KR102388583B1 - Cleaner and controlling method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

In order to achieve the object of the present invention, a vacuum cleaner performing autonomous driving according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body, a driving unit for moving the main body, a camera for detecting 3D coordinate information, and the detected 3D coordinate information. A control unit for sampling a part corresponding to at least one preset height, sampling a part of the detected 3D coordinate information based on at least one preset height value, and controlling the driving unit using the sampled coordinate information It is characterized in that it includes.

Description

A vacuum cleaner and its control method {CLEANER AND CONTROLLING METHOD THEREOF}

The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner and a control method therefor, and more particularly, to a vacuum cleaner capable of recognizing an obstacle and performing autonomous driving, and a control method therefor.

In general, robots have been developed for industrial use and have been responsible for a part of factory automation. In recent years, the field of application of robots has been further expanded, and medical robots and aerospace robots have been developed, and household robots that can be used in general households are also being made.

A representative example of the household robot is a robot cleaner, which is a type of home appliance that cleans by sucking dust or foreign substances around it while traveling on its own in a certain area. Such a robot vacuum cleaner generally includes a rechargeable battery and an obstacle sensor capable of avoiding obstacles while driving, so that it can clean while driving by itself.

Recently, research has been actively carried out to utilize the robot cleaner in various fields such as health care, smart home, remote control, etc., away from performing cleaning by simply autonomously driving a robot cleaner in a cleaning area.

When the robot cleaner performs autonomous driving in the cleaning area, the robot cleaner may encounter various obstacles existing in the cleaning area. There is a need for a device or method that can do this.

Specifically, a conventional robot cleaner includes only an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an RF sensor, an optical sensor, or a camera sensor for acquiring a two-dimensional image in order to detect information related to an obstacle. Therefore, there is a problem in that it is difficult to obtain accurate obstacle information in the existing robot cleaner.

In particular, the conventional robot cleaner generally detects obstacles using two-dimensional image information obtained by a two-dimensional camera sensor. With only this two-dimensional image information, the distance between the obstacle and the robot body, the three-dimensional shape of the obstacle, and the like can be accurately determined. difficult to detect

Therefore, the existing robot cleaner has a problem of correcting the travel path in order to avoid the obstacle even when there is an obstacle through which the robot cleaner can pass on the travel path.

In addition, the existing robot cleaner extracts key points from 2D image information to detect obstacle information. When the 2D image information is formed such that extraction of key points is disadvantageous, the accuracy of the detected obstacle information is significantly reduced.

In order to solve this problem, the need for a robot cleaner equipped with a 3D camera sensor is emerging.

As a related technology, according to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2013-0130580 (published on February 6, 2015), an obstacle map is generated using a three-dimensional map of an RGB-D camera.

However, since the 3D camera sensor acquires a larger amount of data than the 2D camera sensor, the amount of computation of the robot cleaner using the 3D camera sensor may excessively increase.

When the amount of computation of the robot cleaner is excessively increased, the time required to detect obstacle information and determine a driving algorithm corresponding thereto increases. Therefore, there is a problem in that it is difficult to immediately respond to surrounding obstacles.

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to recognize the position of a robot or avoid obstacles by using a three-dimensional camera sensor that acquires three-dimensional coordinate information related to the terrain around a mobile robot or a robot cleaner or an obstacle located in the vicinity thereof. An object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner that performs autonomous driving and a control method thereof.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to reduce the amount of computation in the process of detecting information related to an obstacle existing on a driving path using 3D coordinate information obtained from a 3D camera sensor, thereby enabling autonomous driving to respond immediately to obstacles. To provide a cleaner and a method for controlling the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner that performs autonomous driving capable of sampling coordinate information corresponding to a plurality of layers among three-dimensional coordinate information obtained from a three-dimensional camera sensor, and a control method thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to perform autonomous driving capable of accurately detecting the position of a body by sampling coordinate information corresponding to a plurality of layers among three-dimensional coordinate information obtained from a three-dimensional camera sensor, and a control method thereof is to provide

Another object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner that performs autonomous driving capable of accurately detecting information related to an obstacle even when a viewpoint of a 3D camera sensor is changed, and a control method thereof.

In order to solve the technical problem of the present invention as described above, a cleaner for performing autonomous driving according to the present invention includes a main body; a driving unit for moving the main body; a camera that detects three-dimensional coordinate information; and a control unit for controlling the running or operation of the cleaner.

In particular, the control unit samples a part corresponding to at least one preset height of the detected 3D coordinate information, and comprises a control unit for controlling the driving unit by using the sampled coordinate information.

In one embodiment, the control unit detects information related to the shape of an object located on the traveling path of the main body based on the sampled coordinate information, and changes the traveling path based on the detected shape It characterized in that for controlling the driving unit.

In one embodiment, when it is determined that a space is formed on the lower side of the object using information related to the detected shape, the control unit determines whether the body can pass through the space, and It is characterized in that the driving unit is controlled based on the

In an embodiment, the controller extracts coordinate information corresponding to a first height value and coordinate information corresponding to a second height value from among the detected three-dimensional coordinate information, and extracts coordinate information corresponding to the first height value and , by comparing the coordinate information corresponding to the second height value, it is characterized in that it is determined whether a space is formed below the object.

