Robot cleaner and method for controlling same

Abstract

A robot cleaner according to the present disclosure performs re-cleaning in which, when it is determined that dry mopping is required for a contaminated area and the humidity of a wet mop is greater than a reference humidity, an operation of drying the wet mop is performed, and then the wet mop passes the contaminated area again.

Description

Robot vacuum cleaner and method of controlling the robot vacuum cleaner

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a robot vacuum cleaner that performs mopping cleaning and a method for controlling the robot vacuum cleaner.

[0002] Typically, a robot vacuum cleaner is a device that automatically cleans a space by moving around it and sucking up dust and other debris accumulated on the floor without user intervention. A robot vacuum cleaner moves around the cleaning area and cleans it.

[0003] The robot vacuum cleaner uses a distance sensor to determine the distance to obstacles such as furniture, office supplies, and walls installed in the cleaning area, and selectively drives the left and right wheel motors of the robot vacuum cleaner to change direction on its own and clean the cleaning area.

[0004] Recently, in addition to robot vacuum cleaners that suck up foreign substances such as dust from the floor, robot vacuum cleaners that wipe away foreign substances such as dust from the floor have appeared.

[0005] Robot vacuum cleaners can perform dry cleaning by sucking up foreign substances such as dust from the floor using a suction motor, as well as wet cleaning using a mop.

[0006] The present disclosure provides a robot vacuum cleaner capable of efficiently cleaning liquid foreign substances and a method for controlling the robot vacuum cleaner.

[0007] The present disclosure provides a robot vacuum cleaner and a method for controlling the robot vacuum cleaner that can prevent a situation in which a cleaned area becomes slippery and poses a danger to the user.

[0008] The present disclosure provides a robot vacuum cleaner and a method for controlling the robot vacuum cleaner that efficiently dries a mop according to the amount of liquid foreign matter.

[0009] The present disclosure provides a robot vacuum cleaner capable of efficiently cleaning stains and a method for controlling the robot vacuum cleaner.

[0010] The technical problems to be achieved in this document are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention belongs from the description below.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a robot cleaner comprises: a main body; a mop detachably mountable to a lower portion of the main body; a front sensor having a front view of the main body; a rear sensor having a rear view of the main body; a humidity sensor detecting humidity of the mop; and a control unit that determines whether dry mopping is necessary for an area detected by the front sensor after the mop cleans the area detected by the front sensor, based on information about the area acquired by the rear sensor, and, if it is determined that dry mopping is necessary for the area and the humidity of the mop mounted on the lower portion of the main body detected by the humidity sensor is greater than a reference humidity, performs a drying operation of the mop and then performs re-cleaning by causing the mop to pass over the area again.

[0012] A control method of a robot vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: determining whether dry mopping is necessary for an area detected by the front sensor after the mop cleans the area; and, if it is determined that dry mopping is necessary for the area and the humidity of the mop detected by the humidity sensor is greater than a reference humidity, performing a drying operation of the mop and then performing re-cleaning by causing the mop to pass over the area again.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating a state in which a robot cleaner is out of a docking station in a cleaning device according to one embodiment.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating a state in which a robot cleaner is mounted on a docking station in a cleaning device according to one embodiment.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating the interior of a robot vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment.

[0016] FIG. 4 is a drawing showing the rear of a robot vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0017] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing the lower part of a robot vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment shown in FIG. 3.

[0018] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a docking station according to one embodiment.

[0019] FIG. 7 is a drawing illustrating a portion of a docking station according to one embodiment.

[0020] FIG. 8 illustrates an example of air flow when a suction motor of a robot vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment operates.

[0021] FIG. 9 illustrates another example of air flow when a suction motor of a robot vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment operates.

[0022] Fig. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a robot vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment.

[0023] FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a docking station according to one embodiment.

[0024] Fig. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control method for a robot vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment.

[0025] FIG. 13 illustrates an example of a robot vacuum cleaner passing through a contaminated area according to one embodiment.

[0026] FIG. 14 illustrates an example of front sensor data acquired by a front sensor and rear sensor data acquired by a rear sensor of a robot vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment.

[0027] FIG. 15 illustrates another example of front sensor data acquired by a front sensor and rear sensor data acquired by a rear sensor of a robot vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment.

[0028] FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a re-cleaning method when a robot vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment determines that dry mopping is necessary.

[0029] Fig. 17 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a drying operation of a robot vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment.

[0030] FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a re-cleaning method when a robot vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment determines that wet mopping is necessary.

[0031] Fig. 19 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a water replenishment operation of a robot vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment.

[0032] The embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are merely preferred examples of the disclosed invention, and there may be various modified examples that can replace the embodiments and drawings of this specification at the time of filing of this application.

[0033] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments only and is not intended to limit and / or restrict the disclosed invention.

[0034] In this disclosure, expressions such as “A or B,” “at least one of A and / or B,” or “one or more of A or / and B” can include all possible combinations of the listed items. For example, “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” or “at least one of A or B” can all refer to cases where (1) only A is included, (2) only B is included, or (3) both A and B are included.

[0035] For example, in this specification, a singular expression may include a plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0036] Additionally, terms such as “include” or “have” are intended to express the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part or combination thereof described in the specification, but do not exclude the possibility of the additional presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

[0037] When a component is said to be “connected,” “coupled,” “supported,” or “in contact with” another component, this includes not only cases where the components are directly connected, coupled, supported, or in contact, but also cases where the components are indirectly connected, coupled, supported, or in contact through a third component.

[0038] When we say that a component is "on" another component, this includes not only cases where the component is in contact with the other component, but also cases where there is another component between the two components.

[0039] When it is said that a component (e.g., a first component) is “operatively or communicatively coupled with / to” or “connected to” another component (e.g., a second component), it should be understood that the component may be directly coupled to the other component, or may be connected through another component (e.g., a third component).

[0040] The expression "configured to" as used in the present disclosure may be used interchangeably with, for example, "suitable for," "having the capacity to," "designed to," "adapted to," "made to," or "capable of." The term "configured to" may not necessarily mean only "specifically designed to" in terms of hardware.

[0041] In some contexts, the phrase "a device configured to" may mean that the device, in conjunction with other devices or components, is "capable of" performing A, B, and C. For example, the phrase "a processor configured (or set) to perform A, B, and C" may refer to a dedicated processor (e.g., an embedded processor) for performing the operations, or a general-purpose processor (e.g., a CPU or application processor) that can perform the operations by executing at least one software program stored in a memory device.

[0042] Additionally, terms that include ordinal numbers, such as “first,” “second,” etc., are used to distinguish one component from another, and do not limit one component.

[0043] Additionally, terms such as "~part", "~device", "~block", "~absence", and "~module" may refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation. For example, the terms may refer to at least one piece of hardware such as an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) / ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), at least one piece of software stored in memory, or at least one process processed by a processor.

[0044] Meanwhile, the terms "front", "back", "left", "right", "up", "down", etc. used in the following description are defined based on the drawing, and the shape and position of each component are not limited by these terms. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the direction in which the robot cleaner (10) enters the docking station (20) can be defined as rearward (-X direction), and the opposite direction can be defined as forward (+X direction).

[0045] As another example, the direction in which the robot cleaner (10) moves forward can be defined as forward (+X direction), and the direction in which the robot cleaner (10) moves backward can be defined as backward (-X direction).

[0046] In Fig. 1, an example is shown in which the robot cleaner (10) moves backward and enters the docking station (20), but depending on the structure of the robot cleaner (10) (e.g., the position of the mop), the robot cleaner (10) may move forward and enter the docking station (20).

[0047] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the disclosed invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The same reference numbers or symbols used in the attached drawings may represent parts or components that perform substantially the same functions.

[0048] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating a state in which a robot cleaner is removed from a docking station in a cleaning device according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating a state in which a robot cleaner is installed in a docking station in a cleaning device according to one embodiment.

[0049] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the cleaning device (1) may include a robot cleaner (10) and a docking station (20). The cleaning device (1) may also be referred to as a cleaning system (1).

[0050] A robot cleaner (10) can clean a floor by moving along the floor. The floor cleaned by the robot cleaner (10) can be referred to as a cleaning surface. The robot cleaner (10) can perform dry cleaning and / or wet cleaning. The robot cleaner (10) can suck up or wipe away dirt from the cleaning surface. Here, dirt can be a general term for foreign substances such as dust, hair, and food crumbs.

[0051] Dry cleaning may mean sucking up dirt from a surface to be cleaned using a suction motor (142, see Fig. 3), and wet cleaning may mean wiping dirt from a surface to be cleaned using a mop (160, see Fig. 5).

[0052] In this specification, wet cleaning can be divided into dry mopping and wet mopping. Dry mopping may mean mopping using a wet mop (160) while the humidity (or moisture content) of the wet mop (160) is below a predetermined value, and wet mopping may mean mopping using a wet mop (160) while the humidity (or moisture content) of the wet mop (160) is above a predetermined value.

[0053] Dry mopping can be used to absorb liquid debris, and wet mopping can be used to wipe stains. However, the roles of dry mopping and wet mopping are not limited to these. For example, depending on the situation, dry mopping can also be used to remove stains, and wet mopping can also be used to wipe liquid debris.

[0054] The robot cleaner (10) can perform cleaning without user intervention using a built-in battery (not shown). The robot cleaner (10) can move autonomously and clean the surface to be cleaned according to a cleaning plan established by the user, a cleaning plan established by the robot cleaner (10), and / or a preset movement path.

[0055] The robot cleaner (10) can be docked (seated or placed) on a docking station (20). At least a portion of the robot cleaner (10) can be placed in the receiving space (210a) of the docking station (20).

[0056] The robot vacuum cleaner (10) can move to the docking station (20) during and / or after cleaning.

[0057] For example, the robot vacuum cleaner (10) can move to the docking station (20) when charging is required, when the dust collector (141, see FIG. 3) needs to be emptied, when the water tank (115, see FIG. 8) is low in water, when the humidity of the mop (160) is low, when the mop (160) needs to be washed, when the mop (160) needs to be sterilized, and / or when the mop (160) needs to be dried (when the humidity of the mop (160) is high).

[0058] A docking station (20) may be provided to hold a robot cleaner (10). The docking station (20) may be provided to allow the robot cleaner (10) to be installed. The docking station (20) may be provided to store the robot cleaner (10).

[0059] For example, while the robot cleaner (10) is seated on the docking station (20), the docking station (20) can charge the battery (not shown) of the robot cleaner (10). For example, while the robot cleaner (10) is seated on the docking station (20), the docking station (20) can collect the waste collected in the dust bin (141, see FIG. 3) of the robot cleaner (10). For example, while the robot cleaner (10) is seated on the docking station (20), the docking station (20) can supply water to the water tank (115) of the robot cleaner (10). For example, while the robot cleaner (10) is seated on the docking station (20), the docking station (20) can wet the mop (160) with water and / or steam. For example, while the robot cleaner (10) is seated on the docking station (20), the docking station (20) can wash the mop (160). For example, while the robot cleaner (10) is seated on the docking station (20), the docking station (20) can sterilize the mop (160). For example, while the robot cleaner (10) is seated on the docking station (20), the docking station (20) can dry the mop (160).

[0060] FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating the interior of a robot vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating the rear of a robot vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment. FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating the lower part of a robot vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment.

[0061] A robot cleaner (10) may include a main body (110). The main body (110) may form the overall appearance of the robot cleaner (10). Components of the robot cleaner (10) may be accommodated inside the main body (110). Electrical components may be arranged inside the main body (110). The main body (110) may be referred to as a cleaner body (110).

[0062] The front of the main body (110) may mean the direction in which the robot cleaner (10) moves forward (+X direction), and the rear of the main body (110) may mean the direction in which the robot cleaner (10) moves backward (-X direction).

[0063] The main body (110) may be provided with a front sensor (175) having a front view of the main body (110). The main body (110) may be provided with a rear sensor (176) having a rear view of the main body (110). The front sensor (175) may obtain sensor data (e.g., image, radar data, light reception data) for the front of the main body (110). The rear sensor (176) may obtain sensor data (e.g., image, radar data, light reception data) for the rear of the main body (110).

[0064] The robot cleaner (10) may include a suction port (111). The suction port (111) may be formed in the main body (110). The suction port (111) may be formed at the lower portion of the main body (110). The suction port (111) may be formed by penetrating the lower surface (110b) of the main body (110). The suction port (111) may be formed to face a surface to be cleaned. The suction port (111) may be open toward the surface to be cleaned. Dirt on the surface to be cleaned may be sucked into the interior of the main body (110) through the suction port (111) together with air. The suction port (111) may be referred to as a vacuum cleaner suction port (111).

