Robot cleaner and method for controlling the same

A method for controlling a robot cleaner, the method comprising:

• detecting a distance between a main body and a floor surface with a floor detection sensor;
• detecting an inclination of the main body with a tilt sensor;
• determining whether there is a protruding part that protrudes from a floor surface in a running path of the main body, based on a first sensor value output from the floor detection sensor and a second sensor value output from the tilt sensor;
• and
• determining whether a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value among multiple first sensor values exceeds a predetermined first determination value, and determining that there is the protruding part if the difference exceeds the first determination value.

A method of controlling a robot cleaner configured to clean a floor surface, the method comprising:

• detecting an obstacle;
• determining whether the obstacle is on a first side or a second side of the robot cleaner;
• detecting whether there is a protrusion from the floor surface;
• controlling the robot cleaner to move in a first pattern to climb the protrusion and to avoid the obstacle if the obstacle is determined as being on the first side or to move in a second pattern to climb the protrusion and to avoid the obstacle if the obstacle is determined as being on the second side;
• and
• determining whether a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value among multiple first sensor values exceeds a predetermined first determination value, and determining that there is a protrusion if the difference exceeds the first determination value.

A robot cleaner comprising:

• a tilt sensor for measuring an inclination amount of the robot cleaner;
• a first floor detection sensor, disposed at a front portion of the robot cleaner, for detecting a first distance from a floor to the robot cleaner;
• a second floor detection sensor, disposed at a portion of the robot cleaner other than the front portion, for detecting a second distance from the floor to the robot cleaner;
• a controller to extract minimum and maximum values among sensor values of the first and second floor detection sensor, and to determine that the robot cleaner is climbing a protrusion from the floor surface when the difference between the minimum and maximum values is determined to be greater than a first threshold and when the inclination amount of the tilt sensor exceeds a second threshold.