In an embodiment, the first height value is lower than the height of the main body, and the second height value is set higher than the height of the main body.

In an embodiment, the control unit forms a grid map corresponding to at least one height value, respectively, by using the sampled three-dimensional coordinate information.

In an embodiment, the control unit sets the driving route by using the formed at least one grid map.

In an embodiment, the control unit detects information related to the position of the main body based on the grid map.

In one embodiment, further comprising an encoder for detecting information related to the operation of the driving unit, the control unit detects whether a wheel of the driving unit is idling using the encoder, sampling for the detected three-dimensional coordinate information It is characterized by increasing the number.

In one embodiment, the control unit detects whether the wheel of the driving unit is constrained by using the encoder, and if the wheel is constrained, the number of samples for the detected 3D coordinate information is increased.

According to the present invention, even if a vacuum cleaner performing autonomous driving enters an obstacle environment having various conditions, by detecting the shape of the obstacle environment using the sampling result for the 3D coordinate information, an appropriate driving path for the detected obstacle environment can be set.

That is, according to the present invention, the position of the main body can be more accurately detected by the vacuum cleaner performing autonomous driving by acquiring a grid map formed of a plurality of layers.

In addition, according to the present invention, since a vacuum cleaner performing autonomous driving can quickly process 3D coordinate information while maintaining the performance of the control unit, it is possible to prevent an increase in manufacturing cost.

Further, according to the present invention, unnecessary power consumption can be prevented by a vacuum cleaner performing autonomous driving by setting an appropriate driving route for an obstacle environment, thereby providing a cleaner with increased power efficiency.

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 .
FIG. 3 is a side view of the robot cleaner shown in FIG. 1 .
4 is a block diagram illustrating components of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a driving method of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a cleaning map generated in a conventional robot cleaner.
7A to 7C are conceptual views illustrating a cleaning map generated by the robot cleaner according to the present invention.
8 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a method of sampling 3D coordinate information in a robot cleaner according to the present invention.
9 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment related to a method for controlling a robot cleaner according to the present invention.
10 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment related to a method for controlling a robot cleaner according to the present invention.
11A and 11B are conceptual views illustrating a cleaning map generated by the robot cleaner according to the present invention.
12 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment related to a method for controlling a robot cleaner according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, the embodiments disclosed in the present specification will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the technical terms used in this specification are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are intended to limit the spirit of the technology disclosed in this specification It should be noted that it is not In addition, the technical terms used in this specification should be interpreted in the meaning generally understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the technology disclosed in this specification belongs, unless otherwise defined in this specification. It should not be construed in a very comprehensive sense or in an excessively reduced meaning. In addition, when the technical terms used in the present specification are incorrect technical terms that do not accurately express the spirit of the technology disclosed in this specification, they should be understood by being replaced with technical terms that can be correctly understood by those skilled in the art. In addition, general terms used in this specification should be interpreted according to the definition in the dictionary or according to the context before and after, and should not be interpreted in an excessively reduced meaning.

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 . is a side view of

For reference, in this specification, a mobile robot, a robot cleaner, and a cleaner performing autonomous driving may be used as the same meaning.

1 to 3 , the robot cleaner 100 performs a function of cleaning the floor while traveling on its own in a predetermined area. The cleaning of the floor referred to herein includes sucking in dust (including foreign matter) on the floor or mopping the floor.

The robot cleaner 100 includes a cleaner body 110 , a suction unit 120 , a sensing unit 130 , and a dust container 140 .

The cleaner body 110 is provided with a control unit (not shown) for controlling the robot cleaner 100 and a wheel unit 111 for driving the robot cleaner 100 . By the wheel unit 111 , the robot cleaner 100 may be moved or rotated forward, backward, left and right.

The wheel unit 111 includes a main wheel 111a and a sub wheel 111b.

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

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

As described above, when the controller controls the driving of the wheel unit 111 , the robot cleaner 100 autonomously travels on the floor.

Meanwhile, a battery (not shown) for supplying power to the robot cleaner 100 is mounted on the cleaner body 110 . The battery is configured to be rechargeable, and may be configured to be detachably attached to the bottom of the cleaner body 110 .

The suction unit 120 is disposed to protrude from one side of the cleaner body 110, and is configured to suck air containing dust. The one side may be the side on which the cleaner body 110 travels in the forward direction F, that is, the front side of the cleaner body 110 .

In this figure, it is shown that the suction unit 120 has a shape that protrudes from one side of the cleaner body 110 to both the front and left and right sides. Specifically, the front end of the suction unit 120 is disposed at a position spaced forward from one side of the cleaner body 110 , and both left and right ends of the suction unit 120 are spaced apart from one side of the cleaner body 110 to the left and right sides, respectively. placed in the designated location.

