Mobile robot

{
  "publication_number": "US11317778B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Mobile robot",
  "abstract": "Disclosed is a mobile robot for determining a type and position of a home appliance present within in a traveling area and controlling the home appliance according to a control command or a situation. The mobile robot includes a controller for determining the type and position of the home appliance positioned within the traveling area based on the image acquired through an image acquisition unit, and for generating and outputting a home appliance map that is a traveling area map on which at least one of the type or position of the home appliance is indicated, wherein the home appliance is remotely controlled according to a control command of a user, a situation is determined according to the acquired information without a control command, and a home appliance appropriate for a specific situation is controlled.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A mobile robot comprising a main body; a traveling unit configured to move the main body; a communication device to communicate with at least one external apparatus; an image acquisition unit configured to acquire an image; and a controller configured to control the traveling unit to move the main body within a traveling area; wherein the controller determines a type and a position of a home appliance positioned within the traveling area based on an image acquired through the image acquisition unit, wherein the controller determines whether the home appliance is a device that is capable of communicating, based on information received through the communication device, when the home appliance is determined to be the device that is capable of communicating, the controller determines an operation state of the home appliance based on at least one of an image acquired by the image acquisition unit or information transmitted by the home appliance, and when the home appliance is determined to not be the device that is capable of communicating, the controller determines the operation state of the home appliance based on an image item of the home appliance indicated in the image.",
    "2. The mobile robot of claim 1, wherein the controller performs deep learning based on the image to determine the type of the home appliance.",
    "3. The mobile robot of claim 1, further comprising a storage unit configured to store a traveling area map, wherein the controller generates a home appliance map that is the traveling area map in which at least one of the type or the position of the home appliance is indicated, based on the traveling area map, and outputs the home appliance map through at least one of a preset mobile terminal or an output device of the mobile robot.",
    "4. The mobile robot of claim 1, further comprising a storage unit configured to store a traveling area map, wherein the controller outputs a home appliance map that is a traveling area map in which at least one of a type, a position, or an operation state of the home appliance is indicated, through at least one of a preset mobile terminal or an output device of the mobile robot.",
    "5. The mobile robot of claim 1, further comprising a storage unit configured to store a traveling area map, wherein the controller determines whether the home appliance is remotely controllable, and outputs a home appliance map that is a traveling area map in which at least one of a type, a position of the home appliance, or whether the home appliance is remotely controllable is indicated, through at least one of a preset mobile terminal or an output device of the mobile robot.",
    "6. The mobile robot of claim 5, wherein, upon receiving a control command with respect to one of a plurality of home appliances indicated on the home appliance map through the mobile terminal or an input device of the mobile robot, the controller remotely controls a selected home appliance based on the control command.",
    "7. The mobile robot of claim 6, wherein the controller moves the main body to a controllable area corresponding to a remote control method of the selected home appliance and remotely controls the selected home appliance.",
    "8. The mobile robot of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to detect an object, wherein the controller controls at least one of a plurality of home appliances based on at least one of information acquired from the plurality of home appliances positioned within the traveling area, image information acquired through the image acquisition unit, object information acquired through the sensor, or information acquired through the communication device.",
    "9. The mobile robot of claim 8, wherein, when cleaning is performed within the traveling area, the controller determines an air state based on information acquired from a home appliance configured to detect the air state among the plurality of home appliances, and controls a home appliance that affects the air state among the plurality of home appliances in response to the determined air state.",
    "10. The mobile robot of claim 8, wherein the plurality of home appliances include an illumination apparatus and another communication device, and wherein, upon determining that a moving object is present based on at least one of the object information or the image information in a crime prevention mode, the controller operates the illumination apparatus, performs emergency contact through the other communication device, and stores an acquired image.",
    "11. The mobile robot of claim 8, wherein the plurality of home appliances include a plurality of illumination apparatuses positioned within the traveling area; and wherein, upon determining that predetermined illumination is required to determine a position of the main body based on the image information, the controller lights at least one illumination apparatus corresponding to the position of the main body among the plurality of illumination apparatuses."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to a mobile robot, and more particularly, to a mobile robot that communicates with an illumination apparatus and determines a position of the illumination apparatus.\n\nA mobile robot is an apparatus for automatic cleaning by absorbing a foreign substance such as dust from a floor surface while autonomously traveling an area as a cleaning target. The mobile robot includes a chargeable battery, is capable of freely moving and autonomously moving using operation power of the battery, absorbs a foreign substance of a floor surface while moving to perform cleaning, and is configured to return to a charging stand and to charge the battery if necessary. In general, such a mobile robot that detects a distance to an obstacle such as furniture, office supplies, a wall, or the like, which is installed within a traveling area, and controls left and right wheels to perform an obstacle avoidance operation. The mobile robot may acquire a surrounding image, detects an object in the vicinity of the mobile robot, and generates a map of the traveling area. Information of the map of the traveling area may be pre-stored information or information provided from the outside. The mobile robot may be moved to a specific position within the traveling area or may determine the current position, based on the map of the traveling area.\n\nThe mobile robot may determine the current position using a method of extracting a feature point from an image captured by photographing a surrounding environment. The mobile robot may also detect various objects from the captured image.",
  "cpc": [
    "A47L 11/4061",
    "A47L 11/4011",
    "A47L 2201/02",
    "A47L 2201/04",
    "A47L 9/2805",
    "A47L 9/2852",
    "A47L 9/2894",
    "B25J 11/0085",
    "B25J 13/006",
    "B25J 19/023",
    "B25J 5/007",
    "B25J 9/0003",
    "B25J 9/1664",
    "B25J 9/1689",
    "G05B 13/027",
    "G05B 2219/50391",
    "G05D 1/0022",
    "G05D 1/0246",
    "G05D 1/0274",
    "G05D 2201/0203",
    "G06K 9/00664",
    "G06T 2207/20081",
    "G06T 7/70",
    "G06V 20/10",
    "H04L 12/2809",
    "H04L 12/2816"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "A47L 11/40",
    "A47L 9/28",
    "G05B 13/02",
    "G05B 19/04",
    "G05B 19/18",
    "G05D 1/00",
    "G05D 1/02",
    "G06K 9/00",
    "G06T 7/70",
    "H04L 12/28"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "LG ELECTRONICS INC"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "KIM MINSOO"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2018-01-25",
  "publication_date": "2022-05-03",
  "grant_date": "2022-05-03",
  "priority_date": "2017-01-25",
  "application_number": "US-201816480775-A",
  "family_id": "62979545",
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}