Robot cleaner and control method thereof

{
  "publication_number": "US10463220B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Robot cleaner and control method thereof",
  "abstract": "A robot cleaner is disclosed. The robot cleaner includes an infrared sensor including a light emitting device configured to output an infrared ray to a floor and a light receiving device configured to receive the infrared ray reflected from the floor and convert the received infrared ray into an electric signal and output the electric signal; and a processor configured to determine an output voltage of the electrical signal if the electrical signal is received from the infrared sensor, control a travel direction of the robot cleaner based on the output voltage and a predetermined first threshold voltage, and control a suction mode of the robot cleaner based on the output voltage and a predetermined second threshold voltage, wherein the second threshold voltage is higher than the first threshold voltage.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A robot cleaner comprising: an infrared sensor including a light emitting device configured to output an infrared ray to a floor and a light receiving device configured to receive the infrared ray reflected from the floor and convert the received infrared ray into an electric signal and output the electric signal; and a processor configured to determine an output voltage of the electrical signal if the electrical signal is received from the infrared sensor, control a travel direction of the robot cleaner based on the output voltage and a predetermined first threshold voltage, and control a suction mode of the robot cleaner based on the output voltage and a predetermined second threshold voltage, wherein the second threshold voltage is higher than the first threshold voltage.",
    "2. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to switch the travel direction of the robot cleaner to a direction different from a previous travel direction when the output voltage is lower than the first threshold voltage, and control the travel direction of the robot cleaner to maintain the same direction as the previous travel direction when the output voltage is equal to or higher than the first threshold voltage.",
    "3. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to control the robot cleaner to operate in a first suction mode when the output voltage is equal to or higher than the first threshold voltage and is less than the second threshold voltage, and control the robot cleaner to operate in a second suction mode having a relatively lower suction force than that of the first suction mode when the output voltage is equal to or higher than the second threshold voltage.",
    "4. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the infrared sensor includes a plurality of infrared sensors, and wherein the processor is further configured to control the robot cleaner to operate in a first suction mode when all output voltages of a plurality of electrical signals respectively received from the plurality of infrared sensors are equal to or higher than the first threshold voltage and are less than the second threshold voltage, and control the robot cleaner to operate in a second suction mode when at least one or more of the output voltages of the plurality of electrical signals is equal to or higher than the second threshold voltage.",
    "5. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the infrared sensor includes a plurality of infrared sensors, and wherein the processor is further configured to control the robot cleaner to operate in a first suction mode when at least one of output voltages of a plurality of electrical signals respectively received from the plurality of infrared sensors is equal to or higher than the first threshold voltage and is less than the second threshold voltage, and control the robot cleaner to operate in a second suction mode when all the output voltages of the plurality of electrical signals are equal to or higher than the second threshold voltage.",
    "6. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to calculate an average output voltage of a plurality of electrical signals received for a predetermined time from the infrared sensor and control the travel direction and the suction mode of the robot cleaner using the calculated average output voltage.",
    "7. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the second threshold voltage is an average voltage of an output voltage of the infrared ray reflected from a hard floor and an output voltage of the infrared ray reflected from a soft floor.",
    "8. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine output voltages of first and second electrical signals respectively with respect to infrared rays reflected from first and second floors and change the second threshold voltage to correspond to an average voltage of the output voltages of the first and second electrical signals.",
    "9. The robot cleaner of claim 1, further comprising a display including a user interface configured to receive a plurality of commands.",
    "10. The robot cleaner of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the output voltage in response to a command received by the user interface.",
    "11. A control method of a robot cleaner, the control method comprising: outputting an infrared ray to a floor; receiving the infrared ray reflected from the floor and converting the received infrared ray into an electric signal; determining an output voltage of the electrical signal; controlling a travel direction of the robot cleaner based on the output voltage and a predetermined first threshold voltage; and controlling a suction mode of the robot cleaner based on the output voltage and a predetermined second threshold voltage, wherein the second threshold voltage is higher than the first threshold voltage.",