[0065] A robot vacuum cleaner (10) may include a brush (130). The brush (130) may strike a surface to be cleaned to scatter dirt. Dirt scattered by the brush (130) may be drawn into the suction port (111) together with air.

[0066] For example, the robot cleaner (10) may include a first brush (131) disposed in a suction port (111). The first brush (131) may be rotatably mounted relative to the main body (110). The first brush (131) may be rotatably disposed in the suction port (111). The rotation axis of the first brush (131) may be an axis extending approximately along a horizontal direction (Y direction). The first brush (131) may be referred to as a main brush (131).

[0067] For example, the robot cleaner (10) may include a second brush (132) positioned adjacent to the lower edge of the main body (110). The second brush (132) may guide dirt around the main body (110) that the first brush (131) cannot sweep to the suction port (111). The second brush (132) may be rotatably mounted with respect to the main body (110). The rotation axis of the second brush (132) may be an axis extending approximately along a vertical direction (Z direction). The second brush (132) may be referred to as a side brush (132).

[0068] The robot vacuum cleaner (10) may include a dust collection container (141). The dust collection container (141) may be provided inside the main body (110). The dust collection container (141) may be detachably mounted on the main body (110). The dust collection container (141) may be provided to store dust contained in air sucked in through the suction port (111). The dust and / or air sucked in through the suction port (111) may move to the dust collection container (141). For example, the dust and / or air sucked in through the suction port (111) may pass through a frame (119) connecting the suction port (111) and the dust collection container (141) and flow into the dust collection container (141). The dust sucked in through the suction port (111) may be collected in the dust collection container (141). Air sucked in through the suction port (111) can be filtered as it passes through the dust collector (141). The waste and air sucked in through the suction port (111) can be separated in the dust collector (141).

[0069] The robot vacuum cleaner (10) may include a filter (see 143, 8 and FIG. 9). The filter (143) may be placed on a path through which air flows inside the main body (110). For example, the filter (143) may be provided inside a dust collector (141), and air sucked through the suction port (111) may be filtered by the filter (143) while passing through the dust collector (141).

[0070] The robot cleaner (10) may include an exhaust port (112). The exhaust port (112) may be formed in the main body (110). The exhaust port (112) may be formed on the rear side of the main body (110). The exhaust port (112) may be formed on the side of the main body (110) that enters the docking station (20). For example, the exhaust port (112) may be formed by penetrating the peripheral surface (110c) of the main body (110). Air sucked in through the suction port (111) may be filtered and discharged to the outside of the robot cleaner (10) through the exhaust port (112). The exhaust port (112) may be provided to discharge air that has passed through the dust collection box (141) to the outside of the main body (110). For example, a plurality of outlets (112) may be provided, and the plurality of outlets (112) may be configured with a plurality of holes. The outlet (112) may be referred to as a vacuum cleaner outlet (112). As will be described later, the robot cleaner (10) may further include an outlet (114, see FIG. 8, 164, see FIG. 9) formed in a direction toward the mop (160).

[0071] The robot cleaner (10) may include a suction motor (142). The suction motor (142) may be disposed inside the main body (110). The suction motor (142) may generate suction force. By the suction force generated by the suction motor (142), the suction port (111) may suck in dirt and / or air. By the suction force generated by the suction motor (142), the exhaust port (112) may suck in the inside of the robot cleaner (10) and discharge the filtered air to the outside. The suction motor (142) may be disposed on an air path formed between the suction port (111) and the exhaust port (112). The suction motor (142) may be referred to as a vacuum cleaner suction motor (142).

[0072] As previously explained, air sucked into the robot cleaner (10) and filtered may be discharged toward the mop (160) through the exhaust port (114, see FIG. 8, 164, see FIG. 9).

[0073] The robot cleaner (10) may include a driving device (120) for driving the robot cleaner (10). The driving device (120) may be mounted on the main body (110) and move the main body (110). At least a portion of the driving device (120) may protrude from the lower surface (110b) of the main body (110). For example, the driving device (120) may include a pair of main wheels (121). For example, the driving device (120) may further include at least one auxiliary wheel (122) for stable driving of the robot cleaner (10). The driving device (120) may include a wheel motor for rotating at least one wheel (121, 122). The wheel motor generates a rotational force for rotating the driving wheels (121, 122). A DC motor or a BLDC motor may be used as the wheel motor, but the embodiment of the robot cleaner (10) does not place any restrictions on the type of wheel motor. This applies not only to the wheel motor but also to other motors included in the robot cleaner (10).

[0074] Each of the left and right wheel motors can operate independently of each other according to a control signal from the control unit (190, see FIG. 10), and the main body (110) can move forward, backward, or rotate according to the operation of the left and right wheel motors.

[0075] The control unit (190) can control the movement of the robot cleaner (10) by controlling the driving device (120) (e.g., wheel motor).

[0076] The robot cleaner (10) may include a battery (not shown). The battery may provide the power necessary to operate the robot cleaner (10). While the robot cleaner (10) is mounted on the docking station (20), the battery of the robot cleaner (10) may be charged.

[0077] The robot cleaner (10) may include a mop (160). The mop (160) is detachably mountable to the lower part of the main body (110). The mop (160) may be rotatably mounted with respect to the main body (110). The mop (160) may be provided to come into contact with a surface to be cleaned and clean the surface to be cleaned. The mop (160) may wipe off dirt from the surface to be cleaned while it is wet. In the drawing, two mops (160) are illustrated, but there is no limitation on the number of mops (160). The mop (160) may be referred to as a cleaning pad (160). The mop (160) may be referred to as a wet pad (160).

[0078] The mop (160) can be supplied with moisture from a water tank (not shown) placed inside the main body (110). For example, when the moisture content of the mop (160) decreases while the robot cleaner (10) is cleaning, the water stored in the water tank (115) can be supplied to the mop (160).

[0079] The mop (160) can be supplied with moisture from the docking station (20). For example, if the moisture content of the mop (160) decreases while the robot cleaner (10) is cleaning, the robot cleaner (10) can return to the docking station (20). While the robot cleaner (10) is seated on the docking station (20), the docking station (20) can supply water to the water tank (115) of the robot cleaner (10) or spray water and / or steam toward the mop (160).

[0080] The robot cleaner (10) may include a driving unit (161) configured to operate a mop (160). The driving unit (161) may rotate the mop (160) or move the mop (160) up and down. As will be described later, the control unit (190, see FIG. 10) of the robot cleaner (10) may control the driving unit (161). The driving unit (161) may also be referred to as a mop driving unit (161).

[0081] For example, while the robot cleaner (10) is cleaning the surface to be cleaned, the driving unit (161) can rotate the mop (160). As a result, the mop (160) can efficiently clean the surface to be cleaned. For example, while the mop (160) is being washed, sterilized, and / or dried at the docking station (20), the driving unit (161) can rotate the mop (160). As a result, the time required for washing, sterilizing, and / or drying the mop (160) can be reduced.

[0082] For example, while the robot cleaner (10) performs wet cleaning, the driving unit (161) can move the mop (160) downward. As a result, the mop (160) can come into contact with the surface to be cleaned. For example, while the robot cleaner (10) returns to the docking station (20), the driving unit (161) can move the mop (160) upward. As a result, while the robot cleaner (10) moves to the docking station (20), the mop (160) can be prevented from colliding with an obstacle on the surface to be cleaned or from leaving unnecessary moisture on the surface to be cleaned. For example, while the robot cleaner (10) performs dry cleaning, the driving unit (161) can move the mop (160) upward. In this way, when the robot cleaner (10) moves to the docking station (20), the mop (160) can be prevented from hitting an obstacle on the surface to be cleaned or leaving unnecessary moisture on the surface to be cleaned.

[0083] The robot vacuum cleaner (10) may include a drive motor (162). The drive motor (162) may generate a driving force to rotate or move the mop (160) up and down. The drive motor (162) may be placed inside the main body (110). The drive motor (162) may be provided as a component of the drive unit (161).

[0084] The robot cleaner (10) may include a shaft (163). The shaft (163) may be provided to transmit the driving force of the driving motor (162) to the mop (160). For example, the shaft (163) may be provided to connect the driving motor (162) and the mop (160). For example, the shaft (163) may be provided to rotate by the driving force of the driving motor (162), and the mop (160) may be coupled to the shaft (163) and provided to rotate together with the shaft (163). For example, the shaft (163) may be provided to form a rotation axis of the mop (160). The shaft (163) may be provided as a component of the driving unit (161).

[0085] According to various embodiments, the robot cleaner (10) may include an obstacle detection sensor (170). The obstacle detection sensor (170) may be configured to detect the location of an obstacle or the distance to the obstacle. The obstacle detection sensor (170) may be mounted on the main body (110). For example, the obstacle detection sensor (170) may protrude from the upper surface (110a) of the main body (110). In one embodiment, the obstacle detection sensor (170) may be replaced by a front sensor (175) and a rear sensor (176).

[0086] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a docking station according to one embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a portion of a docking station according to one embodiment.

[0087] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the docking station (20) may include a main body (210). The main body (210) may form the overall appearance of the docking station (20). The main body (210) may form a receiving space (210a) for receiving at least a portion of the robot cleaner (10). The main body (210) may be referred to as a docking station main body (210).

[0088] For example, the main body (210) may include a base (211) and a housing (212) that is detachably connectable to the base (211).

[0089] The base (211) may include a mounting surface (211a) on which the robot cleaner (10) is mounted. The mounting surface (211a) may have a shape that is inclined from the surface to be cleaned so that the robot cleaner (10) may enter. For example, the mounting surface (211a) may include a shape that is inclined upward along the direction in which the robot cleaner (10) enters the docking station (20).

[0090] The housing (212) may be configured to cover at least a portion of the base (211). The housing (212) may accommodate components of the docking station (20). Electrical components may be arranged inside the housing (212).

[0091] The docking station (20) may include a water tank (201). The water tank (201) may be configured to store water. Relatively clean water may be accommodated in the water tank (201). The water stored in the water tank (201) may be provided to a water tank (115) of the robot cleaner (10) or to a washing chamber (230) of the docking station (20), which will be described later. That is, the water stored in the water tank (201) may be used to provide moisture to the mop (160) or to wash the mop (160). The water tank (201) may be detachably mounted on the main body (210). For example, a user may hold the handle (201a) of the water tank (201) to detach the water tank (201) from the main body (210) or to attach the water tank (201) to the main body (210).

[0092] The docking station (20) may include a waste tank (202). The waste tank (202) may be configured to store water. The waste tank (202) may accommodate relatively dirty water. Dirty water (waste water) obtained by washing the mop (160) may be stored in the waste tank (202). The waste tank (202) may be detachably mounted on the main body (210). For example, a user may grasp the handle (202a) of the waste tank (202) to detach the waste tank (202) from the main body (210) or attach the waste tank (202) to the main body (210).

[0093] The docking station (20) may include a waste collection bin (203). The waste collection bin (203) may be provided to store waste collected from the dust collection bin (141) of the robot cleaner (10). The waste collection bin (203) may be detachably mounted on the main body (210). For example, a user may hold the handle (203a) of the waste collection bin (203) to detach the waste collection bin (203) from the main body (210) or attach the waste collection bin (203) to the main body (210).

[0094] In the drawing, the sewage tank (202), the water supply tank (201), and the sewage collection tank (203) are shown as being arranged side by side along a roughly horizontal direction (Y direction), but there is no limitation on the positions of each of the sewage tank (202), the water supply tank (201), and the sewage collection tank (203).

[0095] The docking station (20) may include a washing chamber (230). While the robot cleaner (10) is mounted on the docking station (20), the washing chamber (230) may be arranged to correspond to the mop (160).

[0096] The washing chamber (230) may be provided to receive water delivered from the water tank (201). The washing chamber (230) may have a shape for containing water. While the robot cleaner (10) is mounted on the docking station (20), the mop (160) can be washed by the water received in the washing chamber (230). The washing chamber (230) may be defined as a space where the mop (160) is washed.

[0097] The washing chamber (230) may be provided to receive dry air discharged from a drying device (260) to be described later. While the robot cleaner (10) is mounted on the docking station (20), the mop (160) can be dried by the dry air discharged to the washing chamber (230).

