U.S. patent application number 14/170029 was filed with the patent office on 2015-02-12 for active three-dimensional positioning device and control system for floor-cleaning robot thereof.
This patent application is currently assigned to Generalplus Technology Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is Generalplus Technology Inc.. Invention is credited to Tung-Tsai LIAO, Yu Cheng LIAO, Bing Huang SHIH.
Application Number | 20150045990 14/170029 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 52449307 |
Filed Date | 2015-02-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150045990 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
SHIH; Bing Huang ; et
al. |
February 12, 2015 |
ACTIVE THREE-DIMENSIONAL POSITIONING DEVICE AND CONTROL SYSTEM FOR
FLOOR-CLEANING ROBOT THEREOF
Abstract
An active three-dimensional positioning device and a control
system for floor-cleaning robot are provided in the present
invention. The active three dimension positioning device includes a
radio frequency (RF) receiver array, a radio frequency emitter and
a control circuit. The RF receiver array includes a plurality of RF
receivers for receiving a RF pulse. The RF emitter is used for
emitting a RF pulse. The control circuit is coupled to the RF
receivers. The control circuit transmits a transmission command to
the RF emitter, after the RF emitter receives the enable RF signal,
and the RF emitter emits the RF pulse. The control circuit
calculates the position between the RF receiver array and the RF
emitter according to the positions of the RF receivers and the time
when each of the RF receivers receives the RF pulse.
Inventors: |
SHIH; Bing Huang; (Hsinchu
City, TW) ; LIAO; Tung-Tsai; (Hsinchu City, TW)
; LIAO; Yu Cheng; (Jhubei City, TW) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Generalplus Technology Inc. |
Hsinchu City |
|
TW |
|
|
Assignee: |
Generalplus Technology Inc.
Hsinchu City
TW
|
Family ID: |
52449307 |
Appl. No.: |
14/170029 |
Filed: |
January 31, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
701/2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 11/4011 20130101;
A47L 11/4061 20130101; A47L 2201/022 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
701/2 |
International
Class: |
A47L 11/40 20060101
A47L011/40; G05D 1/02 20060101 G05D001/02; G05D 1/00 20060101
G05D001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 6, 2013 |
TW |
102128038 |
Claims
1. An active three-dimensional positioning device, comprising: a
radio frequency (RF) receiver array, comprising a plurality of RF
receivers, wherein each RF receiver is used for receiving a RF
pulse; a RF emitter, for emitting the RF pulse; and a control
circuit, coupled to the RF receivers, wherein the RF emitter emits
the RF pulse when the control circuit outputs a transmission
command to the RF emitter and the RF emitter receives the
transmission command, wherein the control circuit calculates a
relative position between the RF receiver array and the RF emitter
according to positions of the RF receivers and receiving time when
the RF receivers respectively receive the RF pulses.
2. The active three-dimensional positioning device according to
claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further used for performing
a differential operation to calculate the relative velocity between
the RF emitter and the RF receiver array.
3. The active three-dimensional positioning device according to
claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further used for performing
a second order differential operation to calculate the relative
acceleration between the RF emitter and the RF receiver array.
4. The active three-dimensional positioning device according to
claim 1, wherein a number of the RF receivers is at least four.
5. The active three-dimensional positioning device according to
claim 1, wherein a first RF receiver, a second RF receiver, and a
third RF receiver of the RF receivers is disposed on a plane, and a
fourth RF receiver of the RF receivers is disposed on upper side of
the plane or on lower side of the plane.
6. The active three-dimensional positioning device according to
claim 1, wherein the control circuit comprises: a RF base station,
for outputting the transmission command; and a calculating circuit,
for calculating the relative position between the RF emitter and
the RF receiver array according to the positions of the RF
receivers and the time when the RF receivers respectively receive
the RF pulse.
7. The active three-dimensional positioning device according to
claim 1, further comprising: a second RF emitter, for emitting a
second RF pulse; wherein the second RF emitter emits the second RF
pulse when the control circuit outputs a second transmission
command and the second RF emitter emits receives the second
transmission command, wherein the RF receivers is for receiving the
second RF pulse, wherein the control circuit calculates a relative
position between the RF receiver array and the second RF emitter
according to time when the RF receivers respectively receive the
second RF pulse and the positions of the RF receivers.
