Mobile robot with battery discharge-preventing performance and method for controlling the same

Abstract

The present invention provides a mobile robot comprising a main body and a control unit that controls the operation of a driving unit that moves the main body using power stored in a battery, wherein the control unit moves the main body to a charging station using the driving unit for charging the battery according to a second remaining charge level of the battery, and cuts off the power supply of the battery to the control unit according to a first remaining charge level of the battery, and wherein the second remaining charge level is higher than the first remaining charge level.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a mobile robot having a function to prevent battery discharge and a control method thereof. Background Technology

[0002] With the recent advancement of robot technology, various types of robots are being introduced, including household robots that provide various services such as cleaning at home, and diverse industrial robots used in factories.

[0003] Since autonomously mobile robots utilize energy stored in batteries, they must be charged to continuously perform tasks. Conventional mobile robots move to charging stations periodically or non-periodically to autonomously charge, ensuring that the remaining power in the battery is maintained above a certain level (Korean Patent Registration No. 10-0115624, etc.).

[0004] Meanwhile, while the mobile robot is moving autonomously and performing a mission, it may remain in an abnormally stopped state due to reasons such as sensor detection errors or program errors.

[0005] In particular, during times when there is no one to control these mobile robots (e.g., early morning hours), the mobile robots may remain in a stopped state for a long period of time. In this case, even though the remaining battery level is below the level requiring charging, the mobile robots may be unable to move to a charging station, and the battery may become completely discharged. Even when not moving, active mobile robots can continuously consume standby power, and consequently, the battery may become completely discharged.

[0006] If the mobile robot is small or lightweight, there is no major problem as long as the user lifts it to a charging station and charges it; however, for mobile robots that are large and too heavy for a person to lift, solving this problem can be extremely difficult.

[0007] Currently, users either connect a portable battery to a completely discharged mobile robot to charge it to a level where it can move to a charging station, or they release the wheel brakes and forcibly push the robot to the charging station. Prior art literature

[0008] (Patent Document 0001) KR 10-0115624 B1 The problem to be solved

[0009] The present invention aims to provide a mobile robot and a control method thereof that can autonomously move to a charging station once the mobile robot has recovered from an immobile state by preventing the mobile robot from becoming completely discharged when it is unexpectedly in an immobile state. means of solving the problem

[0010] To solve the above problem, the present invention provides a mobile robot comprising a main body and a control unit that controls the operation of a driving unit that moves the main body using power stored in a battery, wherein the control unit moves the main body to a charging station using the driving unit for charging the battery according to a second remaining charge level of the battery, and cuts off the power supply of the battery to the control unit according to a first remaining charge level of the battery, and wherein the second remaining charge level is higher than the first remaining charge level.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the control unit includes a first control unit that activates a second control unit and a second control unit that switches to an inactive state according to the first remaining amount level of the battery in an active state, and further includes a power control unit that is electrically connected between the battery and the first control unit and controls the power supply of the battery to the first control unit according to the activation state of the second control unit, wherein when the first control unit that detects the activation state of the second control unit detects the inactive state of the second control unit, the power control unit may cut off the power supply of the battery to the first control unit.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the power control unit, the first control unit, and the second control unit are electrically connected in series, so that when the power supply of the battery to the first control unit is cut off, the power supply of the battery to the second control unit can be cut off.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the first control unit detects the operating state of the first and second switches and activates the second control unit when the first and second switches are detected to be in an ON state, and the power control unit can control the power supply of the battery to the first control unit according to the operating state of the first and second switches.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the power control unit includes a capacitor that charges and discharges the power of the battery, wherein the capacitor is charged according to the ON state of the first switch and switches the second switch to the ON state, and if no ON input is applied to the second switch by a user within a predetermined waiting time, the capacitor is discharged without maintaining the charged state and can switch the second switch to the OFF state.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the power control unit applies power from the battery to the first and second control units when an ON input is applied by the second switch within the standby time, thereby activating the second control unit, and the capacitor maintains a charged state according to the activation state of the second control unit received from the first control unit, so as to keep the second switch in an ON state.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the power control unit includes a counter that counts the number of times an ON input by the second switch is not applied within the waiting time, and if the number of times counted by the counter is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, it can determine that there is a fault in the second switch or the capacitor.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the power control unit can determine that there is a fault in the capacitor if, during the number of times counted by the counter, an ON input to the second switch is applied from the user, but the second switch fails to maintain the ON state within the waiting time and switches to the OFF state.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the first switch may be a switch with different form factors having different external shapes for the on state and the off state, and the second switch may be a switch with the same form factor having the same external shape for the on state and the off state.

