the angle of the infrared ray reflected from the obstacle after transmitting the infrared ray. That is, the PSD sensor calculates the distance to the obstacle by using a triangulation method.

The PSD sensor includes a light emitting unit for emitting infrared rays to an obstacle and a light receiving unit for receiving infrared rays reflected from the obstacle and is generally configured in a module form. When the obstacle is detected using the PSD sensor, a stable measurement value can be obtained regardless of the difference in reflectance and color of the obstacle.

The cleaning unit 1900 cleans the designated cleaning area according to a control command transmitted from the control unit 1800. The cleaning unit 1900 scatters the surrounding dust through a brush (not shown) that scatters the dust of the designated cleaning area, and then drives the suction fan and the suction motor to suck the scattered dust. In addition, the cleaning unit 1900 may mop the designated cleaning area according to the replacement of the configuration.

In addition, the controller 1800 may measure a cliff and analyze the depth of the cliff by measuring an infrared angle between the infrared light emitted by the cliff detection sensor and the reflected signal received by the obstacle.

On the other hand, the controller 1800 may determine whether or not the passage of the cliff according to the ground condition of the cliff detected using the cliff detection sensor, and may determine whether the cliff passes. For example, the controller 1800 determines whether the cliff is present and the depth of the cliff through the cliff detection sensor, and then passes the cliff only when the reflection signal is detected by the cliff detection sensor.

As another example, the controller 1800 may determine the lifting phenomenon of the mobile robot using the cliff detection sensor.

On the other hand, the two-dimensional camera sensor is provided on one surface of the mobile robot, and acquires image information related to the surroundings of the main body during movement.

An optical flow sensor converts a downward image input from an image sensor provided in the sensor to generate image data of a predetermined format. The generated image data may be stored in the memory 1700.

In addition, one or more light sources may be installed adjacent to the optical flow sensor. The one or more light sources irradiate light to a predetermined area of the bottom surface photographed by the image sensor. That is, when the mobile robot moves a specific area along the bottom surface, if the bottom surface is flat, a constant distance is maintained between the image sensor and the bottom surface. On the other hand, when the mobile robot moves the bottom surface of the non-uniform surface, the robot moves away by a certain distance due to irregularities and obstacles on the bottom surface. In this case, one or more light sources may be controlled by the controller 1800 to adjust the amount of light to be irradiated. The light source may be a light emitting device capable of adjusting light quantity, for example, a light emitting diode (LED) or the like.

Using the optical flow sensor, the controller 1800 may detect the position of the mobile robot regardless of the sliding of the mobile robot. The controller 1800 may calculate the moving distance and the moving direction by comparing and analyzing the image data photographed by the optical flow sensor according to time, and may calculate the position of the mobile robot based on this. By using the image information on the lower side of the mobile robot by using the optical flow sensor, the controller 1800 can correct the sliding against the position of the mobile robot calculated by other means.

The 3D camera sensor may be attached to one side or a part of the main body of the mobile robot to generate 3D coordinate information related to the periphery of the main body.

That is, the 3D camera sensor may be a 3D depth camera that calculates a distance between the mobile robot and the object to be photographed.

In detail, the 3D camera sensor may capture a 2D image related to the circumference of the main body, and generate a plurality of 3D coordinate information corresponding to the captured 2D image.

In one embodiment, the three-dimensional camera sensor includes two or more cameras for acquiring a conventional two-dimensional image, and combines two or more images obtained from the two or more cameras to generate three-dimensional coordinate information. Can be formed in a manner.

Specifically, the three-dimensional camera sensor according to the embodiment is a first pattern irradiation unit for irradiating the first pattern of light downward toward the front of the main body, and to irradiate the second pattern of light upward toward the front of the main body It may include a second pattern irradiation unit and an image acquisition unit for obtaining an image of the front of the main body. As a result, the image acquisition unit may acquire an image of a region where light of the first pattern and light of the second pattern are incident.

In another embodiment, the three-dimensional camera sensor includes an infrared pattern emitter for irradiating an infrared pattern with a single camera, and captures a shape in which the infrared pattern emitted from the infrared pattern emitter is projected onto the object to be photographed. The distance between the sensor and the object to be photographed may be measured. The 3D camera sensor may be an IR (Infra Red) type 3D camera sensor.

In another embodiment, the three-dimensional camera sensor includes a light emitting unit that emits light together with a single camera, receives a portion of the laser emitted from the light emitting unit reflected from the object to be photographed, and analyzes the received laser, thereby making The distance between the camera sensor and the object to be photographed may be measured. The 3D camera sensor may be a 3D camera sensor of a time of flight (TOF) method.

