Method and system for controlling a robotic cleaner

Abstract

A method and system for controlling a robot cleaner are provided. The method includes: obtaining map information of a cleaning area; dividing the cleaning area into a plurality of zones based on the obtained map information; providing a user interface configured to receive a cleaning order, cleaning time, and cleaning cycle of a plurality of zones based on a user input for setting a cleaning schedule; receiving a cleaning order, cleaning time, and cleaning cycle of a plurality of zones; sending information about the cleaning order, cleaning time, and cleaning cycle of a plurality of zones to a robot cleaner; and performing cleaning of the cleaning area by the robot cleaner based on the information about the cleaning order, cleaning time, and cleaning cycle of a plurality of zones.

Description

[0001] This case is a divisional application of the invention patent application with the application date of April 21, 2015, application number 201580055335.6, and invention name "Robot cleaner and control device, control system and control method for robot cleaner". Technical Field

[0002] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a robot cleaner, a control device of a robot cleaner, a control system of a robot cleaner, and a control method of a robot cleaner. Background Art

[0003] Generally, robots have been developed for industrial use and as part of factory automation. In recent years, the application fields of robots have expanded, and medical robots and space robots have been developed. In addition, home robots that can be used in the home have been developed.

[0004] A representative of household robots is a robot cleaner, wherein the robot cleaner refers to a device configured to automatically clean an area to be cleaned by sucking in foreign matter (e.g., dust) from a floor surface while passing through the area to be cleaned without user intervention. The robot cleaner detects obstacles placed in the cleaning area through various sensors, and controls a driving path and a cleaning operation of the robot cleaner based on the detection results.

[0005] Initially, a robot cleaner performs random cleaning while driving itself, and due to the presence of obstacles and the condition of the floor surface, it may happen that the area to be cleaned is not cleaned. To compensate for this, a technology has been developed in which cleaning is performed by dividing all areas to be cleaned, that is, the entire cleaning area, into a plurality of cleaning areas or units, or cleaning is performed in the following manner: a cleaning map of the entire cleaning area is generated, and the generated cleaning map is divided into an area that has been cleaned and an area to be cleaned. Summary of the invention

[0006] Technical issues

[0007] Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention is to provide a robot cleaner, a control device of a robot cleaner, a control system of a robot cleaner, and a control method of a robot cleaner.

[0008] Technical Solution

[0009] Additional aspects of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, a control device of a robot cleaner may include: a user interface unit configured to receive a user command to control the robot cleaner; a controller configured to generate a control signal for receiving a map of a cleaning area based on the user command; and a communicator configured to receive a map of the cleaning area from an external server or the robot cleaner based on the control signal.

[0011] In addition, the user interface unit may receive a map download command from the user to download a map of the cleaning area from an external server.

[0012] Furthermore, the user interface unit may receive a map generation command from a user so that the robot cleaner generates a map of the cleaning area.

[0013] Furthermore, the communicator may transmit a map generation command to the robot cleaner and receive a generated map from the robot cleaner.

[0014] In addition, the user interface unit may display the received map.

[0015] Furthermore, the user interface unit may receive a map editing command configured to edit the received map from the user.

[0016] Furthermore, the editing process may include at least one of converting a format of the received map into a format of the robot cleaner, dividing the cleaning area, merging the cleaning areas, and deleting a part or all of the cleaning areas.

[0017] In addition, the user interface unit may receive a schedule setting command configured to set a cleaning schedule for the cleaning area from the user.

[0018] In addition, the user interface unit may receive a schedule recommendation command from the user to recommend a cleaning schedule of the cleaning area suitable for the state of the robot cleaner.

[0019] Furthermore, the cleaning schedule may include at least one of a cleaning order, a cleaning time, and a cleaning cycle.

[0020] In addition, the state of the robot cleaner may include at least one of a charging state of a battery provided in the robot cleaner, a remaining amount of the battery, and a cleaning available time of the robot cleaner.

[0021] Furthermore, the controller may generate a cleaning schedule of a cleaning area suitable for the state of the robot cleaner based on the cleaning history data of the robot cleaner.

[0022] Furthermore, the cleaning history data may include at least one of an area of ​​the cleaning region, a driving speed of the cleaning region, power consumption with respect to the cleaning region, and a cleaning time required for the cleaning region.

[0023] In addition, the user interface unit may receive a schedule editing command configured to edit the recommended cleaning schedule from the user.

[0024] Furthermore, when the environment of the cleaning area does not match the received map or the edited map, the user interface unit may display that the environment does not match.

[0025] Furthermore, when there is an area that cannot be cleaned in the cleaning area, the user interface unit may display that there is the area that cannot be cleaned.

[0026] According to one aspect of the present invention, a robot cleaner may include: a user interface unit configured to receive a user command; and a controller configured to generate a control signal to download a map of a cleaning area from an external server, or configured to generate a map of the cleaning area based on the user command.

[0027] In addition, the user interface unit may receive a map download command from the user to download a map of the cleaning area from an external server.

[0028] In addition, the user interface unit may receive a map generation command from the user so that the controller generates a map of the cleaning area.

[0029] In addition, the user interface unit may display a downloaded map or a generated map.

[0030] Furthermore, the user interface unit may receive a map editing command configured to edit the downloaded map or the generated map from the user.

[0031] In addition, the user interface unit may receive a schedule setting command configured to set a cleaning schedule for the cleaning area from the user.

[0032] Also, the user interface unit may receive a schedule recommendation command from the user to recommend a cleaning schedule for the cleaning area suitable for the state of the robot cleaner.

[0033] Furthermore, the controller may generate a cleaning schedule for cleaning an area suitable for the state of the robot cleaner based on the cleaning history data of the robot cleaner.

[0034] In addition, the user interface unit may receive a schedule editing command configured to edit the recommended cleaning schedule from the user.

[0035] Furthermore, when the environment of the cleaning area does not match the received map or the edited map, the user interface unit may display that the environment does not match.

[0036] Additionally, the controller can update the generated map or the edited map when the environment does not match.

[0037] Furthermore, when there is an area that cannot be cleaned in the cleaning area, the user interface unit may display that there is the area that cannot be cleaned.

[0038] In addition, the controller may control the driving wheel so that when there is an area that cannot be cleaned, the driving wheel performs regional movement.

[0039] According to one aspect of the present invention, a control system of a robot cleaner may include a robot cleaner; and a control device configured to control the robot cleaner; wherein the control device includes: a user interface unit configured to receive a user command; a controller configured to generate a control signal for receiving a map of a cleaning area based on the user command; and a communicator configured to receive a map of the cleaning area from an external server or the robot cleaner based on the control signal.

[0040] According to an aspect of the present invention, a control method of a robot cleaner may include: receiving a map of a cleaning area from an external server or the robot cleaner; and displaying the received map.

[0041] In addition, the control method of the robot cleaner may further include editing the received map in response to a user command.

[0042] In addition, the control method of the robot cleaner may further include setting a cleaning schedule of the cleaning area in response to a user command.

[0043] Furthermore, the control method of the robot cleaner may further include generating a cleaning schedule for cleaning an area suitable for a state of the robot cleaner based on the cleaning history data of the robot cleaner.

[0044] In addition, the control method of the robot cleaner may further include editing the generated cleaning schedule in response to a user command.

[0045] In addition, the control method of the robot cleaner may further include displaying that the environment does not match when the environment of the cleaning area does not match the received map or the edited map.

[0046] In addition, the control method of the robot cleaner may further include updating the generated map or the edited map when the environment does not match.

[0047] In addition, the control method of the robot cleaner may further include, when there is an area that cannot be cleaned in the cleaning area, displaying that there is the area that cannot be cleaned.

[0048] In addition, the control method of the robot cleaner may further include controlling the driving wheel so that when there is an area that cannot be cleaned, the driving wheel performs area movement.

[0049] According to another aspect of the present invention, a control method of a robot cleaner may include downloading a map of a cleaning area from an external server or generating a map of the cleaning area; and displaying the downloaded map or the generated map.

[0050] In addition, the control method of the robot cleaner may further include editing the downloaded map or the generated map in response to a user command.

[0051] In addition, the control method of the robot cleaner may further include setting a cleaning schedule of the cleaning area in response to a user command.

[0052] Furthermore, the control method of the robot cleaner may further include generating a cleaning schedule for cleaning an area suitable for a state of the robot cleaner based on the cleaning history data of the robot cleaner.

[0053] In addition, the control method of the robot cleaner may further include editing the generated cleaning schedule in response to a user command.

[0054] In addition, the control method of the robot cleaner may further include displaying that the environment does not match when the environment of the cleaning area does not match the received map or the edited map.

[0055] In addition, the control method of the robot cleaner may further include updating the generated map or the edited map when the environment does not match.

[0056] In addition, the control method of the robot cleaner may further include, when there is an area that cannot be cleaned in the cleaning area, displaying that there is the area that cannot be cleaned.

[0057] In addition, the control method of the robot cleaner may further include controlling the driving wheel so that when there is an area that cannot be cleaned, the driving wheel performs area movement.

[0058] Beneficial Effects

[0059] According to one aspect of the present invention, a map of a cleaning area can be downloaded or generated, and a user can be allowed to perform map editing. In addition, a cleaning schedule can be set and edited, such as the priority of the cleaning area, the cleaning time, and the cleaning cycle. When setting a cleaning schedule, a function of recommending a cleaning schedule based on cleaning history data can be provided.

[0060] According to another aspect of the present invention, it is possible to automatically determine whether the environment changes or whether cleaning is available during cleaning by the robot cleaner, and this situation can be actively handled. In addition, user convenience of the robot cleaner can be improved by providing a user interface.

[0061] Specifically, according to one aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling a robot cleaner is provided, the method comprising: acquiring map information of a cleaning area; dividing the cleaning area into a plurality of zones based on the acquired map information; providing a user interface configured to receive a cleaning order, cleaning time, and cleaning cycle for a plurality of zones based on user input for setting a cleaning schedule; receiving a cleaning order, cleaning time, and cleaning cycle for a plurality of zones; sending information about the cleaning order, cleaning time, and cleaning cycle for a plurality of zones to a robot cleaner; and performing cleaning of the cleaning area by the robot cleaner based on the information about the cleaning order, cleaning time, and cleaning cycle for a plurality of zones.

[0062] According to another aspect of the present invention, a system for controlling a robot cleaner is provided, the system comprising a terminal device and a robot cleaner, wherein the terminal device is configured to: obtain map information of a cleaning area; divide the cleaning area into a plurality of zones based on the map information; provide a user interface configured to receive a cleaning order, cleaning time, and cleaning cycle of a plurality of zones based on user input for setting a cleaning schedule; receive a cleaning order, cleaning time, and cleaning cycle of a plurality of zones; and send information about the cleaning order, cleaning time, and cleaning cycle of a plurality of zones to the robot cleaner. Wherein, the robot cleaner is configured to perform cleaning of the cleaning area based on the information about the cleaning order, cleaning time, and cleaning cycle of the plurality of zones received from the terminal device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0063] These and / or other aspects of the present invention will become clear and more easily understood through the following description of embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0064] Figure 1 is a view showing a control system of the robot cleaner.

[0065] Figure 2 is a bottom view showing the robot cleaner.

[0066] Figure 3a and 3b is a bottom view showing the robot cleaner.

[0067] Figure 4 is a control block diagram showing a control system 1 of the robot cleaner.

[0068] Figure 5a is a view showing a main screen of a display of a terminal device.

[0069] Figure 5b It is a view showing that the screen is changed according to the execution application.

[0070] Figure 6is a diagram showing a screen of map management.

[0071] Figure 7 is a diagram showing a screen of a terminal device display showing a downloaded map.

[0072] Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of map editing.

[0073] Fig. 9 is a view showing another example of map editing.

[0074] Fig.10 is a diagram showing an example of a map generated by a robot cleaner and displayed on a display of a terminal device.

[0075] Fig.11 is a view showing another example of map editing.

[0076] Fig.12 is a diagram showing a screen for schedule management.

[0077] Fig.13 is a diagram showing a setting screen for a cleaning schedule.

[0078] Fig.14a and 14b is a view showing the setting of the area name.

[0079] Fig.15 It is a diagram showing the setting of the cleaning sequence.

[0080] Fig.16 It is a diagram showing the setting of the cleaning time.

[0081] Fig.17 is a diagram showing the settings of the cleaning cycle.

[0082] Fig.18 : is a diagram showing a screen on which setting of a cleaning schedule is completed.

[0083] Fig.19 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state where a cleaning schedule based on cleaning history data is displayed on a terminal device display.

[0084] Fig. 20 It is a view showing mismatched screens according to environments.

