JP2013085958A - Robot cleaner and method for controlling the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a robot cleaner capable of performing higher-efficiency cleaning operation by associating the travel pattern or the cleaning pattern of the robot cleaner with the projection/storage operation and the rotation operation of auxiliary cleaning tools to perform control, and to provide a method for controlling the robot cleaner.SOLUTION: This robot cleaner includes: auxiliary cleaning units mounted in a lower part of the robot cleaner such that each auxiliary cleaning unit can be projected or stored; a sensing part sensing an obstacle positioned in a cleaning region of the robot cleaner; and a control part performing control such that the auxiliary cleaning units are projected outside the robot cleaner while traveling along an outermost part of the cleaning region by a wall face follow-up system, and performing control such that the auxiliary cleaning units are stored while traveling an inner part of the cleaning region when the travel of the outermost part of the cleaning region is completed.

Description

  The present invention relates to a robot cleaner that includes an auxiliary cleaning tool and performs an efficient cleaning operation, and a control method thereof.

  The robot cleaner automatically cleans the area by removing foreign substances such as dust from the floor surface while autonomously running in the cleaning area without user operation.

  The robot cleaner senses an obstacle or a wall located in the cleaning area by using various sensors and the like, and controls the travel route and the cleaning operation of the robot cleaner based on the sensing result.

  The robot cleaner performs the cleaning work repeatedly while traveling according to a preset travel pattern, but if there are obstacles or walls in the cleaning area, the obstacle or the place where the wall and the floor touch Until the main brush is difficult to reach, it is difficult to clean carefully.

  Therefore, the robot cleaner has an auxiliary cleaning tool that protrudes to the outside of the robot cleaner, and the auxiliary cleaning tool of this robot cleaner is mounted on both sides of the vacuum cleaner body and rotates, while dust on the floor etc. Are removed by sweeping, dispersing, or inhaling.

  However, the existing robot cleaner has a problem that the operation of the auxiliary cleaning tool is not controlled in cooperation with the traveling pattern of the robot cleaner, and it is difficult to perform the cleaning operation efficiently.

  The present invention relates to a robot cleaner capable of performing a more efficient cleaning operation by controlling the running pattern or cleaning pattern of the robot cleaner and the protrusion / storage operation and cleaning operation of the auxiliary cleaning tool in cooperation with each other, and The control method is provided.

  According to one aspect, a robot cleaner that removes foreign matter from a floor while traveling on the floor includes an auxiliary cleaning unit that is mounted so as to protrude and be retractable at a lower portion of the robot cleaner, and a cleaning area of the robot cleaner. The auxiliary cleaning unit protrudes while traveling in a wall-following manner along the outermost part of the cleaning area, and a sensing part that senses an obstacle that is positioned, and the outermost part of the cleaning area travels. And a control unit configured to accommodate the auxiliary cleaning unit while traveling inside the cleaning region.

  The control unit performs control so that only the auxiliary cleaning unit on the wall surface side of the auxiliary cleaning unit protrudes.

  The control unit controls the traveling speed when traveling by the wall surface following method to be lower than the traveling speed when traveling inside the cleaning area.

  The sensing unit senses an obstacle located in the cleaning area, and is present on the floor of the cleaning area, and includes an obstacle sensing unit including at least one of an ultrasonic sensor, a proximity sensor, and an optical sensor. And a dust sensing unit comprising an optical sensor.

  The control unit increases the cleaning speed of the auxiliary cleaning unit when the sensing unit senses a wall located in front of the robot cleaner while traveling by the wall-following method.

  When the amount of dust detected by the dust detection unit is equal to or greater than a preset reference value, the control unit repeats the protrusion and storage of the auxiliary cleaning unit at a constant cycle.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, a robot cleaner that removes foreign matters from the floor while traveling on the floor includes an auxiliary cleaning unit that is mounted so as to protrude and be housed in a lower portion of the robot cleaner, and a cleaning area of the robot cleaner. And a control unit configured to set the first cleaning mode or the second cleaning mode based on a user command or a detection result of the detection unit. In the first cleaning mode, when the sensing unit senses an obstacle, the auxiliary cleaning unit is projected to clean up to a place where the obstacle and the floor are in contact with each other. The mode may be a cleaning mode in which when the sensing unit senses an obstacle, the auxiliary cleaning unit is quickly cleaned without protruding.

  The sensing unit senses an obstacle located in the cleaning area, and is present on the floor of the cleaning area, and an obstacle sensing unit including at least one of an ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor, and a proximity sensor. And a dust sensing unit comprising an optical sensor.

  In the second cleaning mode, the auxiliary cleaning unit is protruded until the sensing unit senses an obstacle.

  The robot cleaner further includes an input unit for receiving a cleaning mode selection command from a user, and the control unit controls the cleaning operation of the robot cleaner according to the cleaning mode selected through the input unit. To do.

  When the cleaning start command is input, the control unit controls the robot cleaner to perform a test run in order to grasp the number of obstacles existing in a cleaning area in which cleaning is performed, and the sensing unit Detects an obstacle present in the cleaning area during the test run and transmits the result to the control unit.

  The control unit calculates the number of obstacles present in the cleaning area based on the sensing result of the sensing unit, and the calculated number of obstacles is equal to or greater than a preset reference value. The cleaning operation is controlled according to the second cleaning mode, and when the calculated number of obstacles is less than a preset reference value, the cleaning operation is controlled according to the first cleaning mode.

  If the amount of dust detected by the dust detection unit is equal to or greater than a preset reference value, the control unit repeats protrusion and storage of the auxiliary cleaning unit at regular intervals.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method for a robot cleaner having an auxiliary cleaning unit mounted so as to be protruded and stowable, and whether or not the robot cleaner travels in a wall-following manner when a cleaning start command is input. And when the robot cleaner travels in a wall-following manner, the auxiliary cleaning unit protrudes outside the robot cleaner, and determines whether or not the robot cleaner has finished running in the wall-following manner. When the travel of the wall surface following method is completed, the auxiliary cleaning unit is housed.

  Only the auxiliary cleaning unit on the wall surface side of the auxiliary cleaning unit is protruded during traveling by the wall surface following method.

  The traveling speed of the robot cleaner during traveling by the wall surface tracking method is controlled to be lower than the traveling speed of the robot cleaner during traveling by other than the wall surface tracking method.

  Furthermore, when an obstacle existing in front of the robot cleaner is detected and the presence of a wall surface in front of the wall following method is detected, the cleaning speed of the auxiliary cleaning unit is increased.

