KR20080041891A - Remote control for cleaning a specific area, cleaning system using robot cleaner, coordinate setting and cleaning method for multiple areas - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a remote control for cleaning a specific area, a cleaning system using the robot cleaner, a coordinate setting and a cleaning method of a plurality of areas. The cleaning system of the present invention includes a remote control unit including a location calculator that calculates a current user's location and a controller that calculates coordinate values of the calculated current location when a user designates an area to be cleaned. Moving to a receiving unit for receiving a coordinate value, a mapping unit for mapping the coordinate value to a map using the received coordinate value, a driving unit for operating a predetermined driving source for movement and a coordinate position corresponding to the mapping unit. It includes a robot control unit for controlling the drive unit. According to the present invention, the user is satisfied with the use of the product as the desired areas are cleaned first.

Description

Remote Control for Cleaning a Specific Area, Robot Cleaner Cleaning System Using It, Coordinate Setting and Cleaning Method for Multiple Areas {Remote Control and Robot Cleaner for Cleaning Designation Area and Method of Coordinates Setting, Cleaning}

1 is a block diagram of a remote controller for designating a specific area for cleaning a specific area according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a block diagram of a robot cleaner for cleaning a specific area according to an embodiment of the present invention

3 is a block diagram of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 and 5 are flowcharts showing a coordinate setting method of a plurality of cleaning areas using a remote control according to an embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a cleaning method of a plurality of regions designated by a user according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a flowchart illustrating a cleaning area setting method of a plurality of areas designated by a user using a laser pointer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

{Description of Signs of Major Parts of Drawings}

100: input unit 101: optical transmitting and receiving unit

102: position calculation unit 103: control unit

104: coordinate value transmission unit 105: signal unit

201: Notification unit 202: Receiving unit

203: battery unit 204: driving unit

205: robot control unit 206: mapping unit

207: storage unit

The present invention relates to a remote control for cleaning a specific area, a cleaning system using the robot cleaner, a coordinate setting and a cleaning method of a plurality of areas.

Currently, the cleaning method applied to the robot cleaner performs cleaning by the robot operating arbitrarily according to the cleaning algorithm, or by cleaning the situation by grasping the situation internally through a map or by adjusting the rotation and straightness with the remote controller. There is a way.

However, if the robot cleans completely automatically, the user may feel frustrated because the user does not prefer the area to be cleaned first.

In this case, the robot can reach the desired cleaning area by designating the rotation and straight direction using the remote control. However, in this case, the user has to use the remote control every time there is an area to be cleaned. .

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning system to solve the frustration that the user feels by intensively cleaning the area that the user wants to clean first.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a user with a method for easily cleaning a plurality of areas desired robot cleaner.

In order to achieve the above object, a remote control for designating a specific area for cleaning a specific area of the present invention emits light to the designated location when the user designates a desired area for cleaning, and the emitted light is reflected. Calculate the coordinates of the area designated by the user by using the optical transmitter and receiver which receives the return signal, the position calculator which calculates the current position at which the light is emitted, and the time at which the calculated current position and the emitted light are returned. It includes a control unit.

Another remote control for designating a specific area for cleaning a specific area in the present invention is to calculate a position calculation unit for calculating the current user's position when the user designates the area to be cleaned and to calculate the coordinate value of the calculated current position It includes a control unit.

The robot cleaner for cleaning a specific region of the present invention receives a coordinate that receives a coordinate value of a specific region transmitted from the outside, a mapping unit that maps the coordinate value to a map using the received coordinate value, and predetermined for movement. And a robot controller for controlling the driver to move to a coordinate position corresponding to the mapping unit and a driver for operating a drive source of the controller.

In the method of setting the coordinates of a plurality of cleaning areas using the remote control of the present invention, a user inputs a signal for designating a corresponding cleaning area in order to perform priority cleaning for areas to be cleaned first, and the cleaning designated by the user. Calculating coordinates for the area.

