Robot traveling by controlling TOF LiDAR sensor and control method thereof

Abstract

A robot traveling by controlling a ToF LiDAR sensor and a driving method thereof are provided. During the rotation of the TOF LiDAR sensor, the robot outputs the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor while switching the laser pulse signal of the short-distance pulse energy and the laser pulse signal of the long-distance pulse energy, and outputs the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor based on the reflected signal of the received laser pulse signal from the surrounding object of the robot. Distance information between the robot and an object around the robot is corrected, and a travel module is controlled such that the robot moves based on the corrected distance information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a robot, a control method of the robot, and a computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program for executing the control method of the robot. Background Art

[0002] Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors are a technology that uses laser signals to identify surrounding objects. When the pulsed laser signal emitted from the LiDAR sensor collides with and reflects from surrounding objects, the received reflected signal can be analyzed to identify the location, movement direction, speed, etc. of the surrounding objects, and a real-time map (two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D)) of the surrounding environment can be generated.

[0003] LiDAR sensors can be divided into a time-of-flight (TOF) method and a phase shift (PS) method according to the modulation method of the emitted laser signal. According to the TOF method, the distance to the object is measured based on the time period between the time point when the laser pulse signal is emitted from the LiDAR sensor and the time point when the laser pulse signal is reflected from the object within the measurement range and returns to the receiver of the LiDAR sensor. In addition, according to the PS method, the distance to the object is measured by emitting a laser beam modulated into a predetermined wave and considering the phase change amount between the emitted laser signal and the laser signal reflected and returned from the object. Summary of the invention

[0004] Technical issues

[0005] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a robot is provided, comprising: a drive module configured to move the robot; a time-of-flight (TOF) light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor; at least one memory storing one or more instructions; and at least one processor configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory to: obtain information related to the distance between the robot and surrounding objects of the robot; determine to change the energy of a laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor into a close-range pulse energy for a close-range object and a long-range pulse energy for a long-range object based on the obtained information related to the distance; output the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor by switching the laser pulse signal of the close-range pulse energy and the laser pulse signal of the long-range pulse energy while the TOF LiDAR sensor rotates; correct the information related to the distance between the robot and the surrounding objects of the robot based on a reflection signal of the laser pulse signal, the reflection signal being received from the surrounding objects of the robot; and control the drive module to move the robot based on the corrected information related to the distance.

[0006] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor is also configured to execute one or more instructions stored in at least one memory to: obtain information related to the distance between the robot and objects surrounding the robot by outputting a laser pulse signal with a default pulse energy to a peripheral position of the robot.

[0007] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor is also configured to execute one or more instructions stored in at least one memory to: obtain information related to the distance between the robot and the robot's surrounding objects based on a prestored map indicating the positions of the robot's surrounding objects and the robot's position on the prestored map.

[0008] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor is also configured to execute one or more instructions stored in at least one memory to: output a laser pulse signal with short-range pulse energy during a rotation cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor; and output a laser pulse signal with long-range pulse energy during a next rotation cycle of the rotation cycle.

[0009] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor is also configured to execute one or more instructions stored in at least one memory to: output a laser pulse signal with close-range pulse energy according to the angular range of a close-range object; and output a laser pulse signal with long-range pulse energy according to the angular range of a long-range object.

[0010] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor is also configured to execute one or more instructions stored in at least one memory to: generate a short-range map based on a reflection signal of a laser pulse signal with short-range pulse energy; generate a long-range map based on a reflection signal of a laser pulse signal with long-range pulse energy; and combine the short-range map with the long-range map to generate a map related to objects surrounding the robot.

[0011] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor is also configured to execute one or more instructions stored in at least one memory to: identify that the type of at least one object among the surrounding objects of the robot is a chair or a table; when a chair or a table is identified, start a strong cleaning mode for strong cleaning of the space between the chair legs or the table legs; and based on the start of the strong cleaning mode, output a laser pulse signal with short-range pulse energy during a rotation cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor, and output a laser pulse signal with long-range pulse energy during the next rotation cycle.

[0012] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor is also configured to execute one or more instructions stored in at least one memory to: identify obstacles among the surrounding objects of the robot; activate an obstacle contour following mode to deviate from a predetermined driving route and follow the contour of the identified obstacle; and based on the activation of the obstacle contour following mode, output a laser pulse signal with short-range pulse energy during a rotation cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor, and output a laser pulse signal with long-range pulse energy during the next rotation cycle.

[0013] According to one aspect of the embodiment, at least one processor is also configured to execute one or more instructions stored in at least one memory to: when the robot detects a docking guidance signal output from the charging station while the robot returns to the charging station to dock with the charging station, output a laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor based on the docking pulse energy, thereby reducing interference with the docking guidance signal.

[0014] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor is also configured to execute one or more instructions stored in at least one memory to: determine a cleaning area along which the robot is to move; and determine the size of the close-range pulse energy based on the size of the cleaning area.

[0015] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a driving method of a robot is provided, the driving method comprising: obtaining information related to the distance between the robot and objects surrounding the robot; determining, based on the obtained information related to the distance, to change the pulse energy of a laser pulse signal of a time-of-flight (TOF) light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor into a close-range pulse energy for close-range objects and a long-range pulse energy for long-range objects; outputting a laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor by switching a laser pulse signal of a close-range pulse energy and a laser pulse signal of a long-range pulse energy while the TOF LiDAR sensor rotates; correcting the information related to the distance between the robot and objects surrounding the robot based on a reflection signal of the laser pulse signal, the reflection signal being received from the objects surrounding the robot; and moving the robot based on the corrected information related to the distance.

[0016] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, obtaining information related to the distance between the robot and objects surrounding the robot includes: obtaining information related to the distance between the robot and objects surrounding the robot by outputting a laser pulse signal with a default pulse energy to a peripheral position of the robot.

[0017] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, obtaining information related to the distance between a robot and objects surrounding the robot includes: obtaining information related to the distance between the robot and objects surrounding the robot based on a prestored map indicating the positions of objects surrounding the robot and the position of the robot on the prestored map.

[0018] According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, outputting a laser pulse signal of a TOF LiDAR sensor includes: outputting a laser pulse signal of short-range pulse energy during a rotation cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor; and outputting a laser pulse signal of long-range pulse energy during a rotation cycle next to the rotation cycle.

[0019] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, outputting a laser pulse signal of a TOF LiDAR sensor includes: outputting a laser pulse signal of a short-range pulse energy according to an angular range of a short-range object; and outputting a laser pulse signal of a long-range pulse energy according to an angular range of a long-range object.

[0020] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, correcting information related to the distance between a robot and objects surrounding the robot includes: generating a short-range map based on a reflection signal of a laser pulse signal with short-range pulse energy; generating a long-range map based on a reflection signal of a laser pulse signal with long-range pulse energy; and combining the short-range map with the long-range map to generate a map related to objects surrounding the robot.

[0021] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, determining to change the energy of a laser pulse signal of a TOF LiDAR sensor into short-range pulse energy and long-range pulse energy includes: identifying that the type of at least one object among the surrounding objects of the robot is a chair or a table; when a chair or a table is identified, starting a strong cleaning mode for powerfully cleaning the space between the chair legs or the table legs; and based on the start of the strong cleaning mode, determining to change the energy of the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor into short-range pulse energy and long-range pulse energy.

[0022] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, determining to change the energy of the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor into short-range pulse energy and long-range pulse energy also includes: identifying obstacles among the surrounding objects of the robot; starting an obstacle contour following mode to deviate from a predetermined driving route and follow the contour of the identified obstacle; and based on the start of the obstacle contour following mode, determining to change the energy of the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor into short-range pulse energy and long-range pulse energy.

[0023] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, the driving method also includes: when the robot returns to the charging station to dock with the charging station, detecting a docking guidance signal output from the charging station; and when the docking guidance signal is detected, outputting a laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor based on the docking pulse energy, thereby reducing interference with the docking guidance signal.

[0024] According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing a driving method of a robot on a computer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 A method of adjusting the pulse energy of a laser pulse signal of a time-of-flight (TOF) light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor performed by a robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0026] Figure 2 is a block diagram of a robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 3 An operating method of a TOF LiDAR sensor of a robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0028] Figure 4 A method of adjusting the energy of a laser pulse signal performed by a robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0029] Figure 5 A method of adjusting laser pulse energy performed by a robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0030] Figure 6a and Figure 6b A method of combining distance information obtained based on short-range pulse energy and distance information obtained based on long-range pulse energy performed by a robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0031] Figure 7 A method of switching long-range pulse energy and short-range pulse energy according to an angular range of an object performed by a robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0032] Figure 8 is a flow chart of a method of changing pulse energy performed by a robot when the robot cleans the floor under a chair or a table according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Fig. 9 A method of varying pulse energy performed by a robot when the robot is cleaning the floor under a chair or table is shown.