Specifically, the laser of the three-dimensional camera sensor as described above is configured to irradiate the laser of the form extending in at least one direction. In one example, the three-dimensional camera sensor may be provided with a first and a second laser, the first laser is irradiated with a straight laser cross each other, the second laser is irradiated with a single straight laser laser can do. According to this, the bottom laser is used to detect obstacles at the bottom, the top laser is used to detect obstacles at the top, and the middle laser between the bottom laser and the top laser is used to detect obstacles in the middle. Used for

On the other hand, the communication unit 1100 is connected to the terminal device and / or other devices located in a specific area (in this specification will be mixed with the term "home appliance") in one of the wired, wireless, satellite communication methods To transmit and receive signals and data.

The communication unit 1100 may transmit / receive data with other devices located in a specific area. At this time, any other device may be any device capable of transmitting and receiving data by connecting to a network. For example, the other device may be a device such as an air conditioner, a heating device, an air purifying device, a lamp, a TV, a car, and the like. In addition, the other device may be a device for controlling a door, a window, a water valve, a gas valve, or the like. The other device may be a sensor for detecting temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, gas, or the like.

In addition, the communication unit 1100 may communicate with another robot cleaner 100 located within a specific area or a predetermined range.

On the other hand, in the present invention, it turns out that the robot cleaner, autonomous driving cleaner, cleaner can all be used in the same meaning. Thus, the first cleaner and the second cleaner mean a first robot cleaner and a second robot cleaner, respectively.

5A and 5B, the first cleaner 100a and the second cleaner 100b performing autonomous driving may exchange data with each other through the network communication 50. In addition, the first cleaner 100a and / or the second cleaner 100b which performs autonomous driving may perform a cleaning related operation by a control command received from the terminal 300 through the network communication 50 or another communication. Alternatively, the corresponding operation may be performed.

That is, although not shown, the plurality of cleaners 100a and 100b performing autonomous driving communicate with the terminal 300 through the first network communication, and communicate with each other through the second network communication. Can be done.

Here, the network communication 50 may include a wireless LAN (WLAN), a wireless personal area network (WPAN), wireless-fidelity (Wi-Fi), wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), digital living network alliance (DLNA), and WiBro. (Wireless Broadband), World Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Zigbee, Z-wave, Blue-Tooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Ultra-Band (UWB), Wireless USB It may refer to short-range communication using at least one of wireless communication technologies such as a wireless universal serial bus.

The illustrated network communication 50 may vary depending on what is the communication method of the robot cleaner to communicate with each other.

In FIG. 5A, the first cleaner 100a and / or the second cleaner 100b performing autonomous driving may provide the terminal 300 with information sensed through each sensing unit through the network communication 50. Can be. In addition, the terminal 300 may transmit a control command generated based on the received information to the first cleaner 100a and / or the second cleaner 100b through the network communication 50.

In addition, in FIG. 5A, the first cleaner 100a and the second cleaner 100b may perform a vision network to share location information and information related to driving conditions. In this case, the vision network refers to an image projected on the ceiling through an optical module provided in the first cleaner 100a and / or the second cleaner 100b in an environment in which network communication environment is not supported. This means that the cleaner 100b and / or the first cleaner 100a recognizes the upper camera and visually shares location information and information related to the driving state.

In one example, the second cleaner 100b grasps the position and the driving direction of the first cleaner 100a based on the image projected from the first cleaner 100a and performs driving along the first cleaner 100a. can do. In this case, it may be said that the first cleaner 100a is a master and the second cleaner 100b is a slave. Alternatively, it may be said that the second cleaner 100b follows the first cleaner 100a. Alternatively, in some cases, it may be said that the first cleaner 100a and the second cleaner 100b cooperate with each other.

5B, a system including a plurality of cleaners 100a and 100b performing autonomous driving according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

Referring to FIG. 5B, a cleaning system according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of cleaners 100a and 100b that perform autonomous driving, a network communication 50, a server 500, and a plurality of terminals 300a, respectively. 300b).

Among them, the plurality of cleaners 100a and 100b, the network communication 50, and the at least one terminal 300a are disposed in the building 10, and the other terminal 300b and the server 500 are the building 10. It can be located outside.

The plurality of cleaners 100a and 100b may be self-driving and self-cleaning, and may perform autonomous driving and autonomous cleaning.

On the other hand, under the environment in which network communication is supported, the following operations are also possible.

The plurality of cleaners 100a and 100b, the server 500, and the plurality of terminals 300a and 300b may be connected to each other through a network communication 50 to exchange data with each other. To this end, although not shown, it may further include a wireless router such as an access point (AP) device. In this case, the terminal 300a located in the internal network may be connected to at least one of the plurality of cleaners 100a and 100b through the AP device to perform monitoring, remote control, or the like of the cleaner. In addition, the terminal 300b located in the external network may also be connected to at least one of the plurality of cleaners 100a and 100b through the AP device to perform monitoring and remote control of the cleaner.