[0098] The washing chamber (230) may be formed in the base (211) of the main body (210). The washing chamber (230) may be formed to be sunken into the base (211). The washing chamber (230) may be provided to be sunken from the mounting surface (211a). The washing chamber (230) may be defined by a chamber bottom (230a) and a chamber side wall (230b) extending upward from the chamber bottom (230a). The chamber side wall (230b) may be provided to have a predetermined height.

[0099] The chamber floor (230a) may be provided to slope downward along the direction in which the robot cleaner (10) enters the docking station (20). For example, the chamber floor (230a) may be provided to slope downward toward the rear. Accordingly, after the mop (160) is washed, water (wastewater) within the washing chamber (230) can easily flow toward the drain hole (234) formed at the rear side of the washing chamber (230) along the slope of the chamber floor (230a). However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above, and the slope direction of the chamber floor (230a) may, of course, vary depending on the position of the drain hole (234). The wastewater discharged through the drain hole (234) may be stored in the wastewater collection tank (203).

[0100] The docking station (20) may include a washing frame (235). The washing frame (235) may be provided to correspond to the washing chamber (230). The washing frame (235) may be detachably mounted on the washing chamber (230). While the robot cleaner (10) is mounted on the docking station (20), the washing frame (235) may be provided to come into contact with the mop (160). While the robot cleaner (10) is mounted on the docking station (20), the washing frame (235) may be provided to rub against the mop (160). The mop (160) may be washed while being rubbed against the washing frame (235). At this time, the mop (160) may be provided to be rotatable.

[0101] The docking station (20) may include a brush mounting portion (240). The brush mounting portion (240) may be formed on the base (211) of the main body (210). The brush mounting portion (240) may be spaced apart from the cleaning chamber (230). For example, the brush mounting portion (240) may be located in front of the cleaning chamber (230).

[0102] While the robot cleaner (10) is mounted on the docking station (20), the brush mounting portion (240) may be provided to correspond to the first brush (131) of the robot cleaner (10). While the robot cleaner (10) is mounted on the docking station (20), the first brush (131) may be mounted on the brush mounting portion (240). While the robot cleaner (10) is mounted on the docking station (20), the suction port (111) of the robot cleaner (10) may be provided to face the brush mounting portion (240) of the docking station (20). For example, the brush mounting portion (240) may include a curved shape to correspond to the shape of the first brush (131).

[0103] The docking station (20) may include a step wall (220). The step wall (220) may be formed on the base (211) of the main body (210). The step wall (220) may be positioned between the washing chamber (230) and the brush mounting portion (240).

[0104] For example, the step wall (220) may include a first wall portion (220a) facing the cleaning chamber (230), a second wall portion (220b) facing the brush mounting portion (240), and a connecting portion (220c) connecting the first wall portion (220a) and the second wall portion (220b). For example, the first wall portion (220a) may be provided as a part of the chamber side wall (230b). For example, the second wall portion (220b) may be provided as a part of the brush mounting portion (240). For example, the second wall portion (220b) may be provided to be connected to the brush mounting portion (240) without a step. For example, the connecting portion (220c) may be provided as a part of the mounting surface (211a) of the base (211).

[0105] The docking station (20) may include a step wall passage (223). The step wall passage (223) may be formed in the step wall (220). The step wall passage (223) may be provided to guide dry air generated in the drying device (260). The step wall passage (223) may be provided to allow dry air generated in the drying device (260) to flow. The step wall passage (223) may be provided to guide dry air in the washing chamber (230) to the brush mounting portion (240). The step wall passage (223) may be in communication with the washing chamber (230). The step wall passage (223) may be in communication with the brush mounting portion (240). The step wall passage (223) may extend from the washing chamber (230) toward the brush mounting portion (240). For example, the step wall passage (223) may have a shape extending approximately along the front-back direction (X direction). Although the drawing illustrates two step wall passages (223), the present disclosure is not limited thereto. There is no limitation on the number of step wall passages (223).

[0106] The docking station (20) may include a step wall inlet (221). The step wall inlet (221) may be in communication with a washing chamber (230). The step wall inlet (221) may be open toward the washing chamber (230). The step wall inlet (221) may form one end of a step wall passage (223). The step wall inlet (221) may be formed in a first wall portion (220a) of the step wall (220).

[0107] The docking station (20) may include a step wall outlet (222). The step wall outlet (222) may be in communication with a brush mounting portion (240). The step wall outlet (222) may be open toward the brush mounting portion (240). The step wall outlet (222) may form the other end of a step wall passage (223). The step wall outlet (222) may be formed in a second wall portion (220b) of the step wall (220).

[0108] For example, the size of the step wall inlet (221) may be smaller than the size of the step wall outlet (222). For example, the width of the step wall inlet (221) may be smaller than the width of the step wall outlet (222). The dry air may be pressurized while passing through the step wall passage (223) due to the difference in size between the step wall inlet (221) and the step wall outlet (222) and may be widely sprayed to the brush mounting portion (240).

[0109] The docking station (20) may include a door (224). The door (224) may be disposed at the step wall inlet (221). The door (224) may be configured to open or cover the step wall inlet (221). The door (224) may prevent foreign substances, water, etc. other than dry air from flowing into the step wall passage (223). For example, the door (224) may be configured to open the step wall inlet (221) by the pressure of dry air sprayed into the cleaning chamber (230). For example, the door (224) may be configured to open or cover the step wall inlet (221) by being driven by a door driving unit (not shown). For example, the door (224) may be configured to be made of a flexible material and be bendable (see FIG. 12). For example, the door (224) may include a rubber material.

[0110] The docking station (20) may include a steam generating device (not shown). The steam generating device may generate steam. The steam generating device may generate steam using water stored in a water tank (201). The steam generating device may receive water stored in the water tank (201) to generate steam. While the robot cleaner (10) is mounted on the docking station (20), steam generated by the steam generating device (not shown) may be sprayed toward the mop (160).

[0111] The docking station (20) may include a drying device (260). The drying device (260) may be configured to generate air (hereinafter, referred to as dry air) for drying the mop (160). The drying device (260) may be configured to supply the dry air to a cleaning chamber (230) to be described later. While the robot cleaner (10) is mounted on the docking station (20), the dry air discharged from the drying device (260) may be directed toward the mop (160). While the robot cleaner (10) is mounted on the docking station (20), the docking station (20) may spray dry air to the mop (160). The dry air may have a relatively low humidity or a high temperature. The dry air may also be referred to as hot air or drying air.

[0112] For example, after washing and / or sterilizing the mop (160), the docking station (20) can provide dry air to the mop (160). For example, if the moisture content of the mop (160) increases while the robot cleaner (10) is cleaning while the mop (160) is wiping water from the surface to be cleaned, the robot cleaner (10) can return to the docking station (20), and the docking station (20) can discharge dry air toward the mop (160).

[0113] The operation of the drying device (260) discharging dry air to the washing chamber (230) may be referred to as a drying operation of the mop (160). That is, the drying operation of the mop (160) may include the drying device (260) of the docking station (20) blowing dry air toward the mop (160) of the robot cleaner (10) mounted on the docking station (20).

[0114] The drying device (260) may include a fan (262) that generates a blowing force. The drying device (260) may include a drying duct (261) that is provided to guide air blown by the fan (262). The drying duct (261) may guide the air blown by the fan (262) to a washing chamber (230). The drying duct (261) may be provided to connect the fan (262) and the washing chamber (230) to be described later. The drying device (260) may include a heater (263) that is provided to heat the air blown by the fan (262). The heater (263) may be provided to heat the air guided by the drying duct (261). At least a portion of the heater (263) may be disposed inside the drying duct (261). For example, if the drying device (260) includes a heater (263), the drying device (260) can generate high temperature drying air (hot air). However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above, and the drying device (260) may not include a heater (263).

[0115] The docking station (20) may include a nozzle (231). The nozzle (231) may be formed in the washing chamber (230). For example, the nozzle (231) may be formed in the chamber side wall (230b) of the washing chamber (230). The nozzle (231) may supply dry air generated in the drying device (260) to the washing chamber (230). The nozzle (231) may spray dry air guided by the drying duct (261) into the washing chamber (230). When the robot cleaner (10) is mounted on the docking station (20), the nozzle (231) may be arranged to open toward the mop (160). In the drawing, two nozzles (231) are illustrated, but there is no limitation on the number of nozzles (231). For example, the number of nozzles (231) may correspond to the number of mops (160).

[0116] FIG. 8 illustrates an example of air flow when a suction motor of a robot vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment operates.

[0117] Referring to FIG. 8, the robot cleaner (10) may include a shaft (163). The shaft (163) may transmit the driving force of the driving motor (162, see FIG. 3) to the mop (160). The shaft (163) may be coupled to the mop (160). For example, a portion of the shaft (163) may be disposed inside the main body (110), and the remainder of the shaft (163) may protrude from the main body (110) and be coupled to the mop (160). For example, the shaft (163) may be coupled to an approximate center portion of the mop (160).

[0118] The shaft (163) may include a shaft hole (164). The shaft hole (164) may be formed inside the shaft (163). The shaft hole (164) may be formed by penetrating the shaft (163). The shaft hole (164) may be opened downwardly of the mop (160). While the robot cleaner (10) is seated on the docking station (20), the shaft hole (164) may be arranged to face the washing chamber (230). A first end of the shaft hole (164) may be arranged to receive dry air guided by a first guide passage (151a). The first end of the shaft hole (164) may be in communication with the first guide passage (151a). A second end of the shaft hole (164) may be opened downwardly of the mop (160). The second end of the shaft hole (164) may be opened toward the washing chamber (230). For example, the shaft hole (164) may extend along the longitudinal direction of the shaft (163). For example, the shaft hole (164) may extend along the height direction of the main body (110). The shaft hole (164) may be referred to as a shaft passage (164). The shaft hole (164) may be referred to as a hollow portion (164). The shaft hole (164) may be referred to as a hollow passage (164). The shaft hole (164) may be referred to as an opening (164). The shaft hole (164) may be referred to as an outlet (164).

[0119] The shaft hole (164) may be provided to allow dry air to flow. The shaft hole (164) may be provided to allow dry air to pass through. The shaft hole (164) may be provided to guide the dry air. The shaft hole (164) may be provided to receive the dry air guided by the first guide passage (151a). The shaft hole (164) may be provided to spray the dry air guided by the first guide passage (151a) downward of the mop (160). The shaft hole (164) may be provided to discharge the dry air guided by the first guide passage (151a) toward the mop (160).

[0120] The first guide urea (151a) may be provided to guide dry air sucked into the robot cleaner (10) to the shaft hole (164). Thus, the dry air sucked into the robot cleaner (10) can flow toward the mop (160) through the shaft hole (164).

[0121] For example, when the suction motor (142) of the robot cleaner (10) operates, air sucked through the suction port (111) can flow toward the mop (160) through the shaft hole (164). However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described example, and any structure that allows air sucked through the suction port (111) to flow toward the mop (160) when the suction motor (142) operates can be employed without limitation as an example of the present disclosure.

[0122] FIG. 9 illustrates another example of air flow when a suction motor of a robot vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment operates.

[0123] Referring to FIG. 9, the robot cleaner (10) may include a discharge hole (114). The discharge hole (114) may be formed in the main body (110). The discharge hole (114) may be formed in the lower portion of the main body (110). For example, the discharge hole (114) may be formed by penetrating the lower surface (110b) of the main body (110). The discharge hole (114) may be provided to open toward the mop (160). The discharge hole (114) may be provided to open toward the upper portion of the mop (160). The discharge hole (114) may be provided to face the upper surface (160a) of the mop (160). For example, the robot cleaner (10) may include a plurality of discharge holes (114). However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described example and may include one discharge hole (114). There is no limitation on the number of discharge holes (114). The discharge holes (114) may be referred to as openings (114). The discharge holes (114) may be referred to as outlets (114).

[0124] The exhaust hole (114) may be provided to allow dry air to flow. The exhaust hole (114) may be provided to allow dry air to pass through. The exhaust hole (114) may be provided to discharge dry air toward the mop (160). The exhaust hole (114) may be provided to spray dry air guided by the second guide passage (151b) toward the mop (160). The exhaust hole (114) may be provided to discharge dry air guided by the second guide passage (151b) toward the upper portion of the mop (160). The exhaust hole (114) may be provided to spray dry air guided by the second guide passage (151b) toward the upper surface (160a) of the mop (160).

[0125] The second guide path (151b) may be provided to guide dry air sucked into the robot cleaner (10) to the exhaust hole (114). Thus, the dry air sucked into the robot cleaner (10) can flow toward the mop (160) through the exhaust hole (114).