[0019] In addition, the present invention provides a control method for a mobile robot comprising a main body and a control unit that controls the operation of a driving unit that moves the main body using power stored in a battery, wherein the control unit comprises the step of moving the main body to a charging station using the driving unit to charge the battery according to a second remaining charge level of the battery, and the control unit comprises the step of cutting off the power supply of the battery to the control unit according to a first remaining charge level of the battery, wherein the second remaining charge level is higher than the first remaining charge level. Effects of the invention

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present invention, by preventing a mobile robot that is unexpectedly unable to move from being completely discharged, the mobile robot that has recovered from the unable-move state can be autonomously moved to a charging station. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0021] FIG. 1 is an example of the external appearance of a mobile robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a mobile robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a power control unit and a control unit for a battery according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an example diagram of the operation of a mobile robot according to the remaining battery level according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a specific circuit diagram of the first and second power control units according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a partial circuit diagram including a capacitor of a power control unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the charging and discharging process of a capacitor of a power control unit according to one embodiment of the present invention in steps. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the process of determining a failure of a capacitor in a power control unit according to one embodiment of the present invention in steps. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments disclosed in this specification will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Identical or similar components regardless of drawing symbols will be assigned the same reference number, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted. The suffixes "module" and "part" used for components in the following description are assigned or used interchangeably solely for the ease of drafting the specification and do not inherently possess distinct meanings or roles. Furthermore, in describing embodiments disclosed in this specification, if it is determined that a detailed description of related prior art could obscure the essence of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, such detailed description will be omitted. Additionally, the attached drawings are intended only to facilitate easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification; the technical concept disclosed in this specification is not limited by the attached drawings and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention.

[0023] When it is stated that one component is "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that while it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, there may also be other components in between. On the other hand, when it is stated that one component is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

[0024] A singular expression includes a plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0025] In this specification, terms such as “comprising” or “having” are intended to indicate the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not excluding in advance the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0027] FIG. 1 is an example of the external appearance of a mobile robot according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a mobile robot according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] As illustrated in FIG. 1 and 2, a mobile robot (1) having a battery discharge prevention function according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a main body (10), a driving unit (120) that moves the main body (10) using power stored in a battery (160), and a control unit (110) that controls the operation of the driving unit (120). By driving the wheel (121) using a driving device in response to a control command from the control unit (110), the driving unit (120) can move the main body (10) in various directions, including forward and backward directions.

[0029] This mobile robot (1) is a robot that performs a task assigned by a user, etc., and its type is not specifically limited, and below we will examine each component.

[0031] The main body (10) forms the exterior of the mobile robot, and as an example, the main body (10) has a predetermined length and width as shown in FIG. 1, but has a relatively low height, so that the height of the main body may be shorter than the width and length.

[0032] Here, the front of the main body (10) may be any one of the directions in which the main body can travel, and in this specification, as shown in FIG. 1, the direction of one side of the main body (10) that is narrower in width is defined as the front, and the description is to be based on this, but the scope of the invention is not limited thereto.

[0033] A mobile robot (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a driving unit (120) to move the main body.

[0034] The driving unit (120) may specifically include at least one wheel (121) for moving the main body and a driving device including a motor for rotating the wheel (121) around an axis.

