# US 10,481,611 B2 · Autonomous cleaner > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,481,611 B2 - Document ID: US10481611B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/599,804 - Filed: 2017-05-19 - Published: 2017-11-23 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-05-20 - Assignees: LG Electronics Inc. - Applicants: LG Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Bohyun Nam; Inbo Shim; Jihoon Sung; Sojin Park; Seunghyun Song; Sangkyu Lee; Woochan Jun - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481611B2 ## CPC - G05D 1/0248: {in combination with a laser (lasers per se H01S)} - A47L 5/22: with rotary fans - A47L 9/009: {Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles} - A47L 9/0477: {Rolls} - A47L 9/0494: {Height adjustment of dust-loosening tools} - A47L 9/122: {flat} - A47L 9/1608: {Cyclonic chamber constructions} - A47L 9/1641: {for parallel flow} - A47L 9/165: {Construction of inlets} - A47L 9/1666: {with filtering means} - A47L 9/1683: {Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles} - A47L 9/1691: {Mounting or coupling means for cyclonic chamber or dust receptacles} - A47L 9/28: Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means - A47L 9/2826: {the condition of the floor} - A47L 9/2852: {Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles} - A47L 9/2857: {User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays} - A47L 9/2873: {Docking units or charging stations (for autonomous or robotic vacuum cleaners A47L2201/02)} - A47L 9/2884: {Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation} - A47L 9/2894: {Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners} - G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00) - G05D 1/0227: {using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area} - A47L 2201/022: Recharging of batteries - A47L 2201/04: Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08) ## Abstract A robot cleaner comprising: a cleaner body including a wheel unit and a controller controlling driving of the wheel unit; a suction unit disposed to protrude from the cleaner body, the suction unit sucking air containing dust; and a sensing unit disposed at the front of the cleaner body in which the suction unit is disposed, wherein at least one portion of the sensing unit is disposed to overlap with the suction unit in the top-bottom direction of the cleaner body. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A robot cleaner comprising: a cleaner body including a plurality wheels and a controller that manages driving of at least one wheel of the plurality of wheels; a cleaner head protruding from a front of the cleaner body, the cleaner head having an intake port to suction air containing foreign substances; and a sensor assembly attached to the front of the cleaner body, wherein at least one portion of the sensor assembly vertically overlaps with the cleaner head protruding from the front of the cleaner body, wherein the sensor assembly includes: a sensor oriented in an inclined angle relative to side and top surfaces at an upper corner portion of the cleaner body to capture an image of a front space and an upper space, which are in front of the cleaner body; and a sensor module provided adjacent to the side surface of the cleaner body to sense at least one of an obstacle in front of the cleaner body or a vertical drop located in front of the cleaner body, wherein the sensor module includes: a first laser emitting a first laser beam toward a front lower region, which is in front of the cleaner body; a second laser emitting a second laser beam toward a front upper region, which is in front of the cleaner body; and a camera configured to photograph the first and second laser beams within a prescribed photographing area, the camera being located at a bottom of the sensor module, wherein the sensor, first laser, the second laser, and the camera are sequentially positioned and vertically aligned at the side of the cleaner body, and wherein a distance between the first laser and the camera is greater than a distance between the second laser and the camera. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly protrudes from the top and side surfaces of the cleaner body. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the first laser is inclined in a downward direction relative to the side surface of the cleaner body, and the second laser is inclined in an upward direction relative to the side surface of the cleaner body. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly further includes: a window provided over the sensor and the sensor module; and a case housing the sensor and the sensor assembly, and the case being mounted to the cleaner body. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The robot cleaner of claim 4, wherein the window includes a transparent window covering the sensor, and a translucent window covering the sensor module. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The robot cleaner of claim 5, wherein a through-hole is formed at a location corresponding to the sensor in the translucent window, and the transparent window covers the through-hole. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The robot cleaner of claim 6, wherein the translucent window includes: a first part having the through-hole; a second part downwardly extending to be inclined at the first part, the second part being disposed to cover the first and second lasers; an extension part downwardly extending at the second part, the extension part being covered by the case; and a third part downwardly extending at the extension part to protrude to the outside of the case, the third part being positioned to cover the camera. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The robot cleaner of claim 7, wherein the extension part is upwardly inclined with respect to the third part so as to not interfere with an angle of view in the vertical direction of the camera. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The robot cleaner of claim 4, wherein the case includes: a mounting frame having the sensor and the sensor module mounted therein; and a cover frame coupled to the mounting frame, the cover frame being mounted in the cleaner body such that at least one portion of the window is accommodated therein. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The robot cleaner of claim 9, wherein the cover frame is positioned at the top and side surfaces of the cleaner body. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The robot cleaner of claim 10, wherein an upper end of the cover frame is located above the sensor, and the upper end protrudes above the top surface of the cleaner body. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The robot cleaner of claim 11, wherein the upper end of the cover frame is formed to be inclined downward in a direction back from a portion of the upper end, and to be inclined downward in a direction forward from a portion of the upper end such that the upper end of the cover frame has a sharp shape. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the first laser is positioned above the second laser and the camera, and the camera is positioned below the first laser and the second laser.