US 11,986,138 B2
Robot cleaner and method for controlling same
Jinwoo Han, Seoul (KR)
Assigned to LG ELECTRONICS INC., Seoul (KR)
Appl. No. 17/299,940
Filed by LG ELECTRONICS INC., Seoul (KR)
PCT Filed Dec. 10, 2019, PCT No. PCT/KR2019/017351
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 4, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/122541, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 18, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2018-0160308 (KR), filed on Dec. 12, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0047142 A1, Feb. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. A47L 9/28 (2006.01); A47L 9/00 (2006.01); A47L 11/40 (2006.01)
CPC A47L 11/4011 (2013.01) [A47L 9/009 (2013.01); A47L 9/2842 (2013.01); A47L 9/2852 (2013.01); A47L 2201/04 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A robot cleaner, comprising:
a main body provided with a suction motor that generates suction power;
a sensor that senses an obstacle existing in front of the main body,
a driving unit that moves the main body; and
a controller that recognizes a position of the main body in a cleaning area in response to sensing a preset input signal, and determining a start position based on the recognized position,
wherein the controller sets a virtual boundary having a fixed size based on the determined start position, and sets a driving path having a preset pattern within the boundary, and controls the driving unit and the suction motor to perform a cleaning operation while driving on the driving path in a first direction and then to perform a cleaning operation while driving on the driving path in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and
wherein the controller controls the driving unit to move the main body by avoiding the obstacle in a direction toward the start position in response to sensing the obstacle through the sensor while the main body drives on the driving path in the first direction or the second direction.