The server 500 may be directly wirelessly connected through the mobile terminal 300b. Alternatively, the server 500 may be connected to at least one of the plurality of cleaners 100a and 100b without passing through the mobile terminal 300b.

The server 500 may include a processor capable of program processing, and may include various algorithms. By way of example, server 500 may have algorithms associated with performing machine learning and / or data mining. As another example, the server 500 may include a speech recognition algorithm. In such a case, when the voice data is received, the received voice data can be converted into text data and output.

The server 500 may store firmware information and driving information (course information, etc.) for the plurality of cleaners 100a and 100b and register product information for the plurality of cleaners 100a and 100b. For example, server 500 may be a server operated by a cleaner manufacturer or a server operated by a published application store operator.

In another example, the server 500 may be a home server provided in the internal network 10 to store state information about home devices or to store content shared by the home devices. When the server 500 is a home server, information related to a foreign matter, for example, an image of a foreign matter may be stored.

Meanwhile, any one of the plurality of cleaners 100a and 100b may be the master cleaner 100a and the other may be the slave cleaner 100b. For example, the first cleaner 100a may be a dry cleaner that sucks dust from the cleaning floor, and the second cleaner 100b may be a wet cleaner that mops the floor cleaned by the first cleaner 100a. In addition, the structures and specifications of the first vacuum cleaner 100a and the second vacuum cleaner 100b may be different from each other.

In this case, the first cleaner 100a may provide information for inducing the driving and cleaning of the second cleaner 100b. In addition, the second cleaner 100b may run and clean while following the first cleaner 100a. Here, the fact that the second cleaner 100b follows the first cleaner 100a means that the second cleaner 100b runs along the first cleaner 100a while maintaining an appropriate distance from the first cleaner 100a. Means to carry out cleaning.

Referring to FIG. 5C, the second cleaner 100b may follow the first cleaner 100a and perform cleaning.

To this end, the first cleaner 100a may be provided with an optical module 1410 including a plurality of light sources on one side, for example, and the second cleaner 100b following the first cleaner 100a. The upper camera 1420 may be provided.

Specifically, when the first cleaner 100a irradiates light to display a specific image on the ceiling through the optical module 1410, the second cleaner 100b analyzes the specific image acquired by the upper camera 1420. Based on the position and / or the driving state of the first cleaner 100a, a driving command that follows the first cleaner 100a may be generated. At this time, the distance between the first vacuum cleaner (100a) and the second vacuum cleaner (100b) is a range in which a specific image projected from the first vacuum cleaner (100a) is within the angle of view of the upper camera 1420 of the second vacuum cleaner (100b). You will have to keep it.

In the following, such a separation distance will be referred to as a "vision network (vision network) communication distance".

In addition, the information provided by the specific image projected onto the ceiling through the optical module 1410 of the first cleaner 100a may vary. That is, the specific image includes location information of the first vacuum cleaner 100a and / or information related to the driving state.

In addition, not only the current position and driving direction of the first cleaner 100a but also various information related to driving conditions such as driving stop, driving speed, and obstacle detection may be provided through image projection. Furthermore, such various information may be based on the current position and the current driving state of the first cleaner 100a, or may be based on map information stored in the first cleaner 100a.

The second cleaner 100b performs cleaning while traveling along the travel path of the first cleaner 100a. However, the traveling directions of the first cleaner 100a and the second cleaner 100b do not always coincide. For example, when the first cleaner 100a moves or rotates up / down / left / right, since the second cleaner 100b moves or rotates up / down / left / right after a predetermined time, the current traveling direction is It can be different.

In addition, the traveling speed Va of the first vacuum cleaner 100a and the traveling speed Vb of the second vacuum cleaner 100b may be different from each other.

In this case, the traveling speed Vb of the first cleaner 100a and / or the second cleaner 100b may be varied in consideration of the vision network communication distance. For example, when the first cleaner 100a and the second cleaner 100b are separated by a predetermined distance or more according to the analysis of the projected image, the traveling speed Vb of the second cleaner 100b may be controlled to be faster than before. Can be. In addition, if the first cleaner 100a and the second cleaner 100b are closer than a predetermined distance according to the analysis of the projected image, the traveling speed Vb of the second cleaner 100b is controlled to be slower than before, or predetermined Control to stop time. Through this, while maintaining the vision network communication distance properly, the second cleaner (100b) can follow the first cleaner (100a) to perform the cleaning.

6 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a method of recognizing a position of a preceding cleaner based on an image corresponding to an optical signal projected on a ceiling by a plurality of robot cleaners according to an embodiment of the present invention. to be.

That is, in the present invention, there is no additional sensor capable of detecting a relative position between the first vacuum cleaner 100a and the second vacuum cleaner 100b which performs tracking / collaborative cleaning (there is a sensor that detects its own position) or the network. In an environment in which communication is not supported, at least the trailing cleaner 100b may be configured to recognize the position of the preceding cleaner 100a through a vision network.