8. A control system for floor-cleaning robot, comprising: an RF
receiver array, comprising a plurality of RF receivers, wherein
each RF receiver is used for receiving an RF pulse; a
floor-cleaning robot, comprising an RF emitter for emitting the RF
pulse; and a control circuit, coupled to the RF receivers, wherein
the RF emitter emits the RF pulse when the control circuit outputs
a transmission command to the RF emitter and the RF emitter
receives the transmission command, wherein the control circuit
calculates a relative position between the RF receiver array and
the floor-cleaning robot according to positions of the RF receiver
and receiving time when the RF receivers respectively receive the
RF pulses, wherein the control circuit continually records the
relative position between the RF receiver array and the
floor-cleaning robot to obtain a moving path of the floor-cleaning
robot.
9. The control system for floor-cleaning robot according to claim
8, further comprising: a charging interface, coupled to the control
circuit; wherein a case of the floor-cleaning robot having a
charging contact corresponding to the charging interface, wherein
the floor-cleaning robot transmits a power feedback signal to the
control circuit, wherein the control circuit transmits a guiding
signal to the floor-cleaning robot to control the floor-cleaning
robot back to the charging interface to charge the floor-cleaning
robot according to the moving path of the floor-cleaning robot.
10. The control system for floor-cleaning robot according to claim
8, wherein the control circuit comprises: a RF base station, for
outputting the transmission command; and a calculating circuit, for
calculating the relative position between the RF emitter and the RF
receiver array according to the positions of the RF receivers and
the time when the RF receivers respectively receive the RF pulse.
Description
[0001] This application claims priority of No. 102128038 filed in
Taiwan R.O.C. on Aug. 6, 2013 under 35 USC 119, the entire content
of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention relates to a technology of coordinate
detection, and more particularly to an active three-dimensional
positioning device and a control system for floor-cleaning robot
thereof.
[0004] 2. Related Art
[0005] With the progress of the technology, the electronic
technology has been progressed from the earliest vacuum tube and
transistor to the integrated circuit chip, which has the quite wide
applications. Thus, the electronic products have gradually become
the indispensable essentials in the life of the modern human
beings. At present, because of the advance of the human factors
engineering, the user interface of a digital electronic product,
such as cell-phone, tablet computer, becomes more and more
humanized. However, the coordinate information of the mobile device
still depends on the satellite positioning system. However, the
satellite positioning system can only determines the 2D coordinate
of the device. The height information cannot be obtained from the
satellite positioning system.
[0006] In addition, the gesture operation of the mobile device
generally adopted to detect the acceleration information obtained
from the gyroscope or G-sensor/accelerometer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] In view of the above-identified problems, it is therefore an
object of the invention to provide an active three-dimensional
positioning device. The position of the RF emitter can be obtained
according to the time when a plurality of RF receivers respectively
receive the RF pulse.
[0008] In the embodiment of the present invention, the velocity and
the acceleration can be also obtained according to the
abovementioned position.
[0009] Another object of the invention is to provide a control
system for floor-clean robot. The system can calculate the position
of the floor-clean robot according to the time when a plurality of
RF receivers respectively receive the RF pulse. In addition, the
system can record the moving path of the floor-clean robot.
Therefore, the floor-clean robot is controlled to come back to the
charging interface to charge the battery when the power of the
floor-clean robot is low.
[0010] To achieve the above-identified object, the invention
provides an active three-dimensional positioning device. The active
three-dimensional positioning device includes a radio frequency
(RF) receiver array, an RF emitter and a control circuit. The RF
receiver array includes a plurality of RF receivers. Each RF
receiver is used for receiving a RF pulse. The RF emitter is for
emitting the RF pulse. The control circuit is coupled to the RF
receivers. When the control circuit outputs a transmission command
to the RF emitter and the RF emitter receives the transmission
command, the RF emitter emits the RF pulse. According to receiving
time when the RF receivers respectively receive the RF pulse and
positions of the RF receivers, the control circuit calculates a
relative position between the RF receiver array and the RF
emitter.