As the cleaner body 110 is formed in a circular shape, and both sides of the rear end of the suction unit 120 protrude from the cleaner body 110 to the left and right sides, respectively, there is an empty space between the cleaner body 110 and the suction unit 120 . A space, ie a gap, may be formed. The empty space is a space between the left and right both ends of the cleaner body 110 and the left and right ends of the suction unit 120 , and has a shape recessed inside the robot cleaner 100 .

When an obstacle is caught in the empty space, a problem in that the robot cleaner 100 is caught by the obstacle and cannot move may occur. 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 suction unit 120 . In this embodiment, it is shown that the cover members 129 are formed to protrude from both sides of the rear end of the suction unit 120 , and are arranged to cover the outer peripheral 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 suction unit 120 . Accordingly, a structure in which an obstacle is prevented from being caught in the empty space or can be easily separated from the obstacle can be implemented even if the obstacle is caught in the empty space.

The cover member 129 protruding from the suction unit 120 may be supported on the outer peripheral surface of the cleaner body 110 . If the cover member 129 is formed to protrude from the cleaner body 110 , the cover member 129 may be supported on the rear surface of the suction unit 120 . According to the structure, when the suction unit 120 collides with an obstacle and receives an impact, a portion of the impact may be transmitted to the cleaner body 110 and the impact may be dispersed.

The suction unit 120 may be detachably coupled to the cleaner body 110 . When the suction unit 120 is separated into the cleaner body 110 , a mop module (not shown) may be detachably coupled to the cleaner body 110 to replace the separated suction unit 120 . Accordingly, the user may mount the suction unit 120 on the cleaner body 110 to remove dust from the floor, and mount the mop module on the cleaner body 110 to wipe the floor.

When the suction unit 120 is mounted to the cleaner body 110 , the mounting may be guided by the above-described cover member 129 . 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 suction unit 120 with respect to the cleaner body 110 may be determined.

A 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 where the suction unit 120 is located, that is, in front of the cleaner body 110 .

The sensing unit 130 may be disposed to overlap the suction unit 120 in the vertical direction of the cleaner body 110 . The sensing unit 130 is disposed on the suction unit 120, and the suction unit 120 positioned at the front of the robot cleaner 100 is configured to detect an obstacle or a feature in the front so that it does not collide with the obstacle.

The sensing unit 130 is configured to additionally perform a sensing function other than the sensing function. This will be described in detail later.

A dust container accommodating part 113 is provided in the cleaner body 110 , and a dust container 140 for separating and collecting dust in the suctioned air is detachably coupled to the dust container accommodating part 113 . As shown, the dust container accommodating part 113 may be formed on the other side of the cleaner body 110 , that is, at the back of the cleaner body 110 .

A part of the dust container 140 is accommodated in the dust container accommodating part 113 , and the other part of the dust container 140 protrudes toward the rear of the cleaner body 110 (ie, the reverse direction R as opposed to the forward direction F). can be formed to be

The dust container 140 has an inlet 140a through which air containing dust is introduced and an outlet 140b through which the air separated from dust is discharged. 140a) and the outlet 140b are configured to communicate with the first opening 110a and the second opening 110b formed on the inner wall of the dust container accommodating part 113, respectively.

The intake flow path inside the cleaner body 110 corresponds to the flow path from the inlet (not shown) communicating with the communication part 120b " to the first opening 110a, and the exhaust flow path is from the second opening 110b to the exhaust port ( 112) to the euro.

According to this connection relationship, the air containing dust introduced through the suction unit 120 is introduced into the dust container 140 through the intake passage inside the cleaner body 110, and the filter or the cyclone of the dust container 140 is removed. As it passes, air and dust are separated from each other. Dust is collected in the dustbin 140 , and after air is discharged from the dustbin 140 , it passes through the exhaust passage inside the cleaner body 110 and finally is discharged to the outside through the exhaust port 112 .

An embodiment related to the components of the robot cleaner 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 4 below.

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

In this case, since the components shown in FIG. 4 are not essential, it goes without saying that a robot cleaner having more or fewer components than that may be implemented. Hereinafter, each component will be described.

First, the power supply unit 1600 is provided with a battery that can be charged by an external commercial power supply to supply power to the mobile robot. The power supply unit 1600 may supply driving power to components included in the mobile robot to supply operating power required for the mobile robot to travel or perform a specific function.

In this case, the control unit 1800 may detect the remaining power of the battery, and when the remaining power is insufficient, control the movement to a charging station connected to an external commercial power source to receive a charging current from the charging station to charge the battery. The battery may be connected to the battery detection unit so that the remaining battery amount and charging state may be transmitted to the control unit 1800 . The output unit 1500 may display the remaining battery level on the screen by the control unit.

The battery may be located at the lower part of the center of the robot cleaner, or it may be located on either one of the left and right sides. In the latter case, the mobile robot may further include a counterweight to eliminate the weight bias of the battery.

Meanwhile, the driving unit 1300 includes a motor, and by driving the motor, the left and right main wheels are rotated in both directions to rotate or move the main body. The driving unit 1300 may move the main body of the mobile robot forward, backward, left and right, or curve it, or rotate it in place.