[0085] Fig.21 is a diagram showing a screen of a terminal device display indicating that cleaning cannot be performed.

[0086] Fig. 22 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a sensor.

[0087] Fig.23 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a driver.

[0088] Fig.24 and Fig.25 is a diagram showing a screen for map management.

[0089] Fig.26 is a view illustrating a control system of a robot cleaner according to another embodiment.

[0090] Fig. 27 is a control block diagram illustrating a control system of a robot cleaner according to another embodiment.

[0091] Fig.28 is a view showing a configuration of a user interface of the robot cleaner.

[0092] Fig.29 It is a view showing mismatched screens according to environments.

[0093] Fig.30 is a diagram showing a screen of a display showing a downloaded map.

[0094] Fig.31 is a diagram showing an example of map editing.

[0095] Fig.32 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for schedule management.

[0096] Fig.33a : is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen of a cleaning schedule.

[0097] Figure 33b : is a diagram showing an example of a screen on which setting of a cleaning schedule is completed.

[0098] Fig.34 It is a view showing mismatched screens according to environments.

[0099] Fig.35 is a diagram showing a screen of a display indicating that cleaning cannot be performed.

[0100] Fig.36 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of the robot cleaner according to an embodiment.

[0101] Fig.37 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a robot cleaner according to another embodiment.

[0102] Fig.38 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a robot cleaner according to an alternative another embodiment.

[0103] Fig.39 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a robot cleaner according to an alternative another embodiment.

[0104] Fig.40 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a robot cleaner according to an alternative another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0105] The present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the present invention are shown. As those skilled in the art will realize, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

[0106] Hereinafter, a robot cleaner, a control device of a robot cleaner, a control system of a robot cleaner, and a control method of a robot cleaner will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals denote like elements throughout the drawings.

[0107] Figure 1 is a view showing a control system of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment, Figure 2 is a bottom view showing a robot cleaner according to an embodiment, Figure 3a and 3b is a bottom view showing a robot cleaner according to another embodiment.

[0108] refer to Figures 1 to 3b The control system 1 of the robot cleaner may include a robot cleaner 200 and a control device configured to control the robot cleaner 200, wherein the control device may be provided in the form of a terminal device 100a. The terminal device 100a may be used as Figure 1 The terminal device 100a may use a PDA, a laptop computer, a digital camera, and an MP3 player as well as a cellular phone.

[0109] The terminal device 100a may include a user interface unit 110a configured to provide a user interface. The terminal device 100a may include a terminal device input terminal 111a and a terminal device display 112a to receive a user command for controlling the robot cleaner 200 or display various information of the robot cleaner 200.

[0110] The terminal device input terminal 111a may include various buttons or hardware devices for input from the user, such as switches, pedals, keyboards, mice, tracking balls, various levers, handles and operating rods. The terminal device input terminal 111a may include a graphical user interface (GUI), such as a touch pad, i.e., a software device for input from the user. The touch pad may be implemented as a touch screen panel (TSP) and forms a common layer structure with the terminal device display 112a.

[0111] The terminal device display 112a may include a cathode ray tube (CRT), a digital light processing (DLP) panel, a plasma display panel, a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, an electroluminescent (EL) panel, an electrophoretic display (EPD) panel, an electrochromic display (ECD) panel, a light emitting diode (LED) panel or an organic light emitting diode (OLED) panel, but is not limited thereto.

[0112] As described above, when the terminal device display 112a is implemented by a touch screen panel (TSP) having a common layer structure with a touch pad, the terminal device display 112a can be used as an input terminal as well as a display. Hereinafter, for ease of description, it is assumed that the terminal device display 112a is configured as a touch screen panel.

[0113] like Figures 1 to 3b As shown, the robot cleaner 200 may include a body 2 , a driving wheel assembly 30 , a main brush 20 , a side brush assembly 10 , a power source 250 , a dust collector 7 , a communicator 5 , and a user interface unit 210 .

[0114] The power supply 250 can provide driving power to drive the robot cleaner 200. The power supply 250 may include a battery electrically connected to the drive body 2 and the drivers of various components mounted to the body 2, and is configured to provide power to the driver. The battery may be provided with a rechargeable battery that can be charged by receiving power from a base (not shown). The base may be a device on which the robot cleaner 200 is docked when the cleaning program is completed or when the battery charge is lower than a reference value, and is configured to supply power to the docked robot cleaner 200 by using an external or internal power source.

[0115] The power supply 250 can be installed at the lower part of the main body 2, such as Figures 2 to 3b , but not limited to this.

[0116] The communicator 5 may be provided at the upper front portion of the main body 2, and allows the main body 2 to communicate with external devices (eg, a base, a virtual guard, a terminal device 100a, and a remote controller 110b) (see Fig.26 The communicator 5 may transmit information on whether the robot cleaner 200 has completed cleaning, the remaining amount of the battery in the main body 2, and the position of the main body 2 to the base, and receive a docking signal from the base, the docking signal being used to induce the robot cleaner 200 to perform docking.

[0117] In addition, the communicator 5 can send and receive a virtual guard and an entry restriction signal that form a virtual wall. When the robot cleaner 200 is driven, the virtual guard can form a virtual wall by sending an entry restriction signal to the connection path between the current cleaning area and the specific area, and the communicator 5 can receive the entry restriction signal to prevent the robot cleaner 200 from entering the specific area.

[0118] The communicator 5 may receive a command input from a user via the terminal device 100a or the remote controller 100b. For example, the user may input a cleaning start / stop command, a cleaning area map generation command, and a movement command of the robot cleaner 200 via the terminal device 100a. The communicator 5 may receive a user's command from the terminal device 100a and allow the robot cleaner 200 to perform an operation corresponding to the command. A more detailed description of the communicator 5 will be described later.

[0119] The driving wheel assembly 30 may be provided in plurality, such as Figure 2 As shown, two drive wheel assemblies 30 may be provided at the lower portion of the main body 2 and symmetrically arranged at the left and right edges relative to the center of the lower portion of the main body 2. The drive wheel assembly 30 may include drive wheels 33 and 35 that enable the main body 2 to move forward and backward and rotate during cleaning. The drive wheel assembly 30 may be modular and thus detachably mounted to the lower portion of the main body 2. Therefore, when the drive wheels 33 and 35 need to be repaired or replaced due to a malfunction, the drive wheel assembly 30 may be separated from the lower portion of the main body 2 for repair or replacement without disassembling the main body 2. The drive wheel assembly 30 may be mounted to the lower portion of the main body 2 by using a hook engagement, a threaded engagement, or a tight fit engagement.

[0120] The caster 31 may be mounted to a front edge portion from the center of the lower portion of the main body 2. The caster 31 may enable the main body 2 to maintain a stable posture. The caster 31 may be integrally provided with the driving wheel assembly 30 in a single assembly.

[0121] The main brush unit 20 may be mounted to a suction port 23 formed at a lower portion of the main body 2. The main brush unit 20 may include a main brush 21 and a roller 22. The main brush 21 may be disposed on an outer surface of the roller 22. As the roller 22 rotates, the main brush 21 may sweep dust off the floor and guide the dust toward the suction port 23. The main brush 21 may be made of various materials having elasticity. In addition, the roller 22 may be configured as a rigid body, but is not limited thereto.

[0122] Although not shown in the drawings, a blower may be provided in the suction port 23 to generate suction force to move the dust sucked into the suction port 23 to the dust collector 7 .

[0123] The side brush assembly 10 may be modularized and thus detachably mounted to the lower portion of the main body 2. Therefore, when the side brush assembly 10 needs to be repaired or replaced due to a malfunction, only the side brush assembly 10 may be separated from the lower portion of the main body 2 for repair or replacement without disassembling the main body 2. The side brush assembly 10 may be mounted to the lower portion of the main body 2 by using hook engagement, thread engagement, or tight fit engagement. Although Figure 2 Two side brush assemblies 10 are shown mounted to the edge portions of the left and right sides of the caster 31, but alternatively, two or more side brush assemblies 10 may be mounted at intervals on the bottom surface of the body 2. That is, the number of mounting members 10 may not be limited.

[0124] The side brush assembly 10 may include a rotating shaft 11 and a side brush 12. As the rotating shaft 11 rotates, the side brush 12 may rotate around the rotating shaft 11 together with the rotating shaft 11. As the roller 22 rotates, the side brush 12 may sweep dust on the floor on which the robot cleaner 200 is driven toward the suction port 23.

[0125] like Figure 3a and Figure 3b As shown, the side brush assembly 10 may further include a side arm 13 to form a protruding side brush assembly 10. In other words, the side arm 13 may be mounted to the body 2 so as to be rotatable at a certain angle, and the rotating shaft 11 and the side brush 12 may be mounted to the side arm 13 so that the rotating shaft 11 and the side brush 12 protrude from the body 2 and return to the body 2 according to the rotation of the side arm 13.

[0126] The dust collector 7 may be installed at the rear side of the body 2 , and is configured to filter and collect foreign matter, such as dust, guided to the suction port 23 through the main brush unit 20 and the side brush assembly 10 .

[0127] Various sensors may be installed on the main body 2 . The various sensors may include at least one of an obstacle detection sensor 261 , a floor detection sensor 262 , and a visual sensor 263 .

[0128] The obstacle detection sensor 261 may be configured to detect obstacles such as furniture, wall surfaces, and wall edges placed in a driving path of the robot cleaner 200 and implemented by an ultrasonic sensor capable of recognizing a distance, but is not limited thereto.

[0129] The obstacle detection sensor 261 may be provided in plurality at the front and sides of the body 2 to form the periphery of the body 2. On the front surfaces of the plurality of obstacle detection sensors 261, a sensor window may be provided to protect and prevent the obstacle detection sensor 261 from being damaged by the outside.

[0130] The floor detection sensor 262 may be configured to detect the distance between the floor surface and the robot cleaner 200 or the inclination of the floor surface, and may be configured to detect the condition of the floor surface, such as the presence of a cliff or a threshold. At least one floor detection sensor 262 may be disposed on the bottom surface of the main body 2 or inside the main body 2. When a plurality of floor detection sensors 262 are provided, some of the plurality of floor detection sensors 262 may be implemented by an optical sensor configured to detect a distance and some of the plurality of floor detection sensors 262 may be implemented by an inclination sensor configured to detect an inclination. For example, Figures 2 to 3b As shown, the floor detection sensor 262 may include optical sensors 262 a , 262 b , and 262 c disposed on the bottom surface of the main body 2 , and a tilt sensor 262 d disposed inside the main body 2 .

[0131] The visual sensor 263 may represent a sensor configured to identify the position of the robot cleaner 200 and generate a map of the driving or cleaning area of ​​the robot cleaner 200. The visual sensor 263 may be implemented by a device capable of acquiring image data, such as a camera, and is disposed on the upper portion of the main body 2. In other words, the visual sensor 263 may extract feature points from the image data of the upper portion of the main body 2 and identify the position of the robot cleaner 200 by using the feature points. The visual sensor 263 may allow a map of the cleaning area to be generated and allow the current position of the robot cleaner 200 on the map to be identified. A more detailed description of the obstacle detection sensor 261, the floor detection sensor 262, and the visual sensor 263 that may be mounted on the main body 2 will be described later.

[0132] The user interface unit 210 may be provided at the upper portion of the main body 2. The user interface unit 210 may include an input terminal 211 configured to receive a user command and a display 212 configured to display various states of the robot cleaner 200, so that the user interface unit 210 may provide a user interface. For example, the charging state of the battery, whether the dust collector 7 is full of dust, the cleaning mode of the robot cleaner 200, and the sleep mode of the robot cleaner 200 may be displayed through the display 212. The implementation of the input terminal 211 and the display 212 may be the same as the implementation of the terminal device input terminal 111a and the terminal device display 112a, so the description thereof will be omitted.

[0133] The appearance of the control system 1 of the robot cleaner according to the embodiment has been described above, and hereinafter, the configuration of the robot cleaner 200 will be described in detail with reference to a block diagram.

[0134] Figure 4 : is a control block diagram showing a control system 1 of the robot cleaner according to the embodiment.

[0135] refer to Figure 4 , the control system 1 of the robot cleaner may include a terminal device 100a and a robot cleaner 200 connected by wired and / or wireless communication. The terminal device 100a may include a terminal device communicator 120a, a terminal device controller 130a, a terminal device memory 140a, and a user interface unit 110a. The robot cleaner 200 may include a power supply 250, a sensor unit 260, a communicator 220, a controller 230, a driver 270, and a memory 240.

[0136] The terminal device communicator 120a may transmit and receive various signals and data to / from the robot cleaner 200 or an external server through wired and / or wireless communication. For example, the terminal device communicator 120a may download an application for managing the robot cleaner 200 from an external server (e.g., a web server and a mobile communication server) in response to a user command via the user interface unit 110a. The terminal device communicator 120a may download a map of a cleaning area from an external server.

