Patents by Inventor Seok Won Bang

Seok Won Bang has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9182763
    Abstract: A three-dimensional map-generating apparatus and method using structured light. The apparatus for generating a three-dimensional map using structured light includes an odometer detecting the pose of a mobile robot, and a distance-measuring sensor including a light source module that emits light upward and a camera module that captures an image formed by light reflected from an obstacle, and measuring a distance to the obstacle using the captured image. The apparatus measures a distance to the obstacle using the distance-measuring sensor while changing the relative pose of the mobile robot, thereby generating a three-dimensional map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong-ryeol Park, Dong-jo Kim, Seok-won Bang, Hyoung-ki Lee
  • Patent number: 9058039
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for reckoning a position of a moving robot using dead-reckoning and range sensing. The method includes performing dead-reckoning to determine a variation state in accordance with motion of the moving robot, calculating an absolute position of the moving robot by sensing a distance between the moving robot and at least one fixed position, predicting an optimized current position of the moving robot using the variation state and the absolute position, determining whether the optimized current position is within a specified effective area, and correcting the optimized current position in accordance with the determined result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyoung-ki Lee, Hyeon Myeong, Ki-wan Choi, Yong-beom Lee, Seok-won Bang
  • Patent number: 8630735
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method, apparatus, and medium for estimating a pose of a moving robot using a particle filter. A method for estimating a pose of a moving robot using a particle filter according to an embodiment of the invention includes a detecting a change in pose of the mobile robot and calculating a pose of the current particle by applying the detected change in pose to the previous particle, predicting the probability of the pose of the current particle and obtaining a weight of the current particle on the basis of range data obtained by a sensor and map information, resampling the current particle on the basis of the weight, and adjusting the weight in consideration of an error of the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Samsumg Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyeon Myeong, Seok-won Bang, Dong-geon Kong, Su-jinn Lee
  • Patent number: 8543241
    Abstract: A method, medium, and system reducing the computational complexity of a Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (SLAM) algorithm that can be applied to mobile robots. A system estimating the pose of a mobile robot with the aid of a particle filter using a plurality of particles includes a sensor which detects a variation in the pose of a mobile robot, a particle filter unit which determines the poses and weights of current particles by applying the detected pose variation to previous particles, and an evolution unit which updates the poses and weights of the current particles by applying an evolution algorithm to the poses and weights of the current particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Harbin Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Bing rong Hong, Rong hua Luo, Mao hai Li, Seok-won Bang, Yeon-ho Kim, Hyeon Myeong
  • Patent number: 8521329
    Abstract: An obstruction-determining apparatus for preventing a mobile robot from being obstructed in a niche and a boundary-estimation method and medium using the obstruction-determining apparatus are disclosed. More particularly, an obstruction-determining apparatus which can determine whether a mobile robot is obstructed in a niche, and enable a mobile robot to easily escape from an obstacle if the mobile robot is determined to be obstructed in the niche, and a boundary-estimation method and medium for estimating the boundaries of an obstacle with a niche using the obstruction-determining apparatus. The obstruction-determining apparatus includes a contact module which collides with an obstacle above the mobile robot, a contact-operating module which rotates or moves linearly as a result of the collision between the contact module and the obstacle, and a sensing module which detects the rotation or the linear movement of the contact-operating module and determines whether the mobile robot is obstructed in a niche.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ji-young Park, Seok-won Bang, Eun-Young Choi
  • Patent number: 8467902
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for estimating the pose of a mobile robot using a particle filter is provided. The apparatus includes an odometer which detects a variation in the pose of a mobile robot, a feature-processing module which extracts at least one feature from an upward image captured by the mobile robot, and a particle filter module which determines current poses and weights of a plurality of particles by applying the mobile robot pose variation detected by the odometer and the feature extracted by the feature-processing module to previous poses and weights of the particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyeon Myeong, Woo-Yeon Jeong, Seok-Won Bang
  • Patent number: 8463436