In FIG. 6, an optical module 1410 including a plurality of light sources is provided above the first cleaner 100a to operate to emit light signals associated with driving toward the ceiling while the first cleaner 100a is traveling. . In addition, a camera 1420 is provided above the second cleaner 100b to acquire an image 601 corresponding to the light signal emitted from the first cleaner 100a and projected on the ceiling, thereby to determine whether the vehicle is traveling and the driving direction. Determine.

In this case, an image 601 may be acquired by the second cleaner 100b only when the projection area R1 of the first cleaner 100a is positioned within the angle of view range R2 of the second cleaner 100b. Therefore, the vision network communication distance is determined in consideration of the range of the projection area R1 of the first cleaner 100a and the angle of view range R2 of the second cleaner 100b, which is an optical module of the first cleaner 100a. It may be determined differently depending on the type of and the type of the upper camera of the second cleaner (100b).

Meanwhile, the widths of the projection area R1 and the angle of view range R2 are the height H of the ceiling, that is, the height h1 of the ceiling from the top surface of the first cleaner 100a and the top surface of the second cleaner 100b. From the height h2 of the ceiling. For example, it may be said that the widths of the projection area R1 and the angle of view range R2 generally increase further when the height H of the ceiling is high. However, in this case, since the sharpness of the projected image 601 is reversely reduced, the second cleaner 100b may calculate the height H of the ceiling based on the size and the sharpness of the projected image 601. There will be.

As described above, in the present invention, a plurality of robot cleaners are not equipped with sensors for locating each other, or even in an environment in which the sensors are mounted but network communication is not supported, the preceding robot cleaner and the following robot cleaner are not reversed. Follow-up / collaborative cleaning can be performed.

In detail, the first vacuum cleaner emits an optical signal related to its driving on a ceiling, and the second vacuum cleaner acquires and analyzes an image corresponding to the optical signal identified within an angle of view of the upper camera, thereby obtaining a first image. After recognizing the position of the cleaner, a driving command that follows the first cleaner may be generated.

Here, the optical module is located above the first cleaner, and a plurality of lasers or a plurality of LEDs may be formed in a dense form, for example. Alternatively, the optical module may be arranged such that a plurality of lasers or a plurality of LEDs form a specific image. However, the optical module is not limited to this shape and may be arranged in other forms.

For example, the optical module may be provided on the side surface or the bottom surface in addition to (or alternatively) to project the image corresponding to the optical signal onto the wall or the bottom surface. In addition, the optical module may include a plurality of transmitters and receivers.

In addition, the upper camera provided in the second camera may adjust the angle of view range differently according to the position of the projection image within the angle of view range. For example, when only a part of the projection image is located in the field of view range, the view angle range may be increased, and when the projection image is close to the center of the field of view range, the view angle range may be narrowed and the sharpness may be increased.

Also, as a related example, the second cleaner may adjust the traveling direction or the traveling speed of the second cleaner differently according to the position of the projection image within the angle of view range.

As a specific example, when the upper part of the projection image is cut off and the remaining part is located in the angle of view range, the traveling speed of the second cleaner may be increased in consideration of the vision network communication distance. Alternatively, if the side part of the projection image is cut off and the remaining part is located in the angle of view range, the second cleaner may move out of the driving line of the first cleaner and may adjust the driving direction appropriately. Alternatively, if the projection image is located at the center of the angle of view range or in a direction opposite to the driving direction, the separation distance between the second cleaner and the first cleaner may be considered to be close, and the driving speed of the second cleaner may be reduced.

In addition, in FIG. 6, whether the optical module of the first cleaner 100a is emitted and the interval may be differently determined according to the driving state of the first cleaner. For example, the radiation of the optical module 1410 of the first cleaner 100a may be operated to be performed only when the first cleaner stops traveling or changes the driving direction.

In addition, in FIG. 6, the upper camera 1420 of the second cleaner 100b may be implemented to be automatically activated when the first cleaner 100a runs for the first time. That is, the upper camera 1420 may be first switched to the activated state before the second cleaner 100b starts driving. In addition, the upper camera 1420 of the second cleaner 100b may acquire an image projected onto the ceiling through the preview image without an actual photographing operation.

7 is a representative flowchart for explaining in detail the conceptual diagram illustrated in FIG. 6.

Referring to FIG. 7, an operation according to the present invention is started by first driving the first cleaner (S10).

In this case, it is assumed that the second vacuum cleaners are in contact with each other or are adjacent or very close to each other before the first vacuum cleaner starts to travel. That is, it is assumed that the first vacuum cleaner and the second vacuum cleaner are located within a vision network communication distance from the beginning.

