KR20090104394A - Robot Cleaner Control Method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A method for controlling a robot cleaner is provided to minimize unnecessary driving distance for homing of the robot cleaner, and to increase a homing rate by controlling the robot cleaner according to a predetermined grid. CONSTITUTION: A method for controlling a robot cleaner(1) includes the following steps of: storing a plurality of points in a movement route of the robot cleaner under cleaning; controlling the robot cleaner according to predetermined points successively when a battery is charged; and storing the route between two points in advance under cleaning. The route between the two points is the shortest path to avoid an obstacle.

Description

Controlling method of robot cleaner

This embodiment relates to a control method of a robot cleaner.

In general, the cleaner may be classified into a manual cleaner which allows the user to perform the cleaning while directly moving the nozzle, and a robot cleaner that performs the cleaning while performing the self.

The robot cleaner is a device that performs cleaning by moving a floor of an area to be cleaned according to an input program using a charged battery as a power source, and according to the living needs of modern people who seek convenience while reducing cleaning time. It is developed and used in many forms.

On the other hand, when charging of the battery of the robot cleaner is required, the robot cleaner returns to the charging device so that the battery is charged by the charging device.

In this case, the process of returning the robot cleaner to the charging device may include a homing process for searching for a charging device in a state in which the robot cleaner does not receive a signal generated from the charging device, and the charging after the homing is completed. It may be divided into a docking process of returning to the charging device while receiving a signal generated from the device.

An object of the present embodiment is to propose a control method of the robot cleaner which allows the robot cleaner to be easily and quickly returned to the charging device.

According to an aspect, a control method of a robot cleaner includes: storing a plurality of points on a moving path of a robot cleaner in a process of cleaning; And when the charging of the battery is required during cleaning, sequentially moving the plurality of points to the reverse of the moving path.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of controlling a robot cleaner includes: defining an Nth reference region which is a partial region of the entire cleaning region to complete cleaning, and sequentially redefining the N + 1 reference region to perform cleaning; And when charging of the battery is required during cleaning, moving from the N + 1 reference area to the N reference area.

According to the proposed embodiment, since the cleaning is performed in a manner of moving to the next cell while cleaning the defined cell while moving a predetermined distance along the wall, the entire cleaning area can be cleaned.

In addition, when the reference line segment drawn by the robot cleaner to define the cell is determined that the cleaning of the cleaning area is completed, there is an advantage that it is effectively prevented to clean the cleaning area overlapping.

In addition, the homing success rate is increased because the robot cleaner moves along the grid (point) set in the previous cleaning process, and the running of the robot cleaner unnecessary for homing of the robot cleaner is minimized.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a charging system for a robot cleaner including a robot cleaner according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1, the robot cleaner cleaner charging system according to the present embodiment includes a robot cleaner 1 that performs cleaning while traveling by itself, and a charging device 2 for charging the battery of the robot cleaner 1. do.

In detail, the robot cleaner 1 includes a first sensing unit 11 for detecting an obstacle and a creep of the bottom surface, and an operation unit 12 for allowing a user to manipulate the operation of the robot cleaner 1 as a whole. And a second sensing unit 13 for sensing a moving distance of the robot cleaner 1, a wheel driving unit 15 for driving a pair of wheels, an operating state of the robot cleaner 1, and the like. The memory unit 14, a control unit 10 for controlling the operation of the wheel driving unit 15, and a receiving unit 16 for receiving a signal of a charging device are included.

Of course, although not shown, the robot cleaner 1 may further include a battery for supplying power and a dust collecting container for storing dust.

The charging device 2 includes a transmitter 21 for transmitting a signal to the outside, and a controller 20 for controlling the operation of the charging device.

In detail, the wheel drive unit 15 includes a left wheel motor and a right wheel motor for driving a pair of wheels. Each of the motors may be operated independently, and linear movement and direction change of the robot cleaner may be performed according to the rotation speed of each motor.

In the memory unit 14, an operation command of the robot cleaner 1 corresponding to information input through the operation unit 12 is stored. In addition, the memory unit 14 stores the cleaned area when the robot cleaner is cleaned. That is, when the robot cleaner moves while performing cleaning, the cleaning completed area is mapped and stored.