[0137] The terminal device communicator 120a can send a user's "map generation" command to the robot cleaner 200 and receive the generated map. In addition, the terminal device communicator 120a can send a map edited by the user to the robot cleaner 200. The terminal device communicator 120a can send a set or edited cleaning schedule to the robot cleaner 200. The terminal device communicator 120a can receive cleaning history data from the robot cleaner 200. The cleaning history data may include the area of ​​the cleaning area formed according to the cleaning history of the robot cleaner 200, the driving speed of the cleaning area, the power consumption, and the required cleaning time.

[0138] The terminal device communicator 120 a may transmit a 'cleaning start' command or a 'cleaning end' command input from a user to the robot cleaner 200 .

[0139] To this end, the terminal device communicator 120a may include various communication modules, such as a wireless Internet module, a short-range communication module, and a mobile communication module.

[0140] The wireless Internet module refers to a module configured to perform communication by connecting to an external network via a communication protocol such as Wireless LAN (WLAN), Wi-Fi, Wireless Broadband (Wibro), World Interconnection for Microwave Access (Wimax), and High Speed ​​Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA).

[0141] The short-range communication module means a module configured to perform communication with an external device within a short distance according to a short-range communication protocol such as Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Ultra Wideband (UWB), or ZigBee.

[0142] The mobile communication module means a module configured to perform communication by connecting to a mobile communication network according to various mobile communication protocols such as 3rd Generation (3G), 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), and Long Term Evolution (LTE).

[0143] However, the communication module is not limited thereto, and thus the communication terminal device communicator 120 a may adopt other types of communication modules other than the above as long as communication between the robot cleaner 200 and the external server can be performed.

[0144] The terminal device controller 130a may control the overall operation of the terminal device 100a. The terminal device controller 130a may control various components of the terminal device 100a, ie, the terminal device communicator 120a, the terminal device display 112a, and the terminal device memory 140a, based on a user command input through the user interface unit 110a.

[0145] The terminal device controller 130a may generate a control signal for the terminal device communicator 120a. For example, when the user inputs a "map download" command, the terminal device controller 130a may generate a control signal so that the terminal device communicator 120a downloads a map of the cleaning area from an external server. When the user inputs a "map generation" command, the terminal device controller 130a may generate a control signal, and the terminal device communicator 120a sends the map generation command to the robot cleaner 200. The terminal device controller 130a may generate a control signal, and the terminal device communicator 120a receives cleaning history data from the robot cleaner 200.

[0146] The terminal device controller 130a may generate a control signal for the terminal device display 112a. For example, the terminal device controller 130a may generate a control signal, and the terminal device display 112a outputs a screen corresponding to the user input. The terminal device controller 130a may generate a control signal so that the terminal device display 112a performs a screen change. The terminal device controller 130a may generate a control signal so that the terminal device display 112a displays a received map or a stored or edited map. The terminal device controller 130a may generate a control signal so that the terminal device display 112a displays a stored or edited cleaning schedule.

[0147] The terminal device controller 130a may generate a control signal for the terminal device memory 140a. The terminal device controller 130a may generate a control signal so that the terminal device memory 140a stores the received map or the edited map. The terminal device controller 130a may generate a control signal so that the terminal device memory 140a stores the set cleaning schedule or the edited cleaning schedule. When receiving cleaning history data, the terminal device controller 130a may generate a control signal so that the terminal device memory 140a stores the received cleaning history data.

[0148] The terminal device controller 130a can generate a cleaning sequence and a cleaning schedule based on the cleaning history data. When the user inputs "schedule recommendation", the terminal device controller 130a can control the terminal device communicator 120a so that the terminal device communicator 120a receives the cleaning history data, and the terminal device controller 130a can generate a cleaning schedule based on the received cleaning history data, which is suitable for the current state of the robot cleaner 200, such as the charging state of the power supply 250.

[0149] The terminal device controller 130a may be various types of processors including at least one chip on which an integrated circuit is formed. The terminal device controller 130a may be provided in one processor, or may be divided into a plurality of processors.

[0150] The terminal device memory 140a may temporarily or non-temporarily store data and programs for the operation of the terminal device 100a. For example, the terminal device memory 140a may store an application for managing the robot cleaner 200. The terminal device memory 140a may store a received map or an edited map, and store a set cleaning schedule or an edited cleaning schedule. The terminal device memory 140a may store received cleaning history data.

[0151] The terminal device memory 140a may store a program for generating a cleaning schedule based on the cleaning history data. In addition, the terminal device memory 140a may store a program for outputting a screen or changing a screen based on a user input.

[0152] The terminal device memory 140a may include at least one storage medium in a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (e.g., an SD or XD memory), a random access memory (RAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), a magnetic memory, a disk, or an optical disk. However, the type of the terminal device memory 140a is not limited thereto, so it can be implemented in any other form known in the art. The terminal device 100a can operate a network storage that performs a storage function on the Internet.

[0153] The user interface unit 110a may receive various commands from the user for controlling the robot cleaner 200. For example, the user may input a "map download" command for downloading a map of a cleaning area, a "map generation" command for generating a map, and a "map edit" command for editing a map via the user interface unit 110a. In addition, the user may input a "schedule setting" command to set a cleaning schedule, a "schedule suggestion" command to generate a cleaning schedule suitable for the state of the robot cleaner 200, and a "schedule edit" command to edit a cleaning schedule via the user interface unit 110a.

[0154] The user interface unit 110a may display various information of the robot cleaner 200. For example, the user interface unit 110a may display a map of the cleaning area on which the robot cleaner 200 will be driven. The user interface unit 110a may display a received map or an edited map. The user interface unit 110a may output a screen for setting a cleaning schedule or a screen for editing. The user interface unit 110a may display a set schedule or an edited schedule.

[0155] In the following, reference will be made to Figure 5a-20 Describes changing a screen according to a user input, a screen for editing a map, a screen for setting a cleaning schedule, or a screen for editing.

[0156] Figure 5a is a view showing a main screen of a display of a terminal device.

[0157] refer to Figure 5a The user interface 110 including the terminal device input terminal 111a and the terminal device display 112a can be arranged on the front surface of the terminal device 100a. The terminal device input terminal 111a can be provided with a plurality of buttons. In this case, the buttons can be hardware buttons or software buttons. The terminal device display 112a can be configured as a touch screen panel to detect the user's input.

[0158] An application for managing the robot cleaner 200 may be installed in the terminal device 100a. At this time, the application for managing the robot cleaner 200 will be referred to as a "robot cleaner application". The terminal device display 112a may display the installed application on the main screen and provide convenience for the user to access the application. For example, the terminal device display 112a may display the installed application using a "robot cleaner" icon.

[0159] The user can execute the robot cleaner application by touching the icon of "robot cleaner". When the robot cleaner application is executed, the terminal device display 112a can change the screen to Figure 5b The screen shown. Figure 5b It is a view showing that the screen is changed according to the execution application.

[0160] The "home screen" icon 190a may be displayed at the top of the terminal device display 112a to return to the home screen. That is, when the "home screen" icon 190a is selected, the screen may return to the home screen. Figure 5a The screen shown. The “Map Management” icon 160, the “Schedule Management” icon 170, and the “Start / End” icon 180 may be sequentially displayed on the lower side of the “Home Screen” icon 190a. The “Map Management” icon 160 may be configured to manage a map of an area in which the robot cleaner 200 will be driven or an area to be cleaned by the robot cleaner 200 (i.e., a cleaning area). The “Schedule Management” icon 170 may be configured to manage a cleaning schedule, such as a cleaning order of at least one separate cleaning area. In addition, the “Start / End” icon 180 may be configured to input a user's cleaning start or cleaning end command.

[0161] The user may select the “Map Management” icon 160 to change the screen of the terminal device display 112 a to a map management screen. Figure 6 is a diagram showing a screen for map management.

[0162] refer to Figure 6, a "home screen" icon 190a and a "previous screen" icon 190b configured to return to the previous screen may be displayed at the upper end of the terminal device display 112a. That is, when the "previous screen" icon 190b is selected, the screen may return to the previous screen. A "map download" icon 161a, a "map generation" icon 161b, and a "map edit" icon 161c may be sequentially displayed at the lower ends of the "home screen" icon 190a and the "previous screen" icon 190b. The "map download" icon 161a may be configured to input a user command for downloading a map of a cleaning area, the "map generation" icon 161b may be configured to input a user command for generating a map of a cleaning area, and the "map edit" icon 161c may be configured to edit a downloaded or generated map or a map stored in the terminal device memory 140a.

[0163] The user can allow the terminal device 100a to download a map of the cleaning area by selecting the "map download" icon 161a. The terminal device 100a can download the map of the cleaning area from the external server through the terminal device communicator 120a, and the terminal device memory 140a can temporarily or non-temporarily store the downloaded map 161a according to the selection of the "map download" icon. The downloaded map can be displayed on the terminal device display 112a, such as Figure 7 shown.

[0164] Figure 7 is a diagram showing a screen of a terminal device display showing a downloaded map, Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of map editing.

[0165] refer to Figure 7 , in the upper end of the terminal device display 112a, a "home screen" icon 190a, a "previous screen" icon 190b, and a "save" icon 190c configured to store the displayed map may be displayed. That is, when the "save" icon 190c is selected, the map displayed on the terminal device display 112a may be stored in the terminal device memory 140a.

[0166] At the lower end, a map 162a downloaded via the terminal device communicator 120a may be displayed. The map 162a downloaded from the external server may be provided in a format that the robot cleaner 200 cannot recognize, and in this case, the user may need to process or edit the map 162a into a format recognized by the robot cleaner 200.

[0167] like Figure 8As shown, the user can draw a line along the periphery of the area to be cleaned with reference to the downloaded map 162a, and the outline is displayed. At least one cleaning area can be set by the outline displayed by the user, and the name for distinguishing each area, such as Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4 and Z5, can be displayed while setting the cleaning area. The name of each area can be automatically generated and then displayed by the terminal device controller 130a, or the name of each area can be displayed according to the manual input of the user. In addition, by entering the horizontal and vertical lengths or areas of the cleaning area, the map can be edited into a format that can be recognized by the robot cleaner 200. At this time, the user can enter the length or area of ​​the entire cleaning area, or the length or area of ​​each cleaning area.

[0168] The user may further perform editing to divide or merge cleaning areas on the edited map 162 b , and the user may store the edited map 162 b by clicking a “save” icon 190 c .

[0169] As described above, the map editing process may include converting the map format to the format of the robot cleaner 200, dividing the cleaning area, and merging the divided cleaning areas, but is not limited thereto. The map editing may include other types of editing, for example, deleting a portion of the cleaning area.

[0170] Fig. 9 is a view showing another example of map editing. Fig. 9 is a view showing editing performed by deleting a part of the cleaning area.

[0171] refer to Fig. 9 , at the upper end of the terminal device display 112a, a "home screen" icon 190a, a "previous screen" icon 190b, a "save" icon 190c, and a "delete" icon 190d for deleting when editing may be displayed. At the lower end, a map 162b edited into a format of the robot cleaner 200 may be displayed.

[0172] The user may select an area to be deleted among the cleaning areas included in the map 162 b , for example, the Z3 area, and drag the Z3 area to the “Delete” icon 190 d , so that the user may delete the Z3 area in the map 162 b .

[0173] Reference again Figure 6 , the user can select the "map generation" icon 161b so that the robot cleaner 200 generates a map of the cleaning area. The user can input a command configured to generate a map of the cleaning area by selecting the "map generation" icon 161b. The terminal device communicator 120a can send the user's "map generation" command to the robot cleaner 200, and the robot cleaner 200 can generate a map of the cleaning area when driving according to the command.

[0174] When the map generation is completed, the robot cleaner 200 may send the generated map to the terminal device 100a. The map received via the terminal communicator 120a may be temporarily or non-temporarily stored in the terminal device memory 140a. The received map may be displayed on the terminal device display 112a, such as Fig.10 shown.

[0175] Fig.10 is a diagram showing an example of a map generated by a robot cleaner and displayed on a display of a terminal device, Fig.11 is a view showing another example of map editing.

[0176] refer to Fig.10 , at the upper end of the terminal device display 112a, a "home screen" icon 190a, a "previous screen" icon 190b and a "save" icon 190c may be displayed.

[0177] At the lower end, a map 163a generated by driving the robot cleaner 200 may be displayed. Names for distinguishing each area, such as Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4, and Z5, may be displayed in the terminal device display 112a while displaying the generated map 163a. ​​The name of each area may be automatically generated by the terminal device controller 130a and then displayed, or the name of each area may be displayed according to a manual input of a user.