[0126] For example, when the suction motor (142) of the robot cleaner (10) operates, air sucked through the suction port (111) can flow toward the mop (160) through the discharge hole (114). However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described example, and any structure that allows air sucked through the suction port (111) to flow toward the mop (160) when the suction motor (142) operates can be employed without limitation as an example of the present disclosure.

[0127] When the suction motor (142) operates, the air sucked into the main body (110) can be evenly distributed toward the mop (160) through the discharge port (164, 114), and accordingly, the mop (160) can be effectively dried in a short period of time.

[0128] Fig. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a robot vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment.

[0129] Referring to FIG. 10, a robot cleaner (10) according to one embodiment may include a front sensor (175), a rear sensor (176), a humidity sensor (171), a user interface device (181), a water tank valve (115v), a suction motor (142), a mop drive unit (161), a communication interface (182), and / or a control unit (190).

[0130] The electrical components of the robot vacuum cleaner (10) can be powered by a battery (not shown), and as described above, the battery can be charged while it is placed on the docking station (20).

[0131] The robot cleaner (10) may further include various configurations other than those illustrated in FIG. 10. For example, the robot cleaner (10) may further include the driving device (120) described above, and may further include a brush motor for rotating the brush (130).

[0132] As another example, the robot cleaner (10) may further include an obstacle detection sensor (170) that is distinct from the front sensor (175) and the rear sensor (176). The obstacle detection sensor (170) detects an obstacle that impedes the movement of the robot cleaner (10). An obstacle may refer to any object that protrudes from the floor of the cleaning area and impedes the movement of the robot cleaner (10). For example, not only a table, a sofa, etc. located in the cleaning area, but also a wall dividing the space may be an obstacle, and objects that the robot cleaner (10) can climb up and down, such as a threshold or a round bar, may also be obstacles.

[0133] The obstacle detection sensor (170) can detect obstacles in a non-contact manner using electromagnetic waves such as infrared, visible light, or ultrasonic waves. For example, the obstacle detection sensor (170) can detect infrared rays reflected from an obstacle after irradiating infrared rays, and output the intensity of the detected infrared rays or the time interval (Time Of Flight: TOF) between irradiating infrared rays and detecting the reflected infrared rays to the control unit (190).

[0134] The control unit (190) can calculate the presence or absence of an obstacle or the distance between the obstacle and the robot cleaner (10) based on the output value of the obstacle detection sensor (170).

[0135] According to various embodiments, the obstacle detection sensor (170) may be replaced with a front sensor (175) and a rear sensor (176).

[0136] The front sensor (175) can have a front view of the main body (110). The front sensor (175) can obtain information about the floor area in front of the main body (110) (hereinafter referred to as 'front sensor data').

[0137] The rear sensor (176) can have a rear view of the main body (110). The front sensor (175) can obtain information about the floor area at the rear of the main body (110) (hereinafter referred to as 'rear sensor data').

[0138] In one embodiment, the front sensor (175) and the rear sensor (176) may each include a camera. In this case, the sensor data collected by the front sensor (175) and the rear sensor (176) may be image data. For example, the front sensor data collected by the front sensor (175) may be front image data, and the rear sensor data collected by the rear sensor (176) may be rear image data.

[0139] In one embodiment, the front sensor (175) and the rear sensor (176) may each include a light-emitting unit that emits light and a camera. The front sensor (175) and the rear sensor (176) may each collect front image data and rear image data in such a way that the light-emitting unit emits light and the camera acquires images.

[0140] The front sensor (175) can transmit front image data to the control unit (190).

[0141] The rear sensor (176) can transmit rear image data to the control unit (190).

[0142] In one embodiment, the front sensor (175) and the rear sensor (176) may include a transmitter that irradiates a predetermined signal (e.g., electromagnetic waves, light, infrared rays, etc.) and a receiver that receives a predetermined signal reflected from an obstacle. In this case, the sensor data collected by the front sensor (175) and the rear sensor (176) may be light reception data. For example, the front sensor data collected by the front sensor (175) may be front light reception data, and the rear sensor data collected by the rear sensor (176) may be rear light reception data.

[0143] The transmitter of the front sensor (175) is provided at the front of the main body (110) and can transmit a predetermined signal toward the front of the main body (110). In addition, depending on the embodiment, the transmitter may include a signal generating unit (e.g., LED) that generates a predetermined signal and a wide-angle lens that refracts the generated signal to spread the signal in all directions.

[0144] The transmitter of the rear sensor (176) is provided at the rear of the main body (110) and can transmit a predetermined signal toward the rear of the main body (110). In addition, depending on the embodiment, the transmitter may include a signal generating unit (e.g., LED) that generates a predetermined signal and a wide-angle lens that refracts the generated signal to spread the signal in all directions.

[0145] The front sensor (175) can detect a signal reflected from an obstacle after irradiating a predetermined signal to the front of the main body (110), and output the intensity of the detected signal or the time interval (Time Of Flight: TOF) from the irradiation of the predetermined signal until the reflected signal is detected to the control unit (190).

[0146] The rear sensor (176) can detect a signal reflected from an obstacle after examining a predetermined signal toward the rear of the main body (110), and output the intensity of the detected signal or the time interval (Time Of Flight: TOF) from the time the predetermined signal is examined to the time the reflected signal is detected to the control unit (190).

[0147] According to the present disclosure, information on a contaminated area can be obtained based on front sensor data acquired by a front sensor (175) before the main body (110) of the robot cleaner (10) passes over the contaminated area, and rear sensor data acquired by a rear sensor (176) after the main body (110) of the robot cleaner (10) passes over the contaminated area.

[0148] The humidity sensor (171) may include at least one sensor for measuring the humidity (or moisture content) of the mop (160).

[0149] In one embodiment, the humidity sensor (171) can measure changes in moisture in the air. The humidity sensor (171) is provided around the mop (160) to measure the humidity (or moisture content) of the mop (160). In this case, the output humidity of the humidity sensor (171) can be proportional to the moisture content of the mop (160).

[0150] The control unit (190) can determine the humidity (or moisture content) of the mop (160) based on the humidity measured from the humidity sensor (171).

[0151] In one embodiment, the humidity sensor (171) can irradiate the mop (160) with light such as infrared or visible light or electromagnetic waves such as ultrasonic waves and then measure the intensity of the electromagnetic waves reflected from the mop (160) and / or the time interval from the irradiation of the electromagnetic waves until the reflected electromagnetic waves are detected.

[0152] For example, the humidity sensor (171) may include a light emitting portion that irradiates light to the mop (160) and a light receiving portion that receives light reflected from the mop (160).

[0153] The control unit (190) can determine the humidity (or moisture content) of the mop (160) based on the output value of the humidity sensor (171).

[0154] In one embodiment, the control unit (190) may determine the contamination level of the mop (160) based on the output value of the humidity sensor (171). As another example, the robot cleaner may be separately equipped with a contamination level sensor for measuring the contamination level of the mop (160).

[0155] The control unit (190) can perform various operations depending on the humidity (or moisture content) of the mop (160). For example, the control unit (190) can control the driving device (120) to cause the robot cleaner (10) to return to the station (20) based on the humidity of the mop (160) being measured to be higher than a predetermined first humidity. As another example, the control unit (190) can control the driving device (120) to cause the robot cleaner (10) to return to the station (20) based on the humidity of the mop (160) being measured to be lower than a predetermined minimum humidity.

[0156] The user interface device (181) may include an output interface and an input interface.

[0157] At least one output interface can transmit various information related to the operation of the robot cleaner (10) to the user by generating sensory information.

[0158] For example, at least one output interface may transmit information related to the settings of the robot cleaner (10) and the operating time of the robot cleaner (10) to the user. Information related to the operation of the robot cleaner (10) may be output via a display, an indicator, and / or a voice. The at least one output interface may include, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, an indicator, a light emitting diode (LED) panel, a speaker, etc.

[0159] If the display includes a touch screen display, the touch screen display may be an example of both an output interface and an input interface.

[0160] In one embodiment, at least one output interface may output sensory information (e.g., visual information, auditory information, etc.) related to the control of the robot cleaner (10).

[0161] At least one input interface can convert sensory information received from a user into an electrical signal.

[0162] At least one input interface may include a power button for turning on the robot vacuum cleaner (10).

[0163] Each button may include a visual indicator (e.g., text, an icon, etc.) that indicates its function.

[0164] At least one input interface may include, for example, a tact switch, a push switch, a slide switch, a toggle switch, a micro switch, a touch switch, a touch pad, a touch screen, a jog dial, and / or a microphone.

[0165] In the present disclosure, 'button' may be replaced with a UI element (User Interface Element), a tact switch, a push switch, a slide switch, a toggle switch, a micro switch, a touch switch, a touch pad, a touch screen, a jog dial, and / or a microphone.

[0166] The robot cleaner (10) can process user input received through the user interface device (181) and output information related to the robot cleaner (10) through the user interface device (181).

[0167] The water tank valve (115v) can open and close the passage connecting the water tank (115) and the mop (160) so that water stored in the water tank (115) is supplied to the mop (160).

[0168] The control unit (190) controls the water tank valve (115v) to supply water stored in the water tank (115) to the mop (160) when the humidity of the mop (160) measured by the humidity sensor (171) during wet cleaning falls below a predetermined humidity. In one embodiment, the water tank valve (115v) may be replaced with various configurations (e.g., a pump) that can selectively supply water stored in the water tank (115) to the mop (160). In the present disclosure, controlling the water tank valve (115v) to supply water in the water tank (115) to the mop (160) may be replaced with various operations (e.g., operating the pump) that supply water in the water tank (115) to the mop (160). In the present disclosure, controlling the water tank valve (115v) to supply water from the water tank (115) to the mop (160) can be defined as a water replenishment operation.

[0169] The control unit (190) can control the brush motor (not shown) to rotate the brush (130) during dry cleaning, thereby causing foreign substances on the floor to be blown away by the brush (130).

[0170] The suction motor (142) can suck foreign substances scattered by the brush (130) into the dust collector (141) and rotate the suction fan that generates suction force to suck the foreign substances into the dust collector (141).

[0171] The control unit (190) can control the suction motor (142) to rotate the suction fan during dry cleaning, thereby allowing foreign substances scattered by the brush (130) to be drawn into the dust collector (141) through the suction port (111).

[0172] During dry cleaning, i.e., during the operation of the suction motor (142), the air sucked into the main body (110) can be evenly distributed toward the mop (160) through the exhaust port (164, 114).

[0173] That is, the suction motor (142) can be configured to suck external air into the main body (110) and discharge the air sucked into the main body (110) in a direction toward the mop (160).

[0174] The mop drive unit (161) may include a rotation drive unit that rotates the mop (160) and / or a lifting drive unit that raises or lowers the mop (160). The rotation drive unit and / or the lifting drive unit may include a drive motor (162).

[0175] The control unit (190) can rotate the mop (160) by controlling the drive motor (162). The drive motor (162) can include a motor for rotating the mop (160) and a drive circuit for driving the motor.

[0176] The control unit (190) can raise or lower the mop (160) by controlling the driving motor (162). That is, the control unit (190) can move the mop (160) by controlling the driving motor (162). The driving motor (162) can drive an actuator that can move the mop (160).

[0177] The communication interface (182) can communicate with an external device (e.g., a server, a user device, a docking station (20)) via wires and / or wirelessly.

[0178] The communication interface (182) can transmit data to an external device (e.g., a server, a user device, a docking station (20)) or receive data from the external device. To this end, the communication interface (182) can support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the external devices, and the performance of communication through the established communication channel. According to one embodiment, the communication interface (182) can include a wireless communication module (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module). Any of these communication modules may communicate with an external device via a first network (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, WiFi (wireless fidelity) direct, or IrDA (infrared data association)) or a second network (e.g., a long-range communication network such as a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a local area network or a wide area network)). These various types of communication modules may be integrated into a single component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as multiple separate components (e.g., multiple chips).

[0179] The short-range wireless communication module may include, but is not limited to, a Bluetooth communication module, a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication module, a near field communication module, a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication module, a Zigbee communication module, an infrared (IrDA, infrared Data Association) communication module, a WFD (Wi-Fi Direct) communication module, an UWB (ultrawideband) communication module, an Ant+ communication module, a microwave (uWave) communication module, etc.

[0180] The remote communication module may include a communication module that performs various types of remote communication and may include a mobile communication interface. The mobile communication interface transmits and receives wireless signals with at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network.

