Robot cleaner and control method thereof
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional robot cleaners fail to automatically control their travel direction and suction force based on the type of floor, leading to inefficient cleaning and battery consumption issues.
Innovation Solution
A robot cleaner equipped with an infrared sensor that outputs and receives infrared rays, converting them into electric signals, and a processor that determines output voltages to control travel direction and suction mode using threshold voltages, switching between different suction modes based on the floor type.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the robot cleaner operates in a suction mode suitable for hard floor, then cleaning performance on hard floor is improved, but cleaning performance on soft floor deteriorates due to low suction force
Solution Approach 1:
The suction force is made dynamically adjustable with multiple levels (first suction mode with higher suction force, second suction mode with lower suction force). The system switches between different suction modes based on real-time detection of floor type using infrared sensors, allowing the robot to adapt its suction characteristics to match the specific floor conditions rather than operating at a fixed suction level.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the suction force parameter based on detected floor type. When a hard floor is detected, the robot operates in the first suction mode with higher suction force; when a soft floor is detected, it switches to the second suction mode with lower suction force. This parameter adjustment optimizes cleaning effectiveness for each floor type while preventing unnecessary energy consumption.
2Productivity
If the robot cleaner operates in a suction mode suitable for soft floor, then cleaning performance on soft floor is improved, but battery consumption increases due to strong suction force on hard floor
Solution Approach 1:
The suction force parameter is dynamically adjusted based on floor type detection. The system operates in the first suction mode (higher suction force) only when hard floor is detected, and switches to the second suction mode (lower suction force) when soft floor is detected. This prevents unnecessary high-power operation on soft floors, thereby reducing overall battery consumption while maintaining effective cleaning performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses infrared sensors to continuously detect floor type and provides feedback to the control unit. Based on this feedback, the control unit automatically adjusts the suction force by switching between different suction modes. This closed-loop control ensures that the robot only consumes high power when actually needed (on hard floors), optimizing the balance between cleaning performance and energy consumption.
3Reliability
If conventional robot cleaner uses infrared sensor to change travel direction, then fall prevention is improved, but automatic control of suction force according to floor type deteriorates due to lack of floor type detection capability
Solution Approach 1:
The infrared sensor system is designed to perform multiple functions: it detects both floor edges (for fall prevention) and floor types (for suction force control). By analyzing the reflected infrared light characteristics, the same sensor hardware enables both safety functions (cliff detection) and cleaning optimization functions (floor type identification), eliminating the need for separate sensor systems and enabling comprehensive automatic control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the interpretation parameters of infrared sensor signals to distinguish between different floor types. By analyzing variations in reflected infrared light intensity and patterns, the control unit automatically determines whether the surface is a hard or soft floor and accordingly adjusts the suction force, enabling automatic adaptation without additional sensors.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Improves cleaning efficiency and battery life by dynamically adjusting the suction force and travel direction based on floor type, optimizing cleaning performance without increasing material costs.
Implementation Method 1
a light receiving device configured to receive the infrared ray reflected from the floor and convert the received infrared ray into an electric signal
Data Source
AI summary
A robot cleaner is disclosed. The robot cleaner includes an infrared sensor including a light emitting device configured to output an infrared ray to a floor and a light receiving device configured to receive the infrared ray reflected from the floor and convert the received infrared ray into an electric signal and output the electric signal; and a processor configured to determine an output voltage of the electrical signal if the electrical signal is received from the infrared sensor, control a travel direction of the robot cleaner based on the output voltage and a predetermined first threshold voltage, and control a suction mode of the robot cleaner based on the output voltage and a predetermined second threshold voltage, wherein the second threshold voltage is higher than the first threshold voltage.