[0035] A wheel is a rotating body provided to rotate about a rotation axis, and a plurality of wheels may be provided on the bottom surface of the main body (10). The present invention does not specifically limit the number of wheels, but as shown in FIG. 1, it may include two driving wheels provided one on each of the left and right sides of the main body (10) in the width direction, and at least one driven wheel provided at the front and rear of a pair of driving wheels. Here, the driving wheel may be a wheel that rotates actively according to the driving of a driving motor, and the driven wheel may be a wheel that rotates passively according to the movement of the main body (10) without following the driving of a motor or the like. That is, the driven wheel can support the main body (10) so that it does not tilt to one side and is spaced a predetermined height from the ground, thereby maintaining the main body (10) in an approximately horizontal state.

[0036] The driving unit (120) of a mobile robot according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include a steering device for setting the driving direction of the wheels (121) in the forward, backward, left, and right directions, but if the driving unit (120) does not include a steering device, the driving unit (120) may change the driving direction of the main body to the left or right while moving forward and backward by creating a difference in the rotational speed of each of the pair of driving wheels provided on each of the left and right sides of the main body (10) without the steering device, or may rotate clockwise or counterclockwise in place. To this end, the mobile robot (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a pair of driving motors that operate individually to provide power to each so that each of the pair of driving wheels can be driven individually.

[0037] Meanwhile, a mobile robot (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a battery (160) that stores power required to perform various operations.

[0038] It is desirable that the battery (160), which can release stored electrical energy as needed, be rechargeable several times, and the battery management system (BMS) can measure the voltage and / or current of the battery (160) and control the voltage and current so that the battery (160) is not overcharged or overdischarged, or measure the temperature of the battery (160) and control the operation of the battery (160) so that the battery (160) can operate within a normal temperature range, thereby monitoring the condition of the battery (160) or controlling its operation to optimize the performance of the battery (160) and operate it safely.

[0039] In addition, a mobile robot (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a storage unit (130) that stores a control program for controlling or driving the mobile robot (1) and data according to the same. As a specific example, the storage unit (130) may store a map of a mission area or a driving method within the mission area, and may also store audio information, video information, obstacle information, location information, etc.

[0040] The storage unit (130) may primarily use non-volatile memory, where non-volatile memory (NVM, NVRAM) is a storage device that can maintain stored information even when power is not supplied, and may be, for example, ROM, flash memory, magnetic computer memory device (e.g., hard disk, diskette drive, magnetic tape), optical disk drive, magnetic RAM, PRAM, etc.

[0041] Meanwhile, the sensor unit (140) may include at least one of an external signal detection sensor, a front detection sensor, a cliff detection sensor, a camera sensor, and a posture sensor.

[0042] The external signal detection sensor can detect external signals of the mobile robot (1). The external signal detection sensor may be, for example, an infrared ray sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a radio frequency sensor, etc., and the mobile robot (1) can receive control command input according to the signal detected by the external signal detection sensor in addition to the information received through the communication unit (150).

[0043] The front detection sensor may be installed at regular intervals along the front of the mobile robot (1), specifically along the side outer surface of the mobile robot (1). The front detection sensor is positioned on at least one side of the mobile robot (1) to detect obstacles in front, and may be, for example, any one of lidar, infrared sensor, ultrasonic sensor, RF sensor, and geomagnetic sensor, or a combination thereof.

[0044] The cliff detection sensor (or cliff sensor) can detect obstacles on the floor supporting the main body of the mobile robot (1) by primarily using various types of optical sensors. The cliff detection sensor may be, for example, any one of an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an RF sensor, and a PSD (Position Sensitive Detector) sensor installed on the bottom surface of the robot, or a combination thereof.