[0178] Meanwhile, since the map 163a is directly generated by the robot cleaner 200, the format of the map 163a can be recognized by the robot cleaner 200. Therefore, the user does not need to perform editing for converting the format. However, the user can perform editing such as dividing, merging, or deleting the cleaning area.

[0179] like Fig.11 As shown, the user can divide the Z5 area by drawing a closed line in the position to be divided in the Z5 area of ​​the generated map 163a. ​​When dividing the area, the name (such as Z5 and Z6) can be displayed again to distinguish the divided areas. The name used to distinguish the divided areas can be automatically generated by the terminal device controller 130a and then displayed, or displayed according to the manual input of the user. The user can store the divided and edited map 163b by clicking the "Save" icon 190c.

[0180] Reference again Figure 6, the user can edit the map stored in the terminal device memory 140a by selecting the "map edit" icon 161c. At this time, the stored map may represent the final stored map. Therefore, the stored map may include a map downloaded from an external server, a map generated by the robot cleaner 200, or a map edited in a downloaded map or a generated map. When the user selects the "map edit" icon 161c, the terminal device display 112a may display the final stored map on the screen and wait for the user's editing.

[0181] In the above, reference has been made to Figure 6-11 The map management screen is described, and the above description is only an example of the map management screen. The map management screen is not limited thereto, and thus the configuration of each screen and the location of the configuration may vary.

[0182] Reference again Figure 5b The user can change the screen of the terminal device display 112a to a schedule management screen by selecting the "schedule management" icon 170 from the multiple icons. Fig.12 is a diagram showing a screen for schedule management.

[0183] like Fig.12 As shown, a “home screen” icon 190 a and a “previous screen” icon 190 b may be displayed in the upper end of the terminal device display 112 a .

[0184] In the lower side of the “home screen” icon 190a and the “previous screen” icon 190b, a “schedule setting” icon 171a, a “schedule recommendation” icon 171b, and a “schedule editing” icon 171c may be sequentially displayed. The “schedule setting” icon 171a may be configured to set a cleaning schedule, such as a cleaning order, a cleaning time, and a cleaning cycle. The “schedule recommendation” icon 171b may be configured to input a user command configured to generate a cleaning schedule suitable for the state of the robot cleaner 200. The “schedule editing” icon 171c may be configured to edit a map stored in the terminal device memory 140a.

[0185] The user can set a cleaning schedule for the cleaning area by selecting the "schedule setting" icon 171a. The terminal device display 112a can perform the following operations according to the user's selection of the "schedule setting" icon 171a: Fig.13 The change screen is shown.

[0186] Fig.13 : is a figure which shows the setting screen of a cleaning schedule.

[0187] refer to Fig.13, at the upper end of the terminal device display 112a, a "home screen" icon 190a, a "previous screen" icon 190b, and a "save" icon 190c may be displayed. The "save" icon 190c may be configured to store the set cleaning schedule, and when the "save" icon 190c is selected, the cleaning schedule set via the terminal device display 112a may be stored in the terminal device memory 140a.

[0188] At the lower end, a table 172 for setting a cleaning schedule may be displayed. The table for setting a cleaning schedule may be referred to as a "schedule." The schedule 172 may include an "area" 172a, an "area name" 172b, a "cleaning order" 172c, a "cleaning time" 172d, and a "cleaning cycle" 172e.

[0189] The "area" 172a may represent a clean area forming a map, wherein the map may represent a map finally stored in the terminal device memory 140a. In the following, for the convenience of description, it is assumed that the map is as follows: Fig.10 A plurality of cleaning zones Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4, and Z5 may be displayed in "Zone" 172a.

[0190] The “area name” 172b may indicate a functional name of a cleaning area. Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4, and Z5 may be names for distinguishing cleaning areas, but it may be difficult to intuitively identify which cleaning area actually corresponds to which functional space by using the names Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4, and Z5. For example, it may be difficult to intuitively identify whether the Z1 area corresponds to a kitchen, a room, or a living room. Therefore, the user may newly input a functional name of a cleaning area in the “area name” 172b.

[0191] The "cleaning order" 172c may indicate the order in which cleaning is performed, the "cleaning time" 172d may indicate a period of time during which cleaning is performed, and the "cleaning cycle" 172e may indicate a cycle during which cleaning is performed.

[0192] When the user selects the "schedule setting" icon 171a, the terminal device controller 130a can randomly generate a cleaning schedule and control the terminal device display 112a so that the terminal device display 112a displays a schedule corresponding to the cleaning schedule. That is, the terminal device display 112a can display the schedule corresponding to the cleaning schedule. Fig.13 A random schedule 172 is shown.

[0193] By corresponding to the cleaning areas Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4 and Z5, the "area name" 172b can be generated and displayed as Room 1, Room 2, Room 3, Room 4 and Room 5, the "cleaning order" 172c can be generated and displayed as 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, the "cleaning time" 172d can be generated and displayed as 10AM, continuous, continuous, continuous and continuous, and the "cleaning cycle" 172e can be generated and displayed as every day, every day, every day, every day and every day.

[0194] The user can complete the setting of the cleaning schedule by selecting the unit to be changed from the randomly displayed schedule table 172 and changing it to a desired name, a desired order, a desired time, and a desired cycle. Figure 14a-18 Describe its detailed description.

[0195] Fig.14a and 14b is a view showing the setting of the area name, Fig.15 is a diagram showing the settings of the cleaning sequence. Fig.16 is a diagram showing the setting of the cleaning time. Fig.17 is a diagram showing the settings of the cleaning cycle, Fig.18 : is a figure which shows the screen which completes the setting of a cleaning schedule.

[0196] When the user wants to change Fig.13 In the state where the name of the area in the schedule table 172 is displayed, that is, when cell A is selected and the user wants to change the name of cell A, the screen can be changed to Fig.14a The screen shown. The changed screen may be configured with a portion 173a displaying "area name", a portion 173c to which the function name of the cleaning area is input, and a portion 173b on which the user input is displayed. When the user inputs a name that the user wants to set for a unit (e.g., "kitchen"), the user can change the name of the corresponding unit.

[0197] Depending on the selection of unit A, the screen can change to Fig.14b The screen shown. The changed screen may be configured with a portion 173a displaying "area name" and a portion 173d to which the function name of the cleaning area is input, and a portion 173b on which the user input is displayed. At this time, the portion 173d to which the function name of the cleaning area is input may be provided to allow the user to directly input consonants and vowels.

[0198] When the user wants to change Fig.13 In the state of the cleaning order in the schedule 172 of FIG. 17A , that is, when the user selects unit D, he wants to change the cleaning order of unit D, the screen can be changed as follows: Fig.15The screen shown. The changed screen may be configured with a portion 174a displaying "cleaning order", a portion 174c to which the cleaning order is input, and a portion 174b on which the user input is displayed. When the user inputs the cleaning order (e.g., "4") that the user wants to set for a unit, the user can change the cleaning order of the corresponding unit.

[0199] When the user wants to change Fig.13 172, that is, when the user selects unit F, he wants to change the cleaning time of unit F, the screen can be changed as follows Fig.16 The changed screen may be configured with a portion 175a displaying "cleaning time", a portion 175c into which the cleaning time is input, and a portion 175b on which the user input is displayed. When the user inputs the cleaning time (e.g., "2PM") that the user wants to set for a unit, the user can change the cleaning time of the corresponding unit.

[0200] When the user wants to change Fig.13 172, that is, when the user selects unit G, he wants to change the cleaning cycle of unit G, the screen can be changed as follows Fig.17 The screen shown. The changed screen may be configured with a portion 176a displaying "cleaning cycle" and a portion 176b into which the cleaning cycle is input. When the user inputs the cleaning cycle (e.g., "every other day") that the user wants to set for a unit, the user can change the cleaning time of the corresponding unit.

[0201] According to the same process as above, Fig.13 , the area names 172b of unit A, unit B, and unit C can be changed from "room 3" to "kitchen", from "room 4" to "room 3", and from "room 5" to "living room". The cleaning order 172c of unit D and unit E can be changed from "4" to "3" and from "3" to "4". The cleaning time 172d of unit F can be changed from "10AM" to "2PM", and the cleaning cycle 172e of unit G can be changed from "every day" to "every other day". According to the setting of the cleaning schedule, the terminal device display 112a can change the cleaning schedule according to the cleaning schedule (i.e., Fig.18 The changed schedule 172 is shown.

[0202] The user may store the set cleaning schedule by clicking the “Save” icon 190c.

[0203] Reference again Fig.12, the user can select the "schedule recommendation" icon 171b to generate and recommend a cleaning schedule suitable for the state of the robot cleaner 200. By selecting the "schedule recommendation" icon 171b, the user can enter a command configured to recommend a cleaning schedule. The terminal device communicator 120a can send the user's "schedule recommendation" command to the robot cleaner 200, and the robot cleaner 200 can send cleaning history data in response to the command. The received cleaning history data can be sent to the terminal device controller 130a, and the terminal device controller 130a can generate a cleaning schedule suitable for the current state of the robot cleaner 200 (such as the charging state of the power supply 250, the remaining battery or the time available for cleaning) based on the cleaning history data (such as the area of ​​the cleaning area, the driving speed for the cleaning area, the power consumption and the required cleaning time) and control the terminal device display 112a so that the terminal device display displays the cleaning schedule.

[0204] Fig.19 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state where a cleaning schedule based on cleaning history data is displayed on a terminal device display.

[0205] refer to Fig.19 , at the upper end of the terminal device display 112a, a “home screen” icon 190a, a “previous screen” icon 190b and a “save” icon 190c may be displayed.

[0206] At the lower end, a cleaning schedule generated based on the cleaning history data may be displayed in the form of a schedule table 172 to recommend a cleaning schedule to the user. The cleaning schedule may be displayed together with a state value of the robot cleaner 200 applied to generate the cleaning schedule (i.e., the remaining battery amount or cleaning available time of the robot cleaner 200).

[0207] The user may store the cleaning schedule generated and recommended based on the cleaning history data without change, or the user may store the cleaning schedule after changing part or all of the cleaning schedule. The method of changing the cleaning schedule may be the same as Figure 13-18 The methods shown are the same or similar, and therefore, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0208] Reference again Fig.12 , the user can edit the cleaning schedule stored in the terminal device memory 140a by selecting the "Schedule Edit" icon 171c. When the user selects the "Schedule Edit" icon 171c, the terminal device display 112a can display the stored cleaning schedule in the form of a schedule table 172 and wait for the user's editing or change input. At this time, the stored cleaning schedule can represent the final stored cleaning schedule. For the sake of convenience in the following description, it is assumed that the final storage is as follows Fig.18 Cleaning schedule shown.

[0209] In the above, reference has been made to Figure 12-19 The schedule management screen is described, and the above description is only an example of the schedule management screen. The schedule management screen is not limited thereto, so the configuration of each screen and the location of the configuration may vary.

[0210] Referring again to FIG. 5B , the user may allow the robot cleaner 200 to start cleaning or finish cleaning by selecting the “Start / End” icon 180 among the multiple icons shown in FIG. 5B . When the robot cleaner 200 performs cleaning, the content of the user selecting the “Start / End” icon 180 may be the same as inputting a cleaning end command. When the cleaning end command is input from the user, the terminal device controller 130a may send a control signal to end cleaning to the robot cleaner 200 through the terminal communicator 120a. The robot cleaner 200 may end cleaning and move to the base in response to the command.

[0211] When the robot cleaner 200 does not perform cleaning, the user's selection of the "Start / End" icon 180 may be the same as inputting a cleaning start command. When the cleaning start command is input from the user, the terminal device controller 130a may send a control signal to start cleaning to the robot cleaner 200 through the terminal communicator 120a according to the stored map and the stored cleaning schedule. The stored map may represent the final stored map, and the stored cleaning schedule may represent the final stored cleaning schedule.

[0212] The robot cleaner 200 may receive the stored map and the stored cleaning schedule using a control signal, and start cleaning according to the received map and cleaning schedule. During the cleaning performed by the robot cleaner 200, there may be a situation where the received information does not match the actual cleaning environment. For example, according to the change of the position of the base, the cleaning start position of the robot cleaner 200 may change, and the distance between the cleaning start position and each cleaning area may change. That is, the robot cleaner 200 cannot perform cleaning based on the received map.

[0213] In this case, the robot cleaner 200 may send a message indicating that the environment does not match to the terminal device 100a, and the terminal device display 112a may output a message such as Fig. 20 The screen shown.

[0214] Fig. 20 It is a view showing mismatched screens according to environments.

[0215] refer to Fig. 20 , at the upper end of the terminal device display 112a, a “home screen” icon 190a and a “previous screen” icon 190b may be displayed.