  Further, dust on the travel route of the robot cleaner is detected, and if the amount of the detected dust is equal to or greater than a preset reference value, the protrusion and storage of the auxiliary cleaning unit are repeated at regular intervals. .

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method for a robot cleaner having an auxiliary cleaning unit mounted in a projecting and retractable manner, wherein the first cleaning mode or the second cleaning mode is based on a user command or an obstacle detection result. In the first cleaning mode, when an obstacle is detected from the cleaning area where the robot cleaner performs cleaning, the auxiliary cleaning unit is protruded and cleaning is performed until the obstacle comes into contact with the floor. In the second cleaning mode, when an obstacle is sensed from the cleaning area, the auxiliary cleaning unit is quickly cleaned without protruding.

  In the second cleaning mode, the auxiliary cleaning unit is protruded until an obstacle is detected from the cleaning area.

  Further, an obstacle present in the cleaning area of the robot cleaner is detected, the number of obstacles is calculated based on the detection result, and the calculated number of obstacles is equal to or greater than a preset reference value. If so, the cleaning operation of the robot cleaner is controlled according to the second cleaning mode.

  Dust on the travel route of the robot cleaner is detected, and if the detected amount of dust is greater than or equal to a preset reference value, the protrusion and storage of the auxiliary cleaning unit are repeated at regular intervals.

  According to the robot cleaner of the present invention and the control method thereof, the main cleaning tool such as a point where the obstacle or the wall and the floor are in contact with each other or a point where the walls are in contact with each other by projecting the auxiliary cleaning tool when traveling by the wall surface following method. It is possible to improve the cleaning efficiency by effectively cleaning the portion where the brush does not reach and simultaneously storing the auxiliary cleaning tool when traveling inside the cleaning area.

  In addition, according to the robot cleaner and the control method thereof according to one aspect, by controlling the protrusion and storage of the auxiliary cleaning tool according to the user's command or the environment of the cleaning area, It becomes possible to perform cleaning suitable for the environment.

It is a perspective view of the robot cleaner which concerns on one Example. It is a bottom view of the robot cleaner which concerns on one Example. It is a figure which shows roughly one Example regarding the structure which enables protrusion and accommodation of each auxiliary cleaning unit. It is a figure which shows schematically the other Example regarding the structure which enables protrusion and accommodation of each auxiliary cleaning unit. It is a figure which shows schematically the structure of the auxiliary cleaning tool which concerns on one Example. It is a figure which shows schematically the structure of the auxiliary cleaning tool which concerns on another Example. It is a control block diagram of the robot cleaner which concerns on one Example. It is the whole block diagram which looked at the driving | running | working and cleaning operation | movement of the robot cleaner which concerns on one Example from the top. It is the whole block diagram which looked at the driving | running | working and cleaning operation | movement of the robot cleaner which concerns on one Example from the top. It is a figure which shows the robot cleaner in the point which a wall contacts. It is a figure which shows the case where only the auxiliary cleaning tool by the side of a wall surface is protruded in the robot cleaner shown to FIG. 8A and 8B. It is a concrete control block diagram of the travel control part in the robot cleaner which concerns on one Example. It is the image | video image | photographed with the robot cleaner which concerns on one Example. It is sectional drawing which shows the example of the feature map actually produced. It is a figure which shows the route map actually produced. It is a figure which shows operation | movement when the robot cleaner in FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B drive | works a dust excessive area | region. It is the top view which looked at operation | movement of the robot cleaner in the case of performing cleaning operation in 1st cleaning mode from the top. It is the top view which looked at operation | movement of the robot cleaner in the case of performing cleaning operation in 2nd cleaning mode from the top. It is the top view which looked at the operation | movement when the robot cleaner which concerns on one Example drive | works a dust excessive area | region from the top. It is the top view which looked at the operation | movement when the robot cleaner which concerns on one Example drive | works a dust excessive area | region from the top. It is a flowchart which shows the control method of the robot cleaner shown to FIG. 8A and 8B. It is a flowchart which shows the control method when the robot cleaner shown to FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B faces a wall during driving | running | working by a wall surface tracking system. It is a flowchart which shows simply the control method when the robot cleaner shown to FIG. 8A and 8B drive | works a dust excessive area | region. It is a flowchart which shows the control method of the robot cleaner shown in FIG.16 and FIG.17.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the robot cleaner 1 supplies a main body 10 that forms an appearance, a main brush unit 30 that sweeps dust on the floor and guides it to a suction port, and driving power for driving the main body 10. Power supply section 50, driving wheels 41 and 42 and casters 43 for running the main body 10, and auxiliary cleaning units 100a and 100b for cleaning adjacent portions and corner portions of the wall surface.

  Two drive wheels 41 and 42 are arranged symmetrically at the left and right ends of the central region in the lower part of the main body 10. The drive wheels 41 and 42 allow the robot cleaner 1 to perform moving operations such as forward, reverse, and rotational travel while cleaning.

  A caster 43 is attached to the front end of the lower portion of the main body 10 with respect to the traveling direction. The caster 43 changes the rotation angle according to the state of the floor on which the robot cleaner 1 moves, so that the main body 10 can maintain a stable posture. The drive wheels 41 and 42 and the casters 43 can be assembled into one assembly and detachably attached to the main body 10.

  The power supply unit 50 includes a main body 10 and a battery that is electrically connected to each driving device that drives various components mounted on the main body 10 and supplies driving power. The battery is a rechargeable secondary battery. When the main body 10 completes the cleaning process and is coupled to a docking station (not shown), the battery is charged with electric power supplied from the docking station (not shown).

  The main brush unit 30 is attached to an opening formed in a portion of the lower portion of the main body 10 that is deviated from the central region toward the rear R.

  The main brush unit 30 cleans foreign matter such as dust accumulated on the floor on which the main body 10 is placed. An opening in the lower part of the main body 10 to which the main brush unit 30 is attached becomes a dust inlet 33.

  The main brush unit 30 includes a roller 31 and a main brush 32 formed on the outer surface of the roller 31. Along with the rotation of the roller 31, the main brush 32 stirs the dust accumulated on the floor and guides it to the dust inlet 33. The roller 31 can be a steel body, but is not limited thereto. The main brush 32 can be made of various materials having elasticity.

  Although not shown, a blower that generates suction is provided inside the dust inlet 33 to move the dust flowing into the dust inlet 33 to the dust collector 55.