Meanwhile, 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 from the user to check detection information, obstacle information, location information, and map information, and the setting button is a button for receiving a command for setting the information from the user.

In addition, the input unit 1200 cancels the previous user input and receives an input reset button to receive a user input again, a delete button to delete a preset user input, a button to set or change an operation mode, and a command to return to the charging station It may include a button for receiving input, and the like.

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

Meanwhile, the output unit 1500 may be installed above the mobile robot. Of course, the installation location or installation type may vary. For example, the output unit 1500 may display a battery state or a driving method on the screen.

Also, the output unit 1500 may output internal state information detected by the sensing unit 1400 , for example, current states of 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 a sound output means for aurally outputting an operation process or 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 control unit 1800 .

At this time, the sound output means may be a means for outputting sound, such as a beeper or a speaker, and the output unit 1500 uses audio data or message data having a predetermined pattern stored in the memory 1700 to make a sound. It can be output to the outside through the output means.

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

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

The communication unit 1100 may transmit/receive data to/from another device located within a specific area. In this case, the other device may be any device capable of transmitting and receiving data by connecting to a network, and may be, for example, an air conditioner, a heating device, an air purification device, a light fixture, a TV, or a device such as a car. In addition, the other device may be a device for controlling a door, a window, a water valve, a gas valve, and the like. In addition, the other device may be a sensor that detects temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, gas, or the like.

Meanwhile, 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. Also, the memory 1700 may store information related to a driving pattern.

The memory 1700 mainly uses a non-volatile memory. Here, the non-volatile memory (NVM, NVRAM) is a storage device capable of continuously maintaining stored information even when power is not supplied, and for example, a ROM, a flash memory, and a magnetic computer. It may be a storage device (eg, hard disk, diskette drive, magnetic tape), an optical disk drive, magnetic RAM, PRAM, or the like.

Meanwhile, the sensing unit 1400 may include at least one of an external signal detection sensor, a front detection sensor, a cliff detection sensor, a lower camera sensor, and an upper camera sensor.

The external signal detection sensor may detect an external signal of the mobile robot. The external signal detection sensor may be, for example, an infrared sensor, an ultra sonic sensor, a radio frequency sensor, or the like.

The mobile robot can check the location and direction of the charging station by receiving a guide signal generated by the charging station using an external signal detection sensor. In this case, the charging stand may transmit a guide signal indicating a direction and a distance so that the mobile robot can return. That is, the mobile robot may receive a signal transmitted from the charging station, determine its current location, set a moving direction, and return to the charging station.

On the other hand, the front detection sensor may be installed at regular intervals in front of the mobile robot, specifically along the outer peripheral surface of the side of the mobile robot. The forward detection sensor is located on at least one side of the mobile robot to detect an obstacle in front. The forward detection sensor detects an object, particularly an obstacle, existing in the moving direction of the mobile robot, and transmits detection information to the controller 1800 . can transmit That is, the front detection sensor may detect protrusions, household appliances, furniture, walls, wall corners, etc. existing on the movement path of the mobile robot, and transmit the information to the controller 1800 .

The front detection sensor may be, for example, an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an RF sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, etc., and the mobile robot may use one type of sensor as the front detection sensor or use two or more types of sensors together as needed. there is.

For example, the ultrasonic sensor may be mainly used to generally detect a distant obstacle. The ultrasonic sensor has a transmitter and a receiver, and the controller 1800 determines the existence of an obstacle by whether the ultrasonic wave emitted through the transmitter is reflected by an obstacle and is received by the receiver, and determines the ultrasonic radiation time and ultrasonic reception time. can be used to calculate the distance to the obstacle.

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

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

That is, the transmitter may be disposed to be spaced apart on the left and right sides from the center of the front of the main body, and one or more transmitters may be disposed between the receiver to form a receiving area of the ultrasonic signal reflected from an obstacle or the like. With this arrangement, the reception area can be expanded while reducing the number of sensors. The transmission angle of the ultrasonic wave may maintain an angle within a range that does not affect different signals to prevent a crosstalk phenomenon. Also, the reception sensitivities of the receivers may be set differently.

In addition, the ultrasonic sensor may be installed upward by a certain angle so that the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the ultrasonic sensor are output upward, and in this case, a predetermined blocking member may be further included to prevent the ultrasonic waves from being radiated downward.

On the other hand, as the front detection sensor, as described above, two or more types of sensors may be used together, and accordingly, the front detection sensor may use any one type of sensor such as an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an RF sensor, etc. .

For example, the front detection sensor may include an infrared sensor as a sensor other than the ultrasonic sensor.

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

On the other hand, the cliff detection sensor (or cliff sensor) may detect an obstacle on the floor supporting the main body of the mobile robot, mainly using various types of optical sensors.

That is, the cliff detection sensor is installed on the rear surface of the mobile robot on the floor, but may be installed at a different location depending on the type of the mobile robot. The cliff detection sensor is located on the back of the mobile robot to detect obstacles on the floor. The cliff detection sensor is an infrared sensor, ultrasonic sensor, RF sensor, PSD (Position) having a light emitting part and a light receiving part like the obstacle detection sensor. Sensitive Detector) sensor or the like.

