ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CLEANER

[0000]
An artificial intelligence cleaner includes a memory, a microphone configured to receive a speech command, an image sensor configured to acquire image data, a driving unit configured to drive the artificial intelligence cleaner, and a processor configured to determine whether a cleaning instruction image is recognized using the image data when the speech command input to the microphone is a command for designating an area to be preferentially cleaned, acquire a position of a user using the image data when the cleaning instruction image is recognized, and controls the driving unit to move the artificial intelligence cleaner to the acquired position of the user.

[00000]

1 . An artificial intelligence cleaner comprising:

a memory;

a microphone configured to receive a speech command;

an image sensor configured to acquire image data;

a driving unit configured to drive the artificial intelligence cleaner; and

a processor configured to determine whether a cleaning instruction image is recognized using the image data when the speech command input to the microphone is a command for designating an area to be preferentially cleaned, acquire a position of a user using the image data when the cleaning instruction image is recognized, and controls the driving unit to move the artificial intelligence cleaner to the acquired position of the user.

2 . The artificial intelligence cleaner according to
claim 1
, wherein the processor acquires a cleaning designation area corresponding to the position of the user and controls the driving unit to clean the acquired cleaning designation area.

3 . The artificial intelligence cleaner according to
claim 2
,

wherein a cleaning mode of the artificial intelligence cleaner includes a normal cleaning mode and a meticulous cleaning mode,

wherein the processor changes the normal cleaning mode to the meticulous cleaning mode to clean the cleaning designation area.

4 . The artificial intelligence cleaner according to
claim 1
, wherein the processor acquires an intention of the speech command and acquires the image data through the image sensor when the acquired intention is to designate the area to be preferentially cleaned.

5 . The artificial intelligence cleaner according to
claim 1
,

wherein the processor determines whether recognition of the cleaning instruction image succeeds using the image data and a cleaning instruction image recognition model stored in the memory,

wherein the cleaning instruction image recognition model is an artificial neural network based model learned to infer whether the cleaning instruction image is recognized using, as input data, learning data having the same format as user image data.

6 . The artificial intelligence cleaner according to
claim 5
, wherein the processor rotates the artificial intelligence cleaner by a certain angle when recognition of the cleaning instruction image fails based on the image data, and acquires image data again through the image sensor.

7 . The artificial intelligence cleaner according to
claim 2
, wherein the processor:

acquires a pair-of-soles area from the recognized cleaning instruction image, and

acquires a center of the acquired pair-of-soles area as the position of the user.

8 . The artificial intelligence cleaner according to
claim 7
, wherein the processor determines a circular area having a radius of a certain length from the acquired position of the user as the cleaning designation area.

9 . A method of operating an artificial intelligence cleaner, the method comprising:

receiving a speech command;

acquiring image data when the received speech command is a command for designating an area to be preferentially cleaned;

determining whether a cleaning instruction image is recognized using the acquired image data;

acquiring a position of a user using the image data when the cleaning instruction image is recognized; and

controlling a driving unit to move the artificial intelligence cleaner to the acquired position of the user.

10 . The method according to
claim 9
, further comprising:

acquiring a cleaning designation area corresponding to the position of the user; and

controlling the driving unit to clean the acquired cleaning designation area.

11 . The method according to
claim 9
, further comprising:

acquiring an intention of the speech command; and

acquiring the image data through an image sensor when the acquired intention is to designate the area to be preferentially cleaned.

12 . The method according to
claim 9
, further comprising:

determining whether recognition of the cleaning instruction image succeeds using the image data and a cleaning instruction image recognition model stored in a memory,

wherein the cleaning instruction image recognition model is an artificial neural network based model learned to infer whether the cleaning instruction image is recognized using, as input data, learning data having the same format as user image data.

13 . The method according to
claim 12
, further comprising:

rotating the artificial intelligence cleaner by a certain angle, when recognition of the cleaning instruction image fails based on the image data; and

acquiring image data again through an image sensor.

14 . The method according to
claim 10
, further comprising acquiring a pair-of-soles area from the recognized cleaning instruction image, and

wherein the acquiring of the position of the user includes acquiring a center of the acquired pair-of-soles area as the position of the user.

15 . The method according to
claim 14
, further comprising determining a circular area having a radius of a certain length from the acquired position of the user as the cleaning designation area.

TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001]
The present invention relates to an artificial intelligence cleaner and, more particularly, to an artificial intelligence cleaner capable of automatically cleaning a designated cleaning area using a user's speech and image.

BACKGROUND ART
[0002]
A robot cleaner may refer to a device for sucking in foreign materials such as dust from a floor to automatically perform cleaning while autonomously traveling in an area to be cleaned without user operation.