  A sensing unit 60 that can sense the surrounding environment of the robot cleaner 1 is attached to the main body 10. The sensing unit 60 can include a proximity sensor 61 and / or a vision sensor 62. For example, when the robot cleaner 1 travels in an arbitrary direction without a predetermined route, that is, in a cleaning system without a map, the robot cleaner 1 can travel in the cleaning area using the proximity sensor 61. is there. On the other hand, when the robot cleaner 1 travels according to a predetermined route, that is, in a cleaning system that requires a map, a vision sensor 62 for taking in position information of the robot cleaner 1 and generating a map is attached. Can do. The sensing unit 60 is not limited to the above, and can be implemented in various ways.

  The display unit 65 can indicate various states of the robot cleaner 1. For example, the state of charge of the battery, whether or not the dust collector 55 is filled with dust, the cleaning mode of the robot cleaner 1, the sleep mode, and the like can be indicated.

  Moreover, although not shown in figure, the robot cleaner 1 which concerns on one Example is provided with the input part, and can receive the instruction | command regarding a driving | running mode, a cleaning mode, or power supply on / off from a user.

  Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 3 thru | or FIG. 6, the structure and structure of the auxiliary | assistant cleaning units 100a and 100b with which the robot cleaner which concerns on the illustrated Example is equipped are demonstrated.

  The auxiliary cleaning units 100a and 100b are attached to the lower part of the robot cleaner so as to protrude and be retractable. There are various examples of structures that enable the auxiliary cleaning units 100a and 100b to protrude and house, and two examples will be described below.

  FIG. 3 is a view schematically showing an embodiment relating to a structure that allows each auxiliary cleaning unit to protrude and retract. Since the basic structures of the left and right auxiliary cleaning units may be the same, hereinafter, the left auxiliary cleaning unit 100b and the right auxiliary cleaning unit 100a will be collectively referred to as the auxiliary cleaning unit 100 without being distinguished.

  Referring to FIG. 3, the auxiliary cleaning unit 100 includes a side arm 102 and an edge cover 103.

  A side arm 102 is coupled to a lower portion on one front side of the main body 10, and an arm motor (not shown) for driving the side arm 102 is accommodated on the upper side. The arm motor is connected to a rotation shaft (not shown) via a predetermined gear that transmits a driving force to the side arm 102, and this rotation shaft is attached to a coupling groove 101 formed at one end of the side arm 102. The

  Therefore, when the arm motor is driven, the side arm 102 swings with reference to the coupling groove 101 while the rotation shaft rotates. At this time, the side arm 102 swings to the outside of the main body 10, and the edge cover 103 does not cover the opening of the main body 10 any more and does not form the periphery of the main body 10.

  A coupling groove 104 to which an auxiliary cleaning tool is coupled is formed at the other end of the side arm 102. A rotating motor (not shown) for driving the auxiliary cleaning tool is accommodated on the upper side thereof, and the auxiliary cleaning tool rotates with reference to the coupling groove 104 by the driving force of the rotating motor.

  FIG. 4 is also a diagram schematically showing an embodiment relating to a structure that allows each auxiliary cleaning unit to protrude and house.

  Referring to FIG. 4, the auxiliary cleaning unit 100 includes a side arm 106 and an edge cover 108.

  A side arm 106 is coupled to the lower portion of the front side of the main body 10 along a coupling groove 105, and an extension arm 107 that slides and extends outside the side arm 106 is accommodated inside the side arm 106.

  The extension arm 107 moves back and forth along the longitudinal direction of the side arm 106 inside the side arm 106. Therefore, a rail is provided inside the side arm 106, a guide (not shown) is provided in the extension arm 107, and the extension arm 107 can slide along the rail while being fixed to the rail. In addition, another extension arm that slides out of the extension arm 107 and protrudes may be accommodated in the extension arm 107. Other extension arms may be moved in the same manner as the extension arm 107, and the number of extension arms is not limited.

  An arm motor (not shown) that drives the extension arm 107 is accommodated above the side arm 106. The arm motor transmits a driving force to the extension arm 107 via a predetermined gear. When the arm motor is driven, the extension arm 107 slides outside the side arm 106 and protrudes outside the main body 10. At this time, the edge cover 108 does not cover the opening of the main body 10 any more and does not form the periphery of the main body 10.

  A coupling groove 109 to which the auxiliary cleaning tool is coupled is formed at the tip of the extension arm 107. A rotary motor (not shown) for driving the auxiliary cleaning tool is accommodated above the auxiliary cleaning tool, and the auxiliary cleaning tool rotates with reference to the coupling groove 109 by the driving force of the rotary motor.

  The auxiliary cleaning unit has an auxiliary cleaning tool and performs cleaning with the auxiliary cleaning tool. The auxiliary cleaning tool may have a brush that sweeps and disperses foreign matters such as dust, may have a dust cloth to wipe the floor, and may have a suction device that sucks in foreign matters such as dust. However, these auxiliary cleaning tools are merely examples, and any type of auxiliary cleaning tool can be used as long as it can perform auxiliary cleaning.

FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of an auxiliary cleaning tool according to an embodiment.
Referring to FIG. 5, the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 includes brush arms 113 that extend radially outward from a central common end and are spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction. An auxiliary brush 112 is coupled to the brush arm 113, and a rotating shaft 114 protruding from a common common end of the brush arm 113 is coupled to the side arm 102 or the extension arm 107 through the coupling groove. When the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is rotated, the dust accumulated on the adjacent portion of the auxiliary brush 112 with the wall surface is swept up or dispersed in the central region of the main body 10.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of an auxiliary cleaning tool according to an embodiment.

  Referring to FIG. 6, the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 has a circular rag holder 116, and the auxiliary rag 115 is attached to the rag holder 116 in the circumferential direction of the rag holder 116. A rotating shaft 114 that rotates the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is transmitted at the center of the dust cloth holder 116 by transmitting the driving force of the rotary motor. The rotating shaft 114 passes through the coupling groove, and the side arm 102 or the extension arm 107. Combined with. When the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 rotates, the auxiliary dust cloth 115 wipes the adjacent portion with the wall surface.

  When the embodiment of FIG. 6 is applied together with the embodiment of FIG. 4, the cleaning operation of the auxiliary cleaning unit 100 is performed by simultaneously rotating the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 and repeatedly projecting and storing the extension arm 107. Alternatively, the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 may not be rotated, and only the protrusion and storage of the extension arm 107 may be repeated.

  On the other hand, the auxiliary brush 112 can be made of various elastic materials, and the auxiliary cloth 115 can be made of various materials in addition to the fiber material.