For example, any one of the cliff detection sensors may be installed in front of the mobile robot, and the other two cliff detection sensors may be installed relatively backward.

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

The PSD sensor detects the short and long-distance position of the incident light with one p-n junction using the semiconductor surface resistance. The PSD sensor includes a one-dimensional PSD sensor that detects light in only one axial direction and a two-dimensional PSD sensor that detects a light position on a plane, both of which may have a pin photodiode structure. The PSD sensor is a type of infrared sensor and measures the distance by using infrared rays to transmit infrared rays and then measure the angle of infrared rays reflected back from obstacles. That is, the PSD sensor calculates the distance to the obstacle using the triangulation method.

The PSD sensor includes a light emitting unit that emits infrared rays to an obstacle and a light receiving unit that receives infrared rays reflected back from the obstacle, but is generally configured in a module form. When an 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 controller 1800 may measure the infrared angle between the infrared light emitting signal emitted by the cliff sensor toward the ground and the reflected signal reflected by the obstacle to detect the cliff and analyze the depth thereof.

Meanwhile, the controller 1800 may determine whether or not to pass the cliff according to the ground state of the cliff sensed using the cliff detection sensor, and may determine whether to pass the cliff according to the determination result. For example, the controller 1800 determines the existence of a cliff and the depth of the cliff through the cliff sensor, and then passes the cliff only when a reflection signal is detected through the cliff sensor.

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

On the other hand, the lower camera sensor is provided on the rear surface of the mobile robot to obtain image information on the lower side, that is, the floor surface (or the surface to be cleaned) during movement. The lower camera sensor is also referred to as an optical flow sensor in other words. The lower camera sensor converts a lower image input from an image sensor provided in the sensor to generate image data in a predetermined format. The generated image data may be stored in the memory 1700 .

Also, one or more light sources may be installed adjacent to the image sensor. One or more light sources irradiate light to a predetermined area of the floor surface photographed by the image sensor. That is, when the mobile robot moves in a specific area along the floor surface, a constant distance is maintained between the image sensor and the floor surface if the floor surface is flat. On the other hand, when the mobile robot moves on the floor surface of the non-uniform surface, it is moved away from it by a certain distance or more due to irregularities and obstacles on the floor surface. In this case, one or more light sources may be controlled by the controller 1800 to adjust the amount of light irradiated. The light source may be a light emitting device capable of controlling the amount of light, for example, a Light Emitting Diode (LED).

Using the lower camera 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 a moving distance and a moving direction by comparing and analyzing the image data captured by the lower camera sensor over 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 lower camera sensor, the controller 1800 can make strong correction against sliding with respect to the position of the mobile robot calculated by other means.

On the other hand, the upper camera sensor may be installed to face upward or forward of the mobile robot to photograph the surroundings of the mobile robot. When the mobile robot includes a plurality of upper camera sensors, the camera sensors may be formed on the top or side surface of the mobile robot at a certain distance or at a certain angle.

In FIG. 5 below, when an obstacle 500 exists on the traveling path of the robot cleaner 100 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , an embodiment showing an operation method of the robot cleaner 100 will be described.

The 3D camera (not shown) of the robot cleaner 100 may detect 3D coordinate information related to the obstacle 500 located on the driving path D1.

For example, the 3D camera may detect 3D coordinate information corresponding to an object existing within a predetermined distance from the main body of the robot cleaner 100 .

The controller 1800 of the robot cleaner 100 may determine whether or not the obstacle 500 can pass by using the 3D coordinate information detected from the 3D camera.

Specifically, the controller 1800 may determine whether the obstacle 500 can be passed without changing the driving path D1 by using the three-dimensional coordinate information. That is, the controller 1800 may determine whether the main body of the robot cleaner 100 can pass through the space formed between the obstacle 500 and the floor by using the three-dimensional coordinate information.

As shown in FIG. 5 , when the obstacle 500 positioned on the driving path D1 is a bed, an arbitrary space may be formed between the bed and the floor. The controller 1800 may detect information related to the space by using the three-dimensional coordinate information, and may determine whether the main body of the robot cleaner 100 can pass through the space.

In particular, the controller 1800 may sample some of the 3D coordinate information using a plurality of altitude values, and detect information related to the obstacle 500 based on the sampling result.

On the other hand, a conventional robot cleaner that detects information related to an obstacle in front of the main body by using an ultrasonic sensor checks whether there is a space through which the robot cleaner can pass under the obstacle 500 of the form shown in FIG. 5 . It is not possible to detect whether

In addition, even if a plurality of sensors other than the ultrasonic sensor are used, the existing robot cleaner does not detect information corresponding to a plurality of altitudes with respect to the obstacle in front. It cannot be detected whether there is a space through which the vacuum cleaner can pass.

That is, the existing robot cleaner only detects the presence or absence of an obstacle for each single grid included in the grid map of the cleaning area, and does not determine the presence or absence of an obstacle for each height of the single grid. Therefore, when the conventional robot cleaner faces the obstacle 500 of the form shown in FIG. 5 , it changes the travel route to avoid the obstacle 500 despite being able to pass the obstacle 500 . .