The second detector 13 detects a linear movement distance of the robot cleaner 1. The second detector 13 may be an encoder for detecting the number of revolutions of the wheel. At this time, the second detection unit 13 detects the distance when the robot cleaner 1 moves linearly, and when the robot cleaner 1 moves linearly, the rotation speed of each motor is the same, It may be arranged to detect the rotational speed of any one motor.

On the other hand, as an example, an infrared sensor may be used as the transmitter 21, and a plurality of infrared sensors may be included.

Hereinafter, a driving method of the robot cleaner will be described in detail.

2 is a view illustrating a driving method of the robot cleaner according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a trajectory of the robot cleaner moving to define a cell.

2 and 3, the robot cleaner 1 moves along a wall in a cleaning area to define a cell, and after cleaning the inside of the cell, moves along the wall again to move another cell. It is characterized in that the cleaning is performed by defining a cell.

In detail, the robot cleaner 1 moves a certain distance along the wall W1 at the position of P0. In this case, the wall W1 may be an interior wall or an exterior wall such as furniture.

The predetermined distance L at which the robot cleaner 1 is moved is set in advance in the memory unit 14, and a user may select it using the manipulation unit 12.

When the robot cleaner 1 moves a predetermined distance L along the wall W1, a square first cell C1 having one side L in the cleaning area is defined. The first cell C1 is mapped to and stored in the memory unit 14. The cell may also be referred to as a "clean reference area".

The robot cleaner 1 cleans the first cell C1. At this time, the pattern in which the robot cleaner 1 travels the cell C1 may be made in a random or zigzag manner. In the present embodiment, the robot cleaner 1 in the first cell C1 may be formed. The running pattern is not limited.

When the cleaning of the first cell C1 is completed, the robot cleaner moves to P2 (a point moved by L from P1). As such, when the robot cleaner moves from P1 to P2, the second cell C2 is defined.

At this time, the first cell C1 that has been cleaned and the second cell C2 that have not been cleaned are separately stored in the map stored in the memory unit 14. In addition, the robot cleaner performs cleaning of the newly defined second cell C2.

In this manner, the robot cleaner performs cleaning while defining a new cell. In FIG. 2, the cleaning is performed in the same manner up to the fourth cell C4.

In addition, in FIG. 2, after the cleaning of the fourth cell C4 is completed, the robot cleaner moves linearly along the wall W1 again.

Then, the robot cleaner 1 moves from the point P4 to P5, and the robot cleaner changes direction. At this time, since the distance moved by the robot cleaner from P4 to P5 is smaller than the predetermined distance L for defining the cell, the linear movement distance of the robot cleaner for defining the next cell is newly counted in the changed direction.

That is, the distance linearly moved along the wall W1 is ignored, and the fifth cell C5 is defined in the state linearly moved by L along the wall W2 (moved from P5 to P6). At this time, since the cleaning area of the fourth cell C4 and the fifth cell C5 partially overlaps, the corner area may be completely cleaned.

When the robot cleaner completes the cleaning of the fifth cell C5, the robot cleaner moves linearly along the wall W2 to define another cell. At this time, the robot cleaner starts from P6 to change direction at the point P7.

Then, as described above, the distance that the robot cleaner moves from P6 to P7 is smaller than the predetermined distance L, and is ignored. When the robot cleaner moves by L along the wall W3, the sixth cell C6 Is defined. In this manner, the robot cleaner performs cleaning up to the tenth cell C10.

The robot cleaner 1 then moves along the wall W4 again. At this time, since the distance from P13 to P0 is smaller than L, the robot cleaner moves along the wall W1 again.

Referring to FIG. 3, the reference line segment D11 of the next cell after completing the cell C10 coincides with the reference line segment D1 of the first cell C1. Then, the robot cleaner determines that cleaning of the cleaning area is completed and stops the cleaning operation.

In detail, FIG. 3 shows the reference line segment moved by the robot cleaner to define each cell in the cleaning area.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the robot cleaner performs cleaning in a cleaning area, the reference line segments D1 to D10 are displayed on a map stored in the memory unit 14. In this case, some of the cells including the reference line segments D1 to D10 may overlap each other, but do not overlap completely. That is, the cells including the reference line segments D1 to D10 include some regions where cleaning is not performed.