  In the robot cleaner 1 according to the illustrated embodiment, the cleaning area is widened by the auxiliary cleaning units 100a and 100b protruding to the outside of the main body 10 and can be cleaned up to the adjacent portion to the wall surface and the corner of the floor.

  1 to 6, the two auxiliary cleaning units 100 are provided on both sides of the robot cleaner 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the number and mounting positions of the auxiliary cleaning units 100 are not limited thereto. There is no limit. However, for convenience of explanation, in the embodiment described later, it is assumed that two auxiliary cleaning units 100 are provided on both sides of the robot cleaner 1 as in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 6.

  Hereinafter, based on the above-described configuration, the travel and cleaning operation of the robot cleaner 1 according to the illustrated embodiment will be described in detail.

  In the embodiment described below, it is assumed that the main brush unit basically performs cleaning while the robot cleaner is running.

  In addition, as described above, the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 applicable to the embodiment can be in various forms such as a brush and a dust cloth. However, in the following embodiments, the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is a brush for convenience of explanation. It will be described as a form.

  FIG. 7 is a control block diagram of the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment.

  Referring to FIG. 7, in the robot cleaner 1 according to the illustrated embodiment, a sensor 60 that senses the surrounding environment of the robot cleaner 1 and a command related to running or cleaning operation of the robot cleaner 1 are input from the user. An input unit 70, a control unit 200 for controlling the running and cleaning operation of the robot cleaner 1 based on a detection result of the detection unit 60 or a command input to the input unit 70, a main brush unit 30 for cleaning and an auxiliary unit A cleaning unit 100 and a traveling unit 40 for traveling the robot cleaner 1 are provided.

  The sensing unit 60 senses nearby obstacles while the robot cleaner 1 is moving. The sensing unit 60 can be an ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor, or a proximity sensor. The sensing unit 60, which is an ultrasonic sensor, can detect an obstacle by transmitting an ultrasonic wave to a traveling route and receiving a reflected ultrasonic wave. The sensing unit 60, which is an optical sensor, can sense an obstacle when the infrared light emitting element emits an infrared ray and the infrared light receiving element receives the reflected infrared ray. In addition, the sensing unit 60 may be a proximity sensor, a contact sensor, or the like, and may have any configuration that can sense an obstacle.

  In the input unit 70, a command related to the cleaning operation or traveling of the robot cleaner 1 is input from the user. Basically, a cleaning start command or a cleaning end command can be input by an on / off input, and commands related to the running mode and the cleaning mode can be input. The input unit 70 is provided in the main body 10 of the robot cleaner 1 and may be configured by a button method, or the display unit 65 may be configured by a touch panel method.

  The control unit 200 controls the overall operation of the robot cleaner 1 and includes a cleaning control unit 210 that controls a cleaning operation and a travel control unit 220 that controls traveling.

  The cleaning control unit 210 controls the main brush unit 30 and the auxiliary cleaning unit 100 according to the cleaning mode set based on the sensing result of the sensing unit 60 or the user's command input from the input unit 70.

  Similarly, the traveling control unit 220 controls the traveling unit 40 based on the sensing result of the sensing unit 60 or the user's command input from the input unit 70, and controls the traveling direction and traveling speed of the robot cleaner 1.

  Specific operations of the cleaning control unit 210 and the travel control unit 220 will be described later.

  As described above, the main brush unit 30 includes the roller 31 and the main brush 32 formed on the outer surface of the roller 31. When the roller 31 rotates, the main brush 32 scratches the dust accumulated on the floor and guides it to the dust inflow port 33 to perform the main cleaning operation. For this purpose, the cleaning control unit 210 transmits a control signal to a drive motor that drives the roller 31, and the main brush 32 performs a cleaning operation in accordance with the control signal.

  The auxiliary cleaning unit 100 has a function of cleaning corners that cannot be sufficiently cleaned by the main brush unit 30 alone. The auxiliary cleaning unit 100 includes side arms 102 and 106 and / or an extension arm 107 that project and store the auxiliary cleaning tool 110, a rotation motor that rotates the auxiliary cleaning tool 110, and the side arms 102 and 106 and / or the extension. An arm motor that drives the arm 107.

  As described above, the traveling unit 40 includes the drive wheels 41 and 42, the casters 43, and a drive unit that drives them. Therefore, the traveling control unit 220 can transmit a control signal to the driving unit and drive the driving wheels 41 and 42 forward or backward to move the robot cleaner 1 forward or backward. The traveling control unit 220 rotates the robot cleaner 1 in the left direction with reference to the front by moving the right drive wheels 41 and 42 forward while moving the left drive wheels 41 and 42 rearward, By driving in the opposite direction, the robot cleaner 1 can be rotated rightward with respect to the front.

  Hereinafter, operation | movement of the robot cleaner 1 which concerns on one Example is demonstrated.

  FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B are overall configuration diagrams of the traveling and cleaning operation of the robot cleaner 1 according to one embodiment as viewed from above.

  When the user inputs a cleaning start command via the input unit 70, the running and cleaning operation of the robot cleaner 1 starts. At this time, the travel mode of the travel control unit 220 is set so that the inner part of the cleaning region travels according to a random method or a predetermined travel pattern after traveling on the wall surface following method along the outermost part of the cleaning region. be able to.

  Referring to FIG. 8A, when the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment travels on the outermost part of the cleaning area by the wall surface following method, the brush 32 of the main brush unit 30 reaches the portion where the floor surface and the wall are in contact with each other. It is difficult to clean completely. Note that the portion where the floor and the wall are in contact is a place where more dust accumulates and needs to be carefully cleaned. For this purpose, the robot cleaner 1 projects the auxiliary cleaning unit 100 to the outside when traveling by the wall surface following method, and cleans the portion where the floor and the wall are in contact.

  Referring to FIG. 8B, the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment starts traveling on the inner side portion of the cleaning area after finishing the wall surface tracking method for the outermost portion of the cleaning area. At this time, as shown in FIG. 8B, it may be a zigzag running, but other patterns of running or random running may be used.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 8B, the inner portion of the cleaning area may be an area other than the area where the cleaning is completed by the wall-following method, and includes the area where the cleaning is completed by the wall-following method. However, if the former is used, the cleaning can be completed in a short time, and if the latter is used, the cleaning can be performed more carefully.

