Cleaning apparatus and method for controlling the same

Abstract

A cleaning apparatus includes: a robot cleaner including a motion driver, and a dust bin to store dirt; a station including a dirt container, a seating portion on which the robot cleaner is seated and including an inlet through which the dirt is introduced from the dust bin; and at least one processor to control operations of the robot cleaner and the station. The robot cleaner further includes a location detection sensor configured to obtain information about a location of the robot cleaner, the station further includes a pressure sensor configured to obtain information about a pressure inside the dirt collection duct, and the at least one processor is configured to control the motion driver to adjust the location of the robot cleaner to allow an opening of the dust bin to correspond to the inlet based on the information obtained by the location detection sensor and the pressure sensor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cleaning apparatus, comprising:
 a robot cleaner comprising:
 a motion driver including:
 a main wheel; and 
 a wheel motor configured to drive the main wheel; and 
 
   a dust bin configured to store dirt and have an openable side;   a station to which the robot cleaner is docked, the station comprising:
 a dirt container; 
 a seating portion on which the robot cleaner is seated in response to docking the robot cleaner to the station, the seating portion including:
 an inlet through which the dirt is introduced from the dust bin; and 
 a dirt collection duct configured to have one end communicating with the inlet and an other end communicating with the dirt container; and 
 
   at least one processor configured to control an operation of the robot cleaner and an operation of the station,   wherein the robot cleaner further comprises a location detection sensor configured to obtain information about a location of the robot cleaner according to a movement of the robot cleaner by the motion driver,   the station further comprises a pressure sensor configured to obtain information about a pressure inside the dirt collection duct, and   the at least one processor is further configured to control the motion driver to adjust the location of the robot cleaner to allow an opening of the dust bin to correspond to the inlet based on the information obtained by the location detection sensor and the pressure sensor.   
     
     
         2 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the seating portion further comprises:
 a first wheel seating portion on which the main wheel is seated; and   a second wheel seating portion spaced apart from the first wheel seating portion, and   the first wheel seating portion is arranged in front of the second wheel seating portion based on a direction where the robot cleaner enters the station.   
     
     
         3 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the robot cleaner further comprises:
 a battery; and   a robot cleaner charging terminal configured to charge the battery,   the station further comprises a station charging terminal configured to connect to the robot cleaner charging terminal, and   the at least one processor is further configured to determine that the main wheel is located on the first wheel seating portion based on the robot cleaner charging terminal being connected to the station charging terminal.   
     
     
         4 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the location detection sensor comprises a Hall sensor configured to detect a magnetic field between the Hall sensor and a magnetic object, and
 the magnetic object is spaced apart from the Hall sensor.   
     
     
         5 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the station comprises the magnetic object, and the information about the location of the robot cleaner obtained by the location detection sensor includes at least one of the location of the robot cleaner based on the station or a distance between the station and the robot cleaner. 
     
     
         6 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the main wheel comprises an encoder disk and the magnetic object attached to the encoder disk, and
 the information about the location of the robot cleaner obtained by the location detection sensor includes at least one of a driving direction, a rotation speed, and a rotation angle of the main wheel.   
     
     
         7 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to redetermine whether the main wheel is located on the first wheel seating portion based on the information about the location of the robot cleaner obtained by the location detection sensor, after determining that the main wheel is located on the first wheel seating portion based on the robot cleaner charging terminal being connected to the station charging terminal. 
     
     
         8 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to move the main wheel to the second wheel seating portion based on the determining that the main wheel is located on the first wheel seating portion. 
     
     
         9 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine at least one of a driving speed and a driving distance to move the main wheel to the second wheel seating portion based on the information about the location of the robot cleaner obtained by the location detection sensor. 
     
     
         10 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the station further comprises a station intake motor configured to generate suction force to move the dirt to the dirt container, and
 the at least one processor is configured to determine whether a detection value of the pressure sensor is less than a preset reference pressure for a preset reference time based on the main wheel is seated on the second wheel seating portion and the station intake motor operates.   
     
     
         11 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to control the motion driver to adjust the location of the robot cleaner based on the detection value of the pressure sensor being less than the preset reference pressure for the preset reference time. 
     
     
         12 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the robot cleaner further comprises a lower door at the opening of the dust bin,
 the station further comprises a lever device including an opening link coupled to the lower door, and configured to open or close the opening of the dust bin by rotating the opening link, and   the at least one processor is configured to control the lever device to close the opening of the dust bin so as to close the inlet, before controlling the motion driver to adjust the location of the robot cleaner based on the detection value of the pressure sensor being less than the preset reference pressure for the preset reference time.   
     
     
         13 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one processor is
 further configured to redetermine whether the main wheel is located on the first wheel seating portion based on the information about the location of the robot cleaner obtained by the location detection sensor, after determining that the main wheel is located on the first wheel seating portion based on the robot cleaner charging terminal being connected to the station charging terminal.   
     
     
         14 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further
 configured to move the main wheel to the second wheel seating portion based on the determining that the main wheel is located on the first wheel seating portion.   
     
     
         15 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one processor is further
 configured to determine at least one of a driving speed and a driving distance to move the main wheel to the second wheel seating portion based on the information about the location of the robot cleaner obtained by the location detection sensor.   
     
     
         16 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the station further comprises a station
 intake motor configured to generate suction force to move the dirt to the dirt container, and   the at least one processor is configured to determine whether a detection value of the pressure sensor is less than a preset reference pressure for a preset reference time based on the main wheel is seated on the second wheel seating portion and the station intake motor operates.   
     
     
         17 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one processor is configured
 to control the motion driver to adjust the location of the robot cleaner based on the detection value of the pressure sensor being less than the preset reference pressure for the preset reference time.   
     
     
         18 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the robot cleaner further comprises a lower door at the opening of the dust bin,
 the station further comprises a lever device including an opening link coupled to the lower door, and configured to open or close the opening of the dust bin by rotating the opening link, and   the at least one processor is configured to control the lever device to close the opening of the dust bin so as to close the inlet, before controlling the motion driver to adjust the location of the robot cleaner based on the detection value of the pressure sensor being less than the preset reference pressure for the preset reference time.   
     
     
         19 . A method for controlling a cleaning apparatus comprising a robot cleaner and a station on which the robot cleaner is seated, the method comprising:
 entering, by the robot cleaner, the station to sit on the station and perform a dirt discharge process;   obtaining information about a location of the robot cleaner from a location detection sensor;   obtaining information about a pressure inside a dirt collection duct of the station from a pressure sensor; and   adjusting the location of the robot cleaner to allow an opening of a dust bin of the robot cleaner to correspond to an inlet of the station through which dirt is introduced from the dust bin based on the information obtained by the location detection sensor or the pressure sensor.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the station comprises a first wheel seating portion on which a main wheel of the robot cleaner is seated and a second wheel seating portion spaced apart from the first wheel seating portion,
 the first wheel seating portion is arranged in front of the second wheel seating portion based on a direction where the robot cleaner enters the station, and   the method further comprises determining that the main wheel is located on the first wheel seating portion based on a robot cleaner charging terminal being connected to a station charging terminal.