[0181] In one embodiment, the communication interface (182) can communicate with external devices via a surrounding access point (AP). The access point (AP) can connect a local area network (LAN) to which the robot cleaner (10) is connected to a wide area network (WAN) to which the server is connected. The robot cleaner (10) can be connected to the server via the wide area network (WAN).

[0182] In one embodiment, the communication interface (182) can communicate wirelessly with the docking station (20).

[0183] The control unit (190) can control the overall operation of the robot vacuum cleaner (10).

[0184] The control unit (190) may include at least one processor (191) that controls the operation of the robot cleaner (10) and at least one memory (192) that stores a program and data for controlling the operation of the robot cleaner (10).

[0185] At least one processor (191) controls the overall operation of the robot cleaner (10). Specifically, at least one processor (191) is connected to each component of the robot cleaner (10) and can control the overall operation of the robot cleaner (10). For example, at least one processor (191) is electrically connected to a memory (192) and can control the overall operation of the robot cleaner (10). The processor (191) may be composed of one or more processors.

[0186] At least one processor (191) can perform operations of the robot cleaner (10) according to various embodiments by executing at least one instruction stored in the memory (192).

[0187] At least one memory (192) can store data required for various embodiments. The memory (192) may be implemented in the form of a memory embedded in the robot cleaner (10) or in the form of a memory that can be attached or detached to the robot cleaner (10) depending on the purpose of data storage. For example, data for operating the robot cleaner (10) may be stored in a memory embedded in the robot cleaner (10), and data for expanding functions of the robot cleaner (10) may be stored in a memory that can be attached or detached to the robot cleaner (10). Meanwhile, in the case of the memory embedded in the robot cleaner (10), it may be implemented as at least one of volatile memory (e.g., DRAM (dynamic RAM), SRAM (static RAM), or SDRAM (synchronous dynamic RAM)), non-volatile memory (e.g., OTPROM (one time programmable ROM), PROM (programmable ROM), EPROM (erasable and programmable ROM), EEPROM (electrically erasable and programmable ROM), mask ROM, flash ROM, flash memory (e.g., NAND flash or NOR flash), hard drive, or solid state drive (SSD)). In addition, in the case of the memory that can be attached or detached to the robot cleaner (10), it may be implemented as at least one of memory cards (e.g., CF (compact flash), SD (secure digital), Micro-SD (micro secure digital), Mini-SD (mini secure digital), xD (extreme digital), MMC (multi-media card)), external memory that can be connected to a USB port (e.g., USB memory), etc. It can be implemented.

[0188] At least one processor (191) may include one or more of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an APU (Accelerated Processing Unit), a MIC (Many Integrated Core), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an NPU (Neural Processing Unit), a hardware accelerator, or a machine learning accelerator. At least one processor (191) may control one or any combination of other components of the robot cleaner (10), and may perform operations or data processing related to communication. At least one processor (191) may execute at least one program or instruction stored in the memory (192). For example, at least one processor (191) may execute at least one instruction stored in the memory (192), thereby performing a method according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0189] In one embodiment, the control unit (190) can control the mop drive unit (161) according to predetermined conditions. Controlling the mop drive unit (161) may include rotating or moving the mop (160).

[0190] In one embodiment, the control unit (190) can control the driving device (120) according to predetermined conditions. Controlling the driving device (120) may include moving the robot cleaner (10).

[0191] In one embodiment, the control unit (190) can control the brush motor and / or the suction motor (142) according to certain conditions.

[0192] The control unit (190) can perform a drying operation to dry the mop (160) according to predetermined conditions.

[0193] The drying operation for drying the mop (160) may include operating the suction motor (142) to perform dry cleaning for a predetermined period of time and / or returning to the docking station (20) and transmitting a drying request command to the docking station (20).

[0194] The control unit (190) can determine whether to re-clean a contaminated area based on the sensor data acquired by the front sensor (175) and the rear sensor (176). A detailed description of this will be provided later. Here, re-cleaning may refer to an act of the robot cleaner passing through an area it has already passed through once.

[0195] FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a docking station according to one embodiment.

[0196] The docking station (20) may include a docking detection sensor (270), a user interface device (281), a communication interface (282), a washing device (250), a drying device (260), and / or a control unit (290).

[0197] The docking station (20) may further include various configurations other than those illustrated in FIG. 11. For example, the docking station (20) may further include a suction motor that generates suction force to suck up waste from the dust bin (141) of the docked robot vacuum cleaner (10).

[0198] The control unit (290) can suck up waste from the dust collector (141) of the robot cleaner (10) into the waste collection bin (203) of the docking station (20) by operating the suction motor (not shown) of the docking station (20).

[0199] As another example, the docking station (20) may further include a water supply device for supplying water to the water tank (115) of the docked robot cleaner (10).

[0200] The control unit (290) can replenish water to the water tank (115) of the robot cleaner (10) by controlling the water supply device of the docking station (20).

[0201] The docking detection sensor (270) can detect whether the robot cleaner (10) is docked to the docking station (20). The docking detection sensor (270) can include at least one sensor that detects mechanical and / or electrical changes when the robot cleaner (10) is docked to the docking station (20).

[0202] For example, the docking detection sensor (270) may include a sensor that detects whether the charging terminal (151) of the robot cleaner (10) is electrically connected to the charging terminal (218) of the docking station (20). As another example, the docking detection sensor (270) may include a sensor (e.g., an elasticity sensor) that detects mechanical deformation when the robot cleaner (10) is docked.

[0203] The control unit (290) can determine whether the robot cleaner (10) is docked to the docking station (20) based on the output value of the docking detection sensor (270).

[0204] The user interface device (281) may include an output interface and an input interface.

[0205] At least one output interface can convey various information related to the operation of the docking station to the user by generating sensory information.

[0206] For example, at least one output interface may transmit information related to the settings of the docking station (20) and the operating time of the docking station (20) to the user. Information related to the operation of the docking station (20) may be output via a display, an indicator, and / or a voice. The at least one output interface may include, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, an indicator, a light emitting diode (LED) panel, a speaker, or the like.

[0207] If the display includes a touch screen display, the touch screen display may be an example of both an output interface and an input interface.

[0208] In one embodiment, at least one output interface is a docking station

[0209] (20) It can output sensory information (e.g., visual information, auditory information, etc.) related to control.

[0210] At least one input interface can convert sensory information received from a user into an electrical signal.

[0211] At least one input interface may include a power button for turning on the docking station (20).

[0212] Each button may include a visual indicator (e.g., text, an icon, etc.) that indicates its function.

[0213] At least one input interface may include, for example, a tact switch, a push switch, a slide switch, a toggle switch, a micro switch, a touch switch, a touch pad, a touch screen, a jog dial, and / or a microphone.

[0214] In the present disclosure, 'button' may be replaced with a UI element (User Interface Element), a tact switch, a push switch, a slide switch, a toggle switch, a micro switch, a touch switch, a touch pad, a touch screen, a jog dial, and / or a microphone.

[0215] The docking station (20) can process user input received through the user interface device (281) and output information related to the docking station through the user interface device (281).

[0216] The communication interface (282) can communicate with an external device (e.g., a server, a user device, a robot cleaner (10)) via wires and / or wirelessly.

[0217] The communication interface (282) can transmit data to an external device (e.g., a server, a user device, a robot cleaner (10)) or receive data from the external device. To this end, the communication interface (282) can support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the external devices, and the performance of communication through the established communication channel. According to one embodiment, the communication interface (282) can include a wireless communication module (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module). Any of these communication modules may communicate with an external device via a first network (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, WiFi (wireless fidelity) direct, or IrDA (infrared data association)) or a second network (e.g., a long-range communication network such as a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a local area network or a wide area network)). These various types of communication modules may be integrated into a single component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as multiple separate components (e.g., multiple chips).

[0218] The short-range wireless communication module may include, but is not limited to, a Bluetooth communication module, a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication module, a near field communication module, a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication module, a Zigbee communication module, an infrared (IrDA, infrared Data Association) communication module, a WFD (Wi-Fi Direct) communication module, an UWB (ultrawideband) communication module, an Ant+ communication module, a microwave (uWave) communication module, etc.

[0219] The remote communication module may include a communication module that performs various types of remote communication and may include a mobile communication interface. The mobile communication interface transmits and receives wireless signals with at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network.

[0220] In one embodiment, the communication interface (282) can communicate with external devices via a peripheral access point (AP). The access point (AP) can connect the local area network (LAN) to which the robot cleaner (10) is connected to a wide area network (WAN) to which the server is connected. The docking station (20) can be connected to the server via the wide area network (WAN).

[0221] In one embodiment, the communication interface (282) can communicate wirelessly with the robot cleaner (10).

[0222] Various examples can be adopted as a method for communicating between the robot vacuum cleaner (10) and the docking station (20).

[0223] In one embodiment, the robot cleaner (10) and the docking station (20) can communicate directly via a short-range communication module.

[0224] In one embodiment, the robot cleaner (10) and the docking station (20) can communicate directly via wired communication while the robot cleaner (10) is docked to the docking station (20).

[0225] In one embodiment, the robot cleaner (10) and the docking station (20) can communicate indirectly with an external server via a remote communication module.

[0226] Indirect communication via an external server may include the robot cleaner (10) transmitting a predetermined signal to the external server, and the external server transmitting the predetermined signal received from the robot cleaner (10) to the docking station (20), and / or the docking station (20) transmitting a predetermined signal to the external server, and the external server transmitting the predetermined signal received from the docking station (20) to the robot cleaner (10).

[0227] The washing device (250) can wash the mop (160) using water stored in the water tank (201).

[0228] To this end, the washing device (250) may include at least one pump and / or valve for flowing water stored in the water tank (201) into the washing chamber (230).

[0229] Wastewater generated by washing the mop (160) in the washing chamber (230) can be supplied to the wastewater tank (202). To this end, the washing device (250) may include at least one pump and / or valve for flowing the wastewater stored in the washing chamber (230) to the wastewater tank (202).

[0230] The control unit (290) can control the washing device (250) to perform a washing process for washing the mop (160) placed in the washing chamber (230).

[0231] In the present disclosure, the washing process may include a process in which water is supplied from a water tank (201) to a washing chamber (230) to wash a mop (160), and the generated wastewater is supplied to a wastewater tank (202).

[0232] The drying device (260) can dry the mop (160) accommodated in the washing chamber (230). To this end, the drying device (260) may include a drying duct (261) for guiding air blown by (262) into the washing chamber (230), and a heater (263) provided to heat the air blown into the washing chamber (230) by the fan (262).

[0233] The control unit (290) can control the drying device (260) to perform a drying process for drying the mop (160) placed in the washing chamber (230).

[0234] In the present disclosure, the drying process may include a process of operating a drying device (260) to dry a mop (160).

[0235] In one embodiment, the control unit (290) may perform a washing process and / or a drying process based on user input received via the user interface device (281).

[0236] In one embodiment, the control unit (290) can perform a washing process and / or a drying process based on a control command received from an external device via a communication interface (282).

[0237] Fig. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control method for a robot vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment.

[0238] Referring to FIG. 12, a robot cleaner (10) according to one embodiment can obtain front sensor data on a contaminated area through a front sensor (175) before a mop (160) passes over the contaminated area (1000).

[0239] The control unit (190) can process forward sensor data on the contaminated area acquired by the forward sensor (175) before the mop (160) passes over the contaminated area.

[0240] The control unit (190) can identify a contaminated area based on processing the front sensor data.

[0241] The control unit (190) can control the movement of the robot cleaner (10) so that the mop (160) performs cleaning on the contaminated area detected by the front sensor (175).

[0242] The contaminated area detected by the front sensor (175) may include a contaminated area identified based on processing of the front sensor data.

[0243] According to one embodiment, a robot cleaner (10) can obtain rear sensor data on a contaminated area through a rear sensor (176) after a mop (160) passes over the contaminated area (1100).

[0244] The control unit (190) can process rear sensor data on the contaminated area acquired by the rear sensor (176) after the mop (160) passes through the contaminated area.

[0245] FIG. 13 illustrates an example of a robot vacuum cleaner passing through a contaminated area according to one embodiment.

[0246] Referring to FIG. 13, the robot cleaner (10) can identify a contaminated area (PA) based on front sensor data collected from the front sensor (175).

[0247] A contaminated area (PA) may refer to an area containing foreign matter (FA). The FA may be liquid foreign matter, stains, and / or dust.

[0248] In one embodiment, the robot cleaner (10) can perform wet cleaning according to a predetermined cleaning plan, and can perform wet cleaning by having a mop (160) pass over the contaminated area (PA) based on the identification of a contaminated area (PA) containing foreign substances (FA) while performing wet cleaning.