Referring to FIG. 6 , when an obstacle 500 of the form shown in FIG. 5 exists on the travel path D1 of the existing robot cleaner, map information detected by the existing robot cleaner and the robot cleaner A driving embodiment is shown.

As shown in FIG. 6 , a conventional robot cleaner detects a representative value 601 associated with an obstacle for each single grid corresponding to the floor. Accordingly, when the conventional robot cleaner faces the obstacle 500 of the form shown in FIG. 5 , it is possible to detect only the presence or absence of the obstacle in some grids of the entire cleaning map. Accordingly, the existing robot cleaner changes the travel path D1 to avoid the obstacle 500 .

7a to 7c, when an obstacle 500 of the form shown in 5 exists on the travel path D1 of the robot cleaner 100 of the present invention, the height detected by the robot cleaner 100 of the present invention Each map information and a driving embodiment of the robot cleaner 100 of the present invention are shown.

7A and 7B , the controller 1800 may extract 3D coordinate information corresponding to a preset height value from among the 3D coordinate information acquired through the 3D camera, and as many as the number of preset height values You can create a cleaning map.

As shown in FIG. 7A , the controller 1800 generates a first map 710 corresponding to the first height value by using the coordinate information corresponding to the first height value among the detected 3D coordinate information. can

In addition, as shown in FIG. 7B , the controller 1800 uses the coordinate information corresponding to the second height value among the detected 3D coordinate information to generate a second map 720 corresponding to the second height value. can create

Referring to FIG. 8 , the controller 1800 corresponds to the 3D coordinate information 802 corresponding to the first height h1 and the second height h2 among the 3D coordinate information generated by the 3D camera. The three-dimensional coordinate information 801 can be extracted.

That is, the controller 1800 uses the values of the first height h1 and the second height h2 to sample some of the three-dimensional coordinate information, and thus the amount of calculation required to perform the driving method using the three-dimensional coordinate information. can reduce

The first height value and the second height value may be set differently.

In an embodiment, the first height value may be set to be lower than the second height value.

In another embodiment, the first height value may be lower than the height of the main body of the robot cleaner 100, and the second height value may be set higher than the height of the main body.

As shown in FIG. 7C , the controller 1800 may determine a driving method corresponding to the obstacle 500 by using the first map 710 and the second map 720 .

Specifically, the controller 1800 may determine whether the body of the robot can pass through the obstacle 500 using the first map 710 . When it is determined that the main body can pass through the obstacle 500 , the controller 1800 may maintain the driving path D1 .

On the other hand, if it is determined that the main body cannot pass the obstacle 500 , the controller 1800 may change the driving path D1 . That is, the controller 1800 may perform an avoidance operation on the obstacle 500 based on the obstacle information included in the first map 710 .

In one embodiment, the control unit 1800 may determine whether or not the body of the robot can pass through the obstacle 500 using the second map 720 , and the result of the determination using the second map 720 and , the determination result using the first map 710 may be compared.

For example, the controller 1800 may determine whether the main body can pass through each of the first obstacle displayed on the first map 710 and the second obstacle displayed on the second map 720 .

In this case, if it is determined that the main body can pass through both the first obstacle and the second obstacle, the controller 1800 may maintain the driving route without separately changing the driving route.

In addition, even if it is determined that the main body cannot pass through the second obstacle, if it is determined that the main body can pass through the first obstacle, the controller 1800 may maintain the driving route without separately changing the driving path.

When it is determined that the main body cannot pass through both the first obstacle and the second obstacle, the controller 1800 may change the driving path to avoid the first and second obstacles.

7A and 7B , the determination result using the second map 720 and the determination result using the first map 710 may be different from each other. In this case, the controller 1800 may increase the number of samples for 3D coordinate information.

When the determination result using the second map 720 is different from the determination result using the first map 710, the controller 1800 may generate a third map (not shown) corresponding to the third height value. . The third height value may be greater than the first height value and less than the second height value. Preferably, the third height value may be set lower than the height of the body of the robot.

In addition, when the main body is separated from the obstacle by a predetermined distance or more, the controller 1800 may reduce the increased number of sampling again. That is, when the main body is separated from the obstacle by a predetermined distance or more, the controller 1800 controls the running of the main body based on the coordinate information corresponding to the first height value and the coordinate information corresponding to the second height value among the three-dimensional coordinate information. can be controlled

As shown in FIG. 7C , when an obstacle 500 of the form shown in 5 is present on the travel path D1 of the robot cleaner 100 of the present invention, the controller 1800 corresponds to the first height value. Based on the first map 710 to be, it may be determined that the body can pass through the obstacle (500).

An embodiment related to a control method of a robot cleaner according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 9 below.

The 3D camera of the robot cleaner 100 may detect 3D coordinate information related to the surrounding environment (S901).

The controller 1800 may sample some of the detected 3D coordinate information by using a plurality of preset height values (S902).