[0011] According to the active three-dimensional positioning device
in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the control
circuit is further used for performing a differential calculation
to calculate the velocity between the RF receiver array and the RF
emitter. In another preferred embodiment, the control circuit is
further used for performing a second order differential calculation
to calculate the acceleration between the RF receiver array and the
RF emitter. Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, the number of
the RF receivers is at least four. Moreover, in a preferred
embodiment, the control circuit includes an RF base station and a
calculating circuit. The RF base station is used for emitting a
transmission command. The calculating circuit is used for
calculating the relative position between the RF emitter and the RF
receiver array according to the positions of the RF receivers and
the time when the RF receivers respectively receive the RF pulse.
In a preferred embodiment, the second RF emitter is also provided.
The abovementioned control method is adopted to obtain the position
information of the second RF emitter.
[0012] The spirit of the present invention is to utilize an RF
emitter to emit an RF pulse, and a plurality of RF receivers to
receive the RF pulse. According to the RF receivers respectively
receiving the RF pulse time difference, the relative positions
between the RF emitter and the respective RF receivers can be
determined. Thus, the position of the user with the RF emitter can
be determined.
[0013] Further scope of the applicability of the present invention
will become apparent from the detailed description given
hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed
description and specific examples, while indicating preferred
embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration
only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and
scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the
art from this detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The present invention will become more fully understood from
the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying
drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are
not limitative of the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram depicting an active
three-dimensional positioning device according to a preferred
embodiment of the present invention.
[0016] FIG. 2 illustrates a diagram depicting the configuration of
RF receiver array 101 according to a preferred embodiment of the
present invention.
[0017] FIG. 3 illustrates a diagram depicting a control system for
floor-cleaning robot having the active three-dimensional
positioning device according to a preferred embodiment of the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0018] The present invention will be apparent from the following
detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the
accompanying drawings, wherein the same references relate to the
same elements.
[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram depicting an active
three-dimensional positioning device according to a preferred
embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the
active three-dimensional positioning device includes an RF receiver
array 101, RF emitters 102, 103 and a control circuit 104. The RF
receiver array 101 includes four RF receivers 101-1, 101-2, 101-3
and 101-4. The control circuit 104 includes an RF base station
104-1 and a calculation circuit 104-2.
[0020] In the present embodiment, the active three-dimensional
positioning device is used for detecting the position, velocity and
acceleration of the RF emitter 102. In the beginning, the RF base
station 104-1 would emits a transmission command COMMAND-1
corresponding to the RF emitter 102. The RF emitters 102 and 103
would receive the transmission command COMMAND-1. However, only the
RF emitter 102 would be enabled to emit the RF pulse RFP1. Since
the RF pulse RFP1 is omni-directional, the four RF receivers 101-1,
101-2, 101-3 and 101-4 of the RF receiver array 101 would receive
the RF pulse RFP1.
[0021] Since the distances between the RF emitter 102 and the RF
receivers 101-1, 101-2, 101-3 and 101-4 differ from each other, the
received time, at which the RF receivers 101-1, 101-2, 101-3 and
101-4 respectively receive the RF pulse RFP1, may slightly differ
from each other. At this time, the RF receivers 101-1, 101-2, 101-3
and 101-4 would transmit the time receiving the RF pulse RFP1 to
the control circuit 104. The calculating circuit 104-2 of the
control circuit 104 would calculate the periods from the time when
the transmission command COMMAND-1 is emitted to the time when the
RF receivers 101-1, 101-2, 101-3 and 101-4 respectively receive the
RF pulse RFP1 to obtain the distances between the RF emitter 102
and the RF receivers 101-1, 101-2, 101-3 and 101-4. Thus, the
position of the RF emitter 102 can be obtained by the calculating
circuit 104-2. In the present embodiment, the transmission command
COMMAND-1 can be implemented by RF signal, IR signal, microwave or
the other transmission interface.