[0045] A camera sensor may be installed to face upward or forward of the main body of the mobile robot (1) to photograph the surroundings. For example, multiple camera sensors may be provided and arranged at a certain distance or angle on the upper or side surface of the main body of the mobile robot (1). The camera sensor may include a lens for focusing on a subject, a control unit for controlling the camera sensor, and a lens control unit for controlling the lens. The control unit (110) may recognize the current position of the robot using image data captured by the camera sensor and create a map of the mission area.

[0046] The attitude sensor is for recognizing the attitude of the mobile robot (1), and may be any one of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a wheel sensor, or a combination thereof, and the control unit (110) may precisely recognize the current position by combining it with image data from a camera sensor.

[0047] Meanwhile, the communication unit (150) is for performing communication with an external terminal device or server, and the communication method may be wired or wireless. For example, the communication method may be one of wireless internet methods or mobile communication methods such as WLAN (Wireless LAN), WiFi (Wireless Fidelity) Direct, DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance), Wibro (Wireless broadband), Wimax (World Interoperability for Microwave Access), HSDPA (High Speed ​​Downlink Packet Access), radio frequency (RF) communication, Bluetooth, infrared communication (IrDA), Zigbee, etc.

[0048] Meanwhile, the control unit (110) serves as a means for controlling the overall operation of the mobile robot (1), and can execute various application programs in conjunction with each component of the mobile robot (1) and perform related operations. That is, the control unit (110) can control various operations of the mobile robot (1) by processing signals or data input or output through the components of the mobile robot (1) or by running an application program stored in the storage unit (130). In addition, the control unit (110) can control the operation of at least some of the components of the mobile robot (1) in order to run an application program stored in the storage unit (130).

[0049] As a specific example, the control unit (110) can generate a map of the mission area using obstacle information detected by a forward detection sensor or an obstacle detection sensor, and a location recognized by at least one camera sensor. Among the terms used in this specification, the mission area may be an area formed by obstacles such as walls, and the method of generating a map of the mission area follows known methods and is not specifically limited in the present invention. However, it is obvious that the map may not be generated while the mobile robot (1) drives autonomously, but may be provided from an external source and stored in the storage unit (130).

[0050] A control unit (110) according to one embodiment of the present invention can autonomously charge the battery (160) by moving the main body (10) to a charging station (not shown) on a map using a driving unit (12) according to the level of electrical energy or power remaining in the battery (160). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, when the remaining amount of the battery (160) is below a second remaining amount level (L2), the control unit (110) can move the main body (10) to a charging station to charge the battery (160).

[0051] While the mobile robot (1) is autonomously moving and performing a mission within the mission area, the mobile robot may remain in an abnormally stopped state due to various unintended reasons such as sensor detection errors or program errors.

[0052] In particular, when the remaining amount of power in the battery (160) reaches a second remaining amount level (L2) as shown in FIG. 4, the control unit (110) can move the main body (10) to a charging station to charge the battery (160), but if the movement is unintentionally stopped during the process, the power stored in the battery (160) can be continuously discharged and completely discharged. Since standby power consumption continues in the active state of the control unit (110) which can detect the state of each component of the mobile robot (1) or operate each component according to user input or a series of pre-arranged steps, it is desirable to deactivate the control unit (110) or cut off the supply of power from the battery (160) to prevent standby power consumption by the control unit (110) when the power remaining in the battery (160) is lower than the second remaining power level (L2) at the first remaining power level (L1), that is, when the remaining energy of the battery (160) is less than or equal to the first remaining power level (L1).

[0053] It is desirable to prevent the mobile robot (1) from being completely discharged when it is unexpectedly unable to move in this way, so that the mobile robot (1) can autonomously move to the charging station after being freed from the immobile state by the user.

