KR20150124011A - Distance sensor, robot cleaner and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A robot cleaner is disclosed. The robot cleaner includes a main body that forms an outer appearance, a light emitting portion that emits linear fluorescent light toward the running direction of the robot cleaner, a first region that includes emitted linear fluorescent light, and a first image corresponding to the photographed first region A second photographing unit for photographing a second area including the emitted linear fluorescent light and generating a second image corresponding to the photographed second area, and a second photographing unit for photographing at least the first and second images And a controller for calculating a distance to an obstacle located in at least one of the first and second areas using one of the first and second areas.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a distance sensor, a robot cleaner, and a control method therefor. [0002] DISTANCE SENSOR, ROBOT CLEANER AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF [0003]

The present invention relates to a distance sensor, a robot cleaner, and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a distance sensor, a robot cleaner, and a control method thereof capable of detecting an obstacle located in a cleaning area of a robot cleaner.

In general, robots have been developed for industrial use and have been part of factory automation. In recent years, medical robots, aerospace robots, and the like have been developed, and household robots that can be used in ordinary homes are being developed.

A typical example of a home robot is a robot cleaner, which is a type of household appliance that carries out cleaning by suctioning dust or foreign matter around the robot while traveling in a certain area by itself. Such a robot cleaner generally has a rechargeable battery and is provided with an obstacle detection sensor capable of avoiding an obstacle while driving so as to be able to run and clean by itself.

In other words, the robot cleaner senses an obstacle obstructing the cleaning such as goods and furniture in the cleaning area through the obstacle detecting sensor installed on the cleaner while traveling in the cleaning area, and when the obstacle is detected, Cleaning) of the cleaning area is avoided.

Such a conventional obstacle detection sensor detects presence or absence of an obstacle and distance by using an infrared intensity measurement method, a measurement method using a PSD (Position Sensing Device), a measurement method using an ultrasonic sensor, and the like. The infrared intensity measurement method is a method of estimating the distance by measuring the intensity of the infrared ray reflected from the infrared ray. However, since the distance measurement is possible, the measured distance is inaccurate because it is estimated through the reflection infrared ray intensity. In addition, the measurement method using PSD is a method using a PSD sensor for measuring the distance by the infrared triangulation method, but it is relatively expensive, and the price of the PSD sensor is expensive, and the minimum measurement distance is limited. The method using the ultrasonic sensor is a method of measuring the distance by returning the ultrasonic wave to the target and returning it to the target. However, it is difficult to measure near distance.

Therefore, the conventional robot cleaner has a problem that the obstacle located in the cleaning area can not be accurately detected.

The conventional robot cleaner measures only the obstacle distance in the unidirectional direction. In order to measure the obstacle distance in various directions, there is a problem in that a plurality of sensors are arranged or rotated sequentially by a motor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a robot cleaner which is provided with a light emitting portion for emitting linear fluorescent light and a plurality of photographing portions for photographing an area including the emitted linear fluorescent light, A distance sensor, a robot cleaner, and a control method of the distance sensor.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a robot cleaner including: a main body that forms an outer appearance of the robot cleaner; a light emitting unit that emits linear fluorescent light toward the traveling direction of the robot cleaner; Capturing a first region including the emitted linear fluorescent light and generating a first image corresponding to the photographed first region, photographing a second region including the emitted linear fluorescent light, A distance between an obstacle located in at least one of the first and second areas is calculated using at least one of a first photographing unit and a second photographing unit for generating a second image corresponding to the area and at least one of the first and second images And a control unit.

Each of the first and second photographing units may be installed at a position of the main body so that the first and second images generated according to the photographing do not overlap each other over a predetermined range.

The height of the first photographing unit may be higher than the height of the second photographing unit, and the height of the light emitting unit may be lower than the height of the second photographing unit.

The angle at which the first photographing unit is installed may be smaller than the angle at which the second photographing unit is installed, and the angle may be an angle formed by the horizontal line and the optical axis of each of the first and second photographing units.

The first photographing unit photographs a first area corresponding to a long distance on the basis of the robot cleaner, and the second photographing unit photographs a second area corresponding to a short distance on the basis of the robot cleaner.

The controller detects linear fluorescence included in at least one of the first and second images and calculates a distance between the detected first fluorescent light and the obstacle located in the area based on the position of the detected linear fluorescent light in the image .