  When the robot cleaner 1 travels inside the cleaning area, the protruding auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is retracted and stored. Since there is no corner where the main brush 32 does not reach in the inner portion of the cleaning area, the cleaning can be sufficiently performed only by using the main brush unit 30 without using the auxiliary cleaning unit 100. If the robot cleaner 1 comes into contact with an obstacle on the inner side of the cleaning area, the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 may protrude to clean the corner with the obstacle.

  In addition, the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 can be rotated in a state where the auxiliary cleaning unit 100 is housed, and in this case, when an area where the main brush unit 30 does not reach while the robot cleaner 1 is traveling is generated, the area moves to the area. Can be cleaned.

  However, the travel route or travel pattern of FIGS. 8A and 8B is only an example, and the auxiliary cleaning unit 100 is projected in the wall-following travel pattern regardless of the overall travel route or travel pattern of the robot cleaner 1. Also, an embodiment in which the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is accommodated during other traveling such as a zigzag method and a random method is possible.

  Referring to FIG. 9, the point where the wall is in contact with the wall is a place where it is difficult to clean with the main brush 32 alone due to the structure of the robot cleaner 1, and dust is often accumulated.

  For this reason, when the robot cleaner 1 is traveling in a wall following manner and is positioned at a point where the wall is in contact with the wall in the cleaning area, the rotational speed of the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is increased within a predetermined time. Can perform more efficient cleaning. For reference, if the auxiliary cleaning unit 100 is implemented by a combination of the embodiments of FIGS. 4 and 6, efficient cleaning can be performed by increasing the cleaning speed of the auxiliary cleaning tool 110. Here, the cleaning speed may be a speed that takes into account the repeated speed of protrusion and storage of the extension arm 107, or a speed that takes into account both the rotational speed of the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 and the repeated speed of protrusion and storage of the extension arm 107. Good.

  For this purpose, the sensing unit 60 transmits the obstacle detection result to the control unit 200, and the cleaning control unit 210 analyzes the detection result, and the obstacle is positioned in front of the robot cleaner 1 that is traveling in the wall-following manner. If so, a control signal for increasing the rotation speed of the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is transmitted to the auxiliary cleaning unit 100.

  When a sensor capable of recognizing only an obstacle adjacent to the robot cleaner 1 is used as the sensing unit 60, the rotational speed of the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 may be increased based only on a sensing result that an obstacle exists. However, when a sensor capable of recognizing an obstacle at a long distance is used, a sufficiently short distance that can be considered that the robot cleaner 1 is located at a point where the wall contacts the wall is set in advance as a reference value, and the sensing unit 60 It is also possible to increase the rotation speed of the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 when the distance between the obstacle and the robot cleaner 1 based on the detection result is equal to or less than the reference value.

  In the embodiment of FIG. 8A, the auxiliary cleaning tools on both sides of the robot cleaner 1 are protruded. However, as shown in FIG. 10, only the auxiliary cleaning tool on the wall surface is protruded, and the remaining auxiliary cleaning tools are protruded. It does not have to be.

  In the above-described embodiment, the travel of the robot cleaner 1 may be based on a preset route map or feature map, and it is determined whether there is an obstacle without using the map, and the vehicle travels in a straight or straight direction. May be determined at random.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment in the case of traveling based on a route map or a feature map will be specifically described.

  FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a specific control configuration of the travel control unit 220 in the robot cleaner 1 according to an embodiment.

  As described above with reference to FIG. 7, the robot cleaner 1 according to one embodiment includes a sensing unit 60 that senses the surrounding environment of the robot cleaner 1, an input unit 70 that receives a command from a user, and the robot cleaner 1. A control unit 200 for controlling the cleaning operation and traveling, a main brush unit 30, an auxiliary cleaning unit 100, and a traveling unit 40 are provided.

  The sensing unit 60 may include an obstacle sensing unit 61 such as an ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor, or a proximity sensor that senses an obstacle, and a peripheral image suitable for extracting feature points for generating a route map. It can further have a vision sensor 62 for photographing. The peripheral video can include a ceiling, a wall surface, and a floor, and a ceiling with little possibility of image change is most suitable as the peripheral video. Hereinafter, an example in which the ceiling is used as the peripheral video will be described.

  The vision sensor 62 may be a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), or other image acquisition means. The vision sensor 62 may include an ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter) that converts an analog signal of the acquired video into a digital signal.

  The sensing unit 60 may further include a position recognition unit 63 such as an encoder, a gyro sensor, and an acceleration sensor that can recognize the current position of the robot cleaner 1.

  The encoder is connected to the drive wheels 41 and 42 to sense the rotation speed. When the rotational speed sensed by the encoder is integrated, the position (or distance moved) and direction angle of the robot cleaner 1 can be known. The gyro sensor can measure the direction angle of the robot cleaner 1 using rotational inertia. The acceleration sensor can measure the position of the robot cleaner 1 by double integration of the motion acceleration of the robot cleaner 1.

  The traveling control unit 220 extracts a plurality of feature points from the ceiling image acquired by the vision sensor 62 and generates a feature map, and a route map generation unit 222 that generates a route map of the robot cleaner 1. And a storage unit 223 for storing the generated map.

  The feature map generation unit 221 generates a feature map by extracting a plurality of feature points from the ceiling video acquired by the vision sensor 62. The feature map is made up of feature points that are constantly measured in the surrounding environment. A feature point refers to a point at which a feature specific to a specific position appears.

  Referring to FIG. 12, the ceiling image 280 may include a detailed image such as a chandelier 281, a fluorescent lamp 282, a corner portion 283, etc. that can be distinguished from other positions. After displaying the feature points on these detailed images, if the same feature point as the displayed feature point is found from the image taken while the robot cleaner 1 is moving, the pose (position and direction angle) of the robot cleaner 1 is found. Can be grasped.

  FIG. 13 is a cross section showing an example of a feature map actually created. The feature map 300 includes various types of feature points, and geographically adjacent feature points are connected to each other. If a combination of predefined feature points is found from the image 350 taken by the robot cleaner 1, the position and direction angle of the robot cleaner 1 can be grasped. On the other hand, SIFT (Scale Invariant Feature Transform), descriptor (Descriptor), and Harris corner detection (Harris Corner Detector) are known as algorithms for extracting the feature points described above. Needless to say, in order to create a feature map, other SLAM methods such as radio frequency identification (RFID) and range finder using structured light can be used in addition to video shooting. Here, SLAM is an algorithm that simultaneously recognizes the position of the robot cleaner 1 and generates a map.

  The feature map generation unit 221 completes the feature map by associating the feature points obtained from the ceiling video with the positions measured by the position recognition unit 63. After the feature map is completed, the position and direction angle of the robot cleaner 1 can be easily grasped by comparing the feature point obtained from the captured image with the feature map.

