Robot vacuum cleaners and controlling method thereof

Abstract

Disclosed are a robot vacuum cleaner and a controlling method of the robot vacuum cleaner. In particular, the robot vacuum cleaner includes a driving unit, memory configured to store at least one instruction, and a processor configured to execute the at least one instruction, in which the processor may be configured to acquire information on a carpet located in a cleaning space, determine a path for the robot vacuum cleaner to clean the carpet based on the information on the carpet, determine, based on the information on the carpet, a first suction force for cleaning a first area corresponding to a center of the carpet and a second suction force for cleaning a second area of the carpet different from the first area, and control the driving unit to operate the robot vacuum cleaner based on the first suction force and the second suction force while moving along the path.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A robot vacuum cleaner, comprising:
 a driving unit;   memory configured to store at least one instruction; and   at least one processor configured to execute the at least one instruction,   wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
 acquire information on a carpet located in a cleaning space, 
 determine a path for the robot vacuum cleaner to clean the carpet based on the information on the carpet, 
 determine, based on the information on the carpet, a first suction force for cleaning a first area corresponding to a center of the carpet and a second suction force for cleaning a second area of the carpet different from the first area, and 
 control the driving unit to operate the robot vacuum cleaner based on the first suction force and the second suction force while moving along the path. 
   
     
     
         2 . The robot vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the information on the carpet comprises at least one of a thickness of the carpet, a size of the carpet, a shape of the carpet, and a type of carpet fur included in the carpet, and
 wherein the path comprises a first path for the robot vacuum cleaner to enter the carpet and a second path for the robot vacuum cleaner to move on the carpet.   
     
     
         3 . The robot vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first suction force is greater than the second suction force. 
     
     
         4 . The robot vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 determine that the second path for the robot vacuum cleaner moves in a spiral shape from the first area to the second area, and   reduce a suction force of the robot vacuum cleaner gradually from the first suction force to the second suction force while the robot vacuum cleaner moves in the spiral shape from the first area to the second area.   
     
     
         5 . The robot vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 determine that the second path for the robot vacuum cleaner moves from the first area to each of a plurality of points included in the second area,   control the driving unit to operate according to the first suction force while the robot vacuum cleaner moves from the first area to each of the plurality of points along the second path, and   control the driving unit so that the robot vacuum cleaner operates according to the second suction force while moving from each of the plurality of points to the first area according to the second path.   
     
     
         6 . The robot vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 2 , further comprising:
 at least one sensor,   wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:   acquire change information associated with change in the shape of the carpet through the at least one sensor while the robot vacuum cleaner moves along the second path, and   adjust at least one of the first suction force and the second suction force based on the change information associated with the change in the shape of the carpet.   
     
     
         7 . The robot vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 control the driving unit so that the robot vacuum cleaner moves around the carpet when the size of the carpet is identified as being greater than or equal to a critical size based on the information on the carpet,   update information on the carpet through the at least one sensor while the robot vacuum cleaner moves around the carpet,   acquire a distance that the robot vacuum cleaner has moved around the carpet, and   obtain the size of the carpet based on at least one of the updated information on the carpet and the distance.   
     
     
         8 . The robot vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a communication unit,   wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:   acquire an image of the carpet through an image sensor comprised in the at least one sensor,   control the communication unit to transmit the image to a server that performs a search for the image, and   acquire the information on the carpet by acquiring image information on the image from the server.   
     
     
         9 . The robot vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 2 , further comprising:
 at least one brush,   wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine, based on the information on the carpet, one of the at least one brush to clean the carpet while the robot vacuum cleaner moves along the second path.   
     
     
         10 . The robot vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the driving unit includes a plurality of wheels and at least one motor, and
 the at least one processor is further configured to determine the first path based on the information on the carpet so that at least one of the plurality of wheels comes into contact with the carpet before at least one brush while the robot vacuum cleaner enters the carpet.   
     
     
         11 . The robot vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine the first path based on the shape of the carpet such that the robot vacuum cleaner enters a widest surface among a plurality of surfaces of the carpet. 
     
     
         12 . The robot vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to pause an operation of a suction motor comprised in the driving unit while the robot vacuum cleaner enters the carpet along the first path, and
 resume the operation of the suction motor subsequent to an entry of the robot vacuum cleaner onto the carpet.   
     
     
         13 . The robot vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine whether to enter the carpet and an entry speed into the carpet based on the information on the carpet. 
     
     
         14 . A controlling method of a robot vacuum cleaner, the method being executed by at least one processor, the method comprising:
 acquiring information on a carpet located in a cleaning space;   determining a path for the robot vacuum cleaner to clean the carpet based on the information on the carpet;   determining, based on the information on the carpet, a first suction force for cleaning a first area corresponding to a center of the carpet and a second suction force for cleaning a second area different from the first area; and   controlling the robot vacuum cleaner to operate based on the first suction force and the second suction force while the robot vacuum cleaner moves along the path.   
     
     
         15 . The controlling method as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the information on the carpet comprises at least one of a thickness of the carpet, a size of the carpet, a shape of the carpet, and a type of carpet fur included in the carpet, and
 wherein the path comprises a first path for the robot vacuum cleaner to enter the carpet and a second path for the robot vacuum cleaner to move on the carpet.   
     
     
         16 . The controlling method as claimed in  claim 15 , further comprising:
 determining that the second path for the robot vacuum cleaner moves in a spiral shape from the first area to the second area, and   reducing a suction force of the robot vacuum cleaner gradually from the first suction force to the second suction force while the robot vacuum cleaner moves in the spiral shape from the first area to the second area.   
     
     
         17 . The controlling method as claimed in  claim 15 , further comprising:
 determining that the second path for the robot vacuum cleaner moves from the first area to each of a plurality of points included in the second area,   controlling the driving unit to operate according to the first suction force while the robot vacuum cleaner moves from the first area to each of the plurality of points along the second path, and   controlling the driving unit so that the robot vacuum cleaner operates according to the second suction force while moving from each of the plurality of points to the first area according to the second path.   
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing one or more instructions, the one or more instructions, when executed by at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to:
 acquire information on a carpet located in a cleaning space,   determine a path for the robot vacuum cleaner to clean the carpet based on the information on the carpet,   determine, based on the information on the carpet, a first suction force for cleaning a first area corresponding to a center of the carpet and a second suction force for cleaning a second area of the carpet different from the first area, and   control the driving unit to operate the robot vacuum cleaner based on the first suction force and the second suction force while moving along the path.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium ad claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the information on the carpet comprises at least one of a thickness of the carpet, a size of the carpet, a shape of the carpet, and a type of carpet fur included in the carpet, and
 wherein the path comprises a first path for the robot vacuum cleaner to enter the carpet and a second path for the robot vacuum cleaner to move on the carpet.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to:
 determine that the second path for the robot vacuum cleaner moves in a spiral shape from the first area to the second area, and   reduce a suction force of the robot vacuum cleaner gradually from the first suction force to the second suction force while the robot vacuum cleaner moves in the spiral shape from the first area to the second area.