CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0001302, filed on Jan. 4, 2019, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The disclosure relates to an apparatus and method of generating map data of a cleaning space, and for example, to an apparatus and method of generating map data of a cleaning space by identifying an object in the cleaning space and determining an identification value of a region of the map data.

2. Description of Related Art

An artificial intelligence (AI) system may refer to a computer system that implements human-level intelligence, and allows a machine to self-train, make decisions, and become smarter, unlike an existing rule-based smart system. The more an AI system is used, the greater its recognition rate and the more accurately a user's preferences may be understood. Thus, existing rule-based smart systems have been gradually replaced with deep-learning-based AI systems.

AI technology includes machine learning (e.g., deep learning) and element technologies using machine learning.

Machine learning refers to an algorithm technology in which a machine classifies and learns characteristics of input data by itself. Element technologies refer to technologies using a machine learning algorithm, such as deep learning, and may be divided into fields of linguistic understanding, visual understanding, reasoning/prediction, knowledge representation, operation control, etc.

AI technology is employed in various fields. For example, linguistic understanding refers to technology for recognizing, applying, and processing verbal/written language of a human and includes natural language processing, machine translation, a conversation system, question and answer, and voice recognition/synthesis. Visual understanding refers to technology for recognizing and processing objects as in human vision and includes object recognition, object tracking, image search, human recognition, scene understanding, space understanding, image improvement, etc. Reasoning/prediction refers to technology for determining information and executing logical reasoning and prediction and includes knowledge/probability-based reasoning, optimization prediction, preference-based planning, recommendation, etc. Knowledge representation refers to technology for automated processing of human experience information into knowledge data and includes knowledge construction (generating/classifying data), knowledge management (utilizing data), etc. Operation control refers to technology for controlling automated driving of a vehicle and motion of a robot and includes motion control (navigation, collision, driving), manipulation control (behavior control), etc.

A robotic cleaning apparatus needs to generate accurate map data of a cleaning space by determining identification values of divided regions of the cleaning space, and needs to be effectively controlled based on the generated map data.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the disclosure provide an apparatus and method of generating map data of a cleaning space, by which regions of the cleaning space may be divided and identification values for the divided regions may be determined.

In addition, example embodiments of the disclosure provide an apparatus and method of generating map data of a cleaning space, by which objects in the cleaning space are accurately recognized, thereby generating the map data using basic map data.

Moreover, example embodiments of the disclosure provide an apparatus and method of generating map data of a cleaning space, by which an object in the cleaning space and an identification value for a divided region may be determined using at least one AI model.

Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments of the disclosure.

According to an example aspect of the disclosure, a robotic cleaning apparatus that generates map data includes a communication interface comprising communication circuitry, a memory configured to store one or more instructions, and a processor configured to control the robotic cleaning apparatus by executing the one or more instructions, to: generate basic map data related to a cleaning space, generate object information regarding at least one object in the cleaning space, divide an area in the basic map data into a plurality of regions based on the object information, and determine identification values of the plurality of divided regions based on the object information.

According to another example aspect of the disclosure, a method, performed by a robotic cleaning apparatus, of generating map data includes: generating basic map data related to a cleaning space, generating object information regarding at least one object in the cleaning space, dividing an area in the basic map data into a plurality of regions based on the object information, and determining identification values for the plurality of divided regions based on the object information.

According to yet another example aspect of the disclosure, a computer program product including a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the method on a computer is provided.