  The storage unit 223 stores the map generated by the feature map generation unit 221. The storage unit 223 may be a non-volatile memory element such as ROM, RAM, PROM, EPROM, or flash memory, a volatile memory element such as RAM, a storage medium such as a hard disk or an optical disk, or any known medium in the art. Other forms are possible.

  The route map generation unit 222 generates a cleaning route map of the robot cleaner 1. Referring to FIG. 14, the route map generation unit 222 can store position data regarding the outermost part in the cleaning area by moving the robot cleaner 1 along the wall, and generate a cleaning route map. Specifically, the route map generation unit 222 stores the initial position “P0”, stores data regarding the outer positions P1 to P4 whose movement direction changes while moving along the wall, and sets P0 to P4 as the outermost cleaning route. Can be set. The route map generator 222 divides the cleaning block based on the initial position P0 and the outer positions P1 to P4, and can generate the cleaning route so that the cleaning block can be run and cleaned in a specific pattern. Here, the specific pattern means a predetermined pattern such as a zigzag traveling path, a wall surface following path, or a spiral traveling path, and a cleaning path may be set by combining a plurality of specific patterns. Is possible.

  At this time, the operation of the auxiliary cleaning unit 100 of the robot cleaner 1 can be set in association with the cleaning route set by the route map generator 222. Referring to FIG. 8, when the cleaning route generated by the route map generator is the cleaning route shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 protrudes for the outermost portion of the cleaning region, It can be set in advance so that the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is accommodated for traveling inside the cleaning area.

  Therefore, the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 protrudes or is stored according to the travel route of the robot cleaner 1 regardless of the detection result of the obstacle detection unit 61.

  In addition, the robot cleaner 1 according to an embodiment can lower the traveling speed when traveling on the outermost side of the cleaning region as compared with traveling on the inner side of the cleaning region. This is also possible in cases other than the travel by the map, and in the travel by the map, as described above, it can be set together with the travel route. For example, for the outermost portion traveling in the wall-following cleaning area, the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 protrudes and at the same time, the traveling speed of the robot cleaner 1 decreases or is set to be equal to or lower than a preset reference value. can do. In this way, it takes a long time for the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 to stay at the place where the wall and the floor are in contact with each other, and the corner can be cleaned cleanly.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an operation when the robot cleaner 1 according to an embodiment passes through a dusty excessive area during traveling.

  The sensing unit 60 of the robot cleaner 1 according to an embodiment may further include a dust sensing unit that senses the amount of dust. The dust sensing unit is mounted on the dust inlet 33 in such a manner that a light emitting unit that emits light and a light receiving unit that receives emitted light are opposed to each other, and the amount of dust received by the light receiving unit depends on the amount of dust. Therefore, the amount of dust can be grasped by analyzing the output signal of the dust sensing unit.

  As shown in FIG. 15, when the robot cleaner 1 passes through the dust-excess area during traveling, the protrusion / storage operation of the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is repeated at a constant cycle. Specifically, the detection result of the dust detection unit is transmitted to the control unit 200, and when the detection result is analyzed by the cleaning control unit 210, the amount of dust is determined to be greater than or equal to a preset reference value. Control is performed so that the protrusion / storage operation of the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is repeated at a constant cycle. The preset reference value is set in advance by the user or designer, and can be the amount of dust that cannot be cleaned cleanly in the normal cleaning mode based on experiments or statistics.

The user or the designer can also set a fixed period in which the protrusion / storage operation of the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is repeated.
As in this embodiment, when the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 repeats the protruding / storing operation in the excessive dust area, the user can be notified of the excessive dust area, and at the same time, the dust can be efficiently swept up and dispersed. .

  Hereinafter, operation | movement of the robot cleaner 1 which concerns on one Example is demonstrated.

  When cleaning with the robot cleaner 1, the user may wish to carefully clean the corners such as the part where the wall or obstacle touches the floor, and clean the entire cleaning area in a short time. You may want to.

  In addition, when there are many obstacles or walls in the cleaning area, the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 can be quickly passed while stored rather than the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 protruding and cleaning the corner every time it comes into contact with them. May be efficient.

  Therefore, the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment may divide the cleaning mode into the first cleaning mode and the second cleaning mode and perform cleaning in different cleaning modes according to the user's command or the environment of the cleaning area. it can.

  16 is a plan view of the operation of the robot cleaner 1 that performs the cleaning operation in the first cleaning mode, and FIG. 17 is a plan view of the operation of the robot cleaner 1 that performs the cleaning operation in the second cleaning mode. .

  Referring to FIG. 16, when the cleaning mode is set to the first cleaning mode and the basic traveling pattern of the robot cleaner 1 is set to the zigzag method, the auxiliary cleaning tool is used until the robot cleaner 1 contacts the obstacle. It travels in the state which accommodated 110, and if the obstacle is contacted, the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 will protrude and the corner part which an obstacle and a floor contact will be cleaned. At this time, the traveling control unit 220 may decrease the traveling speed of the robot cleaner 1 and perform cleaning more carefully. When the obstacle is passed, the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is stored again, and when the traveling speed of the robot cleaner 1 is decreased, the traveling speed is increased.

  Referring to FIG. 17, when the cleaning mode is set to the second cleaning mode and the basic traveling pattern of the robot cleaner 1 is set to the zigzag method, the auxiliary cleaning tool is used until the robot cleaner 1 contacts the obstacle. The vehicle travels with the 110 protruding, and when it comes into contact with an obstacle, the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is accommodated and passes through the obstacle quickly without cleaning the corner. When the obstacle is passed, the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is projected again.

  When the robot cleaner 1 travels based on the route map, cleaning can be performed perfectly by setting the width of the travel route in consideration of the size of the main body of the cleaner. Referring to FIG. 16 and FIG. 17 together, when cleaning is performed in the first cleaning mode, the cleaning possible area in the state in which the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is housed is considered, so that the width of the travel route is set to be narrow. When cleaning is performed in the second cleaning mode, since the cleanable area with the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 protruding is considered, the width of the travel route is set wide.

  Therefore, even when cleaning the same area, the vehicle travels along 9 lines in the first cleaning mode, travels along 8 lines in the second cleaning mode, and thus more quickly in the second cleaning mode. Cleaning can be completed. In the second cleaning mode, the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is projected in a region free of obstacles, so that a region free of obstacles can be cleaned more cleanly.