[0249] In one embodiment, the robot cleaner (10) can perform dry cleaning according to a predetermined cleaning plan, and can temporarily stop dry cleaning based on the identification of a contaminated area (PA) containing foreign substances (FA) while performing dry cleaning and perform wet cleaning by allowing a mop (160) to pass over the contaminated area (PA).

[0250] In one embodiment, the robot cleaner (10) performing dry cleaning may include moving the mop (160) to a position where it does not touch the floor and then operating the brush motor and / or the suction motor (142).

[0251] In one embodiment, the robot cleaner (10) performing wet cleaning may include moving the mop (160) to a position where it touches the floor and then rotating the mop (160).

[0252] The robot cleaner (10) can store front sensor data for the contaminated area (PA) collected by the front sensor (175) before passing through the contaminated area (PA), and can store rear sensor data for the contaminated area (PA) collected by the rear sensor (176) after passing through the contaminated area (PA).

[0253] The control unit (190) can process and store in memory (192) the front sensor data for the contaminated area (PA) collected by the front sensor (175) before passing through the contaminated area (PA), and can process and store in memory (192) the rear sensor data for the contaminated area (PA) collected by the rear sensor (176) after passing through the contaminated area (PA).

[0254] The robot cleaner (10) can determine whether re-cleaning of the contaminated area (PA) is necessary based on rear sensor data for the contaminated area (PA) (1200).

[0255] In one embodiment, the robot cleaner (10) can determine whether re-cleaning of the contaminated area (PA) is necessary based on processing rear sensor data for the contaminated area (PA).

[0256] In one embodiment, the robot cleaner (10) may determine whether re-cleaning of the contaminated area (PA) is necessary based on front sensor data and rear sensor data for the contaminated area (PA).

[0257] As previously explained, the front sensor data may be front image data, and the rear sensor data may be rear image data.

[0258] As another example, the front sensor data may include light reception data (e.g., ToF data, light intensity data) obtained by irradiating light on a polluted area (PA) and then receiving reflected light, and the rear sensor data may include light reception data (e.g., ToF data, light intensity data) obtained by irradiating light on a polluted area (PA) and then receiving reflected light.

[0259] Determining whether a re-cleaning of a contaminated area (PA) is required may include determining whether a dry mopping of the contaminated area (PA) is required and / or determining whether a wet mopping of the contaminated area (PA) is required.

[0260] FIG. 14 illustrates an example of front sensor data acquired by a front sensor of a robot cleaner according to one embodiment and rear sensor data acquired by a rear sensor. FIG. 15 illustrates another example of front sensor data acquired by a front sensor of a robot cleaner according to one embodiment and rear sensor data acquired by a rear sensor.

[0261] In FIGS. 14 and 15, for convenience of explanation, examples are shown in which the front sensor data and the rear sensor data are each image data, but examples of the front sensor data and the rear sensor data are not limited thereto.

[0262] Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, the front sensor data (FI) may include information related to foreign substances (FA) before the contaminated area (PA) is cleaned by the mop (160). The rear sensor data (RI) may include information related to foreign substances (FA) after the contaminated area (PA) is cleaned by the mop (160).

[0263] Information related to the foreign substance (FA) may include information about the color of the foreign substance (FA), the amount of the foreign substance (FA), the size of the foreign substance (FA), the outline of the foreign substance (FA), the shape of the foreign substance (FA), etc.

[0264] Referring to Fig. 14, if the liquid foreign matter is not completely absorbed by the mop (160), it can be seen that a large lump of liquid foreign matter is separated into multiple small lumps of liquid foreign matter.

[0265] Here, the liquid foreign substance may refer to a foreign substance that can be absorbed by a dried mop (160). For example, the liquid foreign substance may refer to a foreign substance that maintains a liquid state, such as water or juice.

[0266] Referring to Fig. 15, if the stain foreign matter is not wiped off by the mop (160), it can be seen that the large-sized stain foreign matter has changed into a small-sized stain foreign matter.

[0267] Here, the stain foreign substance may refer to a foreign substance that can be wiped off with a wet mop (160). For example, the stain foreign substance may include spilled coffee stains, oil stains, etc.

[0268] In one embodiment, the control unit (190) may determine whether re-cleaning is necessary based on rear sensor data (RI).

[0269] For example, the control unit (190) may determine that re-cleaning of the contaminated area (PA) is not necessary based on the fact that no foreign matter is detected in the rear sensor data (RI), and may determine that re-cleaning of the contaminated area (PA) is necessary based on the fact that a foreign matter is detected in the rear sensor data (RI).

[0270] In one embodiment, the control unit (190) can identify whether the type of foreign matter corresponds to a liquid foreign matter or a stain foreign matter based on the rear sensor data (RI).

[0271] Determining whether re-cleaning is necessary based on the rear sensor data (RI) may include determining whether re-cleaning is necessary based on processing only the rear sensor data (RI) and / or determining whether re-cleaning is necessary based on processing both the front sensor data (FI) and the rear sensor data (RI).

[0272] In one embodiment, the control unit (190) can determine whether re-cleaning is necessary based on the difference between the front sensor data (FI) and the rear sensor data (RI).

[0273] For example, the control unit (190) may determine that re-cleaning is not necessary based on the fact that a foreign substance is detected in the front sensor data (FI) and no foreign substance is detected in the rear sensor data (RI).

[0274] Conversely, the control unit (190) may determine that re-cleaning is necessary based on the detection of foreign matter in the front sensor data (FI) and the continued detection of foreign matter in the rear sensor data (RI).

[0275] The control unit (190) can identify whether the type of foreign substance corresponds to a liquid foreign substance or a stain foreign substance based on the front sensor data (FI) and the rear sensor data (RI).

[0276] For example, the control unit (190) can identify that liquid foreign matter has not been completely removed from the contaminated area (PA) based on the detection of a large lump of foreign matter in the front sensor data (FI) and the detection of multiple small lumps of foreign matter in the rear sensor data (RI).

[0277] As another example, the control unit (190) may identify that a stain foreign substance has not been completely removed from the contaminated area (PA) based on the detection of a large lump of foreign substance in the front sensor data (FI) and the detection of a small lump of foreign substance in the rear sensor data (RI).

[0278] To this end, the control unit (190) may perform image preprocessing on the front sensor data (FI) and the rear sensor data (RI). The image preprocessing process may include one or more processes for processing the image into a form more suitable for foreign substance detection.

[0279] For example, the image preprocessing process may include a process of removing noise included in the image, a process of increasing the contrast of the image, a deblurring process of removing blur included in the image, a process of removing a background region, a warping process of correcting distortion included in the image, and a process of binarizing the image.

[0280] The control unit (190) detects a foreign substance area in an image. The control unit (190) may detect a foreign substance area in an image using, for example, a Haar-based cascade adaboost classifier, a neural network-based classifier, or a support vector machine. However, the scope of the embodiment is not limited thereto, and the control unit (190) may detect a foreign substance area in an image using various foreign substance area detection techniques.

[0281] The control unit (190) can normalize the detected foreign substance area. In one embodiment, the control unit (190) can detect landmarks of the foreign substance in the detected foreign substance area and normalize the foreign substance area based on the detected landmarks. The control unit (190) can detect landmarks of the foreign substance in the foreign substance area using, for example, a landmark detection technique based on an Active Contour Model (ACM), an Active Shape Model (ASM), an Active Appearance model (AAM), a Supervised Descent Method (SDM), or a neural network. The landmarks of the foreign substance are landmarks for the main foreign substance, for example, landmarks for identifying the outline of the foreign substance. The normalization can include, for example, an image cropping process for extracting a foreign substance image representing the foreign substance area from an image, a process for matching the positions of landmarks detected in the foreign substance area to a predefined reference position, and a process for adjusting the size of the extracted foreign substance area.

[0282] According to various embodiments, the control unit (190) may identify the type of foreign substance by inputting front sensor data (FI) and / or rear sensor data (RI) into an artificial intelligence model.

[0283] The AI ​​model is characterized by being created through learning. Here, being created through learning means that a basic AI model is trained using a learning algorithm using a large amount of learning data, thereby creating a predefined set of operation rules or an AI model set to perform a desired characteristic (or purpose). This learning may be performed on the device itself on which the AI ​​according to the present disclosure is performed, or may be performed through a separate server and / or system. Examples of learning algorithms include, but are not limited to, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning.

[0284] An artificial intelligence model may be composed of multiple neural network layers. Each of the multiple neural network layers has multiple weight values, and performs neural network operations through operations between the operation results of the previous layer and the multiple weights. The multiple weights of the multiple neural network layers may be optimized based on the learning results of the artificial intelligence model. For example, the multiple weights may be updated so that the loss value or cost value obtained from the artificial intelligence model is reduced or minimized during the learning process. The artificial neural network may include a deep neural network (DNN), and examples thereof include, but are not limited to, a convolutional neural network (CNN), a deep neural network (DNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), or deep Q-networks.

[0285] The artificial intelligence model can use front sensor data (FI) and / or rear sensor data (RI) as input data to output result data regarding the type of foreign matter, whether re-cleaning is required, whether dry mopping is required, and / or whether wet mopping is required.

[0286] The control unit (190) may determine that re-cleaning is necessary if foreign matter remaining in the contaminated area (PA) is detected in response to processing the rear sensor data.

[0287] If the control unit (190) determines that re-cleaning is not necessary for the contaminated area (PA), it can clean another cleaning area.

[0288] As previously explained, determining whether re-cleaning is necessary may include determining whether dry mopping or wet mopping is necessary.

[0289] The control unit (190) can identify the type of foreign matter remaining in the contaminated area based on the front sensor data for the contaminated area (PA) and the rear sensor data for the contaminated area, and can determine whether dry mopping or wet mopping is required based on the type of foreign matter remaining in the contaminated area.

[0290] The control unit (190) may determine that dry mopping of the contaminated area (PA) is necessary based on the identification of the foreign matter (FA) remaining in the contaminated area (PA) as a liquid foreign matter (example of 1300).

[0291] That is, the control unit (190) can determine whether dry mopping is necessary for the contaminated area (PA) based on information about the contaminated area (PA) acquired by the rear sensor (176) after cleaning the contaminated area (PA) detected by the front sensor (175).

[0292] FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a re-cleaning method when a robot vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment determines that dry mopping is necessary.

[0293] Referring to FIG. 16, the control unit (190) can determine whether to perform a drying operation of the mop (160) based on whether it is determined that dry mopping is necessary for the contaminated area (example of 1300 in FIG. 12).

[0294] The robot vacuum cleaner (10) can perform a drying operation of the mop (160) before performing re-cleaning based on the humidity of the mop (160) detected by the humidity sensor (171) being greater than the reference humidity (example of 1400) (1410).

[0295] At this time, the value of the reference humidity may be pre-stored in memory (192). The reference humidity may be settable according to user input. For example, the user may adjust the reference humidity through a user interface device (182, 282) or a user device.

[0296] In one embodiment, the control unit (190) can perform a drying operation of the mop (160) by returning the robot cleaner (10) to the docking station (20) and transmitting a drying request signal to the docking station (20).

[0297] For example, the control unit (190) can control the driving device (120) to cause the robot cleaner (10) to return to the docking station (20) based on the humidity of the mop (160) detected by the humidity sensor (171) being greater than the reference humidity (example of 1400), and can transmit a drying request signal to the docking station (20) through the communication interface (182). When the docking station (20) receives the drying request signal, it can perform a drying process to dry the mop (160) for the robot cleaner (10) that is docked or scheduled to be docked.

[0298] Here, the drying request signal may include a signal requesting the docking station (20) to perform a drying process and / or a signal requesting the washing process and the drying process.

[0299] In one embodiment, the control unit (190) may control the driving device (120) to return the robot cleaner (10) to the docking station (20) in response to the humidity of the mop (160) detected by the humidity sensor (171) being greater than the reference humidity and the contamination level of the liquid foreign substance being greater than a predetermined reference value, and may transmit a drying request signal to the docking station (20) through the communication interface (182). When the contamination level of the liquid foreign substance (or the contamination level of the mop (160)) is greater than a predetermined reference value, the drying request signal transmitted from the robot cleaner (10) to the docking station (20) may be a signal requesting a washing process and a drying process. When the docking station (20) receives the drying request signal, it may perform a washing process for washing the mop (160) and a drying process for drying the mop (160) for the robot cleaner (10) that is docked or scheduled to be docked.