[0034] Fig.10is a flow chart of a method of varying pulse energy performed by a robot when the robot follows the contour of an obstacle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Fig.11 A method of varying pulse energy performed by a robot as the robot follows the contour of an obstacle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0036] Fig.12 is a flow chart of a method of varying pulse energy performed by a robot when the robot returns to a charging station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Fig.13 A method of varying pulse energy performed by a robot when the robot returns to a charging station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0038] Fig.14 A method of changing the pulse energy of a laser pulse signal performed by a robot when the robot recognizes an obstacle located in the direction of a driving route according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0039] Fig.15 A method of changing the pulse energy of a laser pulse signal according to the size of a cleaning area performed by a robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0040] Fig.16 is a block diagram of a robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] Throughout the disclosure, the expression "at least one of a, b, or c" refers to only a, only b, only c, both a and b, both a and c, both b and c, all of a, b, and c, or variations thereof.

[0042] The terms used in the present disclosure should not be interpreted only by the terms but should be interpreted based on the meanings of the terms and the contents of the entire disclosure.

[0043] In addition, terms such as "first", "second", etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by these terms. Such terms are only used to distinguish one component from another component.

[0044] In addition, the terms used in the present disclosure are only used to describe the predetermined embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Unless the context clearly indicates a singular meaning, a singular expression may include a plural meaning. In addition, throughout the specification, when a component is referred to as being "connected" to other components, the component may be "directly connected" to the other components, or may be "electrically connected" to the other components through other devices therebetween. In addition, when a component "includes" an element, unless otherwise explicitly stated, the component may also include another component, and other components are not excluded.

[0045] Expressions such as “in some embodiments of the present disclosure” or “according to an embodiment of the present disclosure” described in various parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0046] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a robot and a control method of the robot are provided, which change the pulse energy of a laser pulse signal of a time-of-flight (TOF) light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor according to the distance from the surrounding objects of the robot.

[0047] Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a robot for changing the pulse energy of a laser pulse signal of a TOF LiDAR sensor according to a cleaning mode of the robot and a control method of the robot are provided.

[0048] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a robot for changing the pulse energy of a laser pulse signal of a TOF LiDAR sensor in a docking mode of the robot and a control method of the robot are provided.

[0049] Figure 1 A method of adjusting the pulse energy of a laser pulse signal of a TOF LiDAR sensor performed by the robot 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0050] Reference Figure 1 The robot 1000 can output a laser pulse signal by controlling the TOF LiDAR sensor. The robot 1000 can determine the distance to the object based on the time period from the time point when the laser pulse signal is output to the time point when the laser pulse signal is reflected from the object and received by the robot 1000 again.

[0051] The TOF LiDAR sensor may include a transmitter that transmits a laser pulse signal and a receiver that receives a reflected signal of the transmitted laser pulse signal. The robot 1000 may adjust the pulse energy of the laser pulse signal by controlling the width and size of the current applied to the transmitter of the TOF LiDAR sensor.

[0052] For example, Figure 1The first diagram 11 and the second diagram 12 indicate the current applied to the transmitter according to time. When the period of the current applied to the transmitter is the same, Figure 1 The width of the current of the first diagram 11 is smaller than the width of the current of the second diagram 12 , and therefore, the first pulse energy of the current according to the first diagram 11 is smaller than the second pulse energy of the current according to the second diagram 12 .

[0053] As the energy of the laser pulse signal increases, the laser pulse signal can reach a greater distance. However, as the energy of the laser pulse signal increases, the influence of diffuse reflection may increase, and therefore, the distance to an object located at a close distance may not be accurately measured. Therefore, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the robot 1000 may emit a laser pulse signal with low energy to detect the distance to an object located at a close distance, and emit a laser pulse signal with high energy to detect the distance to an object located at a long distance.

[0054] For example, refer to Figure 1 , the robot 1000 can use different pulse energies based on the reference distance to identify long-distance objects and short-distance objects. For example, when the reference distance is 2m, the robot 1000 can obtain distance information about short-distance objects within 2m based on the laser pulse signal with the first pulse energy, and can obtain distance information about long-distance objects within 2m to 6m based on the laser pulse signal with the second pulse energy higher than the first pulse energy.

[0055] In this case, even if the laser pulse signal having the first pulse energy is emitted to an object within 2 m from the robot 1000, the first pulse energy rarely produces the influence of diffuse reflection. In addition, the second pulse energy can make it possible to obtain distance information about an object spaced as far as 6 m (as a threshold distance) from the robot 1000, and can minimize the influence of diffuse reflection on an object within 2 m to 6 m from the robot 1000.

[0056] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the robot 1000 may be driven by switching a laser pulse signal of short-range pulse energy and a laser pulse signal of long-range pulse energy at each rotation cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor.

[0057] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the robot 1000 can obtain the angular range of close-range objects and the angular range of long-range objects, and can emit a laser pulse signal with close-range pulse energy within the angular range of close-range objects during one rotation cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor, and can emit a laser pulse signal with long-range pulse energy within the angular range of long-range objects.

[0058] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the robot 1000 may determine the distances from the peripheral objects of the robot 1000 by combining distance information according to short-range pulse energy with distance information according to long-range pulse energy.

[0059] For example, in order to determine the distance of the surrounding objects from the robot 1000, the robot 1000 can: combine the distance information based on the short-range pulse energy with the distance information based on the long-range pulse energy by increasing the weight of the distance information based on the short-range pulse energy as the distance of the object from the robot 1000 decreases, and by increasing the weight of the distance information based on the long-range pulse energy as the distance of the object from the robot 1000 increases.

[0060] In addition, for example, the robot 1000 can obtain an angle range of a close object and an angle range of a long-distance object based on the position of the object. Based on the distance information obtained according to the angle range of the close object and the laser pulse signal of the close pulse energy, the robot 1000 can obtain distance information for the close object. In addition, based on the distance information obtained according to the angle range of the long-distance object and the laser pulse signal of the long-distance pulse energy, the robot 1000 can obtain distance information for the long-distance object. The robot 1000 can determine the distance of the surrounding objects of the robot 1000 by combining the distance information for the close object with the distance information for the long-distance object.

[0061] The robot 1000 may generate a map or correct a pre-generated map based on the distances from the surrounding objects of the robot 1000. In addition, the robot 1000 may be driven by driving a driving module based on the generated map or the corrected map.

[0062] In order to determine the pulse energy, the robot 1000 may first obtain the distance to the surrounding objects of the robot 1000. For example, the robot 1000 may obtain the distance to the surrounding objects of the robot 1000 based on a pre-stored map and the position of the robot 1000 on the map. In addition, for example, before emitting the laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy and the laser pulse signal of the long-range pulse energy, the robot 1000 may approximately determine the distance to the surrounding objects of the robot 1000 by emitting the laser pulse signal of the default pulse energy during one cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor.

[0063] The robot 1000 may vary the energy of the laser pulse signal based on the cleaning mode.

[0064] For example, the robot 1000 may perform a power cleaning mode in which the robot 1000 deviates from a predetermined driving route and performs power cleaning on the floor under a chair or table by identifying the chair or table in the cleaning area during driving. When the power cleaning mode is activated, the robot 1000 may accurately calculate the distance from the robot 1000 to the chair leg or table leg by switching the laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy and the laser pulse signal of the long-range pulse energy at each rotation cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor, and relatively more accurately determine the position of the chair leg or table leg on the map.

[0065] Furthermore, for example, when the strong cleaning mode is activated during driving of the robot 1000 , the robot 1000 can accurately calculate the distance from the robot 1000 to the legs of a chair or a table by driving using only the laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy.

[0066] In addition, for example, when the robot 1000 follows an obstacle during driving or recognizes an object (such as dog feces or a cup) from which the robot 1000 must be spaced a predetermined distance, the robot 1000 can be driven by switching the laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy and the laser pulse signal of the long-range pulse energy. Based on this configuration, the robot 1000 can relatively more accurately determine the position of the object (such as an obstacle, dog feces, or a cup) on the map, and can relatively more accurately calculate the distance from the robot 1000 to the object (such as an obstacle, dog feces, or a cup).

[0067] The robot 1000 may reduce the energy of the laser pulse signal to prevent interference between the guide signal emitted from the charging station for docking with the charging station and the laser pulse signal.

[0068] Figure 2 is a block diagram of a robot 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0069] Reference Figure 2 The robot 1000 may include a processor 1100 , a memory 1400 , a driving module 1800 , and a TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 .

[0070] The processor 1100 may control the overall operation of the robot 1000. The processor 1100 may execute one or more instructions or programs stored in the memory 1400 to control the driving module 1800 and the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710.

[0071] The memory 1400 may store instructions or programs for processing and control by the processor 1100 .

[0072] The driving module 1800 may move the body of the robot 1000. The driving module 1800 may be driven according to a control signal configured by the processor 1100. The processor 1100 may configure a driving route, and may generate a control signal for causing the robot 1000 to move according to the driving route, and transmit the control signal to the driving module 1800. The driving module 1800 may include a motor for driving the wheels of the robot 1000 by rotating the wheels of the robot 1000, a timing belt installed to transmit power generated from the rear wheels to the front wheels, and the like.

[0073] The TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 may include a transmitter (not shown) that transmits a laser pulse signal and a receiver (not shown) that receives a reflected signal of the transmitted laser pulse signal. The transmitter that transmits the laser pulse signal may include a ruby ​​laser, a neodymium yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser, a titanium sapphire (Ti:Sapphire) laser, a neodymium glass (Nd:Glass) laser, a laser diode (Ga, Al or As), an excimer laser, a free electron laser, etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0074] The receiver of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 may include an optical sensor such as a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor or a charge coupled device (CCD) image sensor, but is not limited thereto.