  On the other hand, in the first cleaning mode, the corner of the obstacle can be cleaned. Therefore, the user can perform the desired cleaning by selecting the first cleaning mode or the second cleaning mode via the input unit 70 according to preference.

  It is also possible to set the robot cleaner 1 to the autonomous cleaning mode. While the robot cleaner 1 performs a test run in the cleaning area in order to shoot the surrounding image, the sensing unit 60 detects an obstacle present in the cleaning area, and the cleaning control unit 210 counts the number of obstacles. If the number is greater than or equal to a preset reference value, the second cleaning mode can be set, and if the number is less than the preset reference value, the first cleaning mode can be set.

  The preset reference value can be set by the designer in consideration of the efficiency of cleaning based on experiments or statistics, and can be set or changed by the user.

  In the embodiment of FIGS. 16 and 17, the robot cleaner 1 travels in the zigzag pattern over the entire cleaning area, but is not limited to the zigzag pattern, and any travel pattern is applicable. This embodiment can also be applied to the case where the vehicle travels inside the cleaning region in the embodiment of FIGS. 8A and 8B.

  Further, like the embodiment of FIGS. 8A and 8B, the embodiment of FIGS. 16 and 17 can also be applied when the travel route is determined by a map or not.

  16 and 17, the robot cleaner 1 performs cleaning in the first cleaning mode and the second cleaning mode. However, the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is not protruded when the robot cleaner 1 is cleaned. Cleaning in the cleaning mode is also possible.

  Similarly, the third cleaning mode may be selected by the user via the input unit 70, or the sensing unit 60 senses an obstacle existing in the cleaning area in advance, and the control unit 200 determines the number of obstacles. The third cleaning mode may be set when the calculated number of obstacles is equal to or less than a preset reference value. The latter focuses on the fact that there are not many obstacles in the cleaning area and that the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 can be sufficiently cleaned without protruding. As another case, the third cleaning mode can be set when the calculated number of obstacles is equal to or greater than a preset reference value. This is based on the point that if there are too many obstacles in the cleaning area, the operation of projecting and accommodating the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is repeated too frequently, leading to a reduction in cleaning speed and waste of power. is there. The embodiment of FIGS. 16 and 17 can include the above two cases.

  In addition, the embodiment of the present invention may include all of the first cleaning mode, the second cleaning mode, and the third cleaning mode, or may include only a part thereof.

  In the embodiment of FIGS. 16 and 17, as in the embodiment of FIGS. 8A and 8B, it is possible to apply the repetition of the protruding and storing operations of the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 in the dusty excessive region.

  18A and 18B are plan views of the operation when the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of FIGS. 16 and 17 passes through the dusty excessive region, as viewed from above.

  Referring to FIGS. 18A and 18B, when cleaning is performed in the first cleaning mode or in the second cleaning mode, the robot cleaner 1 travels in the dust excessive region if there is a dust excessive region on the travel route. In the meantime, by repeating the protrusion and storage of the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 at a constant cycle, it is possible to efficiently sweep and disperse excessive dust and to inform the user of the excessive dust area. As described above, when the amount of dust detected by the dust detection unit is equal to or greater than a preset reference value, the cleaning control unit 210 can control to repeatedly project and store the auxiliary cleaning tool 110. it can.

  Hereinafter, the control method of the robot cleaner 1 according to one embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing a control method of the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of FIGS. 8A and 8B.

  Referring to FIG. 19, first, it is determined whether or not a cleaning start command is input (410). If a cleaning start command is input (“Yes” in 410), the traveling pattern of the robot cleaner 1 is determined. (420). “Running in a wall-following system” means traveling along the outermost part of the cleaning area.

  If the result of the determination in 420 is that the robot cleaner 1 is traveling in the wall following mode (“Yes” in 430), the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is projected outside the main body of the robot cleaner 1 (440). Thereby, the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 reaches the corner where the wall surface and the floor are in contact with each other, and the cleaning can be performed carefully.

  At this time, all of the auxiliary cleaning tools 110 existing on both sides of the robot cleaner 1 can be protruded, or only the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 on the wall surface side can be protruded.

  In addition, when the robot cleaner 1 is traveling by the wall surface following method, the traveling speed can be controlled to be relatively low. Here, “relative” means a speed that is lower than the speed set as the basic travel speed of the robot cleaner 1 or the travel speed when traveling in another travel pattern. Decreasing the speed increases the time during which the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 stays in the corners, allowing more careful cleaning.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the wall surface tracking method has ended (“Yes” in 450). If the result of the determination is that the wall surface tracking method has not been completed, the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is kept in a protruding state. On the other hand, when it is finished, the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is stored (460).

  In the above embodiment, the traveling pattern of the robot cleaner 1 may include a zigzag method, a random method, etc. in addition to the wall surface following method, and the traveling of the robot cleaner 1 may use a route map. The route map may not be used.

  FIG. 20 is a flowchart illustrating a control method when the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of FIGS. 8A and 8B faces the wall while traveling in the wall surface following manner.

  The process from the step (510) for determining whether or not a cleaning start command is input to the step (540) for causing the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 to protrude is the same as that in FIG.

  If it is detected that a wall surface is present in front of the robot cleaner 1 while traveling in the wall surface following mode (“Yes” in 550), the rotational speed of the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is increased (560). Thereby, the corner | angular part which a wall surface contact | connects can be cleaned rapidly.

  Thereafter, when the wall surface following method is finished ("Yes" in 570), the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is stored (580).

  FIG. 21 is a flowchart illustrating a control method when the robot cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of FIGS. 8A and 8B passes through a dusty excessive region.

  Dust existing on the travel route of the robot cleaner 1 is detected (610). This is applicable to any travel route or cleaning mode of the robot cleaner 1. Dust detection is performed by a dust detection unit provided at the dust inlet 33.

  It is determined whether the detected amount of dust is equal to or greater than a preset reference value (620). The amount of dust can be determined by the amount of light received by the light receiving unit of the dust sensing unit, and the preset reference value can be set by a designer or user based on experiments or statistics.

  As a result of the determination, if the amount of detected dust is equal to or greater than a preset reference value (“Yes” in 620), it is determined that the region is excessively dusty (630), and the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is protruded and stored. It repeats with a fixed period (640). Thus, dust can be effectively swept up, dispersed, wiped, and the user can be notified that the area is dusty.

  FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing a control method of the robot cleaner according to the embodiment of FIGS. 16 and 17.