Specifically, the controller 1800 may sample a portion corresponding to a plurality of heights among the 3D coordinate information detected by the 3D camera. The height is defined by the floor surface on which the robot cleaner 100 is located.

In an embodiment, the controller 1800 generates a first map by using coordinate information corresponding to a first height among the detected 3D coordinate information, and coordinates corresponding to a second height among the detected 3D coordinate information The second map may be generated using the information. That is, the controller 1800 may generate a two-dimensional map formed for each elevation corresponding to the plurality of height values by performing sampling on the detected three-dimensional coordinate information using a plurality of height values.

In another embodiment, the controller 1800 may set a plurality of height values in order to determine a criterion for sampling performed on the 3D coordinate information.

In addition, the controller 1800 may increase or decrease the number of samples for sampling with respect to the 3D coordinate information according to the operating state of the robot cleaner 100 . That is, the controller 1800 may increase or decrease the number of height values according to the operating state of the robot cleaner 100 .

Also, the controller 1800 may change a preset height value according to the operating state of the robot cleaner 100 .

The controller 1800 may detect information related to an obstacle located in the moving direction of the robot cleaner based on the sampling result (S903).

Specifically, the controller 1800 may generate a plurality of maps for each altitude based on the sampling result, compare the plurality of maps for each altitude with each other, and detect information related to obstacles located in the moving direction of the robot cleaner. . The controller 1800 may detect information related to the obstacle for each of a plurality of maps for each altitude.

In an embodiment, the controller 1800 may detect information related to the shape of an object positioned on the travel path of the main body based on the sampled coordinate information. The control unit 1800 may determine whether a space is formed under the object based on the detected shape of the object, and when it is determined that the space is formed under the object, the main body is It is possible to determine whether or not it can pass through space. In addition, the control unit 1800 may control the driving unit based on the determination result related to whether or not to pass.

The controller 1800 may determine whether the main body of the robot cleaner can pass through the obstacle based on the information related to the obstacle (S904).

In particular, the controller 1800 may separately determine whether the main body can pass through an obstacle for each of the plurality of altitude maps.

For example, the controller 1800 determines whether the main body can pass through the obstacle based on obstacle information included in the first map corresponding to the first height value, and separately determines whether the main body can pass through the obstacle, and a second height value corresponding to the second height value. It may be determined whether the main body can pass through the obstacle based on the obstacle information included in the map. Accordingly, the obstacle determination result using the first map and the determination result using the second map may be different from each other.

When it is determined that the main body can pass through the obstacle, the controller 1800 may control the driving unit to maintain the moving direction of the robot cleaner (S905).

Meanwhile, when it is determined that the main body cannot pass through the obstacle, the controller 1800 may change the moving direction of the robot cleaner to avoid the obstacle ( S906 ).

In one embodiment, the controller 1800 detects information related to the shape of an object located on the traveling path of the main body of the robot cleaner based on the sampled coordinate information, and changes the traveling path based on the detected shape. to control the driving unit.

When it is determined that a space is formed on the lower side of the object using information related to the detected shape, the controller determines whether the main body can pass through the space, and controls the driving unit based on the determination result can do.

An embodiment related to a control method of a robot cleaner according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 10 below.

The 3D camera of the robot cleaner 100 may detect 3D coordinate information related to the surrounding environment (S1001).

The controller 1800 may sample some of the detected 3D coordinate information by using a plurality of preset height values (S1002).

The controller 1800 may determine whether the robot cleaner has entered the obstacle environment (S1003).

Specifically, the controller 1800 may determine whether the robot cleaner has entered the obstacle environment based on the operation state of the driving unit 1300 .

For example, when the wheels of the driving unit 1300 are idle or the wheels are restrained, the controller 1800 may determine that the robot cleaner has entered the obstacle environment. That is, the controller 1800 may determine whether the wheel is in a restrained state or an idle state by using an encoder that detects the operation state of the wheel.

As another example, when the distance between the obstacle and the main body decreases to a predetermined distance or less, the controller 1800 may determine that the robot cleaner has entered the obstacle environment. That is, the controller 1800 may periodically determine the distance between the obstacle and the body by using at least one of an ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor, and a camera sensor, and when the distance between the obstacle and the body decreases to a predetermined distance or less, It can be determined that the robot cleaner has entered the obstacle environment.

When it is determined that the robot cleaner has entered the obstacle environment, the control unit 1800 may increase the number of samples for 3D coordinate information, and may perform sampling again on the increased 3D coordinate information (S1004) .

The controller 1800 may determine whether the main body of the robot cleaner can pass through the obstacle by using the finally performed sampling result (S1005).

When it is determined that the main body can pass through the obstacle, the controller 1800 may control the driving unit to maintain the moving direction of the robot cleaner (S1006).

When it is determined that the main body cannot pass through the obstacle, the controller 1800 may change the moving direction of the robot cleaner to avoid the obstacle (S1007).

The cleaning map generated by the robot cleaner according to the present invention is shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B below.