[0300] When the drying process is completed, the docking station (20) can transmit a completion signal to the robot cleaner (10) indicating that the drying operation of the mop (160) is completed.

[0301] When the control unit (190) receives a completion signal from the docking station (20), it can perform re-cleaning by moving the robot cleaner (10) to the contaminated area.

[0302] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent a situation in which liquid foreign substances remain even after the robot cleaner (10) has completed cleaning, which may pose a danger to the user.

[0303] According to the present disclosure, the mop (160) of the robot cleaner (10) can prevent inefficient cleaning of liquid foreign substances in a state in which it cannot absorb liquid, i.e., in a sufficiently wet state, and can increase the efficiency of removing liquid foreign substances by cleaning the liquid foreign substances with a dry mop (160).

[0304] In one embodiment, the control unit (190) can perform a drying operation of the mop (160) by operating the suction motor (142).

[0305] As described above, according to various embodiments, the robot cleaner (10) may include an exhaust port (164, 114) that discharges air sucked into the main body (110) in a direction toward the mop (160) according to the operation of the suction motor (142). Accordingly, when the suction motor (142) of the robot cleaner (10) operates, the mop (160) can be naturally dried.

[0306] If the robot cleaner (10) returns to the docking station (20) and performs a drying process, the time required for cleaning may increase. Accordingly, for efficient cleaning, the robot cleaner (10) may perform a drying process of the mop (160) by operating the suction motor (142).

[0307] The robot vacuum cleaner (10) can control the height of the mop (160) so that the mop (160) does not touch the floor while the suction motor (142) is operating.

[0308] That is, the control unit (190) can control the height of the mop (160) so that the mop (160) does not touch the floor while operating the suction motor (142) for drying operation.

[0309] Controlling the height of the mop (160) so that the mop (160) does not touch the floor may include controlling the mop (160) drive unit (161) so that the mop (160) rises.

[0310] The control unit (190) can move the robot cleaner (10) so that the robot cleaner (10) cleans the cleaning area excluding the contaminated area while performing the drying operation of the mop (160) by operating the suction motor (142).

[0311] Moving the robot cleaner (10) to clean the cleaning area excluding the contaminated area may include performing dry cleaning on the remaining cleaning area excluding the contaminated area.

[0312] The control unit (190) performs a drying operation of the mop (160) by operating the suction motor (142), and when the humidity of the mop (160) detected by the humidity sensor (171) falls below the standard humidity, the control unit (190) can perform re-cleaning by having the mop (160) pass over the contaminated area again.

[0313] When performing re-cleaning of a contaminated area, the control unit (190) can stop dry cleaning (stop the operation of the suction motor) and control the height of the mop (160) so that the mop (160) touches the floor.

[0314] That is, the control unit (190) can control the height of the mop (160) so that the mop (160) touches the floor while performing re-cleaning.

[0315] According to the present disclosure, dry cleaning can be performed on other cleaning areas while the mop (160) is drying, thereby maximizing cleaning efficiency.

[0316] In this way, the robot cleaner (10) can perform a drying operation of the mop (160) based on the humidity of the mop (160) detected by the humidity sensor (171) being greater than the reference humidity (example of 1400), and then perform re-cleaning by having the mop (160) pass over the contaminated area again (1420).

[0317] The robot cleaner (10) can perform re-cleaning by having the mop (160) pass over the contaminated area again without drying the mop (160) based on whether the humidity of the mop (160) detected by the humidity sensor (171) is below the standard humidity (No of 1400) (1420).

[0318] In one embodiment, the control unit (190) determines that dry mopping is necessary for the contaminated area, and if the humidity of the wet mop (160) detected by the humidity sensor (171) is below the reference humidity, the control unit (190) can perform re-cleaning by moving the robot cleaner (10) backward.

[0319] That is, since the mop (160) can sufficiently absorb liquid foreign substances when it is not sufficiently wet, the robot cleaner (10) can completely remove liquid foreign substances by immediately moving backwards if the liquid foreign substances in the contaminated area are not sufficiently removed when the mop (160) is not sufficiently wet.

[0320] In one embodiment, if the control unit (190) determines that re-cleaning of the contaminated area is necessary even though re-cleaning (dry mopping) of the contaminated area has already been performed, the control unit (190) may perform the operations of FIG. 16 again or transmit information about the contaminated area to the user through the communication interface (182).

[0321] Fig. 17 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a drying operation of a robot vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment.

[0322] In one embodiment, the robot cleaner (10) may perform the drying operation of the mop (160) by returning the robot cleaner (10) to the docking station (20) and transmitting a drying request signal to the docking station (20), or may perform the drying operation of the mop (160) by operating the suction motor (142).

[0323] Drying the mop (160) by operating the suction motor (142) has limitations in drying efficiency because it dries the mop (160) using unheated wind.

[0324] Referring to FIG. 17, in one embodiment, the robot cleaner (10) can perform a drying operation of the mop (160) by returning the robot cleaner (10) to the docking station (20) and transmitting a drying request signal to the docking station (20) based on the humidity of the mop (160) being greater than the first humidity (example of 1411) (1413).

[0325] At this time, the value of the first humidity is greater than the value of the reference humidity and may be stored in advance in the memory (192).

[0326] According to the present disclosure, in cases where it is not easy to dry the mop (160) by operating the suction motor (142), the mop (160) can be completely dried by using the drying device of the docking station (20) to dry the mop (160).

[0327] In one embodiment, the robot cleaner (10) can perform a drying operation of the mop (160) by operating the suction motor based on whether the humidity of the mop (160) is lower than or equal to the first humidity (No of 1411) (1415).

[0328] According to the present disclosure, in a situation where the mop (160) can be sufficiently dried by operating the suction motor (142), the robot cleaner (10) can return to the docking station (20) to prevent cleaning from being delayed.

[0329] Meanwhile, although not shown in the drawing, the robot cleaner (10) can perform a drying operation of the mop (160) by returning the robot cleaner (10) to the docking station (20) and transmitting a drying request signal to the docking station (20) when the contamination level of the liquid foreign substance (or the contamination level of the mop (160)) is higher than a predetermined standard value, even if the humidity of the mop (160) is not greater than the first humidity (1413).

[0330] According to the present disclosure, the possibility of contamination spreading can be prevented in advance by re-cleaning liquid foreign substances with a contaminated mop (160).

[0331] Referring again to FIG. 12, the robot cleaner (10) may determine that wet mopping of the contaminated area is necessary if the foreign matter remaining in the contaminated area is identified as a stain foreign matter (hereinafter referred to as a 'stain') (NO of 1300).

[0332] If there is a stain on the floor, it needs to be wet to wipe it away. However, if the moisture content of the mop (160) is low, the stain may not be removed easily.

[0333] FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a re-cleaning method when a robot vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment determines that wet mopping is necessary.

[0334] Referring to FIG. 18, the control unit (190) can determine whether to perform a water replenishment operation of the mop (160) based on whether it is determined that wet mopping of the contaminated area is necessary (NO of 1300 of FIG. 12).

[0335] The robot cleaner (10) can perform a water replenishment operation of the mop (160) before performing re-cleaning based on the humidity of the mop (160) detected by the humidity sensor (171) being lower than the second humidity (example of 1500) (1510).

[0336] At this time, the value of the second humidity may be stored in advance in the memory (192). The value of the second humidity may be smaller than the value of the reference humidity described above.

[0337] In one embodiment, the control unit (190) can perform a water replenishment operation of the mop (160) by controlling the water tank valve (115v) to supply water stored in the water tank (115) to the mop (160).

[0338] The control unit (190) controls the water tank valve (115v) so that when the water replenishment operation of the mop (160) is completed, the robot cleaner (10) can be moved to the contaminated area to perform re-cleaning.

[0339] At this time, the control unit (190) controls the water tank valve (115v) so that the humidity of the mop (160) becomes higher than the second humidity, and then moves the robot cleaner (10) backward to perform re-cleaning.

[0340] In one embodiment, the control unit (190) can perform a water replenishment operation of the mop (160) by returning the robot cleaner (10) to the docking station (20) and transmitting a washing request signal or a water replenishment request signal to the docking station (20).

[0341] For example, the control unit (190) may control the driving device (120) to cause the robot cleaner (10) to return to the docking station (20) based on the fact that the humidity of the mop (160) detected by the humidity sensor (171) is less than the second humidity (example of 1500), and may transmit a washing request signal or a water replenishment request signal to the docking station (20) through the communication interface (182). When the docking station (20) receives the washing request signal, it may perform a washing process to wash the mop (160) for the robot cleaner (10) that is docked or scheduled to be docked. When the docking station (20) receives the water replenishment request signal, it may perform a water replenishment process to replenish water in the water tank (115) for the robot cleaner (10) that is docked or scheduled to be docked. Here, the washing request signal may include a signal requesting the docking station (20) to perform a washing process. In one embodiment, the washing request signal may include a signal requesting the docking station (20) to perform a washing process and a drying process. In this case, the washing request signal may be a signal for maintaining the humidity of the mop (160) at a certain level compared to the drying request signal described above. That is, the docking station (20) may perform the drying process for a first time period in response to receiving the drying request signal, and may perform the drying process for a second time period shorter than the first time period in response to receiving the washing request signal.

[0342] The docking station (20) can transmit a completion signal to the robot cleaner (10) indicating that the drying operation of the mop (160) is completed when the washing process or water replenishment process is completed.

[0343] When the control unit (190) receives a signal for completion of the water replenishment process from the docking station (20), it controls the water tank valve (115v) to supply water stored in the water tank (115) to the mop (160), thereby replenishing the humidity of the mop (160) and then moving the robot cleaner (10) to the contaminated area to perform re-cleaning.

[0344] When the control unit (190) receives a signal indicating completion of the cleaning process from the docking station (20), it can perform re-cleaning by moving the robot cleaner (10) to the contaminated area.

[0345] According to the present disclosure, when a mop (160) needs to wipe off a stain, the efficiency of stain cleaning can be maximized by increasing the humidity of the mop (160) and then performing re-cleaning.

[0346] In this way, the robot cleaner (10) can perform a water replenishment operation of the mop (160) based on the humidity of the mop (160) detected by the humidity sensor (171) being lower than the second humidity (example of 1500), and then perform re-cleaning by having the mop (160) pass over the contaminated area again (1520).

[0347] The robot cleaner (10) can perform re-cleaning by having the mop (160) pass over the contaminated area again without replenishing water to the mop (160) based on the humidity of the mop (160) detected by the humidity sensor (171) being higher than the second humidity (No of 1500) (1520).

[0348] In one embodiment, the control unit (190) determines that wet mopping is necessary for the contaminated area, and if the humidity of the mop (160) detected by the humidity sensor (171) is higher than the second humidity, the control unit (190) can perform re-cleaning by moving the robot cleaner (10) backward.

[0349] That is, since the mop (160) can sufficiently wipe away stains when it is sufficiently wet, the robot cleaner (10) can completely remove stains by immediately moving backwards if the stains in the contaminated area are not sufficiently removed when the mop (160) is sufficiently wet.

[0350] In one embodiment, if the control unit (190) determines that re-cleaning of the contaminated area is necessary even though re-cleaning (wet mopping) of the contaminated area has been performed, the control unit (190) may perform the operations of FIG. 18 again or transmit information about the contaminated area to the user through the communication interface (182).

[0351] Fig. 19 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a water replenishment operation of a robot vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment.

[0352] Referring to FIG. 19, the control unit (190) can return the robot cleaner (10) to the docking station (20) (1513) based on whether the mop (160) needs to be washed or the water in the water tank (115) is insufficient (example of 1511).

[0353] The control unit (190) may determine that the mop (160) needs to be cleaned in response to the contamination level of the mop (160) being higher than a predetermined value. The control unit (190) may determine that the water in the water tank (115) is insufficient based on the output value of a sensor that detects the water level in the water tank (115). The control unit (190) may determine that the water in the water tank (115) is insufficient based on the fact that the humidity of the mop (160) does not increase despite controlling the water tank valve (115v) to supply water in the water tank (115) to the mop (160).

[0354] When the control unit (190) determines that the mop (160) needs to be washed (example of 1511), it can return the robot cleaner (10) to the docking station (20) and transmit a washing request signal to the docking station (20) (1513).

[0355] If the control unit (190) determines that the water in the water tank (115) is insufficient (example of 1511), it can return the robot cleaner (10) to the docking station (20) and transmit a water replenishment request signal to the docking station (20) (1513).

