# US 11,906,979 B2 · Plurality of autonomous mobile robots and controlling method for the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,906,979 B2 - Document ID: US11906979B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/586,135 - Filed: 2022-01-27 - Published: 2022-05-12 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2018-09-06 - Assignees: LG Electronics Inc. - Applicants: LG Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Donghoon Kwak; Kyoungsuk Ko; Sungwook Lee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11906979B2 ## CPC - A47L 9/2805: {Parameters or conditions being sensed} - G05D 1/0287: {involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling (traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00, particularly anticollision systems G08G1/16)} - A47L 9/28: Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means - A47L 9/2852: {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 9/2894: {Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners} - A47L 11/4011: {Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor} - B25J 9/0084: {comprising a plurality of manipulators} - B25J 9/1666: {Avoiding collision or forbidden zones} - G05D 1/242: Means based on the reflection of waves generated by the vehicle (using passive navigation aids external to the vehicle G05D1/244; using signals provided by artificial sources external to the vehicle G05D1/247) - G05D 1/692: involving a plurality of disparate vehicles - G05D 1/695: for maintaining a fixed relative position of the vehicles, e.g. for convoy travelling or formation flight - G05D 1/6985: {using a lead vehicle, e.g. primary-secondary arrangements} - A47L 2201/00: Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation - A47L 2201/04: Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection - G05D 2105/10: for cleaning, vacuuming or polishing - G05D 2107/40: Indoor domestic environment - G05D 2109/10: Land vehicles - G05D 2111/30: Radio signals - Y02B 40/00: Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers - 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) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract A mobile robot includes a communication unit that communicates with another mobile robot, a sensing unit for sensing the other mobile robot existing in a detection area encompassing a predetermined projected angle with respect to the front of a main body of the mobile robot, and a control unit configured for rotating the main body so that the other mobile robot is sensed in the detection area. The communication unit transmits a control signal configured to cause the other mobile robot to travel in a linear direction by a predetermined distance, to the other mobile robot when the other mobile robot is present in the detection area. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A mobile robot, comprising: a traveling unit configured to move or rotate a main body; a communication unit configured to perform communication with another mobile robot; a sensing unit configured to sense the other mobile robot existing in a detection area having a predetermined angle with respect to the front of the main body; and a control unit configured to rotate the main body so that the other mobile robot is sensed within the detection area, and configured to control the communication unit to transmit a control signal to the other mobile robot, the control signal configured to cause the other mobile robot to travel in a linear direction for a predetermined distance, when the other mobile robot is present in the detection area, wherein the control unit is configured to determine a relative position of the other mobile robot and a direction that the other mobile robot faces, based on the linear travel of the other mobile robot for the predetermined distance, and control the communication unit to transmit a control signal to the other mobile robot to cause the other mobile robot to move to a specific point within the detection area, based on the relative position of the other mobile robot and the direction that the other mobile robot faces. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to determine, using the sensing unit, a direction in which the other mobile robot faces based on a direction in which the other mobile robot linearly travels. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to: determine a relative position of the other mobile robot using the sensing unit, determine a plurality of relative positions of the other mobile robot while causing the other mobile robot to travel in a linear direction, and determine a direction that the other mobile robot faces based on the plurality of relative positions of the other mobile robot. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to determine coordinates of a position of the other mobile robot and an angle of a direction that the other mobile robot faces, based on a relative position of the other mobile robot and the direction that the other mobile robot faces as determined by the sensing unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to rotate the main body based on a determination of a relative position of the other mobile robot using the sensing unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to determine a relative position of the other mobile robot using the sensing unit, based on presence of the other mobile robot within the detection area resulting from the rotation of the main body. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The robot of claim 6, wherein the control unit is configured to transmit the control signal to the other mobile robot after determining the relative position of the other mobile robot. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to: transmit and receive an ultra-wideband signal to and from the other mobile robot using the sensing unit, determine a distance to the other mobile robot using the ultra-wideband signal, and determine a relative position of the other mobile robot, based on an angle by which the main body is rotated so that the other mobile robot is present within the detection area, and within the determined distance. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to rotate the main body such that a front surface of the main body faces one point of the other mobile robot. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to rotate the main body so that the other mobile robot is located back in the detection area when the other mobile robot is moved away from the detection area due to the linear travel of the other mobile robot. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The robot of claim 10, wherein the control unit is configured to determine, using the sensing unit, a direction that the other mobile robot is moved away from the detection area, and rotate the main body in a direction corresponding to the decided direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to transmit to the other mobile robot a control signal for rotating the other mobile robot to face a direction that is the same as a direction faced by the front of the main body when the other mobile robot is sensed as being located at the specific point. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to: determine a relative position of the other mobile robot and a direction that the other mobile robot faces, based on the linear travel of the other mobile robot for the predetermined distance, and move the main body to a point which is located at the rear of the other mobile robot with a predetermined spaced distance from the other mobile robot. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The robot of claim 13, wherein the control unit is configured to rotate the main body to face the same direction as the direction that the other mobile robot faces after the main body is moved to the point that is located at the rear of the other mobile robot with the predetermined spaced distance from the other mobile robot. ### Claim 15 A method for controlling a mobile robot, the method comprising: rotating a main body of the mobile robot such that another mobile robot is sensed within a detection area encompassing a predetermined projected angle with respect to the front of the main body; transmitting to the other mobile robot a control signal configured for causing linear travel of the other mobile robot by a predetermined distance when the other mobile robot is located within the detection area resulting from the rotation of the main body; determining a direction that the other mobile robot faces based on a direction that the other mobile robot travels in a linear direction; determining a relative position of the other mobile robot and a direction that the other mobile robot faces, based on the linear travel of the other mobile robot for the predetermined distance; and transmitting to the other mobile robot a control signal for moving the other mobile robot to a specific point within the detection area, based on the relative position of the other mobile robot and the direction that the other mobile robot faces.