In addition, the driving direction or the target direction of the first cleaner may be determined based on stored map information or a control command received from an external device. The second cleaner performs the driving following the driving of the first cleaner without sharing such map information.

When the first cleaner emits an optical signal related to the current driving through its optical module according to the driving of the first cleaner, a specific image corresponding to the emitted optical signal is projected on the ceiling (S20).

Here, the specific image corresponding to the optical signal indicates a predetermined image including information related to at least one of the driving state and the driving direction of the first cleaner. In addition, the specific image may include a dot, a line, an arrow, a mark, or other promised symbols or patterns, and may be formed by varying at least one of the number of emission, the number of emission, and the emission interval of the plurality of light sources. It may include all of the predetermined shape.

The second cleaner acquires a specific image corresponding to the light signal projected on the ceiling by using the upper camera of the second cleaner (S30). The upward camera remains active at or before step S10 and acquires a specific image projected onto the ceiling through the preview image.

Next, the second cleaner recognizes the position of the first cleaner based on the acquired image (S40). Here, recognizing the position of the first cleaner may mean estimating the current estimated position based on the driving direction of the first cleaner.

As a specific example, when the first cleaner travels forward, since the first cleaner will travel forward while projecting an image corresponding to the front, in the second cleaner, the first cleaner is based on the projected image and thus the vision network communication distance. The position can be estimated by running forward from within.

However, the timing at which the first cleaner projects the actual optical signal and the timing at which the second cleaner acquires the image corresponding to the optical signal are somewhat different, so the estimated position of the first cleaner and the current position of the first cleaner are somewhat different. There may be differences. Thus, in one example, the second cleaner may perform an algorithm for correcting such a time difference in the background to more accurately calculate the relative position of the first cleaner.

In addition, the second cleaner may further recognize the driving state of the first cleaner based on the acquired image. For example, when the first vacuum cleaner stops traveling, the image related to the driving stop may be projected through the optical module, and the second vacuum cleaner may recognize the driving stop of the first vacuum by acquiring such an image. will be. Alternatively, when the first cleaner changes the driving direction, the optical module may project an image related to the changed driving direction, and the second cleaner may acquire the image to recognize the change in the driving direction of the first cleaner. .

To this end, the driving related information matching the image or shape corresponding to the optical signal emitted from the first cleaner may be stored in advance in the memory of the second cleaner.

Specifically, in the second cleaner, information related to the driving state and the driving direction that match the image corresponding to the optical signal is stored in advance in the memory, and at least one of the driving state and the driving direction that matches the image acquired through the upper camera. The driving condition of the first cleaner may be recognized in such a manner that information related to the is detected from the memory.

However, as described above, the driving direction of the first cleaner at the time when the first cleaner emits the optical signal and the driving direction of the first cleaner at the inspection in which the second cleaner recognizes the image corresponding to the optical signal may be different. Therefore, it can be said that it actually means the driving state before several milliseconds (ms) or several microseconds (us).

In addition, in one embodiment, the image projected on the ceiling may further provide information related to the traveling speed of the first cleaner. Specifically, the traveling speed of the first vacuum cleaner may be displayed based on at least one of the light emission interval and the light emission range of the optical signal of the first vacuum cleaner forming the projection image.

In addition, in one embodiment, the image projected on the ceiling may additionally provide the second cleaner with information related to the obstacle / non-entry detected by the first cleaner. Specifically, when it is detected that the second cleaner is not allowed to enter the area while the first cleaner is running, the second cleaner may be prevented from entering by projecting an optical signal corresponding to the stop command onto the ceiling.

On the other hand, when the types of the first and second cleaners are different, the first cleaner may enter, but the second cleaner may not enter. In the present invention, since it is assumed that there is no general network communication between the first vacuum cleaner and the second vacuum cleaner, a state in which the first vacuum cleaner recognizes the specifications of the second vacuum cleaner in advance and recognizes that only the second vacuum cleaner is inaccessible. In this case, the light signal corresponding to the stop command may be projected onto the ceiling. However, in the case of the inaccessible area due to the height of the main body of the second cleaner, it may be estimated whether the inaccessible area is based on the sharpness of the image projected by the first cleaner on the ceiling.

Also, when a plurality of images corresponding to the optical signal are projected in order, information related to driving that matches the plurality of images corresponding to the projected order may be detected in order.

For example, it may be possible to project a first image indicative of the driving direction of the first cleaner, followed by sequentially projecting a second image representing the traveling speed of the first cleaner.

As such, when the position of the first cleaner is recognized, a driving command of the second cleaner may be generated based on the recognized position of the first cleaner (S50). Here, the driving command of the second cleaner may mean a control command associated with following the first cleaner.

As a specific example, when it is recognized that the first cleaner is in the stopped state, the stop cleaner may generate the stop command in consideration of the vision network communication distance.

