The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 and 35 U.S.C. 365 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2012-0011534, filed in Korea on Feb. 4, 2012, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
1. Field
A robot cleaner is disclosed herein.
2. Background
Robot cleaners are known. However, they suffer from various disadvantages.
Embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements, wherein:
Embodiments will be disclosed hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings. Where possible, like reference numerals have been used to indicate like elements, and repetitive disclosure has been omitted.
Robot cleaners are home appliances that perform a cleaning operation while automatically moving. Such a robot cleaner may include all sorts of sensors to avoid interference or contact with obstacles during movement. For example, such a robot cleaner may include an infrared sensor that senses obstacles at a front thereof and a cliff sensor that senses cliffs in a floor surface.
Recently, such a robot cleaner may include a camera that photographs images of obstacles. Thus, the robot cleaner may extract data from the images photographed by the camera to recognize the obstacles. More particularly, to extract 3-dimensional (3D) data with respect to the obstacles, a special camera that photographs 3D images, for example, a stereo vision camera or a time of flight (TOF) camera may be provided in the robot cleaner.
However, related art robot cleaners may have the following limitations. In related art robot cleaners, a specific camera having a relatively high price may be provided to photograph 3D images of obstacles. Thus, as the specific camera is used, products may increase in unit cost.
Also, in the case of a stereo vision camera, resolution may deteriorate in proportion to a distance between the camera and an obstacle. Also, in the case of a TOP camera, resolution itself may be lower than that of the stereo vision camera. Thus, it is impossible to acquire stable and accurate 3D data of obstacles.
Also, a sensor that senses obstacles at a front thereof and a sensor that senses cliffs on a floor surface may be separately provided. Thus, the product may be complicated in configuration.
Referring to
The robot cleaner 1 may further include a moving device 20 that moves the robot cleaner 1. The moving device 20 may include a drive motor (not shown) and a drive wheel(s) (not shown), for example.
The robot cleaner 1 may further include a suction device 30 that suctions foreign substances. For example, the suction device 30 may include a suction motor (not shown) to suction foreign substances and a suction fan (not shown) rotated by the suction motor. Thus, when the suction device 30 is operated, foreign substances may be suctioned into the casing 10 through the suction opening.
The robot cleaner 1 may further include an image input 40. The image input 40 may acquire 3D images of an obstacle. The image input 40 may include, for example, two light emitting parts 41 and 42 and one image sensor 43.
In more detail, the light emitting parts 41 and 42 may include first and second light emitting parts 41 and 42. A laser diode that emits a laser beam toward an obstacle may be used as each of the first and second light emitting parts 41 and 42. The image sensor 43 may acquire 3D images of the obstacle onto which the light is emitted by the first and second light emitting parts 41 and 42. A laser camera that photographs images of the obstacle onto which the light is emitted by the first and second light emitting parts 41 and 42 may be used as the image sensor 43, for example.
Although this embodiment includes a plurality of light emitting parts provided in the casing 10, embodiments are not so limited. For example, only one light emitting part may be provided in the casing 10. In this case, the light emitting part may be installed on a moving device to increase an irradiation region of the light emitting part and also may be movably disposed within the casing 10.
The image sensor 43 may be disposed on a side of the case 10, for example, at a front surface of the casing 10. As shown in
The robot cleaner 1 may further include an image controller 50 and a main controller 60. The image controller 50 may control an operation of the image input 40 to transmit the 3D image sensed by the image input 40, that is, by the image sensor 43, to the main controller 60. The main controller 60 may control operations of the moving device 20 and the suction device 30. The main controller 60 may extract 3D data with respect to the obstacle from the 3D image transmitted from the image controller 50. For example, the main controller 60 may include a structure light distance measurement device that analyzes a reflection pattern of light reflected by the obstacle from the 3D image received into the image sensor 43. The main controller 60 may control the operation of the moving device 20 so that the movement of the casing 10 does not interfere with the obstacle on the basis of the extracted 3D data with respect to the obstacle.
Hereinafter, an operation of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment will be described.
First, the moving device 20 and the suction device 30 may be operated to start movement of the casing 10 and suction of foreign substances. Thus, a cleaning operation to suction the foreign substances may be performed while the casing 10 is moved.
