Method for discharging plurality of batteries included in mobile robot, and mobile robot

1 . A method for discharging a first battery and a second battery included in a mobile robot, the method comprising:

determining that the mobile robot is to begin driving;

determining which of a plurality of predetermined intervals a charge amount of the first battery and a charge amount of the second battery at a time point of the determination fall within, respectively;

determining an interval to discharge the first battery based on which intervals the charge amount of the first battery and the charge amount of the second battery fall within; and

performing a switching operation to begin discharging of the second battery after the first battery has completed discharging in the determined interval, wherein the plurality of predetermined intervals comprises a normal operation interval, a return operation interval corresponding to a charge amount to return to a predetermined location, and a sleep operation interval, and wherein the determining of the interval comprises determining to discharge the first battery in the normal operation interval when the charge amount of the second battery falls within the normal operation interval or the return operation interval.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first battery is a battery predetermined to be discharged first.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined location is a location where at least one of the first battery or the second battery was charged, and wherein the mobile robot periodically performs, in the sleep operation interval, a wake-up operation using the first battery or the second battery according to a predetermined time interval and the switching operation to use a battery having a higher charge amount.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the determining which of the plurality of predetermined intervals the charge amount of the first battery and the charge amount of the second battery at the time point of the determination fall within, respectively, comprises:

determining that the first battery or the second battery falls within the normal operation interval when a voltage output of the first battery or the second battery is greater than a first voltage;

determining that the first battery or the second battery falls within the return operation interval when the voltage output of the first battery or the second battery is less