[0216] In the lower end of the "Home Screen" icon 190a and the "Previous Screen" icon 190b, a phrase "The environment does not match. Do you want to update the map?" and "Yes", "No" icons (these icons are used to input the user's answer as to whether to update the map). That is, when the user inputs "No", the robot cleaner 200 can stop the currently performed cleaning based on the user command and move to the base. When the user inputs "Yes", the robot cleaner 200 can perform coordinate conversion based on the user command and update the map. A detailed description of updating the map will be described later.

[0217] During the cleaning performed by the robot cleaner 200, an area that cannot be cleaned may occur. For example, when the entrance of the Z1 area set as the first cleaning area is closed, the robot cleaner 200 may not be allowed to enter the Z1 area, so the robot cleaner 200 cannot perform cleaning. In this case, the robot cleaner 200 may send a message indicating that cleaning cannot be performed to the terminal device 100a, and the terminal device display 112a may output a message in response to the control signal of the terminal device controller 130a. Fig.21 screen.

[0218] Fig.21 is a diagram showing a screen of a terminal device display indicating that cleaning cannot be performed.

[0219] refer to Fig.21 , at the upper end of the terminal device display 112a, a “home screen” icon 190a and a “previous screen” icon 190b may be displayed.

[0220] In the lower end of the "Home Screen" icon 190a and the "Previous Screen" icon 190b, the phrase "There is an area that cannot be cleaned. Do you want to change the area?" and the "Yes" icon and the "No" icon may be displayed, and such a setting is used to input a user answer about whether to change the area. That is, when the user inputs "No", the robot cleaner 200 may stop the currently performed cleaning based on the user command and move to the base. When the user inputs "Yes", the robot cleaner 200 may move to the next cleaning area based on the received cleaning schedule, and then perform cleaning. In the above example, in a state where cleaning of the Z1 area is impossible, when the user inputs "Yes", the robot cleaner 200 may move to the next cleaning area, i.e., the Z2 area, and then perform cleaning of the Z2 area.

[0221] Reference again Figure 4 , the robot cleaner 200 may include a power supply 250 , a communicator 220 , a controller 230 , a driver 270 , and a memory 240 .

[0222] As described above, the power source 250 may be provided as a battery, and provides driving power to drive the robot cleaner 200 .

[0223] The communicator 220 can send various signals and data to the terminal device 100a and external devices and receive various signals and data from the terminal device 100a and external devices via wired and / or wireless communications. For example, the communicator 220 can receive a user's "map generation" command from the terminal device 100a, and then send the generated map to the terminal device 100a. The communicator 220 can receive a map stored in the terminal device 100a and a cleaning schedule stored in the terminal device 100a. The stored map can represent the final stored map, and the stored cleaning schedule can represent the final stored cleaning schedule. The communicator 220 can send the current state value and cleaning history data of the robot cleaner 200 to the terminal device 100a.

[0224] In addition, the communicator 220 can receive a cleaning start command or a cleaning end command from the user from the terminal device 100a. During the cleaning of the robot cleaner 200, when there is an environmental mismatch condition, the communicator 220 can send a message indicating that the environment does not match to the terminal device 100a. Similarly, when an area that cannot be cleaned occurs, the communicator 220 can send a message to the terminal device 100a indicating that cleaning cannot be performed.

[0225] To this end, the communicator 220 may include various communication modules such as a wireless Internet module, a short-range communication module, and a mobile communication module, and the wireless Internet module, the short-range communication module, and the mobile communication module are the same as those explained above.

[0226] Fig. 22 is a diagram showing an example structure of a sensor. Fig. 22 , the sensor 260 may include an obstacle detection sensor 261 , a floor detection sensor 262 , and a visual sensor 263 .

[0227] The obstacle detection sensor 261 may be provided in plurality on the outer peripheral surface of the body 2, and is configured to detect an obstacle existing in front of or at the side of the robot cleaner 200. The obstacle detection sensor 261 may transmit detected detection information to the controller 230.

[0228] The obstacle detection sensor 261 may be provided by a contact sensor, a non-contact sensor, or a combination of a contact sensor and a non-contact sensor, depending on whether or not there is contact with an obstacle. The contact sensor may refer to a sensor configured to detect an obstacle when the main body 2 collides with the obstacle, and the non-contact sensor may refer to a sensor configured to detect an obstacle without a collision between the main body 2 and the obstacle or a sensor configured to detect an obstacle in advance before a collision between the main body 2 and the obstacle.

[0229] The non-contact type sensor may include an ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor, or an RF sensor. When the obstacle detection sensor 261 is implemented by an ultrasonic sensor, the obstacle detection sensor 261 may emit ultrasonic waves to the driving path and detect obstacles by receiving reflected ultrasonic waves. When the obstacle detection sensor 261 is implemented by an optical sensor, the obstacle detection sensor 261 may emit infrared light or visible light and detect obstacles by receiving reflected light. When the obstacle detection sensor 261 is implemented by an RF sensor, the obstacle detection sensor 261 may emit radio waves of a specific frequency (e.g., microwaves) by using the Doppler effect and detect obstacles by detecting changes in the frequency of the reflected waves.

[0230] The floor detection sensor 262 may include optical sensors 262a, 262b, and 262c of various shapes in the bottom surface of the main body 2 to detect the distance between the floor surface and the robot cleaner 200 or the distance between the floor surface and the bottom surface of the robot cleaner 200. For example, the optical sensors 262a, 262b, and 262c may emit infrared light to the floor surface using an infrared sensor using infrared range light, and detect the distance from the floor surface by using the reflected infrared light. The optical sensors 262a, 262b, and 262c may be configured with the same type of sensor, for example, the same type of infrared sensor, or configured with different types of sensors.

[0231] The floor detection sensor 262 may include a tilt sensor 262d, which is configured to measure the tilt angle of the robot cleaner 200, that is, the tilt formed between the main body 2 and the horizontal surface. For example, the tilt sensor 262d can adopt a tilt switch, an acceleration sensor, and a gyro sensor. When the tilt angle of the main body 2 is equal to or greater than a specific angle, the tilt switch can be turned on, and when the tilt angle of the main body 2 is less than a specific angle, the tilt switch can be turned off. The acceleration sensor can detect the change in the moving speed of the main body 2 and the acceleration of the gravity applied to the main body 2, and the gyro sensor can detect the rotation direction and rotation angle according to the movement of the main body 2. The technology of measuring the tilt by using a tilt switch, an acceleration sensor, and a gyro sensor is well known in the art, so its detailed description will be omitted.

[0232] The distance or angle detected by the floor detection sensor 262 may be transmitted to the controller 230 .

[0233] The visual sensor 263 may be configured as a device (e.g., a camera) capable of acquiring image data and installed on the upper portion of the body 2 to identify the position of the robot cleaner 200. The visual sensor 263 may extract feature points from the image data of the upper portion of the robot cleaner 200 and identify the position of the robot cleaner 200 by using the feature points. Position information detected by the visual sensor 263 may be transmitted to the controller 230.

[0234] The sensor values ​​of the sensor 260 (e.g., the sensor values ​​of the obstacle detection sensor 261, the floor detection sensor 262, and the visual sensor 263) may be transmitted to the controller 230, and the controller 230 may generate a map of the cleaning area based on the sensor values. A map generation method based on sensor values ​​is a known technology, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Fig. 22 An example of sensor 260 is shown, and sensor 260 may further include different types of sensors, or some of those sensors may be omitted from sensor 260, as long as there is one sensor capable of generating a map of the cleaning area.

[0235] Fig.23 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of a driver. Fig.23 The driver 270 may include a driving wheel driver 271 configured to control driving of the driving wheel assembly 30 , a main brush driver 272 configured to control driving of the main brush 20 , and a side brush driver 273 configured to control driving of the side brush assembly 10 .

[0236] The driving wheel driver 271 can allow the robot cleaner 200 to move by controlling the driving wheels 33 and 35 installed on the lower part of the main body 2 under the control of the controller 230. When the user's "map generation" command or "cleaning start" command is transmitted to the robot cleaner 200, the driving wheel driver 271 can control the driving of the driving wheels 33 and 35, and thus the robot cleaner 200 can be driven in the cleaning area. The driving wheel driver 271 may be included in the driving wheel assembly 30 and then modularized.

[0237] The main brush driver 272 may drive the roller 22 mounted to the side of the suction port 23 of the main body 2 under the control of the controller 230. According to the rotation of the roller 22, the main brush 21 may clean the floor surface while rotating. The side brush driver 273 may drive the rotating shaft 11 of the side brush assembly 10 under the control of the controller 230. The side brush 12 may rotate by the rotation of the rotating shaft 11 and clean the floor surface. When the side arm 13 is provided, the side brush driver 273 may control the driving of the side arm 13 under the control of the controller 230. When the user's “cleaning start” command is transmitted to the robot cleaner 200, the main brush driver 272 may control the driving of the roller 22, and the main brush driver 272 may control the driving of the rotating shaft 11 or the side arm 13.

[0238] The controller 230 may control the entire operation of the robot cleaner 200. The controller 230 may control each component of the robot cleaner 200, such as the communicator 220, the driver 270, and the memory 240.

[0239] The controller 230 may generate a control signal for the driver 270. For example, when a "map generation" command is received, the controller 230 may generate a control signal for the driving wheel driver 271 so that the driving wheel driver 271 drives the driving wheels 33 and 35. During the driving of the driving wheels 33 and 35, the controller 230 may receive a sensor value from the sensor 260 and then generate a map of the cleaning area based on the sensor value. When a "cleaning start" command is received, the controller 230 may control the main brush driver 272 so that the main brush driver 272 drives the main brush 20. The controller 230 may control the side brush driver 273 so that the side brush driver 273 drives the side brush assembly 10.

[0240] The controller 230 may generate a control signal for the communicator 220. When a "map generation" command is received, the controller 230 may generate a map of the cleaning area based on the sensor value, and the controller 230 may control the communicator 220 so that the communicator 220 sends the generated map to the terminal device 100a. When a "schedule recommendation" command is received, the controller 230 may generate a control signal for sending cleaning history data.

[0241] During the cleaning process, the controller 230 may determine whether the environment does not match. When the environment does not match, the controller 230 may control the communicator 220 so that the communicator 220 sends a message indicating that the environment does not match to the terminal device 100a. The user may confirm the message indicating that the environment does not match and determine whether to update the map. When a "map update" command is received, the controller 230 may update the map based on the user's command. When the environment does not match, the controller 230 may automatically update the map.

[0242] Fig.24 and Fig.25 is a view showing a map update process.

[0243] Reference Fig.24 and Fig.25 , the map generated by the controller 230 or transmitted from the terminal device 100a may form coordinates with respect to the cleaning starting point of the robot cleaner 200 as the origin. Fig.24 As shown, when it is assumed that the cleaning area is formed by Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4, and Z5, and when the S1 point of the Z5 area is the cleaning starting point of the robot cleaner 200, the map can form coordinates relative to the S1 point as the origin (0,0). That is, any point in the map can have a coordinate value with respect to the S1 point as the origin (0,0). The cleaning starting point may be the position of the base.

[0244] When the environment of the robot cleaner 200 changes, that is, when the cleaning starting point of the robot cleaner 200 changes, the robot cleaner 200 cannot be driven according to the coordinate values ​​of the map. For example, although the robot cleaner 200 determines the position and direction of the target point according to the coordinate values ​​of the map, and then the robot cleaner 200 moves to the determined position and direction, the robot cleaner 200 may not reach the target point. Therefore, the robot cleaner 200 may need to perform coordinate transformation according to the change of the environment of the robot cleaner 200, wherein performing coordinate transformation may be referred to as "map update".

[0245] like Fig.25 As shown, when the cleaning start position is changed from point S1 to point S2 in the Z5 zone, the controller 230 may automatically perform coordinate conversion with respect to point S2 as the origin (0,0) and update the map according to a user command or regardless of a user command.

[0246] During the cleaning, the controller 230 may determine whether there is an area that cannot be cleaned. When there is an area that cannot be cleaned, the controller 230 may control the communicator 220 so that the communicator 220 sends a message indicating that there is an area that cannot be cleaned. The user may confirm that there is an area that cannot be cleaned and determine whether to move the cleaning area. When the "area move" command is received, the controller 230 may generate a control signal for moving to a cleaning area of ​​the next priority based on a user command. When there is an area that cannot be cleaned, the controller 230 may automatically generate a control signal for moving to a cleaning area of ​​the next priority.

[0247] The controller 230 may generate a control signal for the memory 240. The controller 230 may generate a control signal so that the memory 240 stores the generated map. The controller 230 may generate a control signal so that the memory 240 stores the map and the cleaning schedule transmitted from the terminal device 100a.