However, when the robot cleaner defines a cell using the green reference line segment D11 while traveling, the line segments D1 and D11 coincide with each other.

Therefore, in this case, the control unit 10 determines that the cleaning is completed to stop the operation of the robot cleaner.

According to the present embodiment as described above, since the cleaning is performed in a manner of moving to the next cell while cleaning the defined cell while moving a predetermined distance along the wall, there is an advantage that the cleaning of the entire cleaning area is possible.

In addition, when the reference line segment drawn by the robot cleaner to define the cell is determined that the cleaning of the cleaning area is completed, there is an advantage that it is effectively prevented to clean the cleaning area overlapping.

4 is a diagram illustrating a process of returning the robot cleaner to the charging device according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a process of moving the robot cleaner in each cell defined in the cleaning process.

4 and 5, when the robot cleaner 1 completes cleaning of each cell, each cell is divided into a plurality of grids, and the positions of the obstacles are displayed on the partitioned grids. Then, obstacle points according to paths with obstacles are set in each partitioned grid.

In FIG. 5, the portion marked "1)" means an obstacle score. Referring to FIG. 5, the obstacle score is set to 5 in the grid adjacent to the obstacle, and the obstacle score is set to 0 in the other grids.

The robot cleaner selects and stores two or more grids for each cell in the process of cleaning each cell. When two or more grids are selected in each cell, a path score between the selected grids is set, and a final path summating the obstacle scores and the path scores is set. In FIG. 5, the portion labeled "2)" means a route score.

Then, the final score of each grid is determined, and the robot cleaner moves along a grid having a minimum final score between two grids Mn + 1 and Mn in each cell during the homing process.

According to this method, the robot cleaner has an advantage of moving to the shortest path in each cell while avoiding obstacles.

Meanwhile, in the process of cleaning each cell, when charging of the battery is required, the robot cleaner returns to the charging device.

First, the homing process of the robot cleaner will be described.

Referring to FIG. 4, when battery charging is required while the robot cleaner 1 cleans the seventh cell C7, for example, the robot cleaner 1 sequentially moves to the previous cell. That is, for cleaning, the robot cleaner 1 moves in the reverse direction to the moving direction.

At this time, the movement of the robot cleaner 1 in each cell moves along the shortest path between the two grids as described with reference to FIG. 5.

Then, the robot cleaner 1 moves sequentially from M13 to return to M1. Here, it is assumed that M1 is a position where the robot cleaner can receive a signal transmitted from the charging device.

When the robot cleaner moves to M1, the robot cleaner receives a signal transmitted from the transmitting unit, and the robot cleaner moves toward the charging device. When the robot cleaner is docked, the robot cleaner is completed. Of the battery can be charged.

According to the present embodiment as described above, the homing success rate is increased because the robot cleaner moves along the grid set in the previous cleaning process, and in the homing process of the robot cleaner, unnecessary running of the robot cleaner is minimized. have.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a charging system for a robot cleaner according to an embodiment.

2 is a view for explaining a traveling method of the robot cleaner according to the present embodiment.

3 is a diagram schematically showing a trajectory of the robot cleaner moving to define a cell according to the present embodiment;

4 is a view illustrating a process in which the robot cleaner returns to the charging device according to the present embodiment;

5 is a view illustrating a process of moving the robot cleaner in each cell defined in the cleaning process.

Claims (4)

Storing a plurality of points on a moving path of the robot cleaner in a process of cleaning; And If the charging of the battery is required during the cleaning, the control method of the robot cleaner comprising the step of sequentially moving the plurality of points in the reverse of the movement path. The method of claim 1, In the cleaning process, a path between two points is preset and stored, and the path between the two points is the shortest path to avoid obstacles. Defining an Nth reference region, which is a partial region of the entire cleaning region, to complete the cleaning, and sequentially redefining the N + 1 reference region to perform cleaning; And When the charging of the battery is required during the cleaning, the control method of the robot cleaner comprising moving from the N + 1 reference area to the N reference area. The method of claim 3, wherein In the cleaning process, at least two points are set for each reference area, and when the battery is required to be charged, the robot cleaner moves along the points.

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