The cleaning method of a plurality of areas designated by a user of the present invention includes receiving coordinate values of a cleaning area designated by a user, and determining the coordinate position and priority on a map stored therein by using the received coordinate values. And performing cleaning by moving to the corresponding coordinates according to the priority.

The method for setting a cleaning area of a plurality of areas designated by a user using the laser pointer of the present invention comprises the steps of: receiving a signal for designating a cleaning area desired by the user in order to perform the priority cleaning of areas desired to be cleaned first; Calculating coordinates for the cleaning area designated by the user; receiving coordinate values for the cleaning area designated by the user; and using the received coordinate values, the coordinate positions and priorities on a map stored therein. Determining and moving to the corresponding coordinates according to the priority order to perform cleaning.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In adding reference numerals to components of the following drawings, it is determined that the same components have the same reference numerals as much as possible even if displayed on different drawings, and it is determined that they may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention. Detailed descriptions of well-known functions and configurations will be omitted.

1 is a block diagram of a remote controller for designating a specific area for cleaning a specific area according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, the remote control for designating the specific area for cleaning the specific area is the input unit 100, the optical transmission and reception unit 101, the position calculation unit 102, the control unit 103, the coordinate value transmission unit 104 And a signal unit 105.

The embodiment schematically illustrates a remote controller for setting a specific area that a user wants to clean.

Referring to FIG. 1, the user presets a desired area for cleaning and then points the remote control to the corresponding area, and then presses a predetermined button provided in the input unit 100. The remote control is provided with various buttons. It is preferable to designate a specific button among the buttons and assign it to the 'cleaning area confirmation' button.

When the user presses the 'cleaning area confirmation' button, the light transmitting / receiving unit 101 emits a predetermined light. Various types of light may be used as the light, but in the present invention, it is preferable to use laser light having good equatorial straightness.

The laser light emitted from the light transmitting / receiving unit 101 is emitted to the cleaning area designated by the user, is reflected from the designated area, and is input back to the light transmitting / receiving unit 101.

The location calculation unit 102 calculates the coordinates of the current location of the remote control when the user presses the 'cleaning area confirmation' button. The coordinate calculation method may use various techniques known to those skilled in the art. Coordinates of the current location of the remote controller can be easily obtained by using the current location search method using GPS or by using an optical flow sensor (OFS) or a gyro sensor.

The control unit 103 calculates a time at which the laser beam is emitted from the light transmitting and receiving unit 101 and a time at which the emitted laser light is reflected and returned to calculate a distance where the user wants to clean and the distance where the current remote control is located. The coordinate value of the area desired to be cleaned by the user is calculated by using the coordinate value of the current remote controller calculated by the position calculator 102.

The coordinate value transmitter 104 transmits the coordinate values of the area calculated by the controller to the outside to be cleaned. In general, the coordinate value transmitter 104 transmits the coordinate value to the robot cleaner.

The signal unit 105 is a coordinate value transmitted from the coordinate value transmission unit 104 is transmitted to a predetermined external machine, in the embodiment of the present invention without a loss of data to the robot cleaner, the robot cleaner When the data is successfully stored and transmits a transmission confirmation signal, it receives the message and informs the user. Various methods of informing a user of a successful transmission can be implemented. In general, it is preferable to display to indicate the success or to generate a predetermined beep to recognize the user.

In addition to the above-described method, the remote control device shown in FIG. 1 may set an area that the user wants to clean. In the above, the user indicates an area to be cleaned using a laser pointer, but the user is directly positioned in a specific area to be cleaned and presses the 'cleaning area check' button, without emitting the laser light from the optical transmitter / receiver. It is also possible to calculate and transmit the coordinates where the remote control is located.

The number of times a user sets a specific area to be cleaned can be repeated several times. If a user mistakenly sets a specific area, the user can immediately delete it by pressing the 'clear cleaning area' button provided in the input unit 100. When the user designates a plurality of areas as the cleaning area, priority is given to the input order.

Hereinafter, a process of operating the robot cleaner which receives the coordinate values of a specific area by the remote controller will be described.