  In the control method of the robot cleaner according to this embodiment, the first cleaning mode or the second cleaning mode is set based on the user's command or the obstacle detection result. In FIG. 22, based on the user's command. The cleaning mode is assumed to be set.

  Referring to FIG. 22, first, it is determined whether or not a cleaning start command has been input (710). If a cleaning start command is input ("Yes" in 710), the user inputs the cleaning mode selection. (720).

  When the user selects the first cleaning mode ("Yes" in 730), the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is stored (740). Then, it is determined whether there is an obstacle around the robot cleaner 1 while traveling in a preset traveling pattern or a random method (750). Here, the obstacle may exist in front of the robot cleaner 1 or may exist in the side.

  If it is determined that there is an obstacle around the robot cleaner 1 ("Yes" in 750), the auxiliary cleaning unit is protruded (760). Thus, it is possible to carefully clean up to the corner where the obstacle and the floor contact.

  Thereafter, when the robot cleaner 1 passes the obstacle (“Yes” in 770), the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is stored again (780).

  If the cleaning end command has not been input (“No” in 790), it is determined again whether an obstacle has been detected (750), and the subsequent processes are repeated.

  On the other hand, when the user selects the second cleaning mode (“No” in 730), the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is protruded (840). The protruding auxiliary cleaning tool 110 cleans a wide portion of the cleaning area other than the corner portion.

  When it is determined that there is an obstacle around the robot cleaner 1 (“Yes” in 850), the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is stored again (860). Thereby, the whole cleaning area | region can be cleaned rapidly.

  If the obstacle is passed ("Yes" in 870), the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is re-projected (880). If the cleaning end command is not input (“No” in 890), it is determined again whether an obstacle is detected during traveling (840), and the subsequent operations are repeated.

  When the cleaning mode is set based on the obstacle detection result, the obstacle in the cleaning area is detected during the test run of the robot cleaner 1 for setting the map, and the number of obstacles is determined based on the detection result. Is calculated. If the calculated number of obstacles is greater than or equal to a preset reference value, the corner of the obstacle is not cleaned and the second cleaning mode is set in which the entire cleaning area is cleaned, as shown in FIG. The cleaning is controlled according to the second cleaning mode.

  If the calculated number of obstacles is less than a preset reference value, the first cleaning mode for cleaning the corners of the obstacle is set, and the cleaning is controlled according to the first cleaning mode as shown in FIG. To do.

  Further, as described in FIG. 21, the control of the robot cleaner in the excessive dust region can be applied to any travel route or cleaning mode, and therefore can be applied to the robot cleaner control method of the second embodiment. . Therefore, when the dust sensing unit senses dust on the travel route while traveling according to the first cleaning mode or the second cleaning mode, and the detected amount of dust is equal to or greater than a preset reference value, the auxiliary cleaning tool By repeating the protrusion and storage of 110 at a constant cycle, dust can be effectively removed and at the same time the user can be informed of the excessive dust area.

  In the above embodiment, the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is in the form of a brush, and the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 performs cleaning by sweeping and dispersing foreign matters such as dust. However, the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is a dust cloth. The cleaning can be performed by wiping foreign matter with a rag, and the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 can be in the form of a suction device, and cleaning can be performed by sucking in the foreign matter. The type and cleaning method of the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 are not particularly limited, and various embodiments are possible.

Reference Signs List 60 sensing unit 70 input unit 200 control unit 20 main brush unit 100 auxiliary cleaning unit 40 travel unit

Claims (12)

A robot cleaner that removes foreign matter from the floor while traveling on the floor,
An auxiliary cleaning unit mounted on the lower portion of the robot cleaner so as to protrude and be retractable;
An obstacle sensing unit for sensing an obstacle located in a cleaning area of the robot cleaner;
Control is performed so that the auxiliary cleaning unit protrudes while traveling along the outermost part of the cleaning area in a wall surface following manner, and when traveling along the outermost part of the cleaning area is completed, the inner part of the cleaning area A control unit for controlling the auxiliary cleaning unit to be housed while traveling,
Robot cleaner equipped with. The controller is
2. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein when the robot cleaner travels in a wall surface following manner, only the auxiliary cleaning unit on the wall surface side of the auxiliary cleaning unit is controlled to protrude. The controller is
The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein a traveling speed when the robot cleaner travels by a wall surface following method is controlled to be lower than a traveling speed when the robot cleaner travels inside the cleaning area. The obstacle sensing unit is
The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the robot cleaner senses an obstacle located in the cleaning area and includes at least one of an ultrasonic sensor, a proximity sensor, and an optical sensor.   The robot cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising a dust sensing unit configured to sense dust existing on a floor of the cleaning area and configured by an optical sensor. The controller is
2. The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein when the obstacle sensing unit senses a wall located in front of the robot cleaner while traveling by a wall surface tracking method, the robot cleaner increases the cleaning speed of the auxiliary cleaning unit. 3. The controller is
6. The robot cleaner according to claim 5, wherein when the amount of dust detected by the dust detection unit is equal to or greater than a preset reference value, the protrusion and storage of the auxiliary cleaning unit are repeated at regular intervals. A control method of a robot cleaner having an auxiliary cleaning unit mounted so as to be protruded and stowable,
When a cleaning start command is input, it is determined whether or not the robot cleaner travels in a wall following manner,
When the robot cleaner travels in a wall following manner, the auxiliary cleaning unit protrudes outside the robot cleaner,
Determine whether the robot cleaner has finished running the wall following method,
When the traveling of the wall surface following method is finished, storing the auxiliary cleaning unit;
A method for controlling a robot cleaner, comprising:   The control method of the robot cleaner according to claim 8, wherein, when the robot cleaner travels by a wall surface following method, only the auxiliary cleaning unit on the wall surface side of the auxiliary cleaning unit is protruded.   The control of the robot cleaner according to claim 8, wherein when the robot cleaner travels by a wall surface tracking method, a traveling speed of the robot cleaner is controlled to be lower than a traveling speed at the time of traveling other than the wall surface tracking method. Method. Sensing an obstacle present in front of the robot cleaner;
9. The method of controlling a robot cleaner according to claim 8, wherein when the robot cleaner senses that a wall surface is present in front of the robot according to the wall following method, the cleaning speed of the auxiliary cleaning unit is increased. Detects dust present in the travel path of the robot cleaner,
The control of the robot cleaner according to claim 8, further comprising repeating the protrusion and storage of the auxiliary cleaning unit at a predetermined period when the detected amount of dust is equal to or greater than a preset reference value. Method.

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