[0075] The processor 1100 can cyclically output the laser pulse signal by controlling the transmitter of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710. The processor 1100 can adjust the energy of the laser pulse signal by adjusting the power of the laser pulse signal or the pulse width of the laser pulse signal. For example, the processor 1100 can adjust the power of the laser pulse signal by adjusting the magnitude of the operating current applied to the transmitter of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710. In addition, the processor 1100 can adjust the pulse width of the laser pulse signal by controlling the pulse width of the operating current applied to the transmitter of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor 1100 can adjust the pulse width of the laser pulse signal by controlling the duty cycle of the operating current.

[0076] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor 1100 may output a laser pulse signal having a default pulse energy. The robot 1000 may determine the distance to an object within a first reference distance from the robot 1000 based on the default pulse energy. For example, the robot 1000 may determine the distance to an object within a radius of about 6 m based on the default pulse energy. The robot 1000 may determine the distance between the robot 1000 and surrounding objects within the first reference distance by rotating while outputting the default pulse energy.

[0077] In addition, the processor 1100 may output a laser pulse signal having a short-range pulse energy. In addition, the processor 1100 may output a laser pulse signal having a long-range pulse energy. The short-range pulse energy may be less than the default pulse energy. The robot 1000 may determine the distance to an object within a second reference distance from the robot 1000 based on the short-range pulse energy. For example, the robot 1000 may determine the distance to an object within a radius of about 2 m by rotating while outputting the short-range pulse energy. The long-range pulse energy may be equal to the default pulse energy, or may be greater than the default pulse energy.

[0078] In the present disclosure, an example in which the long-distance pulse energy is equal to the default pulse energy will be mainly described. However, the long-distance pulse energy may be greater than the default pulse energy, and in this case, the distance to the object detected based on the long-distance pulse energy may be greater than the first reference distance. The robot 1000 may determine the distance to an object within the first reference distance from the robot 1000 based on the long-distance pulse energy. For example, the robot 1000 may determine the distance to an object within a radius of about 6 m by rotating while outputting the long-distance pulse energy.

[0079] When the processor 100 controls the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 to emit pulse energy, the processor 100 can control the driving module 1800 to move or rotate the robot 1000.

[0080] In addition, the processor 1100 may determine the rotation period of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710, and may rotate the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 according to the determined rotation period. For example, the processor 1100 may rotate the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 about ten times in one second. The TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 may be rotated by being coupled to a rotating member. The processor 1100 may control the rotating member to rotate the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710. The rotating member may include, for example, a motor, a rotating shaft, and a supporting member that supports the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710.

[0081] In addition, the processor 1100 may output several to tens of laser pulse signals during one rotation cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 .

[0082] Figure 3 An operating method of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 of the robot 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0083] Reference Figure 3The TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 may include a transmitter 1713 that transmits a laser pulse signal 35 and a receiver 1715 that receives a reflected signal 37 of the transmitted laser pulse signal 35 .

[0084] The laser pulse signal 35 may include a monochromatic laser beam or laser. In addition, the laser pulse signal may represent a high-intensity concentrated ray that extracts energy accumulated in atoms or molecules, and may have a thin and non-diffusible characteristic.

[0085] The robot 1000 can calculate the distance to the object based on the flight distance and flight time of the laser pulse signal 35. For example, when the time ΔT from the time point when the laser pulse signal 35 is emitted from the transmitter 1713 to the time point when the emitted laser pulse signal 35 is reflected and received by the first object 30 is 16.67ns, the flight time 16.67ns can be multiplied by the speed c of the laser pulse signal 35 to calculate the round-trip flight distance, and the calculated round-trip flight distance can be divided by 2, so as to calculate that the distance from the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 to the first object 30 is 2.5m.

[0086] Generally speaking, as the energy of the laser pulse signal increases, the laser pulse signal can reach a farther distance, thereby increasing the measurable distance and the ranging accuracy for distant objects. However, when the energy of the laser pulse signal increases, the ranging accuracy for close objects may decrease due to the influence of diffuse reflection. For example, referring to Figure 3 , when a laser pulse signal is emitted to the first object 30, the distance to the first object 30 should be calculated based only on the reflected signal received from the first object 30. However, due to diffuse reflection, the laser pulse emitted to the first object 30 may be received by the second object 40 after being reflected from the first object 30, and in this case, the flight time may increase (e.g., Figure 3 33.33 ns in ), so that the distance calculated for the first object 30 (for example, Figure 3 5.0m in ) may be larger than the actual distance (for example, Figure 3 2.5m in the middle).

[0087] Therefore, the robot 1000 can improve the accuracy of distance calculation by obtaining the distance relative to a close object based on a laser pulse signal with low energy, and obtaining the distance relative to a long-distance object based on a laser pulse signal with high energy.

[0088] The robot 1000 may rotate the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 based on the rotation period. In addition, by rotating the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710, the robot may obtain the distance to the surrounding objects of the robot 1000 and generate a two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) map indicating the position of the objects.

[0089] Figure 4 A method of adjusting the energy of a laser pulse signal performed by the robot 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0090] Reference Figure 4 , the robot 1000 can apply a working current to the transmitter 1713 of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 to control the transmitter 1713 to emit a laser pulse signal.

[0091] The robot 1000 can adjust the pulse energy of the laser pulse signal by adjusting the width of the laser pulse signal. The robot 1000 can adjust the pulse energy of the laser pulse signal by adjusting the power of the laser pulse signal. The pulse energy of the laser pulse signal can represent the energy per unit pulse.

[0092] Reference Figure 4 , one pulse of the operating current may correspond to one laser pulse signal emitted by the transmitter 1713 of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710. Accordingly, one laser pulse may be emitted during one cycle T of the operating current.

[0093] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the robot 1000 can adjust the pulse energy of the laser pulse signal by adjusting the pulse width of the working current of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710. Figure 4 As shown in FIG41 regarding pulse width adjustment, the robot 1000 can reduce the width of the laser pulse signal by reducing the duration of the working current of the transmitter 1713 in each cycle T from t1 to t2. As the width of the laser pulse signal decreases, the pulse energy of the laser pulse signal can also be reduced. When the pulse energy is adjusted by adjusting the pulse width of the working current, the current value of the working current can be configured as a constant value.

[0094] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the robot 1000 can adjust the pulse energy of the laser pulse signal by adjusting the current value of the working current of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710. Figure 4As shown in FIG43 regarding pulse power adjustment, the robot 1000 can reduce the power of the laser pulse signal by reducing the value of the operating current of the transmitter 1713. As the power of the laser pulse signal is reduced, the pulse energy of the laser pulse signal can also be reduced. When the pulse energy of the laser pulse signal is adjusted by adjusting the current value of the operating current, the pulse width of each pulse of the operating current can be kept constant.

[0095] Figure 5 A method for adjusting laser pulse energy performed by the robot 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0096] In operation S510 , the robot 1000 may obtain information regarding a distance between the robot 1000 and a peripheral object of the robot 1000 .

[0097] For example, the robot 1000 may obtain information about the distance between the robot 1000 and an object surrounding the robot 1000 by outputting a laser pulse signal having a default pulse energy to a position surrounding the robot 1000 .

[0098] According to an embodiment, the robot 1000 may define information related to the distance to the surrounding objects based on each point for obtaining information related to the distance to the surrounding objects. For example, the robot 1000 may define the distance to the surrounding objects according to angle division.

[0099] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the robot 1000 can define the position of the object on the pre-stored map by using the information related to the distance from the surrounding objects obtained at each point. Based on the position of the object defined on the map, the robot 1000 can define information related to the distance between the robot 1000 and the surrounding objects of the robot 1000.

[0100] Furthermore, for example, based on a pre-stored map indicating positions of surrounding objects of the robot 1000 and the position of the robot 1000 on the map, information on the distance between the robot 1000 and the surrounding objects of the robot 1000 may be obtained.

[0101] In operation S520, based on the obtained distance information, the robot 1000 may determine to change the energy of the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor into a close-range pulse energy for a close-range object and a long-range pulse energy for a long-range object.

[0102] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the robot 1000 may adjust the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 according to the type of cleaning mode. The cleaning mode may be defined according to the type or arrangement of objects in the cleaning area.

[0103] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the cleaning mode may include a strong cleaning mode for cleaning the space around furniture with legs. Furniture with legs may include, for example, tables, chairs, desks, sofas, beds, etc. For example, the robot 1000 may recognize that the type of at least one surrounding object of the robot 1000 is a chair or a table, and may activate the strong cleaning mode to strongly clean the space between the chair legs or the table legs. Based on the activation of the strong cleaning mode, the robot 1000 may determine to change the energy of the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor into short-range pulse energy and long-range pulse energy.

[0104] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the cleaning mode may include an obstacle contour following mode for following the contour of an obstacle. For example, the robot 1000 may identify an obstacle among the surrounding objects of the robot 1000, and may activate the obstacle contour following mode to deviate from the predetermined driving route and follow the contour of the identified obstacle. Based on the activation of the obstacle contour following mode, the robot 1000 may determine to change the energy of the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor into a short-range pulse energy and a long-range pulse energy.