    Abstract: Provided is an apparatus, method, and medium for allowing a mobile robot to simultaneously perform a cleaning process and a map-creating process. The apparatus includes a feature-map-creating unit creating a feature map for recognizing the position of a mobile robot; a path-map-creating unit creating a path map including a plurality of cells, each having information about whether an obstacle exists and path information, on the basis of information on the pose of the mobile robot that is obtained from the feature map; and a motion-control unit moving the mobile robot on the basis of the information about whether the obstacle exists and the path information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Woo-yeon Jeong, Su-Jin Lee, Hyeon Myeong, Seok-Won Bang
  • Patent number: 8379966
    Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for recognizing the position of a mobile robot. The apparatus includes an image capturing unit which is loaded into a mobile robot and captures an image; an illuminance determining unit which determines illuminance at a position where an image is to be captured; a light-emitting unit which emits light toward the position; a light-emitting control unit which controls the light-emitting unit according to the determined illuminance; a driving control unit which controls the speed of the mobile robot according to the determined illuminance; and a position recognizing unit which recognizes the position of the mobile robot by comparing a pre-stored image to the captured image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Woo-yeon Jeong, Jun-ho Park, Seok-won Bang
  • Patent number: 8346389
    Abstract: A cleaning robot having a carpet detector and a method of detecting a carpet boundary using the same, in which the presence of the carpet on a floor is detected. The cleaning robot having a carpet detector includes a main body, a driver fixed to the main body to move the robot, and the carpet detector detecting a carpet when the robot is driven by the driver. The method of detecting a carpet boundary includes detecting a carpet using respective carpet detectors fixed to both wheels of a robot, obtaining a moving distance of the robot for an interval between times at which the respective carpet detectors detect the carpet, and calculating a boundary direction of the carpet with respect to a moving direction of the robot using the moving distance and the interval between the times at which the respective carpet detectors detect the carpet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yeon-ho Kim, Seok-won Bang, Joon-kee Cho
  • Patent number: 8326019
    Abstract: An apparatus, method, and medium for dividing regions by using feature points and a mobile robot cleaner using the same are provided. A method includes forming a grid map by using a plurality of grid points that are obtained by detecting distances of a mobile robot from obstacles; extracting feature points from the grid map; extracting candidate pairs of feature points, which are in the range of a region division element, from the feature points; extracting a final pair of feature points, which satisfies the requirements of the region division element, from the candidate pair of feature points; forming a critical line by connecting the final pair of feature points; and forming a final region in accordance with the size relationship between regions formed of a closed curve which connects the critical line and the grid map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Su-jinn Lee, Hyeon Myeong, Yong-beom Lee, Seok-won Bang
  • Patent number: 8315734
    Abstract: Provided are a robot capable of improving the computation rate by considering whether a parameter will diverge and modifying the experiment order of offspring during evolutionary computation, when the covariance of system noise and that of measurement noise are calculated for the purpose of localizing the robot by using a Kalman filter, and a method and medium of localizing a robot by using a calculated covariance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyeon Myeong, Yong-beom Lee, Seok-won Bang, Hyoung-ki Lee, Ki-wan Choi, Eun-young Choe
  • Patent number: 8255081
    Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and method of calculating the position of a robot, which determine the position of a robot and create a map of the surroundings of the robot which account for the travel state of the robot. The apparatus includes a state variable calculation module which calculates a plurality of state variables regarding a travel state of the robot by using a plurality of Kalman filters; a travel state determination module which determines the travel state of the robot based on the results of the calculation performed by the state variable calculation module; and a state variable update module which updates the state variables according to the result of the determination performed by the travel state determination module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyoung-Ki Lee, Ki-Wan Choi, Ji-Young Park, Seok-Won Bang
  • Patent number: 8195331
    Abstract: A method, medium, and apparatus for performing path planning of a mobile robot is provided. The apparatus for performing path planning of a mobile robot includes a coarse map generation unit to generate a coarse map composed of a plurality of cells; a fine map generation unit to generate a fine map composed of a plurality of sub-cells into which at least one of the plurality of cells is divided, and a path generation unit to control the fine map generation unit to generate the fine map with respect to a specified position in the coarse map generated through the coarse map generation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyeon Myeong, Seok-won Bang