The robot cleaner further includes a driving unit for supplying a driving force for running the robot cleaner, a traveling unit for traveling the robot cleaner according to the driving force, and a cleaning unit for cleaning the robot cleaner, The robot cleaner may control the driving unit and the cleaning unit to perform cleaning while traveling to the vicinity of the obstacle.

The controller may control the driving unit and the cleaning unit to perform the cleaning while the robot cleaner maintains the gap with the obstacle when the calculated distance reaches a predetermined distance.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a distance sensor comprising: a light emitting unit emitting a linear fluorescent light; a first region including the emitted linear fluorescent light; And a second image capturing unit capturing a second area including the emitted linear fluorescent light and generating a second image corresponding to the captured second area, Each of the first and second photographing units may be installed such that the first and second images generated according to the photographing do not overlap each other over a predetermined range.

The height of the first imaging unit may be higher than the height of the second imaging unit.

The height of the light emitting unit may be lower than the height of the second photographing unit.

The angle at which the first photographing unit is installed may be smaller than the angle at which the second photographing unit is installed, and the angle may be an angle formed by the horizontal line and the optical axis of each of the first and second photographing units.

The first photographing unit photographs a first area corresponding to a long distance on the basis of the distance sensor, and the second photographing unit photographs a second area corresponding to a short distance on the basis of the distance sensor.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a robot cleaner including first and second radiographing units, the method comprising: emitting linear fluorescence toward a traveling direction of the robot cleaner; 1 photographing section photographs a first area including the emitted linear fluorescent light and generates a first image corresponding to the photographed first area, the second photographing section photographs a second area including the emitted linear fluorescent light, And a second image corresponding to the photographed second area, and generating a second image corresponding to at least one of the first and second areas using at least one of the first and second images And calculating a distance to the obstacle.

Each of the first and second photographing units may be installed at a position of the robot cleaner main body so that the first and second images generated according to the photographing do not overlap each other over a predetermined range.

The calculating may further include detecting a linear fluorescent light included in at least one of the first and second images and calculating a distance from the obstacle located in the area based on the position of the detected linear fluorescent light in the image Can be calculated.

And controlling the robot cleaner to perform cleaning while traveling to the vicinity of the obstacle if the calculated distance is greater than a predetermined distance, and when the calculated distance reaches a preset distance, So as to perform the cleaning operation.

In addition, the predetermined distance may be an optimal distance for performing cleaning in a state in which the robot cleaner does not collide with the obstacle.

According to various embodiments of the present invention described above, the distance from the obstacle located in the cleaning area of the robot cleaner can be widened and accurately calculated. Accordingly, the robot cleaner can precisely avoid interference with the obstacle located in the cleaning area and perform cleaning.

In addition, according to various embodiments of the present invention described above, it is possible to accurately calculate the distance to an obstacle located near the robot cleaner in a wide direction. Accordingly, the robot cleaner can perform cleaning while traveling while maintaining an optimum gap with the obstacle.

In addition, according to the various embodiments of the present invention described above, it is possible to provide a distance sensor capable of measurement at a low second near distance.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a bottom view of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a front view showing a robot cleaner equipped with a distance sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a block diagram illustrating a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram specifically illustrating a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG.
6 is a diagram illustrating a linear light emission operation of a light emitting unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a cleaning process of the robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a view illustrating a light emitting unit and a photographing unit according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to a Z plane perpendicular to a horizontal line.
9 is a view illustrating an obstacle detection operation of the robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention, with reference to a Z plane perpendicular to a horizontal line.
10 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a flowchart specifically illustrating a control method of the robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The following merely illustrates the principles of the invention. Thus, those skilled in the art will be able to devise various apparatuses which, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the invention and are included in the concept and scope of the invention. Furthermore, all of the conditional terms and embodiments listed herein are, in principle, only intended for the purpose of enabling understanding of the concepts of the present invention, and are not to be construed as being limited to such specifically recited embodiments and conditions do.

It is also to be understood that the detailed description, as well as the principles, aspects and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific embodiments thereof, are intended to cover structural and functional equivalents thereof. It is also to be understood that such equivalents include all elements contemplated to perform the same function irrespective of the currently known equivalents as well as the equivalents to be developed in the future, i.e., the structure.