[0105] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the robot 1000 can determine the close-range pulse energy based on the size of the cleaning area. For example, the size of the close-range pulse energy can be determined in proportion to the size of the cleaning area.

[0106] In operation S530 , the robot 1000 may output a laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 by switching a laser pulse signal of a short-range pulse energy and a laser pulse signal of a long-range pulse energy during rotation of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 .

[0107] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the robot 1000 may output a laser pulse signal having short-range pulse energy during a first rotation cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor, and output a laser pulse signal having long-range pulse energy during a second rotation cycle after the first rotation cycle.

[0108] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the robot 1000 can output a laser pulse signal having a close-range pulse energy according to an angular range of a close-range object, and output a laser pulse signal having a long-range pulse energy according to an angular range of a long-range object. Based on the information related to the distance obtained in operation S510, the robot 1000 can define information related to the distance from the surrounding objects according to the angle division. Based on the information related to the distance from the surrounding objects according to the angle division, the robot 1000 can define a segment for emitting close-range pulse energy and a segment for emitting long-range pulse energy for each angle division. Based on the defined segment for emitting close-range pulse energy and the defined segment for emitting long-range pulse energy, the robot 1000 can generate and output a laser pulse signal having a pulse energy corresponding to each segment.

[0109] In operation S540 , the robot 1000 may correct information regarding the distance between the robot 1000 and the surrounding objects of the robot 1000 based on the reflection signal of the laser pulse signal received from the surrounding objects.

[0110] For example, the robot 1000 can generate a short-range map based on the reflection signal of the laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy. The short-range map can represent a map of the robot's surrounding objects generated based on the short-range pulse energy. In addition, the robot 1000 can generate a long-range map based on the reflection signal of the laser pulse signal of the long-range pulse energy. The long-range map can represent a map of the robot's surrounding objects generated based on the long-range pulse energy. The robot 1000 can generate a map including the location information of the robot's surrounding objects by combining the short-range map with the long-range map.

[0111] In operation S550, the robot 1000 may control the driving module to drive based on the corrected distance information.

[0112] For example, the robot 1000 may update the pre-stored map information based on the corrected distance information. The robot 1000 may add the position information of the identified object to the pre-stored map information. The robot 1000 may configure a driving route based on the updated map information, and may control the driving module to drive according to the configured driving route.

[0113] In addition, for example, the robot 1000 may update the distance to the surrounding objects based on the corrected distance information. The robot 1000 may configure a driving route based on the updated distance to the surrounding objects, and control the driving module to drive according to the configured driving route.

[0114] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the robot 1000 may detect a docking guidance signal emitted from the charging station while the robot 1000 returns to the charging station to dock with the charging station. When the robot 1000 detects the docking guidance signal, the robot 1000 may output a laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor based on the docking pulse energy to reduce interference with the docking guidance signal. The docking pulse energy may be equal to or less than the close-range pulse energy.

[0115] Figure 6a and Figure 6b A method of combining distance information obtained based on short-range pulse energy with distance information obtained based on long-range pulse energy, performed by the robot 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, is shown.

[0116] Reference Figure 6a and Figure 6b , the robot 1000 can output a laser pulse signal based on the operating current 11 of the close-range pulse energy during one rotation cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710, and output a laser pulse signal based on the operating current 12 of the long-range pulse energy during the next rotation cycle. The robot 1000 can output a laser pulse signal by switching the close-range pulse energy and the long-range pulse energy in each rotation cycle. In addition, the robot 1000 can output a laser pulse signal by switching the close-range pulse energy and the long-range pulse energy once every two rotation cycles.

[0117] Reference Figure 6a , the robot 1000 can output a laser pulse signal based on the operating current 11 of the short-range pulse energy, and can obtain distance information of objects around the robot 1000 based on the reflected signal. According to the distance information obtained based on the short-range pulse energy, a short-range map 61 indicating the distance from the robot 1000 to the object relative to the position 60 of the robot 1000 can be generated. In this case, the obtained distance information may include not only the distance information of the short-range object, but also partially include the distance information of the long-range object.

[0118] In addition, the robot 1000 can output a laser pulse signal based on the operating current 12 of the long-distance pulse energy, and can obtain distance information of a long-distance object based on the reflected signal. According to the distance information obtained based on the long-distance pulse energy, a long-distance map 63 indicating the distance from the robot 1000 to the object relative to the position 60 of the robot 1000 can be generated. In this case, the obtained distance information may include not only the distance information of the long-distance object, but also partially include the distance information of the close-distance object.

[0119] The robot 1000 can determine the distance to the surrounding objects of the robot 1000 by combining the short-distance map 61 with the long-distance map 63. For example, for an object within a reference distance, the robot 1000 can select the information of the short-distance map 61, and for an object with a distance greater than or equal to the reference distance, the robot 1000 can select the information of the long-distance map 63, thereby combining the short-distance map 61 with the long-distance map 63.

[0120] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the robot 1000 can combine the distance information of the short-distance map 61 with the distance information of the long-distance map 63 by adding different weights to each other, such as Figure 6b shown.

[0121] When the distance information based on short-range pulse energy and the distance information based on long-range pulse energy indicate different values ​​for the same object (i.e., the output angle of the laser pulse signal is the same), the robot 1000 can combine the distance information based on short-range pulse energy with the distance information based on long-range pulse energy by adding different weights to each other.

[0122] In addition, when, for the same output angle of the laser pulse signal, the distance information based on one pulse energy indicates the distance to an object, and the distance information based on another pulse energy indicates the absence of an object, the robot 1000 can determine the distance to the object located at the output angle based on the distance information indicating the distance to the object.

[0123] In order to combine the distance information of the short-distance map 61 with the distance information of the long-distance map 63 by using different weights, the robot 1000 may determine the weight a by using a sigmoid function 67 .

[0124] (Formula 1)

[0125] (Formula 2)

[0126] Referring to Formula 2, weight a is the result value of the sigmoid function, and the variable of the sigmoid function can be determined based on the difference between the distance information (HighD, distance information based on the long-distance pulse energy) of the long-distance map 63 and the distance information (LowD, distance information based on the short-distance pulse energy) of the short-distance map 61. k in Formula 2 is a distance constant and is predetermined. ΔHighD in Formula 2 can also represent the distance information of the long-distance map 63, and ΔLowD can also represent the distance information of the short-distance map 61.

[0127] As the difference between the distance information (HighD) of the long-distance map 63 and the distance information (LowD) of the short-distance map 61 for the same object (i.e., the output angle of the laser pulse signal is the same) increases, the value of the weight a converges to 1. In addition, as the difference between the distance information (HighD) of the long-distance map 63 and the distance information (LowD) of the short-distance map 61 for the same object decreases, the value of the weight a converges to 0.

[0128] When the laser pulse signal of the long-distance pulse energy is output, diffuse reflection is highly likely to occur in the surrounding objects of the robot 1000, and therefore, the distance information (long-distance map 63) obtained based on the long-distance pulse energy may be inaccurate for close-distance objects. Therefore, for close-distance objects, the difference between the distance information of the close-distance map 61 and the distance information of the long-distance map 63 may increase. In this case, the weight a may become close to 1, and therefore, the distance information LowD of the close-distance map 61 may have a high weight, and the distance information HighD of the long-distance map 63 may have a low weight.

[0129] Referring to Formula 1, as the difference between the distance information HighD of the long-distance map 63 and the distance information LowD of the short-distance map 61 increases, the robot 1000 can increase the weight of the distance information of the short-distance map 61 and reduce the weight of the distance information of the long-distance map 63 to improve the accuracy of the distance d to the short-distance object.

[0130] Figure 7 A method of switching long-range pulse energy and short-range pulse energy according to an angular range of an object, performed by the robot 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, is shown.

[0131] Reference Figure 7 , the robot 1000 can determine the angle range of the close-range object and the angle range of the long-range object. In addition, the robot 1000 can output a laser pulse signal with a close-range pulse energy according to the angle range of the close-range object, and output a laser pulse signal with a long-range pulse energy according to the angle range of the long-range object.

[0132] For example, the robot 1000 may determine the angular range 72 of the object based on a pre-stored map 71 .

[0133] Specifically, for example, the robot 1000 may determine an object within a reference distance (e.g., 2 meters) from the current position of the robot 1000 as a close-range object. The robot 1000 may determine an angle range ② corresponding to a wall as an angle range of a close-range object based on the current position. In addition, the robot 1000 may determine an object within a reference distance (e.g., 2 meters) or greater from the current position of the robot 1000 as a long-range object. The robot 1000 may determine an angle range ① in which there is no object within the reference distance as an angle range of a long-range object based on the current position of the robot 1000.

[0134] The robot 1000 can switch the long-distance pulse energy and the short-distance pulse energy based on the determined angular range of the close-range object and the determined angular range of the long-distance object. For example, while the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 rotates, the robot 1000 can output a laser pulse signal with a short-distance pulse energy at an angle range ② as the angular range of the close-range object, and can determine the distance to the close-range object based on the reflection signal of the output laser pulse signal. In addition, while the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 rotates, the robot 1000 can output a laser pulse signal with a long-distance pulse energy at an angle range ① as the angular range of the long-distance object, and can determine the distance to the long-distance object based on the reflection signal of the output laser pulse signal.