[0054] Here, regarding the second remaining level (L2), the present invention is not specifically limited, but it may be greater than the sum of the maximum power consumption (W1) required for the mobile robot (1) within the mission area corresponding to the first remaining level (L1) to move to the charging station, and the power consumption (W2) required when attempting recovery, such as system rebooting, when movement is unintentionally stopped due to sensor errors or program errors corresponding to the difference between the first remaining level (L1) and the second remaining level (L2). In addition, the power W2 may be the power that allows the mobile robot (1) to operate during a time (T2) which is the sum of a pre-set response waiting time (T1) as the time for the control unit (110) to wait for a response from each component of the mobile robot (1) or to wait for a response following the execution of a pre-prepared series of operations, and the reboot time (T2) of each component of the mobile robot (1), including the control unit (110).

[0055] Meanwhile, a control unit (110) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a first control unit (111) that detects the operating state of the first and second switches (181, 182) and activates the second control unit (112), as shown in FIG. 3, and a second control unit (112) that is activated according to the activation signal of the first control unit (111).

[0056] The first control unit (111) is a device capable of performing calculations that can be processed in real time with less power consumption than the second control unit (112), and can detect the operating status of the first and second switches (181, 182). In contrast, the second control unit (112) is a device capable of performing complex or high-performance calculations with higher power consumption than the first control unit (111), and the operation of the second control unit (112) may depend on the activation signal of the first control unit (111). That is, the second control unit (112) can be operated by the activation signal generated and applied by the first control unit (111).

[0057] Accordingly, the first control unit (111) can continuously detect the activation state of the second control unit (112), that is, whether it is currently activated or deactivated, on a periodic or non-periodic basis, and as described below, the first control unit (111) can apply an activation state signal (185), which is a signal according to the activation state of the second control unit (112), as a result of detection, to the power control unit (170), specifically the third power control unit (173).

[0058] The present invention is not specifically limited, but as illustrated in FIG. 3, the first control unit (111) and the second control unit (112) may be electrically connected in series. Specifically, the battery (160), the power control unit (170), the first control unit (111), and the second control unit (112) may be connected in series sequentially, and accordingly, when the power supply of the battery (160) to the first control unit (111) is cut off, the power supply of the battery (160) to the second control unit (112) may also be cut off.

[0059] The first switch (181), whose operating state is detected by the first control unit (111), is a means for receiving user input to apply the battery (160) to each component of the mobile robot (1). Although the present invention is not specifically limited, the switch (181a) may have a different form factor and an external shape that is different in the on state and the off state.

[0060] Likewise, the second switch (182), whose operating state is detected by the first control unit (111), is a means for receiving user input to switch the mobile robot (1), to which power from the battery (160) is applied due to the ON operation of the first switch (181), to an active state in which it can operate normally to perform a mission. Although the present invention is not specifically limited, the ON state and the OFF state may be the same form factor switch (182a) having the same external appearance. This is because, as described below, the ON / OFF state of the second switch (182) can be switched electrically rather than physically depending on the charge state of the capacitor (C).

[0061] As a specific example, the user can switch the first switch (181) to the ON state to apply power from the battery (160) to each component of the mobile robot (1), and then switch the second switch (182) to the ON state so that the mobile robot (1), including the control unit (110), enters an active state.

[0062] Additionally, the first control unit (111) can check (or identify) the remaining amount of the battery (160) using a battery management system (BMS), etc. Although not limited to the present invention, the second control unit (112) can also check (or identify) the remaining amount level of the battery (160) indirectly through the first control unit (111) or directly using the battery (160) or the battery management system (BMS). Accordingly, when the stored power of the battery (160) is below the first remaining amount level (L1), the second control unit (112), which consumes more power, can first switch from an active state to an inactive state. Specifically, when the remaining amount level of the battery (160) reaches the first remaining amount level (L1), the second control unit (112) can switch from an active state to an inactive state on its own. Of course, the present invention is not limited to this, and the first control unit (111) may apply a deactivation signal to the second control unit (112) according to the remaining level of the battery (160), thereby inducing the second control unit (112) to switch from an active state to a deactivated state according to the applied deactivation signal.

[0063] Meanwhile, a mobile robot (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a power control unit (170) arranged to be electrically connected between a battery (160) and a control unit (110), specifically between the battery (160) and a first control unit (111), as shown in FIG. 3.