Thus, for example, it should be understood that the block diagrams herein represent conceptual views of exemplary circuits embodying the principles of the invention. Similarly, all flowcharts, state transition diagrams, pseudo code, and the like are representative of various processes that may be substantially represented on a computer-readable medium and executed by a computer or processor, whether or not the computer or processor is explicitly shown .

The functions of the various elements shown in the figures, including the functional blocks depicted in the processor or similar concept, may be provided by use of dedicated hardware as well as hardware capable of executing software in connection with appropriate software. When provided by a processor, the functions may be provided by a single dedicated processor, a single shared processor, or a plurality of individual processors, some of which may be shared.

Also, the explicit use of terms such as processor, control, or similar concepts should not be interpreted exclusively as hardware capable of running software, and may be used without limitation as a digital signal processor (DSP) (ROM), random access memory (RAM), and non-volatile memory. Other hardware may also be included.

In the claims hereof, the elements represented as means for performing the functions described in the detailed description include all types of software including, for example, a combination of circuit elements performing the function or firmware / microcode etc. , And is coupled with appropriate circuitry to execute the software to perform the function. It is to be understood that the invention defined by the appended claims is not to be construed as encompassing any means capable of providing such functionality, as the functions provided by the various listed means are combined and combined with the manner in which the claims require .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: There will be. In the following description, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the invention in unnecessary detail.

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

1 is a perspective view illustrating a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a bottom view of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a front view showing a robot cleaner equipped with a distance sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a block diagram specifically illustrating a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1 to 5, the robot cleaner 100 includes a body forming an outer appearance of the robot cleaner, an input / output unit 110, a driving unit 120, a cleaning unit 130, a traveling unit 140, a storage unit 150, A power supply unit 160, a distance sensor 170, and a control unit 180, all of which are shown in FIG.

The input / output unit 110 includes an input unit for receiving a user input for operating the robot cleaner and an output unit for outputting information related to the robot cleaner. The input / output unit 110 may be positioned above the robot cleaner main body.

Specifically, the input unit may receive various user inputs such as a user input for operating the robot cleaner power on / off, a user input for operating the cleaning mode of the robot cleaner, a user input for operating or stopping the robot cleaner, Here, the input unit may include a key pad dome switch, a touch pad (static / static), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

The output unit may output information related to the robot cleaner such as the battery state of the robot cleaner, the cleaning mode of the robot cleaner, etc., and the output unit may include an audio output unit for outputting data that can be perceptually recognized, And a display unit for outputting the data. Here, the audio output unit may be implemented as a speaker. The display unit may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a flexible display, , A field emission display (FED), a three-dimensional display (3D display), and a transparent display.

The driving unit 120 may drive the driving unit 140. Here, the driving unit 120 includes a wheel motor that rotates the main wheels of the traveling unit 140, and drives the robot cleaner by driving the wheel motor. The wheel motors are respectively connected to the main wheels so that the main wheels rotate, and the wheel motors operate independently of each other and can rotate in both directions.

The driving unit 140 drives the robot cleaner 100 according to driving of the driving unit 120. The traveling unit 140 includes main wheels 141 and 142 for allowing the robot cleaner 100 to perform forward, backward, and rotational movements in the process of cleaning the robot cleaner 100 according to the driving of the driving unit 120 . The main wheels 141 and 142 may be arranged symmetrically on the left and right edges of the central region of the lower portion of the main body.

In addition, the driving unit 140 may include the auxiliary wheels 143, 144, 145. Here, the auxiliary wheels 143, 144, and 145 support the main body of the robot cleaner 100, minimize friction with the bottom surface (cleaning surface), and facilitate the running of the robot cleaner 100. The auxiliary wheels 143, 144 and 145 may be located at the front and rear ends of the lower portion of the main body, for example.

Meanwhile, the auxiliary wheels 143, 144, and 145 may be implemented as a caster that rotates along the traveling direction of the robot cleaner 100 to maintain the body in a stable posture.

The cleaning unit 130 cleans the cleaning area. Here, the cleaning unit 130 includes a main brush 133 for sweeping free particles of dust or the like existing on a clean surface such as a floor surface to the suction port, and side brushes 131 and 132 for cleaning adjacent portions of the wall surface and corners do.