Then, the image input 40, that is, the first and second light emitting parts 41 and 42 and the image sensor 43, may be operated to acquire a 3D image(s) of an obstacle. That is, as shown in
Next, the main controller 60 may extract 3D data with respect to the obstacle from the 3D image(s) of the obstacle transmitted by the image controller 50. Also, the main controller 60 may control operations of the moving device 20 and the suction device 30 so that movement of the casing 10 does not interfere with the obstacle on the basis of the 3D data the obstacle. Thus, the cleaning operation may be performed without bumping into the obstacle while the casing 10 is moved.
With this embodiment, a relatively long focus distance may be secured using the light emitting parts 41 and 42 and the image sensor 43, which are relatively inexpensive, instead of a special camera to photograph a general 3D image. Also, when the light emitted by the first and second light emitting parts 41 and 42 is inclined downward, a 3D image with respect to a floor surface along which the casing 10 is moved may be photographed, and thus, 3D data of the floor surface may be acquired.
Referring to
With this embodiment, as only the infrared light of the light emitted by the first and second light emitting parts 41 and 42 is emitted toward the obstacle, the light emitted by the first and second light emitting parts 41 and 42 is not recognized by a user during the cleaning operation of the robot cleaner. Also, in case in which the image sensor is an infrared camera, image acquisition errors due to light having a visible-light wavelength, except the light emitted by the first and second light emitting parts, may be reduced.
Embodiments disclosed herein provide a robot cleaner that may include a casing including a moving unit or device; an image input unit or image input disposed in the casing, the image input unit including a plurality of light emitting parts that emits light toward an obstacle and an image sensor that acquires a 3D image(s) of the obstacle onto which light is emitted from or by the plurality of light emitting parts; and a main control unit or controller that extracts 3D data with respect to the obstacle from the 3D image(s) of the obstacle acquired by the image input unit to control the moving unit.
Embodiments disclosed herein provide a robot cleaner that may include a casing that defines an outer appearance thereof; a (first) moving unit or device that moves the casing; a main control unit or controller that controls the moving unit; a laser diode disposed in the casing to emit laser light onto an obstacle; and a camera disposed in the casing to photograph a 3D image(s) of the obstacle. The main control unit may extract 3D data with respect to the obstacle from the 3D image(s) of the obstacle photographed by the camera to control an operation of the moving unit on the basis of the 3D data.
Embodiments disclosed herein provide a robot cleaner that performs a cleaning operation of suctioning foreign substances while being moved that may include an image input unit or image input including first and second light emitting parts that emit light having a preset pattern onto an obstacle disposed at a front side in a moving direction of the robot cleaner and an image sensor that photographs a 3D image(s) of the obstacle using the light emitted from or by the first and second light emitting parts; an image control part or controller that controls an operation of the image input unit; and a main control unit or controller that extracts 3D data with respect to the obstacle from the 3D image(s) of the obstacle acquired by the image input unit.
The first and second light emitting parts may be symmetrical with respect to each other with respect to a center of the image sensor. The image input unit may further include a band pass filter that transmits light having a specific wavelength of the light emitted from or by the plurality of light emitting parts, and the image sensor may receive the light having the specific wavelength passing through the band pass filter.
Embodiments disclosed herein provide a robot cleaner that may include a casing that defines an outer appearance thereof; a moving unit or device that provides a driving force to move the casing; a suction unit or device that provides a driving force to suction foreign substances into the casing; a main control unit or controller that controls operations of the moving unit and the suction unit; a laser diode disposed in the casing to emit laser light having a preset pattern onto the obstacle; a camera disposed in the casing to photograph a 3D image(s) of the obstacle; and an image control unit or controller that controls operations of the laser diode and the camera. The image control unit may transmit the 3D image(s) photographed by the camera to the main control unit. The main control unit may extract 3D data with respect to the obstacle from the 3D image(s) of the obstacle photographed by the camera to control the operation of the moving unit on the basis of the extracted 3D data.
Two laser diodes may be provided, such that the two laser diodes are symmetrical to each other with respect to the camera. The robot cleaner may further include a band pass filter that transmits light having a specific wavelength of the light emitted from or by the laser diode. The band pass filter may transmit light having an infrared wavelength, and the camera may receive infrared light.
Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.
Any reference in this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,” etc., means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of such phrases in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with any embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the purview of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other ones of the embodiments.
Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2012-0011534 | Feb 2012 | KR | national |