[0064] The power control unit (170) is a device for controlling the power supply of the battery (160) to the control unit (110), specifically, it can apply power stored in the battery (160) to each component of the mobile robot (1) including the control unit (110), or conversely, cut off the power supply.

[0065] According to a specific embodiment, the power control unit (170) may include a first power control unit (171) and a second power control unit (172) connected in series with each other, as shown in FIG. 5. At this time, the first power control unit (171) may include a first element (Q1, Q2) that controls the output flow of the battery (160) toward the second power control unit (172) according to the operating state of the first switch (181), as shown in FIG. 5(b), and the second power control unit (172) may include a second element (Q3, Q4) that controls the supply power flow of the battery passing through the first power control unit (171) toward the control unit (110) according to the operating state of the second switch (182), as shown in FIG. 5(a).

[0066] Accordingly, when both the first and second switches (181, 182) are in the ON state, the power of the battery (160) can be applied to the control unit (110), specifically the first control unit (111), by sequentially passing through the first and second power control units (171, 172). However, when either of the first and second switches (181, 182) is in the OFF state, either of the corresponding first and second elements opens the output flow of the battery (160), thereby preventing the power of the battery (160) from being applied to the control unit (110), specifically the first control unit (111) as well as the second control unit (112), so that the standby power consumption of the battery (160) by the control unit (110) can be fundamentally blocked.

[0067] In addition, FIG. 6 is a detailed circuit diagram of a third power control unit including a capacitor of a power control unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0068] As illustrated in FIG. 6, a power control unit (170) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a third power control unit (173) comprising a capacitor (C) that charges and discharges according to the operating state of the first and second switches (181, 182) and the activation state of the second control unit (112). Here, the activation state of the second control unit (112) may be continuously detected by the first control unit (111) periodically or non-periodically, and the first control unit (111) may apply an activation state signal (185) indicating the detection result to the third power control unit (173) (see reference numeral 185).

[0069] The first and second power control units (171, 172) may be connected in series with each other, but the third power control unit (173) may be provided individually, unlike the first and second power control units (171, 172), and the capacitor (C) in the third power control unit (173) may be charged with power supplied by the battery (160).

[0070] Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 6, depending on the ON state of the first switch (181), the Q5 element is short-circuited so that the capacitor (C) can be charged with power output from the battery (160), and depending on the activation state signal (185) for the second control unit (112) applied from the first control unit (111), the optocoupler (OC) is short-circuited so that the capacitor (C) can be charged with power output from the battery (160). That is, when the first switch (181) is ON due to user input, or when the second control unit (112) is currently in an active state operating normally, the capacitor (C) can be charged.

[0071] The charged capacitor (C) can be discharged by the resistor over time, and together with this, the Q9 element, which is opened and closed by the charging voltage of the capacitor (C), can be short-circuited before the capacitor (C) is discharged, thereby keeping the second switch (182) electrically ON regardless of user input. Here, for example, when the second switch (182) is ON, the corresponding signal may be GND (ground).

[0072] When an ON input is applied to the second switch (182) by user input before the capacitor (C) is discharged, power is applied to the first and second control units (111, 112) (see FIG. 5), and when the second control unit (112) operates normally and is in an active state, the capacitor (C) can maintain a charged state according to the activation state signal (185) of the second control unit (112) applied from the first control unit (111). In this specification, the time during which the Q9 element maintains a short circuit due to the charging voltage of the capacitor (C) is referred to as the standby time, and the standby time may vary depending on the capacitance and / or resistance of the capacitor (C).

[0073] In contrast, if the ON input by the user is not applied to the second switch (182) within a predetermined waiting time during which the capacitor (C) is discharged, the capacitor (C) cannot maintain its charged state and is discharged, and the second switch (182) in the ON state can be short-circuited to GND by opening the Q9 element and switched to the OFF state, and accordingly, power is not applied to the first and second control units (111, 112) in a sequence (see FIG. 5), and additional power consumption of the battery (160) can also be blocked.

