# US 9,520,731 B2 · Control method for cleaning robots > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,520,731 B2 - Document ID: US9520731B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/768,546 - Filed: 2013-02-15 - Published: 2013-08-22 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2012-02-16 - Assignees: Msi Computer (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Micro-Star International Company Limited - Inventors: You-Wei Teng; Yi-Chih Yeh; Shih-Che Hung - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9520731B2 ## CPC - H02J 7/00: Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries - G05D 1/0242: {using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals} - A47L 2201/022: Recharging of batteries - A47L 2201/04: Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - 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 An embodiment of the invention provides a charging station for a cleaning robot. The charging station includes an IR transmitter and a controller. The IR transmitter outputs a first IR light beam, wherein the IR light beam includes a second boundary and a first boundary which is substantially perpendicular or perpendicular to the charging station and the cleaning robot moves to the charging station along the first boundary. The controller controls the IR transmitter to output the first IR light beam or a second IR light beam. When the controller determines that the cleaning robot is near to the charging station, the controller controls the IR transmitter to output the second IR light beam. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A charging station for a cleaning robot, comprising: an infrared (IR) transmitter to output a first IR light beam with a scattering angle 2θ, wherein the IR light beam comprises a second boundary and a first boundary, and the IR transmitter is offset at the angle θ to make the first boundary is substantially perpendicular or perpendicular to the charging station and the cleaning robot moves to the charging station along the first boundary; and a controller to control the IR transmitter, wherein when the controller determines that the cleaning robot is near to the charging station, the controller controls the IR transmitter to output a second IR light beam. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The charging station as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a wireless signal sensor to detect a wireless signal, wherein when the wireless signal sensor detects the wireless signal and a strength of the wireless signal is larger than a predetermined value, the wireless signal sensor transmits a first signal to the controller and the controller controls the IR transmitter to output the second IR light beam according to the first signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The charging station as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: an acoustic signal receiver to receive an acoustic signal output by the cleaning robot, wherein when a strength of the acoustic signal is larger than a predetermined value, the acoustic signal receiver transmits a first signal to the controller and the controller controls the IR transmitter to output the second IR light beam according to the first signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The charging station as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: an IR receiver coupled to the controller, wherein when the IR receiver receives the first IR light beam and a strength of the first IR light beam is larger than a predetermined value, the IR receiver transmits a first signal to the controller and the controller controls the IR transmitter to output the second IR light beam according to the first signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The charging station as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a voltage output device coupled to the controller to output an output voltage to the cleaning robot, wherein the controller adjusts the voltage level of the output voltage according to an identification information of the cleaning robot. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The charging station as claimed in claim 5, further comprising: a charging port to electrically connect to the cleaning robot, wherein when the charging port is electrically connected to the cleaning robot, the controller receives a trigger signal and controls the voltage output device to charge the cleaning robot. ### Claim 7 A charging system, comprising: a charging station, comprising: an infrared (IR) transmitter to output a first IR light beam with a scattering angle 2θ, wherein the IR light beam comprises a second boundary and a first boundary, and the IR transmitter is offset at the angle θ to make the first boundary is substantially perpendicular or perpendicular to the charging station; and a controller to control the IR transmitter to output the first IR light beam or a second IR light beam; and a cleaning robot comprising a light detector to detect the first IR light beam or the second IR light beam, wherein when the light detector detects the first IR light beam or the second IR light beam, the cleaning robot moves to the charging station along the first boundary. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The charging system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the charging station further comprises a wireless signal sensor for detecting a wireless signal output by the cleaning robot, and when the wireless signal sensor detects the wireless signal and a strength of the wireless signal is larger than a predetermined value, the wireless signal sensor transmits a first signal to the controller and the controller controls the IR transmitter to output the second IR light beam according to the first signal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The charging system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the charging station further comprises an acoustic signal receiver to receive an acoustic signal output by the cleaning robot, and when a strength of the acoustic signal is larger than a predetermined value, the acoustic signal receiver transmits a first signal to the controller and the controller controls the IR transmitter to output the second IR light beam according to the first signal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The charging system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the charging station further comprises a magnetic signal receiver to receiving a magnetic signal output by the cleaning robot and when a strength of the magnetic signal is larger than a predetermined value, the magnetic signal receiver transmits a first signal to the controller and the controller controls the IR transmitter to output the second IR light beam according to the first signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The charging system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the charging station further comprises an IR receiver coupled to the controller and when the IR receiver receives the first IR light beam and a strength of the first IR light beam is larger than a predetermined value, the IR signal receiver transmits a first signal to the controller and the controller controls the IR transmitter to output the second IR light beam according to the first signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The charging system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the charging station further comprises a voltage output device coupled to the controller to output an output voltage to the cleaning robot, and the controller adjusts the voltage level of the output voltage according to an identification information of the cleaning robot. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The charging system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the charging station further comprises a charging port to electrically connect to the cleaning robot, and when the charging port is electrically connected to the cleaning robot, the controller receives a trigger signal and controls the voltage output device to charge the cleaning robot. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The charging system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the charging station further comprises a charging port to electrically connect to the cleaning robot, when the charging port is electrically connected to the cleaning robot, the controller receives a trigger signal and controls the voltage output device to charge the cleaning robot, the charging station further connects to a network to transmit and receive data from the network and the received data is transmitted to the cleaning robot. ### Claim 15 (depends on 7) The charging system as claimed in claim 7, wherein when the cleaning robot is electrically connected to a charging port of the charging station, the cleaning robot transmits identification information to the controller. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The charging system as claimed in claim 15, wherein when the charging station is a non-contact charging device, the identification information activates a non-contact charging operation and a handshaking operation to handshake network data.