[0135] Reference Figure 7 In the diagram 73 of the operating current applied to the transmitter of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710, when the emission angle of the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 is within the angle range ①, the robot 1000 can change the duration per cycle of the operating current applied to the transmitter of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 to a first duration corresponding to the long-range pulse energy. In addition, when the emission angle of the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 is within the angle range ②, the robot 1000 can change the duration per cycle of the operating current applied to the transmitter of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 to a second duration corresponding to the short-range pulse energy. In this case, the second duration can be less than the first duration.

[0136] Figure 8 is a flow chart of a method for changing pulse energy in a power cleaning mode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0137] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the robot 1000 may include a strong cleaning mode for cleaning around furniture with legs.

[0138] In operation S810, the robot 1000 may recognize that the type of at least one object among the surrounding objects of the robot 1000 is furniture with legs. For example, the robot 1000 may recognize that the type of the surrounding objects is a chair or a table. Hereinafter, the description will be mainly based on the case where the furniture with legs is a chair or a table. However, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the case where the furniture with legs is a chair or a table. The furniture with legs may correspond to various types of furniture.

[0139] The robot 1000 may use the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 to identify a chair leg or a table leg. For example, when cylindrical obstacles are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, the robot 1000 may identify the cylindrical obstacles as chair legs or table legs. The robot 1000 may identify an obstacle having a width equal to or less than a reference width and having an upwardly extending shape as a cylindrical obstacle. The robot 1000 may determine whether the cylindrical obstacles are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. When the cylindrical obstacles are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, the robot 1000 may determine that the cylindrical obstacles are chair legs or table legs. In addition, when the cylindrical obstacles are arranged to form square or rectangular vertices and are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, the robot 1000 may identify the cylindrical obstacles as chair legs or table legs.

[0140] In addition, the robot 1000 may use an object recognition sensor (e.g., a 2D camera, a 3D camera, etc.) to photograph surrounding objects of the robot 1000, and recognize that the type of the photographed object is a chair or a table by using an artificial intelligence (AI) module. When the AI ​​module is provided in a server, the robot 1000 may send the image of the photographed object to the server, and may receive information from the server that the type of the object in the photographed image is a chair or a table.

[0141] In operation S820, when the robot 1000 recognizes a chair or a table, the robot 1000 may activate a strong cleaning mode to strongly clean a space between legs of the chair or the table.

[0142] When the robot 1000 is driven along a predetermined driving route and the strong cleaning mode is activated, the robot 1000 may deviate from the driving route and activate the strong cleaning mode to strongly clean the space between the legs of the chair or the legs of the table. In the strong cleaning mode, the robot 1000 may perform cleaning in a circular motion along the edge of each leg of the chair or each leg of the table.

[0143] In operation S830, upon activation of the powerful cleaning mode, the robot 1000 may output a laser pulse signal having short-range pulse energy during a rotation period of the TOD LiDAR sensor 1710, and may output a laser pulse signal having long-range pulse energy during the next rotation period.

[0144] Based on the activation of the powerful cleaning mode when the robot 1000 drives along the driving route by outputting the laser pulse signal of the default pulse energy, the robot 1000 can determine to change the energy of the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 to short-range pulse energy and long-range pulse energy.

[0145] In this case, the close-range pulse energy can be less than the default pulse energy.

[0146] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the robot 1000 may store a close-range pulse energy predetermined according to the powerful cleaning mode (e.g., the duration per cycle or the power of the operating current applied to the transmitter of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710). For example, the robot 1000 may store a close-range pulse energy corresponding to the powerful cleaning mode, and the close-range pulse energy corresponding to the powerful cleaning mode is different from the close-range pulse energy used in the general cleaning mode.

[0147] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the robot 1000 can determine the close-range pulse energy in proportion to the size of the powerful cleaning area. For example, based on the position of the legs of a chair or a table, the robot 1000 can determine the floor area occupied by the chair or the table as the size of the powerful cleaning area. In addition, the robot 1000 can determine the close-range pulse energy in proportion to the size of the powerful cleaning area. For example, when the powerful cleaning area is determined to be a square area with a horizontal length of 50 cm and a vertical length of 50 cm, the robot 1000 can determine the pulse energy corresponding to the radius of 1 m as the close-range pulse energy. In addition, when the powerful cleaning area is determined to be a square area with a horizontal length of 1 m and a length of 1 m, the robot 1000 can determine the pulse energy corresponding to the radius of 1.5 m as the close-range pulse energy.

[0148] Furthermore, the remote pulse energy may be equal to the default pulse energy, or may be greater than the default pulse energy.

[0149] The robot 1000 may be driven by switching a laser pulse signal of short-range pulse energy and a laser pulse signal of long-range pulse energy at each rotation cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 .

[0150] In addition, when the powerful cleaning mode ends and the robot 1000 drives along the driving route again, the robot 1000 can output the laser pulse signal based on the default pulse energy again.

[0151] Since the robot 1000 must pass through the chair legs or table legs to clean the space between the chair legs or table legs in the powerful cleaning mode, the distance to the chair legs or table legs and the position of these legs on the map may be important. In addition, since the distance between the chair legs or table legs is small, these legs are likely to cause diffuse reflection when the pulse energy of the laser pulse signal is high in the powerful cleaning mode. Therefore, the robot 1000 can output a laser pulse signal of close-range pulse energy in the powerful cleaning mode to accurately calculate the distance to these legs and the position of these legs on the map. In addition, the robot 1000 can switch the close-range pulse energy and the long-range pulse energy in each rotation cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710, so as to accurately calculate not only the distance to these legs, but also the distance to the surrounding objects of the robot 1000.

[0152] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in the strong cleaning mode, the robot 1000 may not switch the short-range pulse energy and the long-range pulse energy in each rotation cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710, but may only output a laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy. For example, when the robot 1000 starts the strong cleaning mode while driving along the driving route by outputting a laser pulse signal of the default pulse energy, the robot 1000 may output a laser pulse signal based on a short-range pulse energy less than the default pulse energy. In addition, when the strong cleaning mode ends, the robot 1000 may output a laser pulse signal based on the default pulse energy again.

[0153] Fig. 9 A method of varying pulse energy performed by the robot 1000 when the robot is cleaning the floor under a chair or table is shown.

[0154] Reference Fig. 9 In the strong cleaning mode, the robot 1000 can output a laser pulse signal by switching short-range pulse energy and long-range pulse energy in each rotation cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 to strongly clean the space between the chair legs or table legs.

[0155] like Fig. 9 As shown in the strong cleaning route 91 of the chair and the strong cleaning route 92 of the table, when the strong cleaning mode is activated, the robot 1000 may deviate from the driving route and drive between the spaces of the chair legs or the table legs to clean. In the strong cleaning mode, the robot 1000 may have to follow each leg or drive through the space between these legs, and therefore, it is very important to accurately calculate the distance to these legs and the position of these legs on the map to avoid collision with these legs.

[0156] When the powerful cleaning mode is activated while the robot 1000 is driven along the driving route based on the default pulse energy, the robot 1000 may switch the short-range pulse energy and the long-range pulse energy at each rotation cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 .

[0157] For example, the robot 1000 may determine the pulse energy corresponding to a predetermined radius of 2 m as the short-range pulse energy, and the pulse energy corresponding to a radius of 6 m as the long-range pulse energy. In addition, for example, the robot 1000 may determine the short-range pulse energy based on the size of the strong cleaning area. When the strong cleaning area is a circular area with a radius of 1 m, the robot 1000 may determine the pulse energy corresponding to a radius of 1.5 m as the short-range pulse energy.

[0158] Referring to the diagram 95 of the operating current of the transmitter of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710, the robot 1000 may output a laser pulse signal of long-range pulse energy during one rotation cycle T of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710, and output a laser pulse signal of short-range pulse energy during the next rotation cycle. Fig. 9 As shown, the robot 1000 can output a laser pulse signal with long-distance pulse energy by setting the duration per cycle of the working current to T1 during one rotation cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710. In addition, the robot 1000 can output a laser pulse signal with short-distance pulse energy by setting the duration per cycle of the working current to T2 during the next rotation cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710.

[0159] The robot 1000 can determine the position 94 of a long-distance object based on the long-distance pulse energy, and can determine the position 93 of a close-distance object based on the close-distance pulse energy.

[0160] Fig.10 is a flowchart of a method of changing pulse energy performed by the robot 1000 when the robot 1000 follows the outline of an obstacle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0161] In operation S1010 , the robot 1000 may recognize an obstacle among peripheral objects of the robot 1000 .

[0162] For example, the robot 1000 may photograph surrounding objects of the robot 1000 by using a camera or an object recognition sensor, and may recognize obstacles among the photographed objects by using an AI module.

[0163] In operation S1020 , the robot 1000 may activate an obstacle contour following mode to deviate from a predetermined driving route and follow the contour of the identified obstacle.

[0164] When the contour following mode is activated while the robot 1000 is driving along a predetermined driving route, the robot 1000 may activate an obstacle contour following mode to deviate from the driving route and follow the contour of an identified obstacle for cleaning.