As another example, if it is recognized that the driving direction is changed in the first cleaner, the second cleaner may generate a driving command to follow the driving direction before the predetermined time and follow the changed driving direction after the predetermined time.

Here, the predetermined time may be determined in consideration of the traveling speed of the first cleaner, the vision network communication distance (view angle range of the second cleaner), the projection time of the first cleaner, and the image acquisition time of the second cleaner.

8A to 8F illustrate examples of various projection images related to the driving state projected by the preceding cleaner in relation to the running command of the trailing cleaner. These various projection images may be implemented differently according to the position and arrangement of the optical module.

The preceding first vacuum cleaner may project an arrow image 801 indicating the driving direction of the first vacuum cleaner, as shown in FIG. 8A. In addition, as shown in FIG. 8B, it is possible to project a promised image 802 indicating stop driving.

As another example, as shown in FIG. 8C, the information on the driving direction of the first cleaner may be projected as a promised numeric image. For example, the projected image 803 representing the number '4' represents the 'west direction' and after a few seconds, the projected image 804 representing the changed number '8' may represent the 'south direction'.

As another example, when there is no change in the driving direction, as illustrated in FIGS. 8D and 8E, arrow images projecting original images 805 and 806 having different arc lengths or having different thickness / thickness ( By projecting 807, 808, it is possible to inform the change of the traveling speed of the first cleaner. For example, when the first cleaner running forward in FIG. 8E increases only the driving speed while maintaining the driving direction, light may be output to the thicker arrow image 808 after t seconds.

As another example, as shown in FIG. 8F, by continuously projecting images 809, 810, and 811 having a predetermined pattern in which the image changes the light emission interval of the optical module, the front cleaner of the first cleaner − A series of driving movements of rotation may be recognized by the second vacuum cleaner.

On the other hand, as shown in the example illustrated in FIG. 8F, the preceding first cleaner travels forward, and for example, may perform rotation and reverse travel to change the cleaning line.

At this time, if the second cleaner side follows the changed driving direction radiated from the first cleaner at its current position, the front and rear of the preceding robot cleaner and the following robot cleaner may be reversed. This may be a problem especially when a plurality of robot cleaners play different roles, so that one must clean the other after the other (eg, clean the mop after inhaling dust).

 The limitation of this vision network may be solved by implementing the following operation.

Hereinafter, FIGS. 9 and 10 specifically illustrate different exemplary operations for maintaining the front and rear of the preceding robot cleaner and the following robot cleaner even when reverse driving is performed according to a line change or the like in the preceding cleaner.

First, the first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 9.

Referring to FIG. 9, an optical signal related to a change of direction is projected on the ceiling in the preceding first cleaner (S910). Subsequently, the first vacuum cleaner stops driving itself (S920).

Here, the driving stop timing of the first cleaner may be determined in consideration of the timing of recognizing the image related to the change of direction in the following second cleaner. In this manner, the first cleaner stops traveling by itself, thereby preventing the trailing second cleaner from moving out of the vision network communication distance while turning for redirection.

Next, the second cleaner performs an operation of changing the driving direction of the second cleaner based on the image corresponding to the light signal projected on the ceiling by using the upper camera (S930). Alternatively, when the image related to the change of direction is obtained, the second cleaner rotates based on the obtained image and the previous image to change the driving direction.

In detail, the second vacuum cleaner maintains the driving direction corresponding to the previous image until the obstacle is detected. Here, the obstacle may include not only fixed obstacles such as walls, furniture, and household appliances and moving moving obstacles, which protrude from the bottom of the cleaning area to prevent the cleaner from running, but also a cliff. When an obstacle is detected, driving is performed to follow the changed driving direction projected by the first cleaner through the rotation and movement of the driving wheel.

Next, when a predetermined time elapses, the first cleaner resumes driving and projects an optical signal associated with the current driving onto the ceiling (S940). Then, the second vacuum cleaner can continue the cleaning while following / cooperating the current running of the first vacuum cleaner in which the cleaning line has been changed without reversing the order.

In an example, when the second cleaner starts running of the first cleaner as the predetermined time elapses, the second cleaner causes the image related to the change of direction to be at the center (or a predetermined area) of the angle of view range of the second cleaner. 2 You can drive by adjusting the position of the vacuum cleaner. Such an action may be referred to as an 'align action'. Through this aligning operation, the second cleaner travels in the same manner as the driving path passed by the first cleaner.

Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11A through 11F.

Here, as shown in FIG. 11A, the optical modules 1410a and 1410b and the upper cameras 1420a and 1420b are provided in both the preceding first cleaner 100a and the following second cleaner 100b, respectively. It will be explained on the premise.