[0248] The controller 230 may be various types of processors including at least one chip on which an integrated circuit is formed. The controller 230 may be provided in one processor or respectively provided in a plurality of processors.

[0249] The memory 240 may temporarily or non-temporarily store data and programs for the operation of the robot cleaner 200. For example, the memory 240 may temporarily or non-temporarily store the state value of the robot cleaner 200. The memory 240 may store cleaning history data, and the cleaning history data may be updated periodically or irregularly. When the controller 230 generates a map or updates a map, the memory 240 may store the generated map or the updated map. The memory 240 may store a map or a cleaning schedule sent from the terminal device 100a.

[0250] The memory 240 may store a program for generating or updating a map. In addition, the memory 240 may store a program for generating or updating cleaning history data. The memory 240 may store a program for determining whether the environment matches, or a program for determining whether it is an area that cannot be cleaned.

[0251] The memory 240 may include at least one storage medium of a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro, a card type memory (e.g., an SD or XD memory), a random access memory (RAM), a static memory random access memory (SRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk. However, the type of the memory 240 is not limited thereto, so it may be implemented in any other form known in the art. The memory 240 may operate a web memory that performs a storage function on the Internet.

[0252] Fig.26 is a view showing a control system of a robot cleaner according to another embodiment, Fig. 27 1 is a control block diagram showing a control system of a robot cleaner according to another embodiment. In describing a control system of a robot cleaner according to another embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the same or similar structures and functions as those of the above-described embodiment, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0253] refer to Fig.26 and 27 , the control system 1 of the robot cleaner may include a robot cleaner 200 and a control device configured to control the robot cleaner 200 , wherein the control device may be provided in the type of an input device 100 b , such as a remote controller.

[0254] The input device 100 b may include an input device communicator 120 b , an input device controller 130 b , and an input device input terminal 111 b , and the robot cleaner 200 may include a power supply 250 , a sensor 260 , a communicator 220 , a controller 230 , a user interface unit 210 , a driver 270 , and a memory 240 .

[0255] The input device controller 130b may control the input device communicator 120b such that the input device communicator 120b transmits a user command input via the input device input terminal 111b to the robot cleaner 200. The input device controller 130b may be various types of processors including at least one chip on which an integrated circuit is formed.

[0256] The input device input terminal 111b may include various buttons or hardware devices for input from the user, such as switches, pedals, keyboards, mice, trackballs, various levers, handles and joysticks. The input device input terminal 111b may include a graphical user interface (GUI), such as a touch pad, i.e., a software device for input from the user.

[0257] Fig.26 Only an example of the input device input terminal 111b is shown, so the input device input terminal 111b may have the same Fig.26 The input device input terminal 111b has a different shape. Fig.26 In the figure, the input device input terminal 111b is shown as a button type, but the input device input terminal 111b can be provided in different types, as described above. In addition to the above buttons, another input button, such as a "save" button, can be included, or some input buttons can be omitted.

[0258] The input device communicator 120b may transmit a user command input via the input device input terminal 111b to the robot cleaner 200 according to a control signal. The input device communicator 120b may input a user command such as a power on / off command of the robot cleaner 200, a cleaning start or end command, a map download command, a map generation command, a map editing command, a schedule setting command, a schedule recommendation command, and a schedule editing command.

[0259] The input device communicator 120 b may include a short-range communication module such as Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Ultra Wideband (UWB), or ZigBee.

[0260] The robot cleaner 200 may include a user interface unit 210. The user interface unit 210 may include an input terminal 211 configured to receive a user command and a display 212 configured to display various states of the robot cleaner 200. The screen via the terminal device display 112a according to the above-mentioned embodiment may be displayed on the display 212 of the robot cleaner 200, and a detailed description thereof will be described later.

[0261] The input terminal 211 may include various buttons or hardware devices for user input, such as switches, pedals, keyboards, mice, trackballs, various levers, handles and joysticks. The terminal device input terminal 111a may include a graphical user interface (GUI), such as a touch pad, i.e., a software device for user input. The touch pad may be implemented as a touch screen panel (TSP) and forms a common layer structure with the terminal device display 112a.

[0262] The display 212 may include a cathode ray tube (CRT), a digital light processing (DLP) panel, a plasma display panel, a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, an electroluminescent (EL) panel, an electrophoretic display (EPD) panel, an electrochromic display (ECD) panel, a light emitting diode (LED) panel, or an organic light emitting diode (OLED) panel, but is not limited thereto.

[0263] As described above, when the display 212 is implemented by a touch screen panel (TSP) having a common layer structure with a touch pad, the display 212 can be used as an input terminal as well as a display. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, it is assumed that the display 212 is configured as a touch screen panel.

[0264] The power source 250 may be provided as a rechargeable battery, and is configured to provide driving power to drive the robot cleaner 200 .

[0265] The communicator 220 may receive user commands from the input device 100b. For example, the communicator 220 may receive user commands such as a "power on / off" command, a "cleaning start", a "cleaning end" command, a "map download" command, a "map generation" command, a "map editing" command, a "schedule setting" command, a "schedule recommendation" command, and a "schedule editing" command via the input device 100b.

[0266] The communicator 220 can send and receive various signals and data to / from an external device (eg, a base) or an external server (eg, a web server and a mobile communication server) through wired and / or wireless communication. The communicator 220 can download a map of the cleaning area from an external server.

[0267] The communicator 220 may include various communication modules, for example, a wireless Internet module, a short-range communication module, and a mobile communication module. The description of the wireless Internet module, the short-range communication module, and the mobile communication module is the same as the above description.

[0268] The sensor 260 may detect whether there is an obstacle in the driving path, the distance to the obstacle, the distance to the floor surface, the inclination of the robot cleaner 200, and the position of the robot cleaner 200. The sensor 260 may include at least one of the following: an obstacle detection sensor 261 configured to detect an obstacle placed in front of or on the side of the robot cleaner 200, a floor detection sensor 262 configured to detect the distance between the floor surface and the robot cleaner 200 or the inclination of the robot cleaner 200, and a visual sensor 263 configured to detect the position of the robot cleaner 200. The description of the obstacle detection sensor 261, the floor detection sensor 262, and the visual sensor 263 has been described above, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0269] Sensor values ​​of the sensors 260 , ie, sensor values ​​of the obstacle detection sensor 261 , the floor detection sensor 262 , and the vision sensor 263 , may be transmitted to the controller 230 , and the controller 230 may generate a map of the cleaning area based on the sensor values.

[0270] The driver 270 may include a driving wheel driver 271 configured to control driving of the driving wheel assembly 30 , a main brush driver 272 configured to control driving of the main brush 20 , and a side brush driver 273 configured to control driving of the side brush assembly 10 .

[0271] The controller 230 may control the entire operation of the robot cleaner 200. The controller 230 may control each component of the robot cleaner 200, ie, the driver 270, the communicator 220, the display 212, and the memory 240.

[0272] The controller 230 may generate a control signal for the driver 270. For example, when the user inputs a "map generation" command, the controller 230 may generate a control signal for the driver 270 so that the driver 270 drives the driving wheels 33 and 35. During the driving of the driving wheels 33 and 35, the controller 230 may receive a sensor value from the sensor 260 and then generate a map of the cleaning area based on the sensor value. When the user inputs a "cleaning start" command, the controller 230 may control the main brush driver 272 so that the main brush driver 272 drives the main brush 20. The controller 230 may control the side brush driver 273 so that the side brush driver 273 drives the side brush assembly 10.

[0273] The controller 230 may generate a control signal for the communicator 220. For example, when the user inputs a "map download" command, the controller 230 may generate a control signal so that the communicator 220 downloads a map of the cleaning area from an external server.

[0274] The controller 230 may generate a control signal for the display 212. For example, the controller 230 may generate a control signal so that the display 212 outputs a screen corresponding to the user input, or the display 212 changes a screen corresponding to the user input. The controller 230 may generate a control signal so that the display 212 displays a generated map, a downloaded map, or a stored or edited map. The controller 230 may generate a control signal so that the display 212 displays a set cleaning schedule or a stored or edited cleaning schedule.

[0275] The controller 230 may generate a control signal for the memory 240. The controller 230 may generate a control signal so that the memory 240 stores a downloaded map, a generated map, or an edited map. The controller 230 may generate a control signal so that the memory 240 stores a set cleaning schedule or an edited cleaning schedule.

[0276] The communicator 220 may generate a cleaning order and a cleaning schedule based on the cleaning history data. When the user inputs "schedule recommendation", the controller 230 may generate a cleaning schedule suitable for the current state of the robot cleaner 200 (eg, the charging state of the power supply 250) based on the received cleaning history data.

[0277] During the cleaning process, the controller 230 may determine whether the environment matches. When the environment does not match, the controller 230 may automatically update the map. During the cleaning process, the controller 230 may determine whether there is an area that cannot be cleaned. When there is an area that cannot be cleaned, the controller 230 may automatically generate a control signal configured to move to a cleaning area of ​​the next priority.

[0278] The controller 230 may be various types of processors including at least one chip on which an integrated circuit is formed. The controller 230 may be provided in one processor or respectively provided in a plurality of processors.

[0279] The memory 240 may temporarily or non-temporarily store data and programs for the operation of the robot cleaner 200. For example, the memory 240 may temporarily or non-temporarily store the state value of the robot cleaner 200. The memory 240 may store cleaning history data, and the cleaning history data may be updated periodically or irregularly. When the communicator 220 downloads a map, or when the controller 230 generates a map or updates a map, the memory 240 may store the downloaded map, the generated map, or the updated map. The memory 240 may store an edited map. The memory 240 may store a set cleaning schedule and an edited cleaning schedule.

[0280] The memory 240 may store a program for generating a map or updating a map. The memory 240 may store a program for generating or updating cleaning history data. The memory 240 may store a program for generating a cleaning schedule based on cleaning history data. The memory 240 may store a program for outputting a screen or switching screens based on user input. The memory 240 may store a program for determining whether an environment matches, or a program for determining whether it is an area that cannot be cleaned. The implementation of the memory 240 is the same as the above-mentioned embodiment, and its detailed description will be omitted.

[0281] In the following, reference will be made to Figure 28-35 The user interface unit 210 for map management and schedule management is described.

[0282] Fig.28 is a view showing a configuration of a user interface of the robot cleaner.

[0283] refer to Fig.28 The user interface unit 210 may include an input terminal 211 and a display 212. The input terminal 211 may be provided with a plurality of buttons. In this case, the buttons may be hardware buttons or software buttons. Fig.28 As shown, the input terminal 211 may include a "home screen" button for returning to the main screen, a start / end button for starting cleaning or completing cleaning, and a "previous screen" button for returning to the previous screen.

[0284] Since the display 212 is configured with a touch screen panel, the display 212 can detect the user's input. Fig.28 As shown, the main screen of the display 212 may include a "map management" icon 360 and a "schedule management" icon 370. In addition, in the upper end of the display 212, the charging state of the power source 250, that is, the remaining amount of the battery indicator 390a may be displayed.

[0285] The user can change the screen of the display 212 to the map management screen by selecting the “Map Management” icon 360 . Fig.25 is a diagram showing a screen for map management.

[0286] refer to Fig.29 , a battery remaining amount 390a may be displayed at the upper end of the display 212. On the lower side, a "map download" icon 361a, a "map generation" icon 361b, and a "map edit" icon 361c may be sequentially displayed.

[0287] The user may allow the robot cleaner 200 to download a map of the cleaning area by selecting the "map download" icon 361a. The robot cleaner 200 may download a map of the cleaning area from an external server through the communicator 220 according to the user's selection of the "map download" icon 361a, and the memory 240 may temporarily or non-temporarily store the downloaded map. The downloaded map may be displayed on the display 212, such as Fig.30 shown.

[0288] Fig.30 is a diagram showing a screen of a display showing a downloaded map, Fig.31 is a diagram showing an example of map editing.

[0289] refer to Fig.30 , the remaining amount of the battery indicator 390a and the "save" icon 390b may be displayed at the upper end of the display 212. That is, when the "save" icon 390b is selected, the map displayed on the display 212 may be stored in the memory 240.

[0290] In the lower side of the “Save” icon 390b, a map 362a downloaded via the communicator 220 may be displayed. As described above, the map 162a downloaded from the external server may be provided in a format that is not recognizable by the robot cleaner 200. In this case, the user may be required to process or edit the map 362a into a format recognized by the robot cleaner 200.