    "12. The control method of claim 11, wherein the controlling includes switching the travel direction of the robot cleaner to a direction different from a previous travel direction when the output voltage is lower than the first threshold voltage, and controlling the travel direction of the robot cleaner to maintain the same direction as the previous travel direction when the output voltage is equal to or higher than the first threshold voltage.",
    "13. The control method of claim 11, wherein the controlling includes controlling the robot cleaner to operate in a first suction mode when the output voltage is equal to or higher than the first threshold voltage and is less than the second threshold voltage, and controlling the robot cleaner to operate in a second suction mode having a relatively lower suction force than that of the first suction mode when the output voltage is equal to or higher than the second threshold voltage.",
    "14. The control method of claim 11, wherein the controlling includes controlling the robot cleaner to operate in a first suction mode when all output voltages of a plurality of electrical signals respectively received from a plurality of infrared sensors are equal to or higher than the first threshold voltage and are less than the second threshold voltage, and controlling the robot cleaner to operate in a second suction mode when at least one or more of the output voltages of the plurality of electrical signals is equal to or higher than the second threshold voltage.",
    "15. The control method of claim 11, wherein the controlling includes controlling the robot cleaner to operate in a first suction mode when at least one of output voltages of a plurality of electrical signals respectively received from a plurality of infrared sensors is equal to or higher than the first threshold voltage and are less than the second threshold voltage, and controlling the robot cleaner to operate in a second suction mode when all the output voltages of the plurality of electrical signals are equal to or higher than the second threshold voltage.",
    "16. The control method of claim 11, wherein the controlling includes calculating an average output voltage of a plurality of electrical signals received for a predetermined time from an infrared sensor and using the calculated average output voltage.",
    "17. The control method of claim 11, wherein the second threshold voltage is an average voltage of an output voltage of the infrared ray reflected from a hard floor and an output voltage of the infrared ray reflected from a soft floor.",
    "18. The control method of claim 11, further comprising: determining output voltages of first and second electrical signals respectively with respect to infrared rays reflected from first and second floors; and changing the second threshold voltage to correspond to an average voltage of the output voltages of the first and second electrical signals.",
    "19. The control method of claim 11, further comprising receiving a command by a user interface.",
    "20. The control method of claim 19, further comprising determining the output voltage in response to a command received by the user interface."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present disclosure relate to a robot cleaner and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a robot cleaner and a control method thereof for automatically controlling a travel direction and a suction force of the robot cleaner.\n\nGenerally, robots are developed for industrial use and widely used in various industrial fields. In recent years, the field of using robots has been expanded to be utilized not only in a medical field, an aerospace field, but also in ordinary households. A typical example of a robot used at home is a robot cleaner. The robot cleaner performs a function of cleaning an inner space of house by suction impurities such as dust while traveling for itself. On the other hand, upon performing cleaning, when the robot cleaner reaches a low floor which is lower than an on-going flat ground, such as a living room floor or a cliff, the robot cleaner should change a travel direction to prevent damage due to falling. This is operated by various sensors mounted on the robot cleaner, for example, an infrared sensor and a processor that controls an operation according to a signal received from the sensor. However, the conventional robot cleaner only uses the infrared sensor to change the travel direction of the robot cleaner and failed to automatically control a suction force according to a type of a floor located below the robot cleaner in operation, such as a hard floor such as a marble, etc. and a soft floor such as a carpet.",
  "cpc": [
    "A47L 9/2894",
    "A47L 2201/04",
    "A47L 2201/06",
    "A47L 9/2815",
    "A47L 9/2826",
    "A47L 9/2842",
    "A47L 9/2852",
    "B25J 11/0085",
    "B25J 9/0003",
    "B25J 9/1664",
    "G05D 1/0212",
    "G05D 1/0238",
    "G05D 1/0242",
    "G05D 2201/0215"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "A47L 9/28",
    "G05D 1/02"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "JEE YONG-KEUN",
    "CHOI HYEONG-HWAN",
    "KIM MIN-JI",
    "KIM JONG-SOON",
    "KIM HYEONG-JUN"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2017-12-14",
  "publication_date": "2019-11-05",
  "grant_date": "2019-11-05",
  "priority_date": "2016-12-15",
  "application_number": "US-201715841926-A",
  "family_id": "60627539",
  "citations": [
    "DE102010000573A1",
    "DE102011053975A1",
    "KR100728227B1",
    "KR101156282B1",
    "KR101229106B1",
    "KR101495866B1",
    "KR20090019480A",
    "US2016100733A1"
  ]
}