In this case, both the first image IM1 projected by the first vacuum cleaner 100a and the second image IM2 projected by the second vacuum cleaner 100b are stored in the first vacuum cleaner 100a and the second vacuum cleaner 100b. Each can be recognized. In this embodiment, the vision network communication distance may mean an overlapping area between an angle of view range of the upper camera 1420a provided in the first cleaner 100a and an angle of view range of the upper camera 1420b provided in the second cleaner 100b. Can be.

In FIG. 11A, the first image IM1 and the second image IM2 are independently projected and may be projected simultaneously or only one of them. In addition, whether or not the second image IM2 is projected may be changed in response to the projection of the first image IM1, or whether or not the first image IM1 is projected in response to the projection of the second image IM2. have.

Referring back to FIG. 10, the first light signal associated with the change of direction in the preceding first cleaner is projected onto the ceiling (S1010). Specifically, referring to FIGS. 11B and 11C, when the first cleaner drives forward while projecting the front image 1101, when the first vacuum cleaner contacts the wall obstacle 50 and changes the line through rotation and redirection, the first cleaner The cleaner projects the rear image 1102 based on the second cleaner. Accordingly, the second cleaner may recognize through the two images 1101, 1102 within the time t that the redirection has been made in the first cleaner.

Next, in response to the first optical signal associated with the change of direction, the second cleaner projects the second optical signal associated with the stop command on the ceiling (S1020). Referring to FIG. 11D, the first vacuum cleaner and the second vacuum cleaner may recognize both the image projected by the first cleaner and the image projected by the counterpart. Accordingly, the first vacuum cleaner stops driving based on the still image 1103 emitted by the second vacuum cleaner, and the second vacuum cleaner prepares to change the driving direction soon with the rear image 1102 emitted by the first vacuum cleaner. do.

Next, in the second vacuum cleaner, the first vacuum cleaner travels based on a previously projected image, and when an obstacle is detected, the second vacuum cleaner changes the driving direction based on the image corresponding to the first optical signal, that is, the rear image 1102. Perform (S1040). Referring to FIG. 11E, when the second cleaner travels along the front image 1101 previously emitted by the first cleaner, and when the wall obstacle 50 is detected, the rear image last emitted by the first cleaner ( The driving is performed to rotate and move with 1102 as the target direction and the target position.

In this manner, while the second cleaner performs turning, the second cleaner maintains the emission of the still image 1103, and the first cleaner continuously emits the rear image 1102 that was last emitted in the stopped state. do.

When the driving direction of the second cleaner is changed to match the driving direction corresponding to the first optical signal, the second cleaner stops the projection of the second optical signal related to the stop command (S1050). Thus, as shown in FIG. 11F, only the rear image 1102 that is emitted from the first cleaner remains in the common field of view range.

On the other hand, when the projection of the second optical signal is stopped, the first cleaner resumes driving and controls the optical module to project the optical signal related to the current driving on the ceiling (S1060). Therefore, in the second vacuum cleaner, even if the first vacuum cleaner travels in the opposite direction as before, the second vacuum cleaner can naturally run following the back of the vehicle without being reversed.

Although not shown, the second cleaner may perform the above-described 'align operation' to follow the driving line of the first cleaner as it is. However, in the alignment operation here, an operation in which the second cleaner emits the third image is added.

In detail, when the driving starts in a direction corresponding to the first image, the second cleaner may align the first image emitted from the first cleaner by projecting the third image onto the ceiling.

That is, in FIG. 11F, by adjusting the position of the second cleaner such that the third image emitted by the second cleaner completely overlaps the position of the rear image 1102, the traveling line of the first cleaner and the running line of the second cleaner are adjusted. Can match. In this case, the third image may be the same image as the rear image 1102.

On the other hand, in another example, it is possible to provide a driving guide for the following second cleaner based on the information related to the altitude of the ceiling.

To this end, the first vacuum cleaner may include one or more receivers around the optical module. The first vacuum cleaner may project an optical signal corresponding to a specific image through the optical module, and at the same time, the optical signal may be returned to the ceiling through the receiver. By receiving, it is also possible to calculate the altitude information of the ceiling. Accordingly, it may be further determined whether the altitude of the ceiling is low enough for the second cleaner to enter.

For example, when it is determined that the altitude of the ceiling is low, that is, when the first vacuum cleaner can enter but the second vacuum cleaner is inaccessible, the first vacuum cleaner receives an optical signal corresponding to the image indicating that the first vacuum cleaner cannot enter. By projecting, it will be possible to prevent the second cleaner from entering and hitting.

As another example, the first cleaner may share the map map information with the second cleaner by inserting the card map image into the ceiling and projecting it on the ceiling. To this end, an accommodating space for accommodating a map map card may be provided at an upper side of the first cleaner, specifically, in front of the optical module.

On the other hand, the above has been described as an example of the cooperative cleaning using two cleaners, but is not limited to this, embodiments of the present invention can be applied to the case where the cleaner to perform cleaning while recognizing the location of each other by working with more than one generation will be.