[0003]
Such a robot cleaner performs cleaning operation while traveling along a predetermined cleaning route according to a program installed therein.

[0004]
A user does not know the cleaning route of the robot cleaner. Accordingly, when the user wants to preferentially clean a specific area, the user waits until the robot cleaner arrives at the specific area or changes the operation mode of the robot cleaner to a manual control mode using a remote controller capable of controlling the robot cleaner and then moves the robot cleaner using the direction key of the remote controller.

[0005]
In this case, it is inconvenient for the user to wait until the area which needs to be preferentially cleaned is cleaned.

[0006]
In addition, a conventional robot cleaner includes an image sensor provided therein, thereby recognizing a dirty area and intensively cleaning the dirty area. However, it is difficult to recognize the dirty area as much as the user.

DISCLOSURE Technical Problem
[0007]
An object of the present invention devised to solve the problem lies in an artificial intelligence cleaner capable of easily cleaning an area to be preferentially cleaned based on a user's speech and image.

[0008]
Another object of the present invention devised to solve the problem lies in an artificial intelligence cleaner capable of acquiring an area to be preferentially cleaned and intensively performing cleaning with respect to the acquired area to be preferentially cleaned.

[0009]
Another object of the present invention devised to solve the problem lies in an artificial intelligence cleaner capable of grasping the intention of a speech command and image data of a user and determining an area to be preferentially cleaned.

Technical Solution
[0010]
An artificial intelligence cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention can recognize an area to be preferentially cleaned using a user's speech command and a user image and move to the recognized area to be preferentially cleaned to perform cleaning.

[0011]
An artificial intelligence cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention can change a cleaning mode of an area to be preferentially cleaned from a normal cleaning mode to a meticulous cleaning mode.

[0012]
An artificial intelligence cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention can determine a cleaning instruction area using analysis of the intention of the speech command of the user and a machine learning based recognition model of image data.

Advantageous Effects
[0013]
According to the embodiment of the present invention, since a desired area is rapidly cleaned by only a simple speech and gesture without operation of a remote controller for controlling a robot cleaner, it is possible to improve user satisfaction.

[0014]
According to the embodiment of the present invention, since visual information of a user is reflected, it is possible to clean a cleaning area which may be overlooked by a robot cleaner.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0015]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an artificial intelligence cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016]
FIG. 2 is a plan view of an artificial intelligence cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a bottom view of an artificial intelligence cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017]
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating an artificial intelligence cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018]
FIG. 5 is a view illustrating an example of determining whether a cleaning instruction image of an acquired image is recognized using a cleaning instruction image recognition model according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019]
FIGS. 6 and 7 are views illustrating a scenario in which an artificial intelligence cleaner recognizes a speech command and a cleaning instruction image of a user and performs cleaning with respect to an area designated by the user.

[0020]
FIGS. 8 and 9 are views illustrating a process of selecting a cleaning designation area according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021]
FIG. 10 is a view illustrating an example in which an artificial intelligence cleaner cleans a cleaning designation area in a meticulous cleaning mode according to an embodiment of the present invention.

BEST MODE
[0022]
Description will now be given in detail according to exemplary embodiments disclosed herein, with reference to the accompanying drawings. For the sake of brief description with reference to the drawings, the same or equivalent components may be provided with the same reference numbers, and description thereof will not be repeated. In general, a suffix such as “module” or “unit” may be used to refer to elements or components. Use of such a suffix herein is merely intended to facilitate description of the specification, and the suffix itself is not intended to have any special meaning or function.

[0023]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an artificial intelligence cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024]
Referring to FIG. 1 , the artificial intelligence cleaner 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include an image sensor 110 , a microphone 120 , an obstacle detector 130 , a wireless communication unit 140 , a memory 150 , a driving unit 170 and a processor 190 .

[0025]
The image sensor 110 may acquire image data of the periphery of the artificial intelligence cleaner 100 .

[0026]
The image sensor 110 may include at least one of a depth sensor 111 or an RGB sensor 113 .

[0027]
The depth sensor 111 may detect light returned after light emitted from a light emitting unit (not shown) is reflected from an object. The depth sensor 111 may measure a distance from the object based on a difference in time when the returned light is detected and the amount of returned light.

[0028]
The depth sensor 111 may acquire two-dimensional image information or a three-dimensional image information of the periphery of the cleaner 100 based on the measured distance from the object.

[0029]
The RGB sensor 113 may acquire color image information of an object around the cleaner 100 . The color image information may be a captured image of an object. The RGB sensor 113 may be referred to as an RGB camera.

[0030]
The obstacle detector 130 may include an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a laser sensor, etc. For example, the…