[0165] In operation S1030, based on the activation of the obstacle profile following mode, the robot 1000 may output a laser pulse signal having short-range pulse energy during a rotation period of the TOD LiDAR sensor 1710, and may output a laser pulse signal having long-range pulse energy during the next rotation period.

[0166] When the robot 1000 starts the obstacle contour following mode while driving along the driving route by outputting a laser pulse signal of a default pulse energy, the robot 1000 may determine to change the energy of the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 into a short-range pulse energy and a long-range pulse energy.

[0167] In this case, the close-range pulse energy may be less than the default pulse energy. In addition, the close-range pulse energy corresponding to the obstacle contour following mode may be predetermined. For example, the robot 1000 may pre-store a close-range pulse energy corresponding to the obstacle contour following mode, which is different from the close-range pulse energy used in the general cleaning mode. The long-range pulse energy may be equal to the default pulse energy, or may be greater than the default pulse energy.

[0168] The robot 1000 may be driven by switching a laser pulse signal of short-range pulse energy and a laser pulse signal of long-range pulse energy at each rotation cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 .

[0169] Furthermore, when the contour following mode ends and the robot 1000 drives along the driving route again, the robot 1000 may output the laser pulse signal based on the default pulse energy again.

[0170] When the obstacle is an object that may cause problems when the robot 1000 touches it, such as a cup, a water bottle, dog feces, a towel, a wire, or a flower pot, it is important that the robot 1000 is driven at a predetermined distance from the obstacle. However, it is also important to clear the space near the obstacle, and therefore, it is necessary to accurately calculate the distance to the obstacle or the position of the obstacle on the map.

[0171] Therefore, the robot 1000 can output a laser pulse signal of short-range pulse energy in the obstacle contour following mode, and thus can accurately calculate the distance to the obstacle and the position of the obstacle on the map.

[0172] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in the obstacle contour following mode, the robot 1000 may not switch the short-range pulse energy and the long-range pulse energy in each rotation cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710, and may only output a laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy.

[0173] Fig.11 A method of varying pulse energy performed by the robot 1000 when the robot follows the contour of an obstacle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0174] Reference Fig.11 , in the obstacle contour following mode, the robot 1000 may output a laser pulse signal by switching short-range pulse energy and long-range pulse energy in each rotation cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 .

[0175] like Fig.11 As shown, when the robot 1000 identifies an obstacle 111 on the driving route 113 while driving along the driving route 113 of the cleaning area 110, the robot 1000 can start the obstacle contour following mode, thereby driving along the contour 115 of the obstacle 111 at a predetermined distance from the obstacle 111.

[0176] When the obstacle contour following mode is activated while the robot 1000 drives along the driving route 113 based on the default pulse energy, the robot 1000 may switch the short-range pulse energy and the long-range pulse energy at each rotation cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 .

[0177] For example, the robot 1000 may output a laser pulse signal during one rotation cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 based on a pulse energy corresponding to a radius of 1 m, and the pulse energy corresponding to the radius of 1 m is stored as the short-range pulse energy of the obstacle contour following mode. In addition, the robot 1000 may output a laser pulse signal during the next rotation cycle based on a pulse energy corresponding to a radius of 6 m, and the pulse energy corresponding to the radius of 6 m is stored as the long-range pulse energy of the obstacle contour following mode.

[0178] Referring to diagram 117 of the operating current of the transmitter of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 , the robot 1000 can output a laser pulse signal of long-range pulse energy during one rotation cycle T1 of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 , and can output a laser pulse signal of short-range pulse energy during the next rotation cycle T2 of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 .

[0179] The robot 1000 can determine the position of a long-distance object based on the long-distance pulse energy, and determine the position of a short-distance object including obstacles based on the short-distance pulse energy.

[0180] Fig.12 is a flowchart of a method of changing pulse energy performed by the robot 1000 when the robot 1000 returns to a charging station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0181] In operation S1210, while the robot 1000 returns to the charging station to dock with the charging station, the robot 1000 may detect a docking guide signal emitted from the charging station. When the robot 1000 detects the docking guide signal, the robot 1000 may operate in a docking mode.

[0182] When the robot 1000 finishes cleaning, or the battery charge amount is equal to or less than a reference amount, the robot 1000 may enter a charging return mode to return to the charging station. When the robot 1000 enters the charging return mode, the robot 1000 may drive toward the charging station as a cleaning starting point.

[0183] When the robot 1000 approaches the charging station, the robot 1000 may detect a docking guidance signal output by the charging station. The docking guidance signal may be an infrared signal and have a wavelength band substantially the same as that of the laser pulse signal emitted by the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710. For example, the wavelength band of the docking guidance signal may be 700 nm to 1000 nm. When the docking guidance signal is detected, the robot 1000 may enter a docking mode.

[0184] In operation S1220, the robot 1000 may output a laser pulse of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 based on the docking pulse energy to reduce interference with the docking guide signal.

[0185] For example, when the robot 1000 detects a docking guide signal output by the charging station while outputting a laser pulse signal of a default pulse energy, the robot 1000 may output a laser pulse signal of a docking pulse energy to reduce interference with the docking guide signal.

[0186] The docking pulse energy may be less than the default pulse energy. In addition, the docking pulse energy may be pre-stored corresponding to the docking mode.

[0187] In addition, for example, when the robot 1000 detects a docking guide signal output by the charging station while outputting a laser pulse signal by switching the close-range pulse energy and the long-range pulse energy, the robot 1000 may output a laser pulse signal of the docking pulse energy to reduce interference with the docking guide signal. The docking pulse energy may have the same energy value as the close-range pulse energy, or may have an energy value smaller than the close-range pulse energy.

[0188] Therefore, the robot 1000 can receive the docking guide signal without being interfered by the laser pulse signal, and thus, the robot 1000 can accurately and quickly detect the position of the charging station.

[0189] Since the wavelength band of the laser pulse signal is substantially the same as the wavelength band of the docking guidance signal, the docking guidance signal may be interfered with by the laser pulse signal or the reflected signal of the laser pulse signal. When the docking guidance signal is interfered with, the robot 1000 may not be able to detect the location of the charging station and may take a long time to dock with the charging station. In the docking mode close to the charging station, it is not necessary to identify the exact location of the distant object, so the pulse energy of the laser pulse signal can be reduced to avoid interference with the docking guidance signal.

[0190] Fig.13 A method of changing pulse energy performed by the robot 1000 when the robot 1000 returns to the charging station 135 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0191] Reference Fig.13 , the robot 1000 docked to the charging station 135 may leave the charging station 135 and start driving along the driving route in the cleaning area 130. When the robot 1000 drives along the driving route, the robot 1000 may output a laser pulse signal based on a default pulse energy.

[0192] When cleaning is finished, the robot 1000 can move to the charging station 135 as the cleaning starting position so as to dock again with the charging station 135. The robot 1000 can start driving toward the cleaning starting position based on the cleaning starting position pre-stored on the map. When the robot 1000 drives toward the cleaning starting position, the robot 1000 can output a laser pulse signal based on a default pulse energy.

[0193] When the robot 1000 approaches the charging station 135, the robot 1000 may detect a docking guide signal emitted from the charging station. Based on the detection of the docking guide signal, the robot 1000 may output a laser pulse signal of docking pulse energy to reduce interference with the docking guide signal.

[0194] The docking pulse energy can have a lower value than the default pulse energy. Fig.13 1710, when the robot 1000 is driving or moving to the cleaning starting position, the robot 1000 can output a laser pulse signal by setting the duration per cycle of the working current to a first duration. In addition, based on the detection of the docking guide signal, the robot 1000 can change the duration per cycle of the working current to a second duration that is less than the first duration, and can output a laser pulse signal based on the second duration until the docking is completed. For example, the second duration can be 1 / 2 of the first duration.

[0195] Fig.14 A method of changing the pulse energy of a laser pulse signal performed by the robot 1000 when the robot recognizes an obstacle located in the direction of a driving route according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0196] Reference Fig.14 , the robot 1000 can capture the front space by using the object recognition sensor, and recognize the position, number and type of objects in the captured image.

[0197] When the robot 1000 drives along the cleaning area by outputting a laser pulse signal of a default pulse energy and identifies an obstacle in the driving route direction, the robot 1000 can drive by switching the short-range pulse energy and the long-range pulse energy in each rotation cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor.

[0198] The obstacles in the driving route direction may include not only obstacles located on the driving route but also obstacles located within a reference distance from the driving route.

[0199] like Fig.14 As shown, the robot 1000 uses a default pulse energy (corresponding to Fig.14 When the robot 1000 detects cups and towels within a reference distance from the driving route 147 while driving along the cleaning area 140 with a pulse width Td of the working current diagram 149, the robot 1000 can switch the close-range pulse energy (corresponding to Fig.14 The working current of Figure 149 shows the pulse width T2) and the long-range pulse energy (corresponding to Fig.14In addition, when the robot 1000 continues to drive and no obstacle is detected within the reference distance from the driving route 147, the robot 1000 can change the energy of the laser pulse signal to the default pulse energy again.

[0200] Therefore, even if the robot 1000 approaches an obstacle, the robot 1000 can accurately calculate the distance to the obstacle, thereby effectively changing the driving route.

