Moving robot, moving robot system, and method for moving to charging station of moving robot

Abstract

The present specification relates to a moving robot, a moving robot system, and a method for moving to a charging system of the moving robot, wherein the moving robot determines a distance between the moving robot and the charging station based on a reception result of a transmission signal transmitted from the charging station to thereby determine a moving path for moving to the charging station based on the determined distance.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A moving robot comprising:
 a main body;   a driving unit that moves the main body;   a receiver that receives a transmission signal transmitted from a charging station in a travel area; and   a controller that controls traveling of the main body by controlling the driving unit so that the main body travels in the travel area, based on at least one selected from a reception result of the transmission signal and an area map that is pre-stored,   wherein the controller, when the controller controls the main body to move to the charging station, estimates information about a distance between the main body and the charging station based on the reception result of the transmission signal received while the main body travels in a pattern that is preset, by controlling the main body to travel at a current position in the pattern, and controls the main body to move to the charging station according to the moving path by determining a moving path for moving to the charging station based on the distance information.   
     
     
         2 . The moving robot of  claim 1 , wherein the pattern is a pattern having the current position as both a start point and an end point. 
     
     
         3 . The moving robot of  claim 2 , wherein the pattern is a pattern constituting at least one closed curved surface. 
     
     
         4 . The moving robot of  claim 3 , wherein the pattern is a circular pattern with a predetermined radius. 
     
     
         5 . The moving robot of  claim 1 , wherein the controller determines the moving path based on the distance information at respective points of a path according to the pattern by estimating the distance information at the respective points of the path according to the pattern based on the reception result during the traveling in the pattern, and controls the main body to move to the charging station according to the moving path. 
     
     
         6 . The moving robot of  claim 5 , wherein the controller determines the moving path to minimize a moving distance to the charging station based on the distance information at the respective points. 
     
     
         7 . The moving robot of  claim 6 , wherein the controller determines a path from a point to the charging station as the moving path, the point having the distance information as being nearest the charging station among the respective points. 
     
     
         8 . The moving robot of  claim 7 , wherein the controller sets, as a first point, the point having the distance information as being nearest the charging station among the respective points, and sets a center point of the pattern as a second point to thereby determine a path corresponding to a line including the first point and the second point as the moving path. 
     
     
         9 . The moving robot of  claim 8 , wherein the controller sets, as a third point, a point having the distance information as being farthest from the charging station among the respective points, and sets an intermediate point between the first point and the third point as the second point. 
     
     
         10 . The moving robot of  claim 7 , wherein the controller sets, as the first point, the point having the distance information as being nearest the charging station among the respective points, sets, as a third point, a point having the distance information as being farthest from the charging station among the respective points, and determines a path corresponding to a line including the first point and the third point as the moving path. 
     
     
         11 . The moving robot of  claim 7 , wherein the controller, after the traveling according to the pattern is finished, controls the main body to move from the current position to the point having the distance information as being nearest the charging station via a center point of the pattern, and move from the point having the distance information as being nearest the charging station to the charging station along the moving path. 
     
     
         12 . The moving robot of  claim 11 , wherein the controller, when the controller controls the main body to move to the point having the distance information as being nearest the charging station, controls the main body to move by a radius of the pattern by rotating a traveling direction in a direction toward the center point by 90 degrees, and then, move by the radius of the pattern by rotating the traveling direction in direction of the point in correspondence with an angle difference between the center point and the point having the distance information as being nearest the charging station. 
     
     
         13 . The moving robot of  claim 7 , wherein the controller determines the moving path so that a traveling direction of the main body is within a predetermined range with reference to the charging station. 
     
     
         14 . A moving robot system comprising:
 a charging station that is provided in a travel area and transmits a transmission signal for determining position information; and   a moving robot that travels in the travel area based on at least one selected from a reception result of the transmission signal and a prestored area map,   wherein the moving robot, when the moving robot returns to the charge station, travels at a current position according to a path that is preset, estimates information about a distance between the moving robot and the charging station based on a reception result of the transmission signal received during the traveling according to the pattern, determines a moving path for moving to the charging station based on the distance information, and moves to the charging station via the moving path.   
     
     
         15 . The moving robot system of  claim 14 , wherein the moving robot travels in a pattern forming at least one closed curved surface. 
     
     
         16 . The moving robot system of  claim 14 , wherein the moving robot determines the moving path based on the distance information at respective points of the path by estimating the distance information at the respective points of the path according to the pattern based on the reception result during the traveling in the pattern, and moves to the charging station according to the moving path. 
     
     
         17 . The moving robot system of  claim 16 , wherein the moving robot determines a path from a point to the charging station as the moving path, the point having the distance information as being nearest the charging station among the respective points. 
     
     
         18 . The moving robot system of  claim 16 , wherein the moving robot, after the traveling according to the pattern is finished, moves from the current position to a point having the distance information as being nearest the charging station via a center point of the pattern and moves from the point having the distance information as being nearest the charging station to the charging station. 
     
     
         19 . A method for moving to a charging station of a moving robot, wherein the moving robot comprises: a main body; a driving unit that moves the main body; a receiver that receives a transmission signal transmitted from a charging station in a travel area; and a controller that controls traveling of the main body by controlling the driving unit so that the main body travels in the travel area, based on at least one selected from a reception result of the transmission signal and an area map that is pre-stored,
 the method comprising:   starting pattern traveling at a current position according to a preset closed-loop pattern;   determining information about a distance between the main body and the charging station based on a reception result of the transmission signal during the pattern traveling;   setting a point nearest the charging station, among points of a path of the pattern traveling, as a first point;   returning to the current position by finishing the pattern traveling;   moving from the current position to the first point; and   moving from the first point to the charging station.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the moving from the current position to the first point comprises moving from the center point to the first point, after moving from the current position to a center point of the preset closed-loop pattern.