Robot cleaner and method of controlling traveling thereof

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a robot cleaner that has an improved traveling performance, and a method of controlling traveling thereof. The robot cleaner allows driving wheels, which move the robot cleaner, and a brush unit, which sweeps dust on a floor, to be rotated in the same direction.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Ser. No. 61 / 186,529, filed on Jun. 12, 2009 in the USPTO and Korean Patent Application No. 2009-0079131, filed on Aug. 26, 2009 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND[0002]1. Field[0003]Embodiments relate to a robot cleaner that has an improved traveling performance, and a method of controlling traveling thereof.[0004]2. Description of the Related Art[0005]In general, a robot cleaner is an apparatus that sucks foreign substances, such as dust, from a floor while traveling on its own in a region to be cleaned without user manipulation, and thus performs a cleaning operation.[0006]In such a robot cleaner, a pair of driving wheels is installed at both sides of the lower portion of a main body, and causes the main body to move forward or backward or to be rotated. The robot cleaner easily moves forward or backward o...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]Accordingly, it is an aspect to provide a robot cleaner that has an improved traveling performance such that forward and backward movement is smoothly carried out on a floor having a high resistance, such as a carpet, and a method of controlling traveling thereof.

[0012]The control unit may control the brush motor such that the brush motor is rotated at a relatively high speed in an initial stage when the rotating direction of the brush unit starts to be changed, and the rotating speed of the brush motor is relatively reduced when the rotating direction of the brush unit has been changed.

[0018]In the determination of the rotating direction of the brush unit, the rotating direction of the brush unit may be changed into a direction to allow the robot cleaner to smoothly travel forward when the driving wheels are rotated in a forward traveling direction of the robot cleaner.

[0019]In the determination of the rotating direction of the brush unit, the rotating direction of the brush unit may be changed into a direction to allow the robot cleaner to smoothly travel backward when the driving wheels are rotated in a backward traveling direction of the robot cleaner.

[0023]The method may further include controlling the brush unit such that the brush unit is rotated at a relatively high speed in an initial stage when the rotating direction of the brush unit starts to be changed, and the rotating speed of the brush motor is relatively reduced when the rotating direction of the brush unit has been changed.

Problems solved by technology

However, on a floor, such a carpet, resistance is high due to wool (or other fabric) and thus the robot cleaner cannot easily move forward or backward.

However, backward movement is difficult.

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