# US 12,004,702 B2 · Mobile robot and method of controlling mobile robot > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,004,702 B2 - Document ID: US12004702B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/423,381 - Filed: 2020-01-17 - Published: 2022-04-28 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2019-01-17 - Assignees: LG Electronics Inc. - Applicants: LG Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Juno Choi; Janghun Cheong - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12004702B2 ## CPC - A47L 9/009: {Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles} - A47L 9/2805: {Parameters or conditions being sensed} - 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} - G05D 1/0212: {with means for defining a desired trajectory (involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287)} - G05D 1/0248: {in combination with a laser (lasers per se H01S)} - G05D 1/2246: {displaying a map of the environment} - G05D 1/2435: {Extracting 3D information} - G05D 1/247: using signals provided by artificial sources external to the vehicle, e.g. navigation beacons - G05D 1/628: following the obstacle profile, e.g. a wall or undulated terrain - G05D 1/639: Resolving or avoiding being stuck or obstructed - G05D 1/646: Following a predefined trajectory, e.g. a line marked on the floor or a flight path - G05D 1/6485: {by taking into account surface type, e.g. carpeting} - A47L 2201/04: Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection - A47L 2201/06: Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning - G05D 2105/10: for cleaning, vacuuming or polishing - G05D 2109/10: Land vehicles - G05D 2111/10: Optical signals - G05D 2111/64: {taken simultaneously from spaced apart sensors, e.g. stereovision} - 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 ## Abstract Disclosed is a mobile robot including a driver configured to move a main body, an image obtainer configured to obtain an image of the surroundings and far and near distances between the main body and an obstacle, and a controller configured to analyze the image and the far and near distances obtained by the image obtainer and to determine whether an obstacle is present near the main body. The controller determines whether the obstacle is a mat-type obstacle. Upon determining that the obstacle is a mat-type obstacle, the controller calculates the planar area of the mat-type obstacle, and determines a climbing operation or an avoidance operation of the main body based on the planar area of the mat-type obstacle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A mobile robot comprising: a driver configured to move a main body; an image obtainer configured to obtain an image of surroundings and far and near distances between the main body and an obstacle; and a controller configured to analyze the image and the far and near distances obtained by the image obtainer and to determine whether the obstacle is present near the main body, wherein the controller determines whether the obstacle is a mat-type obstacle, wherein, upon determining that the obstacle is a mat-type obstacle, the controller calculates a planar area of the mat-type obstacle, and determines a climbing operation or an avoidance operation of the main body based on the planar area of the mat-type obstacle, wherein the controller determines a change in shape of the mat-type obstacle based on an image of the mat-type obstacle while the main body is climbing the mat-type obstacle, and wherein, when the change in the shape of the mat-type obstacle exceeds a predetermined reference level, the controller controls the driver such that the main body stops climbing the mat-type obstacle and avoids the mat-type obstacle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The mobile robot of claim 1, wherein the controller determines the mat-type obstacle based on similarity between an image of a reference obstacle and the image of the obstacle in the obtained image. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The mobile robot of claim 1, wherein, when a height of the obstacle in the obtained image is less than a predetermined height, the controller determines that the obstacle is the mat-type obstacle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The mobile robot of claim 1, wherein, when the planar area of the mat-type obstacle exceeds a predetermined planar area value, the controller controls the driver such that the main body climbs the mat-type obstacle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The mobile robot of claim 4, further comprising: a cleaning device configured to perform a cleaning function, wherein, when the main body is located on the mat-type obstacle, the controller controls the cleaning device to perform cleaning corresponding to the mat-type obstacle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The mobile robot of claim 1, wherein, when the change in the shape of the mat-type obstacle is equal to or less than the predetermined reference level, the controller controls the driver such that the main body completely climbs the mat-type obstacle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The mobile robot of claim 1, wherein, when the planar area of mat-type obstacle is equal to or less than a predetermined planar area value, the controller controls the driver such that the main body avoids the mat-type obstacle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The mobile robot of claim 1, wherein, when an image of an overall shape of the mat-type obstacle is not obtained, the controller controls the driver and the image obtainer to obtain the image of the overall shape of the mat-type obstacle while traveling around the mat-type obstacle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The mobile robot of claim 8, wherein the controller calculates the planar area of the mat-type obstacle after obtaining the image of the overall shape of the mat-type obstacle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The mobile robot of claim 1, wherein the image obtainer comprises a three-dimensional depth camera. ### Claim 11 A method of controlling a mobile robot, the method comprising: obtaining an image of surroundings of the mobile robot and far and near distances between the mobile robot and an obstacle; determining an obstacle based on the obtained image and far and near distances and determining whether the obstacle is a mat-type obstacle; calculating a planar area of the mat-type obstacle; controlling the mobile robot to climb the mat-type obstacle when the planar area of the mat-type obstacle exceeds a predetermined planar area value; and controlling the mobile robot to stop climbing the mat-type obstacle and to avoid the mat-type obstacle when a change in shape of the mat-type obstacle exceeds a predetermined reference level while the mobile robot is climbing the mat-type obstacle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: controlling the mobile robot to avoid the mat-type obstacle when the planar area of the mat-type obstacle is less than the predetermined planar area value.