[0291] To this end, the user can refer to the downloaded map 362a to draw a line along the periphery of the area to be cleaned, and display the outline. At least one cleaning area can be set by the outline displayed by the user, and the name used to distinguish each area, such as Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4 and Z5, can be displayed while setting the cleaning area. The name of each area can be automatically generated and then displayed by the controller 230, or the name of each area can be displayed according to the manual input of the user. In addition, by entering the horizontal and vertical lengths of the cleaning area or the area of ​​the cleaning area, the map can be edited into a format that can be recognized by the robot cleaner 200. At this time, the user can enter the length or area of ​​the entire cleaning area, or the length or area of ​​each cleaning area.

[0292] The user may further perform editing to divide or merge cleaning areas on the edited map 362b, and the user may store the edited map 362b by clicking a 'Save' icon 390b.

[0293] As described above, map editing may include converting a map format into a format of the robot cleaner 200, dividing a cleaning area, and merging divided cleaning areas, but is not limited thereto. Map editing may include other types of editing, such as deleting a portion of a cleaning area.

[0294] Reference again Fig.29 , the user may select the "map generation" icon 361b so that the robot cleaner 200 generates a map of the cleaning area. The user may input a command configured to generate a map of the cleaning area by selecting the "map generation" icon 361b, and the controller 230 may generate a control signal for the driving wheel driver 271 in response to the command so that the driving wheel driver 271 drives the driving wheels 33 and 35. During the driving of the driving wheels 33 and 35, the controller 230 may receive a sensor value from the sensor 260 and generate a map of the cleaning area based on the sensor value.

[0295] The generated map may be temporarily or non-temporarily stored in the memory 240 and may be used as described above. Fig.31 As shown, the generated map can be displayed on the display 212. Meanwhile, since the generated map is provided in a format recognized by the robot cleaner 200, the user does not need to perform editing for converting the format. However, the user can perform editing such as dividing, merging, or deleting the cleaning area. The edited map can be manually stored according to the user's command or automatically stored regardless of the user's command.

[0296] like Fig.29 As shown, the user can edit the map stored in the memory 240 by selecting the "map edit" icon 361c. At this time, the stored map may represent the final stored map. Therefore, the stored map may include a map downloaded from an external server, a map generated by the controller 230, or a map edited in a downloaded map or a generated map. When the user selects the "map edit" icon 361c, the display 212 may display the final stored map on the screen and wait for the user's editing.

[0297] Reference again Fig.28 , the user can change the screen of the display 212 to the schedule management screen by selecting the “schedule management” icon 370 . Fig.32 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for schedule management.

[0298] like Fig.32As shown, the display 212 may display the remaining amount of the battery indicator 390a, and on the lower side, the display 212 may sequentially display a 'schedule setting' icon 371a, a 'schedule recommendation' icon 371b, and a 'schedule editing' icon 371c.

[0299] The user can set the cleaning schedule for the cleaning area by selecting the "schedule setting" icon 371a. According to the user's selection of the "schedule setting" icon 371a, the display 212 can change as follows: Fig.33a The screen shown.

[0300] Fig.33a : is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen of a cleaning schedule.

[0301] refer to Fig.33a , a “save” icon 390c may be displayed together with the remaining amount of the battery indicator 390a at the upper end of the display 212. The “save” icon 390c may be configured to store the set cleaning schedule, and when the “save” icon 390c is selected, the cleaning schedule set via the display 212 may be stored in the memory 240.

[0302] On the lower side of the "Save" icon 390c, a table for setting a cleaning schedule, i.e., a "Schedule" 372, may be displayed. The schedule 372 may include an "Area" 372a, an "Area Name" 372b, a "Cleaning Order" 372c, a "Cleaning Time" 372d, and a "Cleaning Cycle" 372e. In the "Area" 372a, a cleaning area may be displayed, such as a plurality of cleaning areas Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4, and Z5 forming the map. In this case, the map may represent a map that is finally stored. The user may newly input a function name of a cleaning area in the "Area Name" 372b.

[0303] When the user selects the "schedule setting" icon 371a, the controller 230 may randomly generate a cleaning schedule and control the display 212 so that the display 212 displays a schedule corresponding to the cleaning schedule. That is, the display 212 may display the schedule as follows: Fig.33a Random schedule 372 is shown.

[0304] By corresponding to the cleaning areas Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4 and Z5, the "area name" 372b can be generated and displayed as Room 1, Room 2, Room 3, Room 4 and Room 5, the "cleaning order" 372c can be generated and displayed as 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, the "cleaning time" 372d can be generated and displayed as 10AM, continuous, continuous, continuous and continuous, and the "cleaning cycle" 372e can be generated and displayed as every day, every day, every day and every day.

[0305] The user can complete the setting of the cleaning schedule by selecting the unit to be changed from the randomly displayed schedule table 372 and changing to the desired name, desired order, desired time and desired cycle. The detailed description of setting the cleaning schedule corresponds to the above Figure 14a-18 , so its detailed description will be omitted.

[0306] Figure 33b : is a diagram showing an example of a screen on which setting of a cleaning schedule is completed.

[0307] refer to Figure 33b , the area names 372b of unit A, unit B, and unit C can be changed from "room 3" to "kitchen", from "room 4" to "room 3", and from "room 5" to "living room". The cleaning order 372c of unit D and unit E can be changed from "4" to "3" and from "3" to "4". The cleaning time 372d of unit F can be changed from "10AM" to "2PM", and the cleaning cycle 372e of unit G can be changed from "every day" to "every other day". According to the setting of the cleaning schedule, the display 212 can display the schedule 372 according to the cleaning schedule, that is, Figure 33b A schedule 372 of changes is shown.

[0308] The user may store the set cleaning schedule by clicking the “Save” icon 390 b .

[0309] Reference again Fig.32 , the user can select the “schedule recommendation” icon 371b so that a cleaning schedule suitable for the state of the robot cleaner 200 is generated and recommended. By selecting the “schedule recommendation” icon 371b, the user can input a command configured to recommend a cleaning schedule. The controller 230 can generate a cleaning schedule suitable for the current state of the robot cleaner 200 (e.g., the charging state of the power supply 250, the remaining battery amount, or the available time for cleaning) based on the cleaning history data (e.g., the area of ​​the cleaning area, the driving speed for the cleaning area, the power consumption, and the required cleaning time), and control the display 212 so that the display 212 displays the cleaning schedule.

[0310] The user may store the cleaning schedule generated and recommended based on the cleaning history data without change, or the user may store the cleaning schedule after changing a part or all of the cleaning schedule.

[0311] refer to Fig.32, the user can edit the cleaning schedule stored in the memory 240 by selecting the "Schedule Edit" icon 371c. When the user selects the "Schedule Edit" icon 371c, the display 212 can display the stored cleaning schedule in the form of a schedule 372 and wait for the user's editing or change input. At this time, the stored cleaning schedule can represent the final stored cleaning schedule.

[0312] The user can allow the robot cleaner 200 to start cleaning or finish cleaning by selecting a "Start / End" button among the plurality of buttons. When the robot cleaner 200 performs cleaning, the content of the user selecting the "Start / End" button may be the same as inputting a cleaning end command. When the cleaning end command is input from the user, the robot cleaner 200 may end cleaning and move to the base in response to the command.

[0313] When the robot cleaner 200 does not perform cleaning, the content of the user selecting the "Start / End" button may be the same as inputting a cleaning start command. When the cleaning start command is input from the user, the controller 230 may send a control signal configured to start cleaning according to a stored map and a stored cleaning schedule to the driver 270. The stored map may represent a final stored map, and the stored cleaning schedule may represent a final stored cleaning schedule.

[0314] During the cleaning process of the robot cleaner 200, there may be a situation where the received information does not match the actual cleaning environment. For example, according to the change of the position of the base, the cleaning start position of the robot cleaner 200 may change, and the distance between the cleaning start position and each cleaning area may change. That is, the robot cleaner 200 cannot perform cleaning based on the received map. In this case, in response to the control signal of the controller 230, the display 212 may output the following information: Fig.34 The screen shown.

[0315] Fig.34 It is a view showing mismatched screens according to environments.

[0316] refer to Fig.34 , the display 212 may display a phrase "The environment does not match. Do you want to update the map?" and a "yes" icon and a "no" icon, which are configured to input a user answer as to whether to update the map. That is, when the user inputs "no", the robot cleaner 200 may stop the currently performed cleaning based on the user command and move to the base. When the user inputs "yes", the robot cleaner 200 may perform coordinate conversion and update the map based on the user command. The robot cleaner 200 may complete the currently performed cleaning based on the updated map.

[0317] During the cleaning process performed by the robot cleaner 200, areas that cannot be cleaned may occur. Figure 33b As shown, when the entrance of the Z1 area set as the first cleaning area is closed, the robot cleaner 200 may not be allowed to enter the Z1 area, so the robot cleaner 200 cannot perform cleaning. In this case, in response to the control signal of the controller 230, the display 212 may output Fig.35 The screen in

[0318] Fig.35 is a diagram showing the screen of a display that cannot be cleaned.

[0319] refer to Fig.35 , the display 212 may display the phrase "There is an area that cannot be cleaned. Do you want to change the area?" and a "Yes" icon and a "No" icon, which are configured to input a user answer as to whether to change the area. That is, when the user inputs "No", the robot cleaner 200 may stop the currently performed cleaning based on the user command and move to the base. When the user inputs "Yes", the robot cleaner 200 may move to the next cleaning area based on the received cleaning schedule and then perform cleaning. In the above example, in a state where cleaning of the Z1 area cannot be performed, when the user inputs "Yes", the robot cleaner 200 may move to the next cleaning area, i.e., the Z2 area, and then perform cleaning of the Z2 area.

[0320] In the above, reference has been made to Figure 28-35 The user interface unit 210 of the robot cleaner 200, the control of the robot cleaner 200 via the user interface unit 210, and the output screen of the display 212 are described. However, the user may input a user command via the input terminal 211 and control the robot cleaner 200. In this case, the output screen of the display 212 may be different from the Figure 28-35 Therefore, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0321] Hereinabove, the control system 1 of the robot cleaner 200 having the robot cleaner 200 and the control device controlling the robot cleaner 200 has been described with the block diagram shown, and hereinafter the control method of the robot cleaner will be described with a given flowchart.

[0322] Fig.36 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of the robot cleaner according to an embodiment. Fig.36 Flowchart 710 shows a control method of a robot cleaner for map management.

[0323] refer to Fig.36 , the terminal device 100a may determine whether a “map download” command is received from the user (711).

[0324] When receiving the “map download” command, the terminal device 100a may download a map of the cleaning area from an external server (eg, a web server or a mobile communication server) ( 712 ).

[0325] When the 'map download' command is not received, the terminal device 100a may determine whether a 'map generation' command is received from the user (713).

[0326] When receiving the “map generation” command, the terminal device 100a may transmit the “map generation” command to the robot cleaner 200 and receive a map of the cleaning area generated in response to the command ( 714 ).

[0327] When the 'map generation' command is not received, the process may proceed to operation 716. That is, the terminal device 100a may determine whether a 'map editing' command is received from the user (716).

[0328] When the terminal device 100a receives a map from an external server or the robot cleaner 200 according to the operations from 712 to 714, the terminal device 100a may store the received map in the terminal device memory 140a and display the received map on the terminal device display 112a (715). At this time, the map may be stored or displayed according to the user input, or may be stored or displayed regardless of the user input.

[0329] Next, the terminal device 100a may determine whether a “map edit” command is received from the user ( 716 ).

[0330] When receiving the "map edit" command, the terminal device 100a may determine whether a stored map exists in the terminal device memory 140a (717).

[0331] When the stored map exists in the terminal device memory 140a, the terminal device 100a can edit the stored map and store the edited map (718). At this time, the map to be edited can represent the final stored map. The terminal device 100a can edit the map, for example, convert the map format into the format of the robot cleaner 200, divide the cleaning area, merge the divided cleaning areas, and delete part of the cleaning area.

[0332] When the stored map does not exist in the terminal device memory 140a, the process may proceed to an end operation. In addition, when a "map edit" command is received according to the determination result of operation 716, the process may proceed to an end operation.

[0333] Fig.37is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a robot cleaner according to another embodiment. Fig.37 720 in FIG. 7 shows a control method of a robot cleaner for map management according to another embodiment. Fig.37 The user command in may be input via the input device 100 b or directly input to the robot cleaner 200 .

[0334] refer to Fig.37 , the robot cleaner 200 may determine whether a “map download” command is received from the user ( 721 )

[0335] When receiving the 'map download' command, the robot cleaner 200 may download a map of the cleaning area from an external server (eg, a web server or a mobile communication server) (722).

[0336] When the 'map download' command is not received, the robot cleaner 200 may determine whether a 'map generation' command is received from the user ( 723 ).