Figure 2 is a block diagram of a robot cleaner for cleaning a specific area according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, the robot cleaner includes a notification unit 201, a receiver 202, a battery unit 203, a driver 204, a robot controller 205, a mapping unit 206, and a storage unit 207. .

The above embodiment schematically shows the configuration of a robot cleaner which receives coordinate values of a specific area transmitted from the outside and cleans accordingly.

Referring to FIG. 2, the receiver 202 receives a coordinate value of a specific area to be cleaned transmitted from the remote controller. The received coordinate value is transmitted to the robot controller 205.

The robot controller 205 transmits the coordinate values of the received specific area to the mapping unit 206. The mapping unit 206 maps coordinate values of the specific area with the currently stored map. The map stored in the mapping unit 206 stores a map of the area where the robot cleaner is currently located, which is initially stored and used, or is generated by using the data for the area obtained by the robot cleaner being operated. Can be a map.

Coordinate values for the specific area transmitted to the robot controller 205 are stored in the storage unit 207. Priority is given and stored in the order of inputting the coordinate values, and when the cancel signal for the input coordinate value is transmitted from the remote controller, the stored coordinate values are deleted.

The robot controller 205 transmits a storage completion signal through the notification unit 201 when the transmitted coordinate value of the specific region is stored in the storage unit 207 without any problem.

The robot controller 205 controls the driving unit 204 based on the coordinate value and priority corresponding to the mapping unit 206 to allow the robot cleaner to move. In addition, it is also preferable to check the battery amount of the battery unit 203 in real time so that the robot cleaner moves to the charging device when the amount of the battery falls below a predetermined threshold value.

In addition, it is also preferable to store the area before setting the cleaning area in advance so as to be located in the previous area when the cleaning is finished.

The block diagram of FIG. 2 discloses only the configuration necessary in the present invention, but the overall block diagram of the robot cleaner and the role of each component are as follows.

3 is a block diagram of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, the robot cleaner 205, the sub-control unit 410, the notification unit 201, the storage unit 207, the left wheel driving unit 430, the left wheel driving motor 432, the first , Second rotation amount monitoring unit 440, 460, right wheel driving unit 450, right wheel driving motor 452, cleaning driving unit 470, dust collecting motor 472, brush driving unit 480, brush driving Motor 482, display unit 484, receiver 202, illuminance sensor 300, battery unit 203, distance sensor 320, auxiliary sensor 330, contactless touch sensor 340, floor It consists of a sensor 350 and a mapping unit 206. The sub-control unit 410 is connected to the notification unit 201, the receiver 202, the illuminance sensor 300, and the battery unit 203, respectively.

In the same figure, the robot controller 205 includes the sub-control unit 410, the storage unit 420, the left wheel driving unit 430, the first and second rotation amount monitoring units 440 and 460, and the right wheel driving unit 450. ), The cleaning driving unit 470, the brush driving unit 480, the display unit 484, the distance sensor 320, the auxiliary sensor 330, the contactless touch sensor 340, and the floor sensor 450, The progress of cleaning is controlled in accordance with a predetermined cleaning algorithm.

The sub-control unit 410 is connected to the remote control sensor, the illumination sensor 300, and the battery unit 203, respectively, to assist the control function of the robot control unit 205. For example, the sub-control unit 410 receives the remote control signal provided from the remote control sensor, the external brightness information provided from the illumination sensor 300, and the battery state information provided from the battery unit 203, respectively, and reports it to the robot control unit 205. do.

The storage unit 207 is controlled by the robot control unit 205 to store a memory map generated during the cleaning robot cleaning, the current position of the cleaning robot, the size of the discharge body, the position information of the corner, and the like.

The left wheel driving unit 430 controls the driving of the left wheel driving motor 432 under the control of the robot control unit 205, and drives the left wheel of the cleaning robot by driving the wheel installed on the front left side.

The first rotation amount monitoring unit 440 measures the moved distance of the left wheel according to the rotation amount of the left wheel and transmits it to the robot control unit 205.

The right wheel driving unit 450 controls the driving of the right wheel driving motor 452 under the control of the robot control unit 205 and drives the wheels installed on the front right side to manage the right movement of the cleaning robot.

The second rotation amount monitoring unit 460 measures the distance traveled by the right wheel according to the rotation amount of the right wheel and transmits it to the robot controller 205.

The cleaning driving unit 470 controls the driving of the dust collecting motor 472 under the control of the robot controller 205 to allow dirt or dust on the floor to enter the dust collecting chamber through a predetermined suction port or suction pipe.

The brush driver 480 controls the driving of the brush driving motor 482 under the control of the robot controller 205, and drives the brush installed on the floor of the cleaning robot to sweep dirt or dust on the floor or carpet. Turn your back.

The display unit 484 displays various states of the cleaning robot or information related to the cleaning time under the control of the robot controller 205.

The distance sensor 320 is composed of three sensors, respectively installed in front and left and right of the cleaning robot. Each sensor transmits a signal to the outside and receives the reflected signal to detect and report the distance of the wall or obstacle around the cleaning robot to the robot controller 205.

The auxiliary sensor 330 is composed of eight infrared sensors composed of an infrared light emitting element that emits infrared light and a light receiving element that receives the reflected light, three on the front left and right sides of the cleaning robot, the bottom left and right 1 of the cleaning robot. A total of eight will be installed. The auxiliary sensor 330 assists the distance sensor 320 to more smoothly drive the cleaning robot.

The contactless touch sensor 340 is a collision sensor and detects and reports an obstacle, a wall, a sudden collision, etc. which the distance sensor 320 and the auxiliary sensor 330 do not detect and reports to the robot controller 205.

The floor sensor 350 is installed on the left and right sides of the floor of the cleaning robot, respectively, so that the cleaning robot does not fall to the stairs or the pit of the floor.

Hereinafter, a method of operating a cleaning system composed of a remote controller and a robot cleaner including the above configuration will be described.

4 and 5 are flowcharts illustrating a method of setting coordinates of a plurality of cleaning areas using a remote controller according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 and 5, a method of setting coordinates of a plurality of cleaning areas using a remote controller will be described below.

Step 401 is a process of receiving information on the cleaning area. The user may want a plurality of areas where the robot cleaner prefers to be cleaned first. To prioritize cleaning of these areas, the user can specify the desired cleaning area using the laser pointer attached to the remote control and press the "cleaning area confirmation" button on the remote control.

Step 402 is a step of calculating the coordinates of the cleaning area. The remote control can know its current position by the indoor positioning equipment. In addition, it is a sensor that knows three-dimensional direction such as a gyro sensor installed in the remote control, and it can measure the angle of the remote control when the cleaning area confirmation button is pressed, and it takes the time required for the laser reflected back to the remote control from the designated cleaning position You can get it. Using this information, the distance from the current location to the point to be cleaned can be calculated through the Pythagorean theorem, and finally the point desired by the user can be calculated. The user may repeat this process to transmit a plurality of cleaning areas to the robot. The specified coordinates are sent to the robot.

As described above, the robot can be more accurately and easily informed of the designated position without using the laser beam. In other words, since it is easy to measure the position of the remote control by the indoor positioning device, the user grabs the remote control and advances to a desired position for cleaning, and then presses the "check cleaning area" button on the remote control. The user's current coordinates can then be easily calculated.

Step 403 is a process of transmitting a coordinate value to the cleaning robot, and transmits the calculated coordinate value or the coordinate value at which the current user is located to the robot cleaner.

Step 501 of FIG. 5 is the same process as step 401 of FIG. 4. However, step 401 of FIG. 4 is a step of viewing the remote controller, and step 501 of FIG. 5 is a step of viewing of the user.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a cleaning method of a plurality of regions designated by a user according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, a process of cleaning the designated area by the robot cleaner is as follows.

Step 601 is a process of receiving a coordinate value. After the coordinate values for the area desired to be cleaned by the remote controller are calculated, the robot cleaner receives the data values.

Step 602 is a process of determining and storing coordinate positions and priorities on a map. The cleaning robot has a map of the cleaning area in memory for cleaning. This map is drawn dynamically while moving around for cleaning, and is intended by the cleaning robot for precise cleaning. The robot receives the coordinates transmitted from the remote controller and stores them on the map with the coordinates and priority of the point where the button is pressed.

Steps 603 to 604 are processes for determining whether the data has been successfully stored. If the data is successfully stored, a signal is signaled to the user.

Step 605 is a process of cleaning after moving to the corresponding coordinate, and determines the coordinate value and priority stored in the map and cleans the corresponding area according to the priority.

Step 606 determines whether the robot cleaner has finished cleaning, and if so, determines whether the robot cleaner discharges the battery (S607). When the battery of the robot cleaner reaches a discharge state by checking the battery state of the robot cleaner, the robot cleaner moves to the charging device to charge the battery (S608).

Step 609 is a process of moving to the previous cleaning area, and after cleaning, if the other area has been cleaned, it returns to the location where the cleaning was previously performed and performs the existing cleaning.

7 is a flowchart illustrating a cleaning area setting method of a plurality of areas designated by a user using a laser pointer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, since steps 401 to 403 are the same as the process of FIG. 4, and steps 601 to 609 are the same as the process of FIG. 6, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, it has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, but those skilled in the art various modifications and changes of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention described in the claims below I can understand that you can.

As described above, according to the present invention, the user is satisfied with the use of the product as the desired areas are cleaned first.

Claims (35)

A light transmitting / receiving unit which emits light to the designated position when the user designates an area to be cleaned and receives the reflected light when it is reflected back; A position calculator for calculating a current position at which the light is emitted; And And a controller configured to calculate coordinates of an area designated by a user by using the calculated current position and the time for the emitted light to return. A location calculator configured to calculate a location of a current user when a user designates an area to be cleaned; And And a controller configured to calculate a calculated coordinate value of the current position. The method according to claim 1 or 2, And a input unit for executing the specific region designation command. The method according to claim 1 or 2, And a coordinate value transmission unit for transmitting the calculated value of the coordinates of the area designated by the user to the cleaning robot. The method according to claim 1 or 2, Remote control for designating a specific area for cleaning a specific area, characterized in that it further comprises a notification unit to notify the user by receiving it when the acknowledgment signal for the transmitted coordinate value is transmitted. A receiver which receives coordinate values of a specific region transmitted from the outside; A mapping unit for mapping the coordinate values to a map using the input coordinate values; A driving unit for operating a predetermined driving source for movement; And And a robot controller for controlling the driving unit to move to a coordinate position corresponding to the mapping unit. The method of claim 6, And a storage unit for storing the coordinate values of the specific area transmitted from the outside and the priority according to the receiving order. The method of claim 6, The robot cleaner for cleaning a specific area, characterized in that the storage unit further comprises a notification unit notifying the outside of the successful storage of data. When the user designates the area to be cleaned, the light is emitted to the designated position, and when the emitted light is reflected back, the light transmitting and receiving unit for receiving it, a position calculating unit for calculating the current position where the light is emitted, and A remote controller including a controller configured to calculate coordinates of an area designated by a user by using the calculated current position and the time when the emitted light is returned; And Receiving unit for receiving the coordinate value of the specific area transmitted from the outside, Mapping unit for mapping the coordinate value to the map using the received coordinate value, Drive unit for operating a predetermined drive source for movement and the mapping unit Cleaning system for cleaning a specific area consisting of a robot cleaner including a robot control unit for controlling the drive unit to move to a corresponding coordinate position. A remote controller including a position calculator which calculates a position of a current user and a controller which calculates coordinate values of the calculated current position when a user designates an area to be cleaned; And Receiving unit for receiving the coordinate value of the specific area transmitted from the outside, Mapping unit for mapping the coordinate value to the map using the received coordinate value, Drive unit for operating a predetermined drive source for movement and the mapping unit Cleaning system for cleaning a specific area consisting of a robot cleaner including a robot control unit for controlling the drive unit to move to a corresponding coordinate position. The method of claim 10, And the remote controller further comprises an input unit for executing a specific area designation command. The method of claim 10, The remote control further comprises a coordinate value transmitting unit for transmitting the calculated value of the coordinates of the area specified by the user to the cleaning robot, the cleaning system for cleaning a specific area. The method according to claim 10, The remote control may further include a notification unit for notifying the user by receiving an acknowledgment signal for the transmitted coordinate value, wherein the cleaning system for cleaning the specific area. The method of claim 10, The robot cleaner further comprises a storage unit for storing the coordinate values of the specific area transmitted from the outside and the priority according to the receiving order. The method of claim 10, The robot cleaner further comprises a notification unit notifying the outside of the successful storage of data in the storage unit. Receiving a signal for designating a corresponding cleaning area by a user in order to perform preferential cleaning for areas to be cleaned first; And The method of setting a coordinate of a plurality of cleaning area using a remote control comprising the step of calculating the coordinates for the cleaning area designated by the user. The method of claim 16, And a plurality of signals for designating the cleaning area are input to coordinates of the plurality of cleaning areas using the remote controller. The method of claim 16, wherein the coordinates of the cleaning area designated by the user are determined in consideration of the current position of the remote control, the angle of the remote control and the time when the light transmitted from the remote control is reflected. How to set the coordinates. The method of claim 16, And transmitting the calculated coordinates of the cleaning area designated by the user to the robot cleaner. Pressing a cleaning confirmation button after a user designates a cleaning area for performing cleaning by using a remote controller; And And calculating coordinates for the cleaning area designated by the user. The method of claim 20, And pressing the cleaning confirmation button by the user using the remote controller is performed at least once or more. The method of claim 20, And a method of designating a cleaning area for the user to perform cleaning in advance using a laser pointer output from the remote controller. The method of claim 20, And transmitting the calculated data about the cleaning area designated by the user to the robot cleaner, the coordinates of the plurality of cleaning areas designated by the user. Receiving coordinate values for the cleaning area designated by the user; Determining the coordinate position and priority on a map stored therein by using the received coordinate value; And And cleaning by moving to the coordinates according to the priority. The method of claim 24, And determining the coordinate position and priority in the map stored therein using the received coordinate values, and informing the user when the data about the coordinates is successfully stored. How to clean the area. The method of claim 24, And after the cleaning of the cleaning area desired by the user is ended, returning to an existing location before the user designates the cleaning area, and performing the existing cleaning. The method of claim 24, And after the cleaning of the cleaning area desired by the user is ended, checking the battery status and moving to the charging device. The method of claim 27, If the battery is not discharged, the method further comprises the step of performing the existing cleaning by returning to the existing location before the designation of the cleaning area. Receiving a signal specifying a cleaning area desired by the user in order to perform preferential cleaning for areas to be preferentially cleaned; Calculating coordinates for the cleaning area designated by the user; Receiving, by the robot, the coordinate values for the cleaning area designated by the user; Determining the coordinate position and priority on a map stored therein by using the received coordinate value; And And moving to a corresponding coordinate according to the priority to perform cleaning. The method of claim 29, And a plurality of signals for designating the cleaning area are input to the cleaning area setting method of the plurality of areas specified by the user. 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the method of calculating the coordinates of the cleaning area designated by the user is determined in consideration of the current position of the remote controller, the angle of the remote controller, and the time when the radio wave transmitted from the remote controller is reflected. How to set up cleaning area for multiple areas. The method of claim 29, And determining the coordinate position and priority in the map stored therein using the received coordinate values, and informing the user when the data about the coordinates is successfully stored. How to set the cleaning area for the zone. The method of claim 29, After the cleaning for the cleaning area desired by the user is finished, the cleaning area setting of the plurality of user-specified areas further comprising the step of performing the existing cleaning by returning to the existing location before the user specifies the cleaning area Way. The method of claim 29, And after the cleaning of the cleaning area desired by the user is finished, checking the battery status and moving to the charging device. The method of claim 29, If the battery is not discharged, the method further comprises the step of performing the existing cleaning by returning to the previous location before the designation of the cleaning area.

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