The main brush 133 may include a roller and a brush embedded on the outer surface of the roller. The roller serves to rotate the brush, and the brush can stir the dust accumulated on the floor surface as the roller rotates, so that the dust can be introduced into the suction port. Here, the roller may be formed of a rigid body, and the brush may be formed of various materials having elasticity. The main brush 133 may be positioned at a lower portion of the main body.

Although not shown in the drawing, the cleaning unit 130 may include a blowing device (not shown) for generating a suction force at the suction port, and a dust collecting device (not shown) for collecting dust introduced into the suction port by the blowing device.

In addition, the cleaning unit 130 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include a cleaner fixing unit 134 capable of fixing a cleaner for cleaning the mop. The cleaner fixing portion 134 may be located at a lower portion of the main body. Here, the cleaner may be embodied as a fibrous material such as a microfiber cloth, a rag, a nonwoven fabric, a brush, or the like, which is capable of wiping foreign substances adhering to the bottom surface.

In addition, the cleaning unit 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a water supply unit (not shown) for improving the cleaning ability of the cleaner.

The storage unit 150 stores various programs and data for the operation of the robot cleaner 100. Specifically, the storage unit 150 may receive and store the photographed image from the distance sensor 170. In addition, the storage unit 150 may store the distance between the robot cleaner 100 and the obstacle calculated using the photographed image. In addition, the storage unit 150 may store one or more pieces of information of the cleaning map and the cleaning area.

Herein, the storage unit 150 may be implemented by a storage unit such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a FLASH memory, a ROM (Read Only Memory), an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), an EEPROM (Electronically Erasable and Programmable ROM) A memory card, a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), and the like, as well as a detachable type storage device such as a USB memory.

The power supply unit 160 supplies power to the robot cleaner 100. Specifically, the power supply unit 160 supplies power to the respective functional units of the robot cleaner 100 to supply driving power and operating power for cleaning or cleaning the robot cleaner. If the remaining power is insufficient, It can be charged with an electric current. Here, the power supply unit 160 may be implemented as a rechargeable battery.

The distance sensor 170 may generate information necessary for calculating the distance between the robot cleaner 100 and the obstacle, and may transmit the generated information to the controller 180. The distance sensor 170 may include a first photographing unit 171, a second photographing unit 172, and a light emitting unit 173.

The light emitting portion 173 can diffuse the light emitted from the light source into linear fluorescent light and emit the light. The light emitting unit 173 may include a light source, a light source driving unit, a diffusion unit, and a slit.

Here, the light source serves to emit light, and may be, for example, a laser diode (LD), an LED, or the like. The light may include infrared light, visible light, and the like. Further, the light source can generate beam-shaped light traveling in one direction.

In addition, the light source driving unit may drive the light source under the control of the control unit 180. [ For example, the light source driving unit may drive the light source only in the power ON state of the robot cleaner 100 under the control of the controller 180.

Also, the diffusing portion can diffuse the light emitted from the light source into linear fluorescent light and emit it. Specifically, the diffusing portion can generate and emit linear fluorescence by reflecting the light emitted from the light source through a mirror or refracting through a lens. Here, the diffusing unit may be implemented using a mirror having a conical shape reflecting light or a wide-angle lens for refracting light so that the light emitted from the light source is widely diffused.

Further, the slit may have a narrow gap formed between the upper and lower sides to allow the linear fluorescent light to be emitted in a thin thickness.

On the other hand, the first and second photographing units 171 and 172 may include lens units 171-1 and 172-1, imaging devices 171-2 and 172-2, and analog signal processing units 171-3 and 172-3.

The lens units 171-1 and 172-1 can form an optical signal on the imaging region of the imaging elements 171-2 and 172-2. Here, the lens units 171-1 and 172-1 include a zoom lens for controlling the angle of view to be narrowed or widened according to the focal length, a focus lens for focusing the subject, and the zoom lens and the focus lens respectively It may be composed of one lens, but may also be composed of a plurality of lenses.

The image pickup devices 171-2 and 172-2 can convert an optical signal transmitted through the lens units 171-1 and 172-1 and image-formed in the image pickup area into an electric signal. Here, the image pickup devices 171-2 and 172-2 can use a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), a CIS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor Image Sensor) or a high speed image sensor for converting an optical signal into an electric signal.

