Robot cleaner using edge detection and method of controlling the same

Abstract

A robot cleaner and a method of controlling the same are disclosed. The robot cleaner cleans a given cleaning area simultaneously while moving in the cleaning area. The method includes detecting whether an obstacle exists in a traveling path of the robot cleaner, determining whether the detected obstacle is an edge when the obstacle is detected, cleaning a predetermined area centering around the edge when the detected obstacle is determined to be the edge, and determining whether the cleaning area is completely cleaned on the basis of information of the detected edge while cleaning the predetermined area.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2007-0014100, filed on Feb. 10, 2006 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND[0002]1. Field[0003]The present invention relates to a robot cleaner to move in a specific area to be cleaned by itself so that it cleans the specific area, and more particularly to a robot cleaner to determine whether a target area is completely cleaned using edge information of the target area, and a method for controlling the same.[0004]2. Description of the Related Art[0005]Generally, a robot cleaner moves in a target area to be cleaned by itself without receiving a user command, and sucks up dust or foreign material from the bottom of the target area, thereby cleaning the target area. The robot cleaner decides the distance to an obstacle (e.g., a furniture, office supplies, or a wall) contained in the target area usin...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]Therefore, it is an aspect of the embodiment to provide a robot cleaner determining whether a target area is completely cleaned using both a rotation angle of the robot cleaner at each edge of the target area and the number of edges, and effectively cleaning the target area, and a method of controlling the same.

[0022]where, nc is indicative of the number of edges, nm is indicative of the number of similar edges, Qjo is indicative of an interior angle of a polygon, and Δ is indicative of an error value capable of reducing an error rate when the cleaning-completion condition is determined to be satisfied.

Problems solved by technology

In this case, the number of executions prescribed by manufacturers of the robot cleaners has been generally less than the number of necessary executions appropriate for the room size, so that the room may be unsatisfactorily cleaned and an uncleaned area may occur.

Otherwise, if the number of executions prescribed by the manufacturers is excessively higher than the number of appropriate executions, an uncleaned area may not occur, but the number of repeatedly-cleaned areas increases, so that a battery lifetime of the robot cleaner may be unavoidably shortened.

Besides, if the cleaning area is complicated, an uncleaned area may also occur.

Specifically, if the robot cleaner rotates at an edge part adjacent to the wall, the conventional robot cleaner has difficulty in effectively cleaning the edge part.

Images