# US 2018/0021942 A1 · Robot cleaner, remote control system including the same, 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 2018/0021942 A1 - Document ID: US20180021942A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/549,829 - Filed: 2016-02-15 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2015-02-16 - Assignees: LG Electronics Inc. - Applicants: LG Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Christian HUMMEL - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180021942A1 ## CPC - B25J 9/0003: {Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use} - A47L 9/009: {Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles} - A47L 9/0411: {driven by electric motor} - A47L 9/0477: {Rolls} - A47L 9/0488: {Combinations or arrangements of several tools, e.g. edge cleaning tools} - A47L 9/12: Dry filters - A47L 9/14: Bags or the like; {Rigid filtering receptacles;} Attachment of, or closures for, bags {or receptacles} - 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} - A47L 9/30: Arrangement of illuminating devices - A61L 9/12: Apparatus, e.g. holders, therefor - A61L 9/20: Ultraviolet radiation - G05D 1/0242: {using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals} - G05D 1/0255: {using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals (sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93)} - G05D 1/0274: {using mapping information stored in a memory device (navigation using map-matching G01C21/30)} - H04L 12/2816: {Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities (arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00)} - A47L 2201/022: Recharging of batteries - A47L 2201/04: Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection - A61L 2209/111: Sensor means, e.g. motion, brightness, scent, contaminant sensors - H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks - 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}) - 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) - A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A robot cleaner includes an environment information detecting unit configured to obtain environment information regarding at least a portion of a cleaning area, a first communication unit configured to transmit and receive data to and from a different device positioned within the cleaning area, and a control unit configured to generate a control command regarding the different device in order to adjust the obtained environment information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A robot cleaner comprising: an environment information detecting unit configured to obtain environment information regarding at least a portion of a cleaning area; a first communication unit configured to transmit and receive data to and from a different device positioned within the cleaning area; and a control unit configured to generate a control command regarding the different device in order to adjust the obtained environment information. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The robot cleaner of claim 1, further comprising: a storage unit configured to store the environment information and corresponding position information. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The robot cleaner of claim 1, further comprising: a storage unit configured to store position information regarding the different device, wherein the control unit generates a control command regarding a different device at a position corresponding to the environment information. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the environment information detecting unit detects at least one of a temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, and an air pollution level around the robot cleaner. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The robot cleaner of claim 1, further comprising: a second communication unit configured to transmit and receive data to and from a terminal device generating a control command regarding the different device, wherein the control unit transmits the environment information to the terminal device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The robot cleaner of claim 5, wherein when the environment information is outside of a preset range, the second communication unit transmits the environment information to the terminal device through an SNS server and receives a control message regarding the different device through the SNS server, and the control unit generates a control command regarding the different device on the basis of the control message. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The robot cleaner of claim 1, further comprising: a storage unit configured to store environment information for a predetermined period of time, wherein the control unit calculates a predetermined pattern regarding a time range in which the environment information is outside of a preset range, and generates a control command regarding the different device before the time range estimated on the basis of the predetermined pattern is reached. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The robot cleaner of claim 1, further comprising: an obstacle detecting unit configured to detect an obstacle of the cleaning area using at least one sensor; and a position recognizing unit configured to recognize a position of the robot cleaner using at least one sensor, wherein the control unit generates a cleaning map regarding the cleaning area on the basis of information regarding the obstacle detected by the obstacle detecting unit and information regarding the position recognized by the position recognizing unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The robot cleaner of claim 8, further comprising: a storage unit configured to store the environment information and corresponding position information, wherein the position information is information indicating a region divided on the basis of the obstacle in the cleaning area. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the environment information detecting unit comprises an air sensor configured to sense dust in the air or a material included in the air. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The robot cleaner of claim 10, further comprising: an air purifying unit configured to deodorize or sterilize sucked air, wherein the control unit purifies the sucked air using the air purifying unit on the basis of pollution information sensed by the air sensor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The robot cleaner of claim 1, further comprising: a storage unit configured to store position information regarding the different device, wherein the control unit recognizes environment information of a position corresponding to the position information of the different device, as environment information detected by the different device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The robot cleaner of claim 12, wherein the environment information includes at least one of a temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, and an air pollution level. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The robot cleaner of claim 12, further comprising: an air purifying unit configured to deodorize or sterilize sucked air, wherein the control unit purifies the sucked air using the air purifying unit on the basis of an air pollution level detected by the different device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The robot cleaner of claim 1, further comprising: an output unit configured to output the environment information to the outside in a visual or audible manner ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The robot cleaner of claim 15, wherein, when the environment information is outside of a preset range, the control unit outputs an alarm signal through the output unit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) A remote control system of a robot cleaner, the remote control system comprising: a robot cleaner according to claim 1; and a terminal device configured to generate a control command regarding the robot cleaner and the different device. ### Claim 18 A method of controlling a robot cleaner, the method comprising: obtaining environment information regarding at least a portion of a cleaning area; generating a control command regarding a different device positioned within the cleaning area in order to adjust the obtained environment information; and transmitting the control command to the different device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising; when the environment information is outside of a preset range, transmitting the environment information to a terminal device through an SNS server; and receiving a control message regarding the different device from the terminal device through the SNS server, wherein, in the generating of the control command, the control command regarding the different device is generated on the basis of the control message. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein, in the obtaining of the environment information, an air sensor senses dust in the air or a material included in the air, wherein the method further comprising: deodorizing or sterilizing sucked air on the basis of pollution information sensed by the air sensor.