[0356] The control unit (190) can control the water tank valve (115v) to supply water from the water tank (115) to the mop (160) if the mop (160) does not need to be washed and the water in the water tank (115) is not insufficient (No of 1511) (1515).

[0357] According to the present disclosure, the efficiency of stain cleaning can be improved by enabling stains to be wiped off using a clean, wet mop (160) containing moisture.

[0358] A robot vacuum cleaner (10) according to one embodiment can perform various operations that can increase cleaning efficiency in addition to the operations described above.

[0359] In one embodiment, if foreign substances remain in the contaminated area despite performing re-cleaning, the robot cleaner (10) may call another robot cleaner (10).

[0360] A robot cleaner (10) calling another robot cleaner (10) may include transmitting information about a contaminated area (e.g., location information of the contaminated area) to the other robot cleaner (10) via a communication interface (182).

[0361] In one embodiment, if foreign substances remain in a contaminated area despite re-cleaning, the robot cleaner (10) may transmit information about the contaminated area (e.g., location information of the contaminated area) to the user device. The user can check the information about the contaminated area via the user device and directly clean the contaminated area.

[0362] In one embodiment, if foreign substances remain in a contaminated area despite re-cleaning, the robot cleaner (10) may transmit a signal to the user device requesting replacement of the mop (160). The user may confirm through the user device that the mop (160) needs to be replaced and replace the mop (160).

[0363] In one embodiment, if liquid foreign substances remain in a contaminated area despite performing re-cleaning, the robot cleaner (10) may transmit a dehumidification operation request signal to the air conditioning device. The air conditioning device may perform a dehumidification operation in response to receiving the dehumidification operation request signal.

[0364] According to the present disclosure, a robot cleaner (10) can efficiently remove liquid foreign substances and / or stain foreign substances from the floor.

[0365] A robot cleaner (10) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: a main body (110); a mop (160) detachably mountable to the lower portion of the main body (110); a front sensor (175) having a front view of the main body (110); a rear sensor (176) having a rear view of the main body (110); a humidity sensor (171) for detecting humidity of the mop (160); And it may include a control unit (190) which determines whether dry mopping is necessary for the contaminated area (PA) based on information about the contaminated area (PA) acquired by the rear sensor (176) after the mop (160) has cleaned the contaminated area (PA) detected by the front sensor (175), and if it is determined that dry mopping is necessary for the contaminated area (PA) and the humidity of the mop (160) detected by the humidity sensor (171) is greater than the reference humidity, it may include a control unit (190) which performs re-cleaning by causing the mop (160) to pass over the contaminated area (PA) again after performing a drying operation of the mop (160).

[0366] The control unit (190) determines that dry mopping is necessary for the contaminated area (PA), and if the humidity of the mop (160) detected by the humidity sensor (171) is below the standard humidity, it can perform re-cleaning by allowing the mop (160) to pass over the contaminated area (PA) again without a drying operation.

[0367] The control unit (190) determines that dry mopping is necessary for the contaminated area (PA) and, if the humidity of the mop (160) detected by the humidity sensor (171) is below the standard humidity, the control unit (190) can perform re-cleaning by moving the robot cleaner (10) backward.

[0368] The control unit (190) can perform a drying operation of the mop (160) by returning the robot cleaner (10) to the docking station (20) and transmitting a drying request signal to the docking station (20).

[0369] The control unit (190) can move the robot cleaner (10) to the contaminated area (PA) when it receives a completion signal indicating that the drying operation of the mop (160) is completed from the docking station (20).

[0370] The robot vacuum cleaner (10) further includes a suction motor (142); and an exhaust port (164, 114) for discharging air sucked into the main body (110) in a direction toward the mop (160) according to the operation of the suction motor (142); and the control unit (190) can perform a drying operation of the mop (160) by operating the suction motor (142).

[0371] The control unit (190) can control the height of the mop (160) so that the mop (160) does not touch the floor while the suction motor (142) is operating, and can control the height of the mop (160) so that the mop (160) touches the floor while performing re-cleaning.

[0372] The control unit (190) can move the robot cleaner (10) so that the robot cleaner (10) cleans the cleaning area excluding the contaminated area (PA) while performing the drying operation of the mop (160) by operating the suction motor (142).

[0373] The control unit (190) can identify the type of foreign matter remaining in the contaminated area (PA) based on information about the contaminated area (PA) acquired by the rear sensor (176), and can determine that dry mopping of the contaminated area (PA) is necessary based on the fact that the foreign matter remaining in the contaminated area (PA) is identified as a liquid foreign matter.

[0374] The control unit (190) can identify the type of foreign matter remaining in the contaminated area (PA) based on information about the contaminated area (PA) acquired by the rear sensor (176), and can determine that wet mopping is necessary for the contaminated area (PA) based on the foreign matter remaining in the contaminated area (PA) being identified as a stain.

[0375] If the control unit (190) determines that wet mopping is necessary for the contaminated area (PA), it can perform re-cleaning by having the mop (160) pass over the contaminated area (PA) again without a drying operation.

[0376] The robot cleaner (10) further includes a water tank (115) for storing water supplied to the mop (160), and the control unit (190) can perform a water replenishment operation to supply water stored in the water tank (115) to the mop (160) when it is determined that wet mopping is necessary for the contaminated area (PA) and the humidity of the mop (160) detected by the humidity sensor (171) is less than a predetermined humidity, and then perform re-cleaning by having the mop (160) pass over the contaminated area (PA) again.

[0377] If the control unit (190) determines that wet mopping is necessary for the contaminated area (PA) and the humidity of the mop (160) detected by the humidity sensor (171) is less than a predetermined humidity, the control unit (190) can return the robot cleaner (10) to the docking station (20) and transmit a cleaning request signal or a water replenishment request signal to the docking station (20).

[0378] The reference humidity can be set based on user input.

[0379] A control method of a robot cleaner (10) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include determining whether dry mopping is necessary for a contaminated area (PA) based on information about the contaminated area (PA) acquired by a rear sensor (176) after the mop (160) has cleaned the contaminated area (PA) detected by the front sensor (175); and performing re-cleaning by having the mop (160) pass over the contaminated area (PA) again after performing a drying operation of the mop (160) if it is determined that dry mopping is necessary for the contaminated area (PA) and the humidity of the mop (160) detected by the humidity sensor (171) is greater than a reference humidity.

[0380] The control method of the robot cleaner (10) may further include performing re-cleaning by allowing the mop (160) to pass over the contaminated area (PA) again without a drying operation when it is determined that dry mopping is necessary for the contaminated area (PA) and the humidity of the mop (160) detected by the humidity sensor (171) is below the standard humidity.

[0381] Performing the drying operation may include returning the robot cleaner (10) to the docking station (20) and transmitting a drying request signal to the docking station (20).

[0382] Performing the drying operation may include operating a suction motor (142) that draws in external air into the main body (110) and discharges the air drawn into the main body (110) in a direction toward the mop (160).

[0383] A control method of a robot cleaner (10) may further include: identifying the type of foreign matter remaining in a contaminated area (PA) based on information about the contaminated area (PA) obtained by a rear sensor (176); and determining that dry mopping of the contaminated area (PA) is necessary based on the identification of the foreign matter remaining in the contaminated area (PA) as a liquid foreign matter.

[0384] The control method of the robot cleaner (10) may further include determining that wet mopping is required for the contaminated area (PA) based on the foreign substances remaining in the contaminated area (PA) being identified as stains.

[0385] Meanwhile, the disclosed embodiments may be implemented in the form of a recording medium storing computer-executable instructions. The instructions may be stored in the form of program code, and when executed by a processor, may generate program modules to perform the operations of the disclosed embodiments. The recording medium may be implemented as a computer-readable recording medium.

[0386] Computer-readable storage media include all types of storage media that store instructions that can be deciphered by a computer. Examples include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic tape, magnetic disks, flash memory, and optical data storage devices.

[0387] Additionally, a computer-readable recording medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, the term "non-transitory storage medium" simply means a tangible device that does not contain signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves). This term does not distinguish between cases where data is permanently stored in the storage medium and cases where data is temporarily stored. For example, a "non-transitory storage medium" may include a buffer in which data is temporarily stored.

[0388] According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in the present document may be provided as included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a product between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable recording medium (e.g., compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) via an application store (e.g., Play Store™) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product (e.g., a downloadable app) may be temporarily stored or temporarily generated on a machine-readable recording medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or an intermediary server.

[0389] The disclosed embodiments have been described with reference to the attached drawings as described above. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention can be implemented in forms other than the disclosed embodiments without altering the technical spirit or essential features of the present invention. The disclosed embodiments are illustrative and should not be construed as limiting.

Claims

1. Main body; A mop that can be detachably mounted on the lower part of the main body; A front sensor having a front view of the above body; A rear sensor having a rear view of the above body; A humidity sensor that detects the humidity of the above mop; and After the above mop cleans the area detected by the front sensor, it is determined whether dry mopping is necessary for the area based on information about the area acquired by the rear sensor, A robot cleaner comprising: a control unit that performs re-cleaning by causing the mop to pass over the area again after performing a drying operation of the mop when it is determined that dry mopping of the area is necessary and the humidity of the mop mounted on the lower part of the main body detected by the humidity sensor is greater than a reference humidity; 2. In paragraph 1, The above control unit, A robot vacuum cleaner that determines that dry mopping is necessary for the above area and performs the re-cleaning without the drying operation when the humidity of the wet mop detected by the humidity sensor is below the reference humidity.

3. In paragraph 2, The above control unit, A robot cleaner that determines that dry mopping is necessary for the above area and performs the re-cleaning by moving the robot cleaner backward when the humidity of the wet mop detected by the humidity sensor is lower than the reference humidity.

4. In paragraph 1, The above control unit, A robot cleaner that performs a drying operation of the mop by returning the robot cleaner to the docking station and transmitting a drying request signal to the docking station.

5. In paragraph 4, The above control unit, A robot cleaner that moves the robot cleaner to the area when receiving a completion signal indicating that the drying operation of the mop is completed from the docking station.

6. In paragraph 1, suction motor; and It further includes an exhaust port that discharges air sucked into the main body in a direction toward the mop according to the operation of the suction motor; The above control unit, A robot vacuum cleaner that performs the drying operation of the mop by operating the suction motor.

7. In paragraph 6, The above control unit, A robot vacuum cleaner that controls the mop so that the mop does not touch the floor while the suction motor is operating, and controls the mop so that the mop touches the floor while performing the re-cleaning.

8. In paragraph 6, The above control unit, A robot cleaner that moves the robot cleaner so that the robot cleaner cleans a cleaning area excluding the area while performing a drying operation of the mop by operating the suction motor.

9. In paragraph 1, The above control unit, A robot vacuum cleaner that identifies the type of foreign matter remaining in the area based on information about the area acquired by the rear sensor, and determines that dry mopping of the area is necessary based on the foreign matter remaining in the area being identified as a liquid foreign matter.

10. In paragraph 1, The above control unit, A robot vacuum cleaner that identifies the type of foreign matter remaining in the area based on information about the area acquired by the rear sensor, and determines that wet mopping is required for the area based on the foreign matter remaining in the area being identified as a stain.

11. In paragraph 10, The above control unit, A robot vacuum cleaner that performs re-cleaning by having the wet mop pass over the area again without the drying operation when it is determined that wet mopping of the above area is necessary.

12. In paragraph 10, Further comprising a water tank for storing water supplied to the above mop; The above control unit, A robot vacuum cleaner that performs re-cleaning by having the mop pass over the area again after performing a water replenishment operation to supply water stored in the water tank to the mop when it is determined that wet mopping is necessary for the above area and the humidity of the mop detected by the humidity sensor is less than a predetermined humidity.

13. In paragraph 10, The above control unit, A robot cleaner that returns the robot cleaner to the docking station and transmits a cleaning request signal or a water replenishment request signal to the docking station when it is determined that wet mopping is required for the above area and the humidity of the wet mop detected by the humidity sensor is less than a predetermined humidity.

14. In paragraph 1, The above standard humidity is a robot vacuum cleaner that can be set according to user input.

15. In the control method of a robot vacuum cleaner, After the mop mounted on the lower part of the main body of the robot cleaner cleans an area detected by a front sensor having a front view of the main body, it is determined whether dry mopping is necessary for the area based on information about the area acquired by a rear sensor having a rear view of the main body; A control method for a robot vacuum cleaner, comprising: performing a re-cleaning operation by causing the mop to pass over the area again after performing a drying operation of the mop when it is determined that dry mopping of the area is necessary and the humidity of the mop detected by the humidity sensor is greater than a reference humidity;

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