The analog signal processing units 171-3 and 172-3 generate an image by performing noise reduction processing, gain adjustment, waveform shaping, and analog-to-digital conversion processing on the analog signals supplied from the image pickup elements 171-2 and 172-2. can do.

Meanwhile, the first and second photographing units 171 and 172 may include a diaphragm, a lens unit driving unit, a diaphragm driving unit, and a shutter according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, the diaphragm can adjust the amount of incident light by adjusting the degree of opening and closing thereof. In addition, the lens unit driving unit can adjust the focal length by adjusting the position of the lens, and perform the operations of auto focusing, zoom change, and focus change. Also, the diaphragm driving unit may adjust the opening / closing degree of the diaphragm and adjust the number or aperture value to perform operations such as autofocus, automatic exposure correction, focus change, depth of field adjustment, and the like. Further, the shutter can control the exposure time of the imaging elements 171-2 and 172-2, and includes a mechanical shutter for adjusting the incidence of light by moving the diaphragm, and an electric signal is supplied to the imaging elements 171-2 and 172-2 And an electronic shutter for controlling exposure.

The distance sensor 170 may be implemented as a module including all of the light emitting unit 173, the first photographing unit 171, and the second photographing unit 172. In this case, the height at which the first photographing unit 171 is installed in the distance sensor 170 is higher than the height at which the second photographing unit 172 is installed, and the height at which the light emitting unit 173 is installed is Lt; / RTI > The angle at which the first photographing unit 171 is installed may be smaller than the angle at which the second photographing unit 172 is installed and the angle may be an angle formed by the horizontal line and the optical axis of each of the first and second photographing units .

Accordingly, the first photographing unit 171 can photograph the first region including the linear fluorescent light emitted from the light emitting unit 173 to generate the first image. Here, the first area may be a region located at a distance from the distance sensor 170. The second photographing unit 172 can photograph a second region including the linear fluorescent light emitted from the light emitting unit 173 and generate a second image corresponding to the second region photographed. Here, the second area may be a region located near the distance sensor 170 as a reference.

The distance between the first photographing unit 171 and the second photographing unit 172 of the distance sensor 170 is different between the first photographing unit 171 and the second photographing unit 172, The first and second images generated in the respective first and second images may not overlap each other over a predetermined range. Such height difference and angle difference can be implemented to be adjustable.

The modularized distance sensor 170 may be installed outside or inside the robot cleaner 100 for calculating the distance to the obstacle located in the cleaning area during the cleaning operation of the robot cleaner 100. However, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto. The light emitting unit 173 is installed outside the body of the robot cleaner 100 and the first and second photographing units 171 and 172 are installed inside the body of the robot cleaner 100 .

Meanwhile, when the distance sensor 170 is installed in front of the main body of the robot cleaner 100, the light emitting portion 173 may emit linear fluorescent light toward the running direction of the robot cleaner. The first photographing unit 171 photographs a first region including the linear fluorescent light emitted toward the running direction of the robot cleaner 100, generates a first image corresponding to the photographed first region, To the control unit 180. The control unit 180 receives the first image and the second image. The second photographing unit 172 photographs a second region including the linear fluorescent light emitted toward the traveling direction of the robot cleaner 100, generates a second image corresponding to the photographed second region, And transmits the second image to the control unit 180. Here, the first region may be a region corresponding to a remote location on the basis of the robot cleaner 100, and the second region may be a region corresponding to a short distance based on the robot cleaner 100.

On the other hand, according to the above description, the case where there are two photographing units has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the photographing unit may be realized with three or more photographing units. In this case, each of the plurality of photographing units may be installed in front of the main body of the robot cleaner 100 so that the height of the photographing units sequentially increases with respect to the horizontal plane.

The controller 180 controls the overall operation of the robot cleaner 100. Specifically, the control unit 180 controls all or a part of the input / output unit 110, the driving unit 120, the cleaning unit 130, the driving unit 140, the storage unit 150, the power supply unit 160, Can be controlled.

Particularly, the control unit 180 may use at least one of the first image generated by the first image capturing unit 171 of the distance sensor 170 and the second image generated by the second image capturing unit 172, The distance from the obstacle located in at least one of the two areas can be calculated.