[0022] In order to conveniently describe the spirit of the present
invention, the exemplary configuration of the RF receivers 101-1,
101-2, 101-3 and 101-4 is provided. FIG. 2 illustrates a diagram
depicting the configuration of RF receiver array 101 according to a
preferred embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2,
the RF receivers 101-1, 101-2 and 101-3 is disposed on the same
plane. The RF receiver 101-4 is disposed on the upper side of the
plane. According to the disposed positions of the RF receivers
101-1, 101-2, 101-3 and 101-4, the configuration of the RF
receivers 101-1, 101-2, 101-3 and 101-4 are equivalent to the
elements distributed in X, Y, Z planes such as the RF receivers
101-1, 101-2, 101-3 and 101-4 can be used for detecting the
position of the RF emitter in three-dimensional space. Although,
the number of the RF receivers in the present embodiment is four,
people having ordinary skills in the art should know that the
number of the RF receivers would be modified according to the
requirement of the product or the application. In addition, the
set-up position of the RF receivers can be modified according to
design. Thus, the present invention does not limited thereto.
[0023] Further, since the transmission speed of the RF pulse are
extremely fast, the distance determination by the control circuit
104 may fail when the distances between the RF emitter 102 and the
RF receivers 101-1, 101-2, 101-3 and 101-4 are too short.
Therefore, the time intervals, from the time when the RF emitter
102 emits the RF pulse to the time when the RF receivers 101-1,
101-2, 101-3 and 101-4 respective receive the RF pulse, are the
order of time in nanosecond, determination error inevitably occurs.
At this time, the control circuit 104 would control the RF base
station 104-1 to emit the transmission command COMMAND-1 once again
to the RF emitter 102, such that the RF emitter 102 would once
again emit the RF pulse RFP1. Thus, the control circuit 104 can
re-determine the distances between the RF emitter 102 and the RF
receivers 101-1, 101-2, 101-3 and 101-4. Moreover, Diffraction,
reflection or refraction phenomenon is more likely to occur when
the RF signal encounters an obstacle, the RF receivers 101-1,
101-2, 101-3 and 101-4 may repeatedly receive the reflected or
refracted RF pulse. Thus, in the present embodiment, the control
circuit 104 uses the time when the RF receivers 101-1, 101-2, 101-3
and 101-4 first receive the RF pulse RFP1 to calculate the
distances, and then the following received RF pulse would be served
as a noise. In addition, people having ordinary skills in the art
should know that the control circuit 104 also can adopt the time
when RF receivers 101-1, 101-2, 101-3 and 101-4 receive the most
powerful received RF pulse RFP1 to calculate the distances. Thus,
the present invention is not limited thereto.
[0024] In the preferred embodiment, in order to perform the
detection accurately, the control circuit 104 can repeatedly output
the transmission command COMMAND-1 to request the RF emitter 102 to
emit the RF pulses RFP1 repeatedly, and the control circuit 104
detects and records the time when the RF pulse RFP1 is received
after each transmission command COMMAND-1 is sent. Afterward,
statistical calculation is performed and the accurate position
information is obtained to reduce the error.
[0025] According to the abovementioned method for detecting the
position, the control circuit 104 can obtain the moving path and
its corresponding time point of the RF emitter 102 according to the
plurality calculating result. Afterward, the differential
calculation is adopted to obtain the velocity and acceleration of
the RF emitter 102.
[0026] Similarly, to detect the position, velocity, acceleration of
the RF emitter 103, the RF base station 104-1 would emits a
transmission command COMMAND-2 corresponding to the RF emitter 103.
The RF emitters 102 and 103 would receive the transmission command
COMMAND-2, but only the RF emitter would be enabled to emit the RF
pulse RFP2. Since the RF pulse RFP2 is omni-directional, the four
RF receivers 101-1, 101-2, 101-3 and 101-4 of the RF receiver array
101 would receive the RF pulse RFP2.