[0201] Furthermore, the robot 1000 may change the pulse energy of the laser pulse signal only when the distance between obstacles is less than or equal to the reference distance, rather than simply changing the pulse energy of the laser pulse signal when an obstacle exists in the driving route direction.

[0202] For example, Fig.14 As shown, when two cups and a towel are detected within a reference distance from the driving route 147 and it is determined that the distance between the two cups is less than or equal to the reference distance, the default pulse energy of the laser pulse signal can be changed to the switched short-distance pulse energy and long-distance pulse energy.

[0203] When the distance between obstacles decreases, the probability of diffuse reflection increases, and therefore, when the distance between obstacles is less than or equal to the reference distance, the robot 1000 can output a laser pulse signal of a close-range pulse energy that is less than the default pulse energy. Thus, the robot 1000 can accurately calculate the distance to the obstacle and the position of the obstacle.

[0204] Fig.15 A method of changing the pulse energy of a laser pulse signal according to the size of a cleaning area performed by the robot 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0205] Reference Fig.15 , the robot 1000 can change the pulse energy of the laser pulse signal according to the size of the cleaning area. In addition, the robot 1000 can determine the pulse energy of the laser pulse signal according to the size of the cleaning area.

[0206] For example, when the robot 1000 enters the living room area after cleaning the room area based on the default pulse energy, the robot 1000 can output a laser pulse signal with a close-range pulse energy less than the default pulse energy and a laser pulse signal with a long-range pulse energy greater than the default pulse energy by switching the laser pulse signal with the close-range pulse energy and the laser pulse signal with the long-range pulse energy. In addition, as another example, when the robot 1000 enters the small room area after cleaning the living room area based on the default pulse energy, the robot 1000 can output a laser pulse signal with a close-range pulse energy less than the default pulse energy and a laser pulse signal with the default pulse energy by switching the laser pulse signal with the close-range pulse energy and the laser pulse signal with the default pulse energy.

[0207] For example, refer to Fig.15 , when the robot 1000 enters room 2 after cleaning room 3 as the robot 1000 drives along room 3 based on the default pulse energy, the robot 1000 may determine the size of room 2 based on the pre-stored map information. In addition, when the size of room 2 is within the reference size, the robot 1000 may output a laser pulse signal by switching the short-range pulse energy and the long-range pulse energy.

[0208] In this case, the close-range pulse energy (corresponding to Fig.15 The pulse width T2 of the working current diagram 151) can be less than the default pulse energy (corresponding to Fig.15 The pulse width Td of the working current diagram 151 is shown in FIG. 151). In addition, the robot 1000 can determine the short-range pulse energy to be proportional to the size of the cleaning area. In addition, the long-range pulse energy (corresponding to Fig.15 The pulse width T1 of the operating current diagram 151 may be the same as the default pulse energy.

[0209] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the robot 1000 may communicate with the device 2000, and the device 2000 may provide information related to the operation of the robot 1000, a graphical user interface (GUI), etc. The device 2000 may store and execute a predetermined application for providing information related to the robot 1000 and controlling the robot 1000. The device 2000 may communicate with the robot 1000 through a server (not shown), or may directly communicate with the robot 1000 through near field communication. The device 2000 may correspond to, for example, a communication terminal, a mobile device, a smart phone, a desktop personal computer (PC), a wearable device, etc.

[0210] The device 2000 may display the image 150 indicating the location of the robot 1000 on the map together with the map information. In addition, the device 2000 may display a phrase 153 or an image indicating the current sensing mode of the TOF LiDAR sensor.

[0211] Fig.16 is a block diagram of a robot 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0212] Reference Fig.16 The robot 1000 may include a processor 1100, a microphone 1200, a communication module 1300, a memory 1400, an input interface 1500, an output module 1600, a sensor 1700, a driving module 1800, and a cleaning module 1900. Figure 2 Components that are identical to those shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0213] Not all of the components shown are necessary components of the robot 1000. The robot 1000 may include Fig.16 The components shown in the figure may be implemented with more or fewer components.

[0214] The output module 1600 may include a sound output module 1620 and a display 1610 .

[0215] The sound output module 1620 may output a sound signal to the outside of the robot 1000. The sound output module 1620 may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker may be used for general purposes, such as multimedia reproduction or record reproduction.

[0216] The display 1610 may output image data processed by an image processor (not shown) through a display panel (not shown) according to the control of the processor 1100. The display panel (not shown) may include at least one of a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor liquid crystal display, an organic light emitting diode, a flexible display, a 3D display, or an electrophoretic display.

[0217] The input interface 1500 may receive a user input for controlling the robot 1000. The input interface 1500 may receive the user input and transmit the user input to the processor 1100.

[0218] The input interface 1500 may include but is not limited to user input electronic devices, such as a touch panel configured to sense a user's touch operation, a button configured to receive a user's press operation, a scroll wheel configured to receive a user's rotation operation, a keyboard, a dome switch, etc.

[0219] In addition, the input interface 1500 may include a voice recognition device for voice recognition. For example, the voice recognition device may include a microphone 1200, and the voice recognition device may receive a user's voice command or voice request. Accordingly, the processor 1100 may control the execution of an operation corresponding to the voice command or voice request.

[0220] The memory 1400 may store various information, data, instructions, programs, etc. required for the operation of the robot 1000. The memory 1400 may include at least one of a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory or a combination of a volatile memory and a non-volatile memory. The memory 1400 may include at least one storage medium of a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card memory (e.g., an SD or XD memory), a random access memory (RAM), a static RAM (SRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), a programmable ROM (PROM), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk. In addition, the robot 1000 may operate a network storage or a cloud server that performs a storage function on the Internet.

[0221] The communication module 1300 may send information to or receive information from an external device or an external server according to a protocol under the control of the processor 1100. The communication module 1300 may include at least one communication module and at least one port for sending data to or receiving data from an external device (not shown).

[0222] In addition, the communication module 1300 can communicate with an external device through at least one wired or wireless communication network. The communication module 1300 may include at least one of the short-range communication module 1310 or the long-range communication module 1320, or a combination of the short-range communication module 1310 and the long-range communication module 1320. The communication module 1300 may include at least one antenna for wirelessly communicating with another device.

[0223] The short-range communication module 1310 may include at least one communication module (not shown) that performs communication according to a communication standard (e.g., Bluetooth, Wifi, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Near Field Communication (NFC) / Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Wifi Direct (WFD), Ultra Wideband (UWB), Zigbee, etc.). In addition, the long-range communication module 1320 may include a communication module (not shown) that performs communication through a network for Internet communication. In addition, the long-range communication module 1320 may include a mobile communication module that communicates according to a communication standard (e.g., third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), fifth generation (5G) and / or sixth generation (6G)).

[0224] In addition, the communication module 1300 may include a communication module that can receive a control command from a remote controller (not shown) within a short distance, such as an infrared (IR) communication module, etc.

[0225] The cleaning module 1900 may include a brush 1910 , a dust collection bucket 1920 , a dust suction motor 1930 , and a mopping device 1940 .

[0226] The suction motor 1930 (or vacuum motor) may suck air through a suction hole (not shown) of the robot 1000 by rotating a fan (not shown) connected to the suction motor 1930. The suction motor 1930 may include a direct current (DC) suction motor, a dry suction motor, and a wet suction motor, but is not limited thereto.

[0227] The brush 1910 may include a wire brush including a plurality of brush wires or a lint brush including lint, but is not limited thereto. The brush 1910 may be rotated by using power transmitted from a brush motor (not shown). The brush 1910 may move dust or foreign matter adhering to the floor area to a suction hole (not shown) by sweeping the dust or foreign matter.

[0228] The dust bucket 1920 may store dust sucked through the suction hole of the robot 1000 and filtered by a dust filter (not shown).

[0229] The mopping device 1940 may perform wet mopping by rotating a wet cleaning pad coupled to the bottom of the robot 1000 .

[0230] The sensor 1700 may include various types of sensors.

[0231] For example, the sensor 1700 may include a TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 , an obstacle detection sensor 1720 , an object recognition sensor 1730 , and a fall prevention sensor 1740 .

[0232] The TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 may include a transmitter (not shown) for transmitting a laser pulse signal and a receiver (not shown) for receiving a reflected signal of the transmitted laser pulse signal. The processor 1100 may determine the distance to the surrounding objects of the robot 1000 or the position of the objects on the map by controlling the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710.

[0233] The obstacle detection sensor 1720 may output infrared rays or ultrasonic waves and receive a reflection signal reflected from an obstacle. The processor 1100 may control the obstacle detection sensor 1720 to detect whether there is an obstacle in front.

[0234] The object recognition sensor 1730 may include a 2D camera sensor and a 3D camera sensor. The object recognition sensor 1730 may capture the front of the robot 1000 and recognize the type and position of an object in the captured image.

[0235] The fall prevention sensor 1740 may include an infrared transmitter (not shown) and an infrared receiver (not shown) disposed toward the floor. The processor 1100 may output infrared rays toward the floor by controlling the infrared transmitter of the fall prevention sensor 1740, and may receive a reflection signal reflected from the floor by controlling the infrared receiver. The processor 1100 may detect the distance between the robot 1000 and the floor based on the received reflection signal. In addition, the processor 1100 may identify whether a fall may occur and a threshold value based on the distance from the floor.