[0337] When the "map generation" command is received, the robot cleaner 200 may generate a map of the cleaning area in response to the user command (724). The robot cleaner 200 may drive the driving wheels 33 and 35. During the driving of the driving wheels 33 and 35, the robot cleaner 200 may generate a map of the cleaning area based on the sensor value of the sensor 260.

[0338] When the 'map generation' command is not received, the procedure may proceed to operation 726 , that is, the robot cleaner 200 may determine whether a 'map editing' command is received from the user ( 726 ).

[0339] When downloading the map or generating the map according to the operations from 722 to 724 is completed, the robot cleaner 200 may store the downloaded map or generated map in the memory 240 and display the downloaded map or generated map 212 on the display (725). At this time, the map may be stored or displayed according to the user input, or may be stored or displayed regardless of the user input.

[0340] Next, the robot cleaner 200 may determine whether a “map edit” command is received from the user ( 726 ).

[0341] When receiving the 'map edit' command, the robot cleaner 200 may determine whether a stored map exists in the memory 240 ( 727 ).

[0342] When the stored map exists in the memory 240, the robot cleaner 200 may edit the stored map and store the edited map (728). At this time, the map to be edited may represent the final stored map. The robot cleaner 200 may edit the map, for example, convert the map format into the format of the robot cleaner 200, divide the cleaning area, merge the divided cleaning areas, and delete a part of the cleaning area.

[0343] When the stored map does not exist in the memory 240, the process may proceed to an end operation. In addition, when a "map edit" command is received according to the determination of operation 726, the process may proceed to an end operation.

[0344] Fig.38 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a robot cleaner according to an alternative another embodiment. Fig.38 The flowchart 730 in FIG. 7 shows a control method of a robot cleaner for schedule management according to another alternative embodiment. Fig.38 The user command in may be input via the control device (ie, the terminal device 100a or the input device 100b) or directly input to the robot cleaner 200. It may be assumed that Fig.38 The object of the operation is the terminal device 100a or the robot cleaner 200. That is, when a user command is input via the terminal device 100a, the terminal device 100a can become the object of the operation, and when a user command is input via the input device 100b or a user command is directly input to the robot cleaner 200, the robot cleaner 200 can become the object of the operation.

[0345] refer to Fig.38 , the terminal device 100a or the robot cleaner 200 may determine whether a 'schedule setting' command is received from the user (731).

[0346] When receiving the “schedule setting” command, the terminal device 100a or the robot cleaner 200 may display a setting screen for setting a cleaning schedule ( 732 ). The terminal device 100a may display the setting screen on the terminal device display 112a . The robot cleaner 200 may display the setting screen on the display 212 .

[0347] When the 'schedule setting' command is not received, the terminal apparatus 100a or the robot cleaner 200 may determine whether a 'schedule recommendation' command is received from the user (733).

[0348] When receiving the 'schedule recommendation' command, the terminal apparatus 100a or the robot cleaner 200 may display a recommended cleaning schedule (734).

[0349] When a "schedule recommendation" command is received via the terminal device 100a, the terminal device 100a may send the user command to the robot cleaner 200, and the robot cleaner 200 may send cleaning history data having a current state value of the robot cleaner 200. The terminal device 100a may receive the cleaning history data, and based on the received cleaning history data, generate a cleaning schedule suitable for the state of the robot cleaner 200. The terminal device 100a may display the generated cleaning schedule on the terminal device display 112a as a recommended cleaning schedule.

[0350] When the robot cleaner 200 receives a “schedule recommendation” command via the input device 100b, or when the robot cleaner 200 directly receives the “schedule recommendation” command, the robot cleaner 200 may generate a cleaning schedule suitable for the state of the robot cleaner 200 based on the cleaning history data pre-stored in the memory 240. The robot cleaner 200 may display the generated cleaning schedule on the display 212 as a recommended cleaning schedule.

[0351] After displaying the setting screen at operation 732, after displaying the recommended schedule at operation 734, or when the 'schedule recommendation' command is not received according to the determination result of operation 733, the terminal device 100a or the robot cleaner 200 may determine whether to receive a 'schedule editing' command (735).

[0352] When the 'schedule edit' command is received, the terminal apparatus 100a or the robot cleaner 200 may edit the cleaning schedule based on the user command and then store the edited cleaning schedule (736).

[0353] When the stored cleaning schedule exists in the terminal device memory 140a, the terminal device 100a can edit the stored cleaning schedule according to the user input. At this time, the cleaning schedule to be edited can represent the final stored cleaning schedule. Meanwhile, when the stored cleaning schedule does not exist in the terminal device memory 140a, the terminal device 100a can edit the randomly generated cleaning schedule according to the user input.

[0354] When the stored cleaning schedule exists in the memory 240, the robot cleaner 200 can edit the stored cleaning schedule according to the user input. At this time, the cleaning schedule to be edited can represent the final stored cleaning schedule. At the same time, when the stored cleaning schedule does not exist in the memory 240, the robot cleaner 200 can edit the randomly generated cleaning schedule according to the user input.

[0355] When it is determined that the “schedule edit” command is not received, the process may proceed to an end operation according to the determination result of operation 735 .

[0356] Fig.39 is a flow chart showing a control method of a robot cleaner according to another alternative embodiment. That is, Fig.39 Flowchart 740 in FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of the robot cleaner to determine whether the environment matches.

[0357] refer to Fig.39 , the robot cleaner 200 may determine whether a 'cleaning start' command is received ( 741 ).

[0358] When the "cleaning start" command is not received, the process may proceed to the end operation. When the "cleaning start" command is received, based on the map stored in the memory 240 and the stored cleaning schedule, the robot cleaner 200 may clean while moving in the cleaning area (742). At this time, the stored map may represent the final stored map, and the stored cleaning schedule may represent the final stored cleaning schedule. The robot cleaner 200 may move sequentially in the cleaning area based on the cleaning order included in the cleaning schedule.

[0359] When moving in the cleaning area, the robot cleaner 200 may determine whether the environment matches (743). That is, the robot cleaner 200 may determine whether the stored map matches the actual cleaning environment.

[0360] When the environments do not match, the robot cleaner 200 may perform coordinate conversion and update the stored map (745). In this case, the updated map may be stored in the memory 240, and the robot cleaner 200 may perform operation 742 again based on the updated map.

[0361] When the environments match, the robot cleaner 200 may clean the corresponding area ( 744 ).

[0362] When the cleaning of the corresponding area is completed, the robot cleaner 200 may determine whether there is another area to be cleaned based on the cleaning schedule (746). When there is no other area, the process may proceed to the end operation. On the contrary, when there is another area, the process may return to operation 742.

[0363] Fig.39 It is shown that the robot cleaner 200 automatically updates the map, but alternatively, the robot cleaner 200 may update the map based on a “map update” command from a user. Fig.39 It is shown that the robot cleaner 200 becomes the object of the operation, but the terminal device 100 a may become the object of the operation.

[0364] Fig.40 is a flow chart showing a control method of a robot cleaner according to another alternative embodiment. That is, Fig.40 Flowchart 750 in FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a control method of the robot cleaner to determine whether cleaning can be performed.

[0365] refer to Fig.40 , the robot cleaner 200 may determine whether a 'cleaning start' command is received ( 751 ).

[0366] When the "cleaning start" command is not received, the process may proceed to the end operation. When the "cleaning start" command is received, the robot cleaner 200 may perform cleaning (752) while moving in the cleaning area based on the map stored in the memory 240 and the stored cleaning schedule. At this time, the stored map may represent the final stored map, and the stored cleaning schedule may represent the final stored cleaning schedule. The robot cleaner 200 may move sequentially in the cleaning area based on the cleaning sequence included in the cleaning schedule.

[0367] While moving in the cleaning area, the robot cleaner 200 may determine whether the corresponding area can be cleaned ( 753 ).

[0368] When the corresponding area can be cleaned, the robot cleaner 200 may clean the corresponding area ( 754 ).

[0369] When it is determined that the corresponding area cannot be cleaned according to the determination result of operation 753, or when the cleaning of the corresponding area is completed according to operation 754, the robot cleaner 200 may determine whether there is another area to be cleaned based on the cleaning schedule (755). When there is no other area, the process may proceed to the end operation. On the contrary, when there is another area, the process may return to operation 752.

[0370] Fig.40 It is illustrated that the robot cleaner 200 automatically moves in the cleaning area, but alternatively, the robot cleaner 200 may move in the cleaning area based on an “area movement” command from a user. Fig.40 It is shown that the robot cleaner 200 becomes the object of the operation, but the terminal device 100 a may become the object of the operation.

[0371] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a robot cleaner, the method comprising: Get map information of the cleaning area; Dividing the cleaning area into a plurality of zones based on the obtained map information; based on a user input for editing the plurality of zones, editing the plurality of zones in the obtained map information and storing the edited map information; providing a user interface configured to receive a cleaning order, a cleaning time, and a cleaning cycle for each of the plurality of zones based on a user input for setting a cleaning schedule; receiving a cleaning sequence, a cleaning time, and a cleaning cycle for each of a plurality of zones; sending information to the robotic cleaner regarding a cleaning sequence, cleaning time, and cleaning cycle for each of the plurality of zones; and performing cleaning of the cleaning area by the robot cleaner based on information about a cleaning order, a cleaning time, and a cleaning cycle for each of the plurality of zones, Wherein, editing the plurality of zones comprises at least one of the following: dividing the plurality of zones, merging the plurality of zones, and deleting the plurality of zones. The method further includes, in response to reaching a zone in which cleaning is not executable during cleaning of the cleaning area, the robot cleaner moving to a next zone assigned to the zone in which cleaning is not executable in the cleaning order.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the user interface comprises: Display the cleaning order of multiple zones; and Based on the received command to change the cleaning order of a first zone among the plurality of zones to the cleaning order of a second zone, a cleaning order is displayed in which the cleaning order of the first zone is changed to the cleaning order of the second zone. 3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the user interface comprises displaying a function name of each of the plurality of zones. 4 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, in response to reaching a zone where cleaning cannot be performed during cleaning of the cleaning area, controlling the robot cleaner to stop the cleaning being performed and move to a base.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, in response to information about a cleaning environment acquired from at least one sensor during cleaning of the cleaning area not matching map information of the cleaning area, controlling the robot cleaner to stop cleaning being performed and move to a base. The method of claim 1 , further comprising updating, by the robot cleaner, the map information of the cleaning area in response to information about the cleaning environment acquired from at least one sensor during cleaning of the cleaning area not matching the map information of the cleaning area. 7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, upon receiving a user input of a recommended cleaning schedule, automatically setting a cleaning order, cleaning time, and cleaning cycle for the plurality of zones based on cleaning history data of the robot cleaner.

8. A system for controlling a robot cleaner, the system comprising a terminal device and a robot cleaner, The terminal device is configured as follows: Get map information of the cleaning area; Divide the cleaning area into multiple zones based on map information; based on a user input for editing the plurality of zones, editing the plurality of zones in the obtained map information; providing a user interface configured to receive a cleaning order, a cleaning time, and a cleaning cycle for each of the plurality of zones based on a user input for setting a cleaning schedule; receiving a cleaning sequence, a cleaning time, and a cleaning cycle for each of a plurality of zones; and sending information about a cleaning order, cleaning time, and cleaning cycle for each of a plurality of zones to a robot cleaner, wherein the robot cleaner is configured to perform cleaning of the cleaning area based on information received from the terminal device regarding a cleaning order, a cleaning time, and a cleaning cycle for each of the plurality of zones, Wherein, editing the plurality of zones comprises at least one of the following: dividing the plurality of zones, merging the plurality of zones, and deleting the plurality of zones. The robot cleaner is further configured to, in response to reaching a zone in which cleaning is not executable during cleaning of the cleaning area, move to a next zone assigned to the zone in which cleaning is not executable in the cleaning order.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein: The terminal device is configured as follows: Display the cleaning order of multiple zones; and Based on the received command to change the cleaning order of a first zone among the plurality of zones to the cleaning order of a second zone, a cleaning order is displayed in which the cleaning order of the first zone is changed to the cleaning order of the second zone.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein: The terminal device is configured to display a function name of each of the plurality of zones.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein: The robot cleaner is configured to stop the cleaning being performed and move to the base in response to reaching a zone where cleaning cannot be performed during cleaning of the cleaning area.

12. The system according to claim 8, wherein: The robot cleaner is configured to stop the cleaning being performed and move to a base in response to information about a cleaning environment acquired from at least one sensor during cleaning of the cleaning area not matching map information of the cleaning area.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein: The robot cleaner is configured to update map information of the cleaning area using at least one sensor in response to information about a cleaning environment acquired from the at least one sensor that does not match map information of the cleaning area during cleaning of the cleaning area.

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