[0027] Since the distances between the RF emitter 103 and the RF
receivers 101-1, 101-2, 101-3 and 101-4 differ from each other, the
received time, at which the RF receivers 101-1, 101-2, 101-3 and
101-4 respectively receive the RF pulse RFP2, may slightly differ
from each other. At this time, the RF receivers 101-1, 101-2, 101-3
and 101-4 would transmit the time receiving the RF pulse RFP2 to
the control circuit 104. The calculating circuit 104-2 of the
control circuit 104 would calculate the periods from the time when
the transmission command COMMAND-2 is emitted to the time when the
RF receivers 101-1, 101-2, 101-3 and 101-4 respectively receive the
RF pulse RFP2 to obtain the distances between the RF emitter 103
and the RF receivers 101-1, 101-2, 101-3 and 101-4. Thus, the
position of the RF emitter 103 can be obtained by the calculating
circuit 104-2. Since the method for determining the position,
velocity and acceleration of the RF emitter 103 is the same as the
method for determining the position, velocity and acceleration of
the RF emitter 102, the detail description thereof is omitted.
[0028] Further, the abovementioned application can be used in
floor-clean robot. As shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 3 illustrates a diagram
depicting a control system for floor-cleaning robot having the
active three-dimensional positioning device according to a
preferred embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3,
in this embodiment, the control system for floor-cleaning robot
includes a RF receiver array 101, a floor-cleaning robot with a RF
emitter 301, a charging interface 302 and a control circuit 104.
The RF receiver array 101 also includes four RF receivers 101-1,
101-2, 101-3 and 101-4. The control circuit 104 includes an RF base
station 104-1 and a calculating circuit 104-2.
[0029] First, in the beginning of the detection, the RF base
station 104-1 would emits a transmission command COMMAND-1
corresponding to the RF emitter of the floor-cleaning robot 301.
The RF emitter of the floor-cleaning robot 301 would receive the
transmission command COMMAND-1 and then emit the RF pulse RFP1.
Since the RF pulse RFP1 is omni-directional, the four RF receivers
101-1, 101-2, 101-3 and 101-4 of the RF receiver array 101 would
receive the RF pulse RFP1.
[0030] Since the distances between the RF emitter 102 and the RF
receivers 101-1, 101-2, 101-3 and 101-4 differ from each other, the
received time, at which the RF receivers 101-1, 101-2, 101-3 and
101-4 respectively receive the RF pulse RFP1, may slightly differ
from each other. At this time, the RF receivers 101-1, 101-2, 101-3
and 101-4 would transmit the time points of receiving the RF pulse
RFP1 to the control circuit 104. The calculating circuit 104-2 of
the control circuit 104 would calculate the periods from the time
when the transmission command COMMAND-1 is emitted to the time when
the RF receivers 101-1, 101-2, 101-3 and 101-4 respectively receive
the RF pulse RFP1 to obtain the distances between the
floor-cleaning robot 301 and the RF receivers 101-1, 101-2, 101-3
and 101-4. Thus, the relative position between the floor-cleaning
robot 301 and the RF receiver array 101 and the corresponding
coordinate of the floor-cleaning robot 301 can be determined.
Further, if the detection time is sufficient, the moving path can
be also obtained. The control system can illustrate the plane view
of the floor by this technique. When the power of the
floor-cleaning robot 301 is low, the system can determine the
preferred path to go back to the charging interface according to
the moving path thereof.
[0031] Similarly, in the abovementioned embodiment, only one
floor-cleaning robot 301 is controlled. People having ordinary
skills in the art should know that it is similar to control two or
more floor-cleaning robots according to the abovementioned
embodiment. Thus, the present invention is not limited thereto.
Further, beside the floor-cleaning robot, the present invention
also can be applied to position model aircraft, amusement
equipment, smart phone, and so on. Thus, the present invention is
not limited thereto.
[0032] In summary, the spirit of the present invention is to
utilize an RF emitter to emit an RF pulse, and a plurality of RF
receivers to receive the RF pulse. According to the time difference
when the RF receivers respective receive the RF pulse to determine
the relative positions between the RF emitter and the respective RF
receivers. Thus, the position of the user with the RF emitter can
be determined.
[0033] While the invention has been described by way of examples
and in terms of preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that
the invention is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is
intended to cover various modifications. Therefore, the scope of
the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation
so as to encompass all such modifications.
* * * * *