Mobile robot and control method therefor

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing moving robots struggle to accurately determine their current position on a map, especially when arbitrarily moved or repositioned, leading to inefficient cleaning operations and potential battery depletion due to unnecessary travel and error-prone position recognition.

Innovation Solution

The moving robot employs an image acquisition unit to extract features from its surroundings, using these features to determine its current position on a map and generate or update a map of the travel area, allowing it to set a path to designated cleaning areas and perform cleaning efficiently, even when repositioned.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the moving robot uses wall following or trial-and-error operations to determine position, then the robot can eventually recognize its position, but this requires numerous trials and errors leading to unnecessary operations and prolonged time for position recognition

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveposition recognition accuracyVSAvoidtime for position recognition
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-storing a map of the travel area before the robot begins its cleaning operation. This map contains spatial information about the environment that can be used for rapid position determination. When the robot needs to determine its position, it compares sensor data with the pre-stored map information rather than performing trial-and-error wall following, thus resolving the contradiction by enabling accurate position recognition without time-consuming iterative operations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses copying by creating a digital representation (map) of the physical environment and storing it in the robot's memory. This copied spatial information serves as a reference for position determination, allowing the robot to quickly identify its location by matching sensor readings against the stored map data, thereby avoiding the need for time-consuming trial-and-error operations while maintaining accurate position recognition

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Measurement precision

If the moving robot performs extensive trial and error operations to recognize position, then position can be determined, but battery may be consumed before the main cleaning operation can begin

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveposition recognition accuracyVSAvoidbattery consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-storing a map of the travel area before the robot begins its cleaning operation. This map contains spatial information about the environment that can be used for rapid position determination. When the robot needs to determine its position, it compares sensor data with the pre-stored map information rather than performing trial-and-error wall following, thus resolving the contradiction by enabling accurate position recognition without time-consuming iterative operations that would consume battery power

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses copying by creating a digital representation (map) of the physical environment and storing it in the robot's memory. This copied spatial information serves as a reference for position determination, allowing the robot to quickly identify its location by matching sensor readings against the stored map data, thereby avoiding the need for time-consuming trial-and-error operations that would deplete battery power before cleaning can begin

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Device complexity

If the moving robot cleans based on current position without a map, then the robot can perform simple cleaning operations, but the robot cleans particular areas repeatedly and is not able to return back to its starting position

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning control simplicityVSAvoidcleaning efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-storing a map of the travel area before the robot begins its cleaning operation. This map contains spatial information about the environment that can be used for rapid position determination. When the robot needs to determine its position, it compares sensor data with the pre-stored map information rather than performing trial-and-error wall following, thus resolving the contradiction by enabling accurate position recognition without time-consuming iterative operations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses copying by creating a digital representation (map) of the physical environment and storing it in the robot's memory. This copied spatial information serves as a reference for position determination, allowing the robot to quickly identify its location by matching sensor readings against the stored map data, thereby avoiding the need for time-consuming trial-and-error operations while maintaining accurate position recognition

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP3450117B1Mobile robot and control method therefor
Publication Date: 2023.08.23 LG ELECTRONICS INC

AI summary

Disclosed are a moving robot and a control method thereof, and the moving robot performs cleaning by moving based on a map and is able to determine, based on a global localization function, the current position on the map no matter where the moving robot is positioned, so that the moving robot is capable of recognizing the current position on the map, and, even when the position of the moving robot is arbitrarily changed, the moving robot is able to recognize the position thereof again and move to an exact designated area, so that the moving robot is capable of perform designated cleaning and move rapidly and accurately, thereby performing cleaning efficiently.