[0236] In addition, the sensor 1900 may include a plurality of sensors configured to detect information about the surrounding environment of the robot 1000. For example, the sensor 1900 may include an ultrasonic sensor (not shown), a motion sensor (not shown), etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0237] The processor 1100 may obtain information related to the distance between the robot 1000 and the surrounding objects of the robot 1000. For example, the processor 1100 may output a laser pulse signal having a default pulse energy to the surrounding area of ​​the robot 1000, and may obtain information related to the distance between the robot 1000 and the surrounding objects of the robot 1000 based on a reflection signal of the output laser pulse signal. In addition, for example, based on a pre-stored map indicating the positions of the surrounding objects of the robot 1000 and the position of the robot 1000 on the map, the processor 1100 may obtain information related to the distance from the robot 1000 to the surrounding objects of the robot 1000.

[0238] The processor 1100 may determine to change the energy of the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor into a close-range pulse energy for a close-range object and a long-range pulse energy for a long-range object based on the obtained information related to the distance. In this case, the close-range pulse energy for the close-range object may be less than the default pulse energy. In addition, the robot 1000 may determine the close-range pulse energy to be proportional to the size of the strong cleaning area or the size of the cleaning area. In addition, the long-range pulse energy may be greater than the default pulse energy or may be equal to the default pulse energy.

[0239] While the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 is rotating, the processor 1100 may output a laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 by switching a laser pulse signal of short-range pulse energy and a laser pulse signal of long-range pulse energy.

[0240] For example, the processor 1100 may output a laser pulse signal having short-range pulse energy during a rotation cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 , and output a laser pulse signal having long-range pulse energy during a next rotation cycle of the rotation cycle.

[0241] In addition, for example, the processor 1100 may output a laser pulse signal having a short-range pulse energy according to an angular range of a short-range object, and may output a laser pulse signal having a long-range pulse energy according to an angular range of a long-range object.

[0242] The processor 1100 may correct information about the distance between the robot 1000 and the peripheral objects of the robot 1000 based on the reflection signal of the laser pulse signal received from the peripheral objects of the robot 1000 .

[0243] For example, the processor 1100 can generate a short-range map based on the reflection signal of the laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy, and can generate a long-range map based on the reflection signal of the laser pulse signal of the long-range pulse energy. In addition, the processor 1100 can correct the map of the surrounding objects of the robot 1000 by combining the short-range map with the long-range map.

[0244] The processor 1100 may control the driving module to drive based on the corrected distance information. For example, the processor 1100 may control the driving module to drive based on the corrected map.

[0245] The processor 1100 may identify that at least one of the surrounding objects of the robot 1000 is a chair or a table. In addition, when the processor 1100 identifies a chair or a table, the processor 1100 may start a strong cleaning mode to strongly clean the space between the chair legs or the table legs. In addition, based on the start of the strong cleaning mode, the processor 1100 may output a laser pulse signal having a short-range pulse energy during a rotation cycle of the TOD LiDAR sensor 1710, and may output a laser pulse signal having a long-range pulse energy during the next rotation cycle.

[0246] The processor 1100 may identify obstacles among the surrounding objects of the robot 1000, and may activate the obstacle contour following mode to deviate from the predetermined driving route and follow the contour of the identified obstacle. Based on the activation of the obstacle contour following mode, the processor 1100 may output a laser pulse signal having a short-range pulse energy during a rotation cycle of the TOD LiDAR sensor 1710, and may output a laser pulse signal having a long-range pulse energy during the next rotation cycle.

[0247] When the robot 1000 returns to the charging station to dock with the charging station, the processor 1100 can detect the docking guidance signal emitted from the charging station. When the docking guidance signal is detected, the processor 1100 can output the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor 1710 based on the docking pulse energy to reduce interference with the docking guidance signal.

[0248] The machine-readable storage medium may be provided as a non-transitory storage medium. Here, the term "non-transitory storage medium" merely means that the medium is a tangible device, rather than a signal (e.g., electromagnetic wave), and does not distinguish between a storage medium that semi-permanently stores data and a storage medium that temporarily stores data. For example, a "non-transitory storage medium" may include a buffer that temporarily stores data.

[0249] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in this specification may be provided in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a product. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., a compact disc (CD)-ROM), or may be distributed directly between two user devices (e.g., a smartphone), or distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) through an application store. In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product (e.g., a downloadable application) may be at least temporarily stored in a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., a memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a relay server), or may be temporarily generated.

Claims

1. A robot (1000), comprising: DriverModule(1800); Time of flight TOF light detection and ranging LiDAR sensor (1710); at least one memory (1400) for storing one or more instructions; as well as At least one processor (1100) is configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory (1400) to: Obtaining information related to the distance between the robot (1000) and surrounding objects of the robot (1000); Based on the obtained information related to the distance, determining to change the energy of the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor (1710) into a short-range pulse energy for a short-range object and a long-range pulse energy for a long-range object; While the TOF LiDAR sensor (1710) is rotating, the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor (1710) is output by switching the laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy and the laser pulse signal of the long-range pulse energy; Correcting the information related to the distance between the robot (1000) and a peripheral object of the robot (1000) based on a reflection signal of the laser pulse signal, the reflection signal being received from the peripheral object of the robot (1000); and Based on the corrected information related to the distance, the driving module (1800) is controlled to move the robot.

2. The robot according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory to: The information related to the distance between the robot and the surrounding objects of the robot is obtained by outputting a laser pulse signal with a default pulse energy to the surrounding positions of the robot.

3. The robot according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory to: The information on the distance between the robot and the surrounding objects of the robot is obtained based on a pre-stored map indicating the positions of the surrounding objects of the robot and the position of the robot on the pre-stored map.

4. The robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory to: outputting a laser pulse signal having the close-range pulse energy during a rotation period of the TOF LiDAR sensor; as well as A laser pulse signal of the long-range pulse energy is output during a rotation cycle next to the rotation cycle.

5. The robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory to: Outputting a laser pulse signal of the close-range pulse energy according to the angular range of the close-range object; as well as A laser pulse signal of the long-distance pulse energy is output according to the angular range of the long-distance object.

6. The robot according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory to: generating a short-range map based on a reflected signal of the laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy; generating a long-range map based on a reflected signal of the laser pulse signal of the long-range pulse energy; as well as The short-range map is combined with the long-range map to generate a map related to surrounding objects of the robot.

7. The robot according to claim 4, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory to: Recognize that the type of at least one object among the surrounding objects of the robot is a chair or a table; When the chair or the table is identified, a strong cleaning mode is started to strongly clean the space between the chair legs or the table legs; as well as Based on the activation of the powerful cleaning mode, the laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy is output during the rotation cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor, and the laser pulse signal of the long-range pulse energy is output during the next rotation cycle.

8. The robot according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory to: Identifying obstacles among objects surrounding the robot; activating an obstacle contour following mode to deviate from a predetermined driving route and follow the contour of an identified obstacle; as well as Based on the activation of the obstacle contour following mode, the laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy is output during the rotation period of the TOF LiDAR sensor, and the laser pulse signal of the long-range pulse energy is output during the next rotation period.

9. The robot according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory to: When the robot detects a docking guidance signal output from the charging station while the robot returns to the charging station to dock with the charging station, the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor is output based on the docking pulse energy, thereby reducing interference with the docking guidance signal.

10. The robot according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory to: determining a cleaning area along which the robot is to move; as well as The size of the close-range pulse energy is determined based on the size of the cleaning area.

11. A method for driving a robot, the method comprising: obtaining information related to the distance between the robot and surrounding objects of the robot; Based on the obtained information related to the distance, determining to change the pulse energy of the laser pulse signal of the time-of-flight TOF light detection and ranging LiDAR sensor into a short-range pulse energy for a short-range object and a long-range pulse energy for a long-range object; While the TOF LiDAR sensor is rotating, outputting a laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor by switching the laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy and the laser pulse signal of the long-range pulse energy; correcting the information about the distance between the robot and a peripheral object of the robot based on a reflection signal of the laser pulse signal, the reflection signal being received from the peripheral object of the robot; and The robot is moved based on the corrected information related to the distance.

12. The driving method according to claim 11, wherein: Obtaining the information related to the distance between the robot and the surrounding objects of the robot includes: The information related to the distance between the robot and the surrounding objects of the robot is obtained by outputting a laser pulse signal with a default pulse energy to the surrounding positions of the robot.

13. The driving method according to claim 11, wherein: Obtaining the information related to the distance between the robot and the surrounding objects of the robot includes: The information on the distance between the robot and the surrounding objects of the robot is obtained based on a pre-stored map indicating the positions of the surrounding objects of the robot and the position of the robot on the pre-stored map.

14. The driving method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein: Outputting the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor includes: Outputting a laser pulse signal of the close-range pulse energy during a rotation period of the TOF LiDAR sensor; and A laser pulse signal of the long-range pulse energy is output during a rotation cycle next to the rotation cycle.

15. The driving method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein: Outputting the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor includes: Outputting a laser pulse signal of the close-range pulse energy according to the angular range of the close-range object; and A laser pulse signal of the long-distance pulse energy is output according to the angular range of the long-distance object.

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