On the other hand, in one embodiment, it is possible to adjust the running direction and the running speed of the second vacuum cleaner, based on the position of the image projected on the ceiling. Specifically, it is possible to set the projected image to be at the center of the angle of view range as a reference position, and increase or decrease the running direction and traveling speed of the second cleaner to a predetermined range according to the direction away from the reference position and the degree of deviation. .

On the other hand, in an environment where the ceiling is low or the surroundings are bright, although not shown, the first vacuum cleaner and / or the second vacuum cleaner may change the pattern of the optical signal differently according to the ambient light, or may notify the difficulty of performing the vision network. The cleaner may output a signal or control a trailing cleaner to stop at the current position.

Further, in the present invention, it is also possible to implement the preceding first cleaner with the first optical module and with the upward camera in the following second cleaner with the second optical module. In this case, the second cleaner may simultaneously acquire a first image corresponding to the first optical module and a second image corresponding to the second optical module, and adjust driving to overlap the first image and the second image. Following / collaborative cleaning can be performed while aligning with the preceding first vacuum cleaner.

As described above, according to the plurality of robot cleaners according to an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of robot cleaners may not be equipped with sensors for locating each other, or even in an environment in which a sensor is mounted but network communication is not supported. By acquiring and analyzing the image corresponding to the light signal projected on the ceiling, the preceding robot cleaner and the following robot cleaner can recognize the position of the preceding robot cleaner without performing backward and reverse, and perform efficient following / collaborative cleaning. . In addition, by adjusting the driving of the cleaner so that the image projected on the ceiling is at a specific position of the angle of view range, or by adjusting the driving of the cleaner so that a plurality of different images projected on the ceiling overlap each other, matching the traveling path of the preceding cleaner. Can follow.

The present invention described above can be embodied as computer readable codes on a medium on which a program is recorded. The computer-readable medium includes all kinds of recording devices in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. Examples of computer-readable media include hard disk drives (HDDs), solid state disks (SSDs), silicon disk drives (SDDs), ROMs, RAMs, CD-ROMs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, optical data storage devices, and the like. This also includes those implemented in the form of carrier waves (eg, transmission over the Internet). In addition, the computer may include a controller 1800. Accordingly, the above detailed description should not be construed as limiting in all aspects and should be considered as illustrative. The scope of the present invention should be determined by reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the equivalent scope of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims (11)

A plurality of robot cleaners comprising a first cleaner and a second cleaner,
A first cleaner having an optical module and emitting an optical signal related to driving from the optical module to project it to a ceiling; And
A second cleaner configured to acquire an image corresponding to the light signal projected on the ceiling by using an upper camera provided in the main body, and generate a driving command by recognizing a position of the first cleaner based on the acquired image; ,
When the driving line of the first cleaner is changed, the first cleaner operates the optical module to project the image related to the change of direction on the ceiling, and stops the driving of the first cleaner for a predetermined time.
When the second cleaner acquires an image related to the change of direction, the second cleaner rotates based on the acquired image and the previous image to change the driving direction,
When the driving of the first cleaner is started as the predetermined time elapses, the plurality of robot cleaners are operated by adjusting the position of the second cleaner so that the image related to the change of direction is at the center of the angle of view range. The method of claim 1,
The optical module is located above the first cleaner and is composed of a plurality of lasers or a plurality of LEDs. The method of claim 1,
And the image corresponding to the optical signal is a predetermined image including information related to at least one of a driving state and a driving direction of the first cleaner. The method of claim 3,
The second cleaner may store information related to a driving state and a driving direction corresponding to the image corresponding to the optical signal in advance in a memory.
And a plurality of robot cleaners, wherein information related to at least one of a driving state and a driving direction that matches the image acquired through the upper camera is detected from a memory. The method of claim 1,
And a traveling speed of the first cleaner based on at least one of a light emission interval and a light emission range of the optical signal forming the image. The method of claim 1,
And detecting the second cleaner entering an inaccessible area while the first cleaner is running, projecting an optical signal corresponding to the stop command to the ceiling. delete delete The method of claim 1,
When the first image related to the change of direction is projected on the ceiling by the first cleaner, the second image corresponding to the stop command is projected onto the ceiling from the optical module provided in the second cleaner,
And a plurality of robot cleaners, wherein the driving stop is performed based on the second image obtained by using the upper camera provided in the first cleaner. The method of claim 9.
The first cleaner stops driving until projection of the second image is stopped,
When the projection of the second image is stopped when the redirection of the first cleaner is completed, the second cleaner follows the first cleaner and travels in a direction corresponding to the first image. vacuum cleaner. The method of claim 10,
The plurality of robots, when the driving is started in a direction corresponding to the first image, aligns the first image emitted from the first cleaner by projecting a third image onto the ceiling. vacuum cleaner.

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