  • Patent number: 8175337
    Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and method of measuring a distance using structured light. The apparatus includes a binarization unit binarizing an image, an image identification unit identifying an image having connected pixels in the binarized image, a length ratio calculation unit obtaining the length ratio of the major axis of the image having the connected pixels to a minor axis perpendicular to the major axis, a pixel mean calculation unit obtaining the mean of pixel values of the image having the connected pixels, and an image extraction unit extracting an image formed by the light irradiated from the light source, from the images having connected pixels using the length ratio and the mean of the pixel values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong-ryeol Park, Woo-yeon Jeong, Seok-won Bang, Hyoung-ki Lee
  • Patent number: 8165717
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and medium for correcting a pose of a moving robot are provided. The method includes sensing an entrance using a distance-sensing sensor mounted on the moving robot, storing first distance data of the sensed entrance, after the moving robot travels, newly sensing the entrance using the distance-sensing sensor, and correcting the pose of the moving robot using the first distance data and second distance data corresponding to the entrance newly sensed after the moving robot travels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong-jo Kim, Hyong-ki Lee, Dong-ryeol Park, Seok-won Bang
  • Patent number: 8135562
    Abstract: Provided are a system, method and medium calibrating a gyrosensor of a mobile robot. The system includes a camera to obtain image data of a fixed environment, a rotation angle calculation unit to calculate a plurality of angular velocities of a mobile robot based on an analysis of the image data, a gyrosensor to output a plurality of pieces of raw data according to rotation inertia of the mobile robot and a scale factor calculation unit to calculate a scale factor that indicates the relationship between the pieces of raw data and the angular velocities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyoung-Ki Lee, Ki-Wan Choi, Ji-Young Park, Seok-Won Bang, Sung-Kyung Hong
  • Publication number: 20120029698
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method, apparatus, and medium for estimating a pose of a moving robot using a particle filter. A method for estimating a pose of a moving robot using a particle filter according to an embodiment of the invention includes a detecting a change in pose of the mobile robot and calculating a pose of the current particle by applying the detected change in pose to the previous particle, predicting the probability of the pose of the current particle and obtaining a weight of the current particle on the basis of range data obtained by a sensor and map information, resampling the current particle on the basis of the weight, and adjusting the weight in consideration of an error of the sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Hyeon MYEONG, Seok-won Bang, Dong-geon Kong, Su-jinn Lee
  • Patent number: 8060254
    Abstract: Provided are a method, apparatus, and medium for building a grid map in a mobile robot and a method, apparatus, and medium for cell decomposition using the grid map building method and apparatus. A mobile robot for building a grid map includes a grid map building unit obtaining grid points by sensing a distance to an external space or obstacle, and building a grid map, a feature point extraction unit extracting feature points from the grid points, a feature point update unit estimating the pose of the robot after the robot moves, and obtaining updated feature points by SLAM (Simultaneous Localization And Map building) algorithm, a transform formula calculation unit calculating a transform formula that transforms feature points extracted by the feature point extraction unit into feature points updated by the feature point update unit, and a grid map update unit updating the grid map according to the obtained formula.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyeon Myeong, Dong-geon Kong, Su-jinn Lee, Seok-won Bang
  • Patent number: 8060256
    Abstract: Provided are an apparatus allowing a moving robot to localize a user, or localizing the moving robot from a fixed location, and a method and medium thereof. The apparatus includes a motion controller to control the moving robot such that the sensor passes a plurality of measurement points by rotating the moving robot, a distance measuring unit, which includes the sensor that senses predetermined waves generated from the transmitter, to measure distances between the sensor and the transmitter at the plurality of measurement points, a rotational angle measuring unit to measure rotational angles of the moving robot at the measurement points, and a location calculator to calculate relative locations using input values of the measured distances, the measured rotational angles, and the radius of a circle determined by the sensor resulting from the rotation of the moving robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong-geon Kong, Seok-won Bang, Hyeon Myeong
  • Patent number: 8055382
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method, apparatus, and medium for estimating a pose of a moving robot using a particle filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyeon Myeong, Seok-won Bang, Dong-geon Kong, Su-jinn Lee