The controller 1800 may control the driving unit 1300 to drive along a wall formed outside the cleaning area to generate a map of the cleaning area. In addition, the control unit 1800 uses the coordinate information corresponding to the second height value and the third height value among the three-dimensional coordinate information detected by the three-dimensional camera while the main body travels along the wall, respectively, to the second map and a third map may be generated.

That is, the controller 1800 may sample the coordinate information corresponding to the second height value and the third height value among the three-dimensional coordinate information while the robot cleaner performs wall driving.

For example, the third height value may be set differently from the first height value. In particular, the third height value may be set to a value higher than the first height value and the second height value, respectively.

A second map 1101 and a third map 1102 are respectively shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B .

11A and 11B , the controller 1800 may compare the second map 1101 and the third map 1102 with each other, and as a result of the comparison, recognize a difference 1110 between the cleaning areas for each altitude. In addition, the controller 1800 may estimate the current position of the robot cleaner by using the difference 1110 of the cleaning area for each altitude.

In FIG. 12 , a method of using the map for each altitude shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B by the robot cleaner is described.

The 3D camera of the robot cleaner 100 may detect 3D coordinate information related to the surrounding environment (S1001).

The controller 1800 may sample some of the detected 3D coordinate information by using a plurality of preset height values (S1002).

In particular, the controller 1800 may sample coordinate information corresponding to the second height value and the third height value among the detected three-dimensional coordinate information when driving along the outside or wall surface of the cleaning area. For example, the second height value may be set to 30 cm, and the third height value may be set to 1 m.

The controller 1800 may form map information formed of a plurality of layers by using the sampled 3D coordinate information (S1203).

The controller 1800 may change the number of floors according to the performance of the robot cleaner. That is, the controller 1800 may increase the number of samples of 3D coordinate information as the information processing speed of the robot cleaner increases.

In addition, the controller 1800 may detect the position of the robot cleaner body based on the map information formed for each floor (S1204).

In addition, the controller 1800 may set the travel path of the robot cleaner based on the map information formed for each floor.

According to the present invention, even if a vacuum cleaner performing autonomous driving enters an obstacle environment having various conditions, by detecting the shape of the obstacle environment using the sampling result for the 3D coordinate information, an appropriate driving path for the detected obstacle environment can be set.

That is, according to the present invention, the position of the main body can be more accurately detected by the vacuum cleaner performing autonomous driving by acquiring a grid map formed of a plurality of layers.

In addition, according to the present invention, since a vacuum cleaner performing autonomous driving can quickly process 3D coordinate information while maintaining the performance of the control unit, it is possible to prevent an increase in manufacturing cost.

Further, according to the present invention, unnecessary power consumption can be prevented by a vacuum cleaner performing autonomous driving by setting an appropriate driving route for an obstacle environment, thereby providing a cleaner with increased power efficiency.

It is apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the present invention. Accordingly, the above detailed description should not be construed as restrictive in all respects but as exemplary. The scope of the present invention should be determined by a reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all modifications within the equivalent scope of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims (10)

main body;
a driving unit for moving the main body;
a camera that detects three-dimensional coordinate information;
sampling some of the detected three-dimensional coordinate information based on at least one preset height value,
A control unit for controlling the driving unit using the sampled coordinate information,
Further comprising an encoder for sensing information related to the operation of the driving unit,
The control unit is
A vacuum cleaner performing autonomous driving, characterized in that by using the encoder to detect whether the wheels of the driving unit are idling, and to increase the number of samples for the detected 3D coordinate information. According to claim 1,
The control unit is
Based on the sampled coordinate information, detecting information related to the shape of an object located on the traveling path of the main body,
A vacuum cleaner performing autonomous driving, characterized in that the driving unit is controlled to change the driving route based on the detected shape. 3. The method of claim 2,
The control unit is
When it is determined that a space is formed on the lower side of the object using information related to the detected shape, determining whether the main body can pass through the space, and controlling the driving unit based on the determination result A vacuum cleaner that performs autonomous driving. 4. The method of claim 3,
The control unit is
Extracting coordinate information corresponding to a first height value and coordinate information corresponding to a second height value from among the detected three-dimensional coordinate information,
A vacuum cleaner that performs autonomous driving, characterized in that it is determined whether a space is formed under the object by comparing coordinate information corresponding to the first height value with coordinate information corresponding to the second height value . 5. The method of claim 4,
The first height value is lower than the height of the body,
The vacuum cleaner performing autonomous driving, characterized in that the second height value is set higher than the height of the main body. According to claim 1,
The control unit is
A vacuum cleaner performing autonomous driving, characterized in that by using the sampled three-dimensional coordinate information, a grid map corresponding to at least one height value is formed, respectively. 7. The method of claim 6,
The control unit is
A vacuum cleaner performing autonomous driving, characterized in that the driving route is set by using the at least one grid map formed above. 8. The method of claim 7,
The control unit is
The vacuum cleaner performing autonomous driving, characterized in that based on the grid map, detecting information related to the position of the main body. delete According to claim 1,
The control unit is
It is detected whether the wheels of the driving unit are being restrained, and if the wheels are restrained, the number of samples for the detected 3D coordinate information is increased.

Images