Specifically, the controller 180 may detect linear fluorescence included in at least one of the first and second images. For example, the controller 180 may detect the linear fluorescent light included in the image using the color information of the linear fluorescent light.

Then, the controller 180 can calculate the distance to the obstacle located in the area based on the position of the detected linear fluorescent light in the image.

In addition, the control unit 180 can control the operation of the robot cleaner 100 based on the calculated distance. The control unit 180 may control the driving unit 120 and the cleaning unit 130 to perform the cleaning while the robot cleaner 100 travels near the obstacle if the calculated distance is greater than the preset distance.

In addition, when the calculated distance reaches a predetermined distance, the controller 180 may control the driving unit and the cleaning unit to perform the cleaning while the robot cleaner 100 maintains the gap with the obstacle. Here, the preset distance may be an optimal distance for performing cleaning in a state in which the robot cleaner 100 does not collide with an obstacle.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, the distance from the obstacle located in the cleaning area of the robot cleaner can be accurately calculated. Accordingly, the robot cleaner can precisely avoid interference with obstacles located in the cleaning area, .

In addition, according to various embodiments of the present invention described above, the distance between the robot cleaner and an obstacle located near the robot cleaner can be accurately calculated. Accordingly, the robot cleaner travels while maintaining an optimum gap with the obstacle, Can be performed.

The control unit 180 compares the generated first and second images. If it is determined that the overlapping portion between the first and second images is equal to or larger than the predetermined range, the controller 180 controls the first and second shooting units 171, The height difference and the angle difference between the first and second lens groups 172 and 172 can be adjusted. The control unit 180 may control the height difference between the first and second photographing units 171 and 172 to be increased . Alternatively, if it is determined that the overlapping portion between the first and second images is greater than or equal to the predetermined range, the control unit 180 may control the angle difference between the first photographing unit 171 and the second photographing unit 172 to be increased .

6 is a diagram illustrating a linear light emission operation of a light emitting unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 6, the light emitting unit 173 of the robot cleaner 100 generates the fan-shaped linear fluorescent light 10 by reflecting the light emitted from the light source through a mirror or refracting through a lens, The fluorescent light 10 can be emitted toward the running direction.

However, the linear fluorescent light generating operation of the light emitting unit described above is only one example of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto. According to an embodiment, the light emitting unit may include a plurality of light sources densely arranged in front of the body of the robot cleaner 100. In this case, the light beams in the form of beams emitted from the plurality of light sources are superimposed on each other, .

7 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a cleaning process of the robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 7, the robot cleaner 100 can automatically clean the cleaning area by suctioning foreign matter such as dust from the floor while moving the area to be cleaned by itself without user's operation. During the cleaning process, the light emitting unit 173 of the robot cleaner 100 may emit the linear fluorescent light 10 toward the traveling direction of the robot cleaner. Accordingly, the obstacle located in the traveling direction of the robot cleaner can be irradiated with the linear fluorescent light 10.

The first and second photographing units 172 and 173 of the robot cleaner 100 photograph the first and second regions including the obstacles 20 existing at the positions irradiated with the emitted linear fluorescent light, It is possible to generate an image corresponding to the area. The controller 180 of the robot cleaner 100 can calculate the distance to the obstacle located in the area using the image.

Accordingly, the robot cleaner 100 can precisely avoid interference (collision, approach, contact) with the obstacle 20 that obstructs the cleaning, such as objects and furniture located in the cleaning area.

8 is a view illustrating a light emitting unit and a photographing unit according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to a Z plane perpendicular to a horizontal line. Referring to FIG. 8, the height of the light emitting portion 173 for emitting the linear fluorescent light may be lower than the height of the second photographing portion 172. The height at which the first photographing unit 171 is installed may be higher than the height at which the second photographing unit 172 is installed.

The angle at which the first photographing unit 171 is installed may be smaller than the angle at which the second photographing unit 172 is installed. Here, the angle may be an angle formed by the horizontal line parallel to the ground and the optical axis 50-1, 50-2 of each of the first and second photographing units, and may be an angle within a range of 90 degrees or less.

Accordingly, the first photographing unit 171 may include the linear fluorescent light emitted from the light emitting unit 173, and photograph the first area 40-2 located at a remote location based on the robot cleaner 100.

The second photographing unit 172 may include the linear fluorescent light emitted from the light emitting unit 173 and take a photograph of the second area 40-1 located near the robot cleaner 100 as a reference.