[0074] Looking at the operation process according to this, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the capacitor (C) of the power control unit (170) can be charged (S20) when the first switch (181) is turned on by the user (S10), and the second switch (182) is electrically turned on during the standby time, but since the capacitor (C) gradually discharges over time, if there is no user's turn-on input for the second switch (182), the capacitor (C) is discharged (S40) and the second switch (182) can be switched to the OFF state.

[0075] In contrast, if there is an ON input from the user to the second switch (182) within the above waiting time, power from the battery (160) is applied to the first and second control units (111, 112), and the first control unit (111), which detects the second control unit (112) in an active state, continuously applies an activation state signal (185) indicating that the second control unit (112) is currently in an active state to the third power control unit (173) to maintain the charge state of the capacitor (C) and the ON state of the second switch (182) (S35).

[0076] Likewise, as described above, when the remaining power of the battery (160) is below the first remaining power level (L1), the second control unit (112) may be deactivated accordingly. Accordingly, when the first control unit (111), which continuously detects the activation state of the second control unit (112), detects the deactivated state of the second control unit (112), the power control unit (170), specifically the third power control unit (173), cannot maintain the capacitor (C) in a charged state based on the activation state signal (185) from the first control unit (111), and thus the second switch (182) also cannot be maintained in the ON state. Consequently, the second power control unit (172) cuts off the power supply to the first control unit (111), thereby preventing the complete discharge of the battery (160) without consuming standby power, including not only the second control unit (112) but also the first control unit (111).

[0077] Thus, the mobile robot (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention can prevent the complete discharge of the battery (160) even if it unexpectedly falls into a state where it cannot move.

[0078] Meanwhile, FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the process of determining a failure of a capacitor in a power control unit according to one embodiment of the present invention in steps.

[0079] As illustrated in FIG. 8, a power control unit (170) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a counter (not shown) that counts the number of times a user's on input is not authorized through the second switch (182) within a waiting time after the first switch (181) is turned on.

[0080] The counter can count (S50) the number of times the first switch (181) has an ON input but the second switch (182) has not been ON input from the user, and if the number counted by the counter is greater than or equal to a preset threshold (S60), it can notify the outside of a fault in the second switch (182) or capacitor (C) by outputting sound or light, etc. (S70).

[0081] This is because, when a general user operates the mobile robot (1), they turn on the first switch (181) and then turn on the second switch (182) in succession. Therefore, if the number of times the ON input of the second switch (182) is not applied after turning on the first switch (181) exceeds a threshold value, it can be determined that there is a fault in the second switch (182) or the capacitor (C).

[0082] Additionally, if an ON input to the second switch (182) is applied from the user during a count of times less than the threshold value by the counter, but the second switch (182) fails to maintain the ON state within the waiting time and switches to the OFF state, it can be indicated externally that there is a failure in the capacitor (C). This is because, when the capacitor (C) fails, the waiting time is non-existent or very short, so the second switch (182) cannot maintain the ON state.

[0083] Of course, the fault notification of the capacitor (C) and / or the second switch (182) can be connected to the constant power of the battery (160), and the fault notification means may be, for example, an LED lamp with very low power consumption.

[0085] Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings. The description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only, and those skilled in the art will understand that other specific forms can be easily modified without changing the technical concept or essential features of the present invention.

