METHOD OF DETECTING MARKS FOR DETERMINING POSITION OF ROBOT- VACUUM CLEANER AND ROBOT-VACUUM CLEANER USING SUCH METHOD Russian patent published in 2005 - IPC

FIELD: detection of marks for determining position of robot-vacuum cleaner operating with use of wireless communication with outer apparatus.

SUBSTANCE: robot-vacuum cleaner includes drive unit for rotating a large number of wheels; turned upwards camera for registering over zone subjected to vacuum cleaning ceiling on which said marks are arranged; control unit for detecting marks in ceiling in order to determine robot position in image received by means of camera at relating to shape of stored reference marks for determining position, distance between them and image around them for detecting current position of robot-vacuum cleaner. Control unit may control drive unit using information related to current position of robot in order to perform operation instruction. Method according to invention comprises steps of forming from image objective marks; comparing their shape with that of stored reference marks in order to determine position of robot; comparing distance between marks with distance between stored reference marks if mark shapes are similar; comparing image around marks with image around stored reference marks if distances between marks are similar; identifying objective marks as position marks if compared images are similar.

EFFECT: possibility for accurate determination of position of robot-vacuum cleaner even if on ceiling there is working zone with structural members similar to marks.

13 cl, 6 dwg