The first and second photographing units 171 and 172 are installed in the distance sensor 170 such that there is a difference in height and angle between the first and second photographing units 171 and 172, The first area 40-2 and the second area 40-1, which each photographs, may not overlap each other over a predetermined range.

9 is a view illustrating an obstacle detection operation of the robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention, with reference to a Z plane perpendicular to a horizontal line. 9, the light emitting unit 173 emits the linear fluorescent light 10 toward the traveling direction of the robot cleaner 100. Accordingly, the first and second obstacles 20 are irradiated with the linear fluorescent light 10 Can be investigated.

In this case, the first photographing unit 171 can photograph a region including a part of the second obstacle 20 located at a remote location with reference to the robot cleaner 100 irradiated with the linear fluorescent light. However, the first photographing unit 171 can not photograph the first obstacle 20 located near the robot cleaner 100.

On the other hand, the second photographing unit 172 can photograph a region including a part of the first obstacle 20 located near by the robot cleaner 100, irradiated with the linear fluorescent light. However, the second photographing unit 171 can not photograph the second obstacle 20 located at a remote location based on the robot cleaner 100.

The control unit 180 controls the first and second obstacles 20 to 20 by using the images of the regions photographed by the first photographing unit 171 and the regions photographed by the second photographing unit 172. [ Can be calculated.

Therefore, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the robot cleaner 100 can accurately calculate the distances to distant obstacles as well as distant obstacles. Accordingly, the robot cleaner 100 can precisely avoid interference with an obstacle located in the cleaning area and perform cleaning. Also, the robot cleaner 100 can perform cleaning while traveling while maintaining an optimum gap with the obstacle.

10 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 10, the robot cleaner 100 may emit linear fluorescent light toward the traveling direction (S1001).

The first region of the robot cleaner 100 including the emitted linear fluorescent light may be photographed, and a first image corresponding to the photographed first region may be generated (S1002).

The second region of the robot cleaner 100 including the emitted linear fluorescent light may be photographed, and a second image corresponding to the photographed second region may be generated (S1003).

The robot cleaner 100 may calculate the distance to the obstacle located in at least one of the first and second areas using at least one of the first and second images (S1004).

11 is a flowchart specifically illustrating a control method of the robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 11, the robot cleaner 100 may emit linear fluorescent light toward the traveling direction (S1101).

The first region of the robot cleaner 100 including the emitted linear fluorescent light is photographed, and a first image corresponding to the photographed first region is generated (S1102).

The second region of the robot cleaner 100 including the emitted linear fluorescent light may be photographed, and a second image corresponding to the photographed second region may be generated (S1103).

Then, the robot cleaner 100 can detect the linear fluorescent light included in at least one of the first and second images (S1104).

Then, the robot cleaner 100 can calculate the distance to the obstacle located in the area based on the position of the detected linear fluorescent light in the image (S1105).

Then, the robot cleaner 100 can determine whether the calculated distance is greater than a predetermined distance (S1106).

If the calculated distance is greater than the predetermined distance (S1106: Y), the robot cleaner 100 may control to perform cleaning while traveling near the obstacle (S1107).

If the calculated distance has reached the preset distance (S1106: N), the robot cleaner 100 may be controlled to travel in a state in which the distance from the obstacle is maintained and perform cleaning (S1108).

Meanwhile, the control method according to various embodiments of the present invention described above may be implemented in the form of program code and provided to each server or devices in a state stored in various non-transitory computer readable media.

A non-transitory readable medium is a medium that stores data for a short period of time, such as a register, cache, memory, etc., but semi-permanently stores data and is readable by the apparatus. In particular, the various applications or programs described above may be stored on non-volatile readable media such as CD, DVD, hard disk, Blu-ray disk, USB, memory card, ROM,

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but, on the contrary, It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

100: robot cleaner 110: input /
120: driving part 130:
140: running part 150: storing part
160: Power supply unit 170: Distance sensor
171: first photographing unit 172: second photographing unit
173: light emitting unit 180:

Claims (18)