[0086] Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims set forth below rather than by the detailed description above, and all modifications or variations derived from the meaning, scope, and equivalent concepts of the claims should be interpreted as being included within the scope of the present invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0087] 1: Mobile robot 10: Main body 110: Control unit 111: First control unit 112: Second control unit 120: Driving unit 130: Storage unit 140: Sensor unit 150: Communications Unit 160: Battery 170: Power control unit 171: First power control unit 172: 2nd Power Control Unit 173: 3rd Power Control Unit 181: 1st switch 182: 2nd switch 185: Activation status signal

Claims

Claim 1 A mobile robot comprising a main body and a control unit that controls the operation of a driving unit that moves the main body using power stored in a battery, wherein the control unit moves the main body to a charging station using the driving unit for charging the battery according to a second remaining level of the battery, and cuts off the power supply of the battery to the control unit according to a first remaining level of the battery, wherein the first remaining level is the maximum power consumption required for the mobile robot to move to the charging station, and the second remaining level is higher than the first remaining level, and the difference between the first remaining level and the second remaining level is greater than the power consumption required when attempting recovery when the mobile robot is unintentionally stopped moving due to a sensor error or a program error. Claim 2 A mobile robot having a battery discharge prevention function according to claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises a first control unit that activates a second control unit and a second control unit that switches to an inactive state according to the first remaining amount level of the battery in an active state, and further comprises a power control unit that is electrically connected between the battery and the first control unit and controls the power supply of the battery to the first control unit according to the activation state of the second control unit, wherein when the first control unit that detects the activation state of the second control unit detects the inactive state of the second control unit, the power control unit cuts off the power supply of the battery to the first control unit. Claim 3 A mobile robot having a battery discharge prevention function according to claim 2, wherein the power control unit, the first control unit, and the second control unit are electrically connected in series, and when the power supply of the battery to the first control unit is cut off, the power supply of the battery to the second control unit is cut off. Claim 4 A mobile robot having a battery discharge prevention function according to claim 2, wherein the first control unit detects the operating state of the first and second switches and activates the second control unit when the first and second switches are detected to be in an ON state, and the power control unit controls the power supply of the battery to the first control unit according to the operating state of the first and second switches. Claim 5 A mobile robot having a battery discharge prevention function according to claim 4, wherein the power control unit includes a capacitor that charges and discharges the power of the battery, wherein the capacitor is charged according to the ON state of the first switch and switches the second switch to the ON state, and if the ON input for the second switch is not applied by the user within a predetermined waiting time, the capacitor is discharged without maintaining the charged state and switches the second switch to the OFF state. Claim 6 A mobile robot having a battery discharge prevention function according to claim 5, wherein the power control unit applies power from the battery to the first and second control units when an ON input is applied by the second switch within the standby time to activate the second control unit, and the capacitor maintains a charged state according to the activation state of the second control unit received from the first control unit, thereby maintaining the second switch in an ON state. Claim 7 A mobile robot having a battery discharge prevention function according to claim 5, wherein the power control unit includes a counter that counts the number of times an ON input by the second switch is not applied within the waiting time, and if the number of times counted by the counter is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, it determines that there is a fault in the second switch or the capacitor. Claim 8 A mobile robot having a battery discharge prevention function according to claim 7, wherein the power control unit determines that there is a fault in the capacitor when, during the number of times counted by the counter, an ON input to the second switch is applied from a user, but the second switch fails to maintain the ON state within the waiting time and switches to the OFF state. Claim 9 A mobile robot having a battery discharge prevention function according to claim 4, wherein the first switch is a switch with different form factors having different external shapes for the on state and the off state, and the second switch is a switch with the same form factor having the same external shape for the on state and the off state. Claim 10 A control method for a mobile robot comprising a main body and a control unit that controls the operation of a driving unit that moves the main body using power stored in a battery, wherein the control unit comprises: a step of moving the main body to a charging station using the driving unit to charge the battery according to a second remaining level of the battery; and a step of the control unit cutting off the power supply of the battery to the control unit according to a first remaining level of the battery; wherein the first remaining level is the maximum power consumption required for the mobile robot to move to the charging station, the second remaining level is higher than the first remaining level, and the difference between the first remaining level and the second remaining level is greater than or equal to the power consumption required when attempting recovery when the mobile robot is unintentionally stopped moving due to a sensor error or a program error.

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