# US 2014/0209122 A1 · Robot cleaner and control method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0209122 A1 - Document ID: US20140209122A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/166,166 - Filed: 2014-01-28 - Published: 2014-07-31 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-31 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Jae Young Jung; Sahng Jin Lee; Hyun Soo Jung; Dong Won Kim; Dong Hoon Lee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140209122A1 ## CPC - A47L 11/24: Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven - A47L 11/4002: {Installations of electric equipment} - A47L 11/4011: {Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor} - A47L 11/4041: {Roll shaped surface treating tools} - A47L 11/4088: {Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits} - A47L 2201/00: Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation - 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 may include a main body; a traveling assembly moving the main body; a cleaning tool assembly installed in the lower part of the main body, and contacting a floor to clean the floor; a water-feeding unit supplying water to the cleaning tool assembly; and a capacitance measurer contacting the cleaning tool assembly, and measuring capacitance of the cleaning tool assembly in order to calculate an amount of water of the cleaning tool assembly. Accordingly, by measuring an amount of water of a cleaning tool installed in a robot cleaner based on capacitance, it is possible to accurately measure an amount of water absorbed in a cleaning tool. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A robot cleaner comprising: a main body; a traveling assembly to move the main body; a cleaning tool assembly which is installed in a lower part of the main body, and which contacts a floor to clean the floor; a water-feeder to supply water to the cleaning tool assembly; and a capacitance measurer to contact the cleaning tool assembly, and to measure capacitance of the cleaning tool assembly in order to calculate an amount of water of the cleaning tool assembly. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the capacitance measurer comprises: a housing having a first side whose outer surface contacts the cleaning tool assembly, second sides extending from the edges of the first side, and a container formed by the first side and the second sides; a cover to cover the housing; a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) substrate disposed in the container of the housing to be adjacent to an inner surface of the first side of the housing; and a first sensor disposed on a first surface of the PCB substrate to be adjacent to the inner surface of the first side of the housing, the first sensor measuring capacitance of the cleaning tool assembly. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The robot cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the capacitance measurer further comprises a second sensor disposed on a second surface of the PCB substrate, the second surface being opposite to the first surface of the PCB substrate on which the first sensor is disposed, the second sensor measuring capacitance of the inner space of the container of the housing. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The robot cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the capacitance measurer further comprises a sealing member disposed between the first side of the housing and the PCB substrate to prevent an air gap from being formed between the first side of the housing and the PCB substrate, thereby preventing the first sensor from contacting air. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The robot cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the first side of the housing of the capacitance measurer has a thickness ranging from about 0.5 mm to about 1.5 mm. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The robot cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the housing of the capacitance measurer protrudes from the main body toward the cleaning tool assembly. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The robot cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the capacitance measurer further comprises a close-contacting member which is disposed between the cover and the PCB substrate, and which applies pressure to the PCB substrate so as for the PCB substrate to closely contact the first side of the housing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning tool assembly comprises: a drum rotatably coupled to the main body; a pad which is attached on an outer surface of the drum, and which contacts a floor; and a gear member which is connected to an end of the drum, and which rotates the drum. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The robot cleaner according to claim 8, wherein the capacitance measurer is buried in the pad of the cleaning tool assembly by a predetermined overlapping thickness. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The robot cleaner according to claim 8, wherein: the pad attached on the outer surface of the drum has a predetermined curvature, and the first side of the housing of the capacitance measurer has a curvature corresponding to the predetermined curvature of the pad. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The robot cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the water-feeder comprises: a water tank which is removably coupled to the main body, and which stores water; a pump which is connected to the water tank, and which pumps water stored in the water tank; and a channel member which is connected to the pump, and which guides the pumped water to the cleaning tool assembly. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The robot cleaner according to claim 11, wherein: the channel member comprises a first channel and a second channel which divide water pumped by the pump and which guide the pumped water to the cleaning tool assembly, and the main body comprises an inserting hole into which the capacitance measurer is inserted and installed, and a plurality of water-feeding holes spaced by a predetermined distance from the inserting hole, wherein the first and second channels are inserted into the plurality of water-feeding holes. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The robot cleaner according to claim 12, wherein the capacitance measurer is detachable from the main body. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The robot cleaner according to claim 11, further comprising: a water-feeding hole into which the channel member is inserted connected; and a spraying member which is connected to the water-feeding hole, and which sprays water supplied from the water-feeding hole to the cleaning tool assembly. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The robot cleaner according to claim 14, wherein the capacitance measurer is further protruded toward the floor than the spraying member. ### Claim 16 A robot cleaner comprising: a cleaning tool assembly which cleans a floor with water; a capacitance measurer to measure capacitance of the cleaning tool assembly; and a controller to calculate an amount of water of the cleaning tool assembly based on the measured capacitance, and to control cleaning of the cleaning tool assembly based on the calculated amount of water. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The robot cleaner according to claim 16, wherein the cleaning tool assembly comprises a drum removably coupled to a main body, a drum-type pad member having a pad removably attached on the drum, and a gear member which rotates the drum-type pad member. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The robot cleaner according to claim 17, further comprising a water-feeder which supplies water to the cleaning tool assembly, wherein the controller controls the water-feeder based on an amount of water of the cleaning tool assembly to supply water to the cleaning tool assembly during cleaning. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The robot cleaner according to claim 17, further comprising: a user interface which receives a user's selection for a driving mode, and which outputs driving information; and a water-feeder to supply water to the cleaning tool assembly, wherein the controller checks a first reference amount of water of the cleaning tool assembly corresponding to the driving mode, and controls a second water-feeding time period of the water-feeding unit based on the first reference amount of water during cleaning. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The robot cleaner according to claim 19, wherein the controller compares the amount of water of the cleaning tool assembly to a second reference amount of water, and stops cleaning if the amount of water of the cleaning tool assembly is less than the second reference amount of water. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The robot cleaner according to claim 19, wherein the controller controls revolutions per minute (rpm) of the drum-type pad member based on the first reference amount of water. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The robot cleaner according to claim 19, wherein: the water-feeder comprises a water tank which stores water, a pump which pumps water stored in the water tank, a channel member which guides the pumped water to the drum-type pad member of the cleaning tool assembly, and a water level measurer which measures a water level of the water tank, and the controller compares the measured water level to a reference water level, and controls the user interface to output information representing a lack of water of the water tank if the measured water level is lower than the reference water level. ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) The robot cleaner according to claim 16, wherein the controller determines whether cleaning has been completed, and controls a drying mode if the cleaning has been completed. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The robot cleaner according to claim 23, wherein the controller controls rotation of the cleaning tool assembly for a predetermined time period in the drying mode. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The robot cleaner according to claim 23, further comprising a main body and a traveling assembly which moves the main body, wherein the controller controls the traveling assembly in the drying mode such that the main body moves back and forth. ### Claim 26 (depends on 16) The robot cleaner according to claim 16, wherein: the capacitance measurer comprises a housing; a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) substrate disposed in the housing; a first sensor which is disposed on a first surface of the PCB substrate toward the cleaning tool assembly, and which measures capacitance; and a second sensor mounted on a second surface of the PCB substrate, the second surface being opposite to the first surface of the PCB substrate on which the first sensor is disposed, the second sensor contacting no medium and measuring capacitance, and wherein the controller compensates for the capacitance measured by the first sensor using the capacitance measured by the second sensor when calculating the amount of water of the cleaning tool assembly. ### Claim 27 A control method of a cleaning robot, the cleaning robot including a main body, a traveling assembly which travels about a floor while moving the main body, and a cleaning tool assembly which is rotatably coupled to the main body and which cleans the floor with water, the control method comprising: if a cleaning command is received, measuring capacitance of the cleaning tool assembly using a capacitance measurer; calculating an amount of water of the cleaning tool assembly based on the measured capacitance; and controlling traveling and cleaning of the cleaning tool assembly based on the calculated amount of water. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The control method according to claim 27, further comprising: calculating the amount of water of the cleaning tool assembly when cleaning starts, and adding water to the drum-type pad member of the cleaning tool assembly for a predetermined time period every first water-feeding time period based on the calculated amount of water. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The control method according to claim 28, further comprising: measuring capacitance whenever the predetermined time period has elapsed; and determining whether an amount of water corresponding to the measured capacitance is a first reference amount of water to determine whether to stop adding water. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The control method according to claim 29, further comprising rotating the cleaning tool assembly at first revolutions per minute (rpm). ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The control method according to claim 30, wherein the first water-adding time period is shorter than a water-adding time period during cleaning, and the first rpm is higher than rpm of the cleaning tool assembly during cleaning. ### Claim 32 (depends on 30) The control method according to claim 30, wherein the controlling of the traveling and cleaning of the cleaning tool assembly comprises adding water to the cleaning tool assembly based on the amount of water of the cleaning tool assembly. ### Claim 33 (depends on 27) The control method according to claim 27, wherein the controlling of the traveling and cleaning of the cleaning tool assembly comprises: checking a reference amount of water of the cleaning tool assembly; supplying water to the cleaning tool assembly every second water-adding period based on the reference amount of water; and rotating the cleaning tool assembly at second revolutions per minute (rpm). ### Claim 34 (depends on 27) The control method according to claim 27, wherein the controlling of the traveling and cleaning of the cleaning tool assembly comprises: comparing an amount of water of the cleaning tool assembly to a reference amount of water; and stopping traveling and cleaning if the amount of water of the cleaning tool assembly is less than the reference amount of water. ### Claim 35 (depends on 27) The control method according to claim 27, wherein the controlling of the traveling and cleaning of the cleaning tool assembly comprises: measuring a water level of a water tank which supplies water to the cleaning tool assembly; comparing the measured water level to a reference water level; and outputting information representing a lack of water of the water tank if the measured water level is lower than the reference water level. ### Claim 36 (depends on 27) The control method according to claim 27, wherein the controlling of the traveling and cleaning of the cleaning tool assembly comprises: determining whether cleaning has been completed; and rotating the cleaning tool assembly for a predetermined time period to dry the drum-type pad member of the cleaning tool assembly if it is determined that cleaning has been completed. ### Claim 37 (depends on 27) The control method according to claim 27, wherein the controlling of the traveling and cleaning of the cleaning tool assembly comprises: determining whether cleaning has been completed; and moving the main body back and forth to dry a drum-type pad member of the cleaning tool assembly if it is determined that cleaning has been completed ### Claim 38 (depends on 27) The control method according to claim 27, wherein the calculating of the amount of water of the cleaning tool assembly comprises: measuring capacitance of the cleaning tool assembly using a first sensor of the capacitance measurer; measuring capacitance of an inner space of the capacitance measurer using a second sensor of the capacitance measurer; compensating for the capacitance measured by the first sensor using the capacitance measured by the second sensor; and calculating the amount of water of the cleaning tool assembly based on the compensated capacitance.