In the robot cleaner,
A main body forming an outer appearance of the robot cleaner;
A light emitting unit that emits linear fluorescent light toward the traveling direction of the robot cleaner;
A first photographing unit photographing a first area including the emitted linear fluorescent light and generating a first image corresponding to the photographed first area;
A second photographing unit photographing a second region including the emitted linear fluorescent light and generating a second image corresponding to the photographed second region; And
And a controller for calculating a distance to an obstacle located in at least one of the first and second areas using at least one of the first and second images. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein each of the first and second photographing units comprises:
Wherein the robot cleaner is installed at a position of the main body so that the first and second images generated according to the photographing do not overlap each other over a predetermined range. 3. The method of claim 2,
The height of the first photographing unit
The second photographing unit is higher than the installed height,
The height of the light-
And the height of the second photographing unit is lower than the height of the second photographing unit. The method of claim 3,
The angle at which the first photographing unit is installed,
The second photographing unit is smaller than the installed angle,
Wherein the angle is an angle formed by a horizontal line and an optical axis of each of the first and second photographing units. 5. The method of claim 4,
The first photographing unit photographs a first region corresponding to a long distance on the basis of the robot cleaner,
Wherein the second photographing unit photographs a second area corresponding to a short distance based on the robot cleaner. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
Wherein the robot cleaner detects the linear fluorescent light contained in at least one of the first and second images and calculates the distance between the detected obstacle and the obstacle located in the area based on the position of the detected linear fluorescent light in the image. . The method according to claim 1,
A driving unit for supplying a driving force for driving the robot cleaner;
A traveling unit for traveling the robot cleaner according to the driving force;
And a cleaning unit for cleaning the robot cleaner,
Wherein,
Wherein the control unit controls the driving unit and the cleaning unit to perform cleaning while the robot cleaner travels near the obstacle if the calculated distance is greater than a predetermined distance. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein,
Wherein the control unit controls the driving unit and the cleaning unit to perform the cleaning while the robot cleaner maintains the gap with the obstacle when the calculated distance reaches a predetermined distance. In the distance sensor,
Emitting portion emitting a linear fluorescent light;
A first photographing unit photographing a first area including the emitted linear fluorescent light and generating a first image corresponding to the photographed first area; And
And a second photographing unit photographing a second area including the emitted linear fluorescent light and generating a second image corresponding to the photographed second area,
Wherein each of the first and second photographing units comprises:
And the first and second images generated according to the photographing are installed so as not to overlap each other over a predetermined range. 10. The method of claim 9,
The height of the first photographing unit
And the second photographing unit is higher than the installed height. 11. The method of claim 10,
The height of the light-
And the second photographing unit is lower than the installed height. 12. The method of claim 11,
The angle at which the first photographing unit is installed,
The second photographing unit is smaller than the installed angle,
Wherein the angle is an angle formed by a horizontal line and an optical axis of each of the first and second photographing units. 13. The method of claim 12,
The first photographing unit photographs a first area corresponding to a long distance on the basis of the distance sensor,
And the second photographing unit photographs a second area corresponding to a short distance based on the distance sensor. A control method for a robot cleaner including first and second photographing units,
Emitting a linear fluorescent light toward the running direction of the robot cleaner;
Capturing a first region including the emitted linear fluorescent light and generating a first image corresponding to the photographed first region;
Capturing a second region including the emitted linear fluorescent light and generating a second image corresponding to the captured second region; And
And calculating a distance between the obstacle and an obstacle located in at least one of the first and second areas using at least one of the first and second images. 15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein each of the first and second photographing units comprises:
Wherein the robot cleaner main body is installed at a position of the robot cleaner main body so that the first and second images generated according to the photographing do not overlap each other over a predetermined range. 15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein the calculating step comprises:
Wherein the control unit detects the linear fluorescent light included in at least one of the first and second images and calculates the distance between the detected first fluorescent light and the obstacle located in the area based on the position of the detected linear fluorescent light in the image . 15. The method of claim 14,
Controlling the robot cleaner to perform cleaning while traveling to the vicinity of the obstacle if the calculated distance is greater than a preset distance; And
And controlling the robot cleaner to perform cleaning while traveling in a state in which the interval between the robot cleaner and the obstacle is maintained when the calculated distance reaches a preset distance. 18. The method of claim 17,
Preferably,
Wherein the robot cleaner is an optimal distance for performing cleaning in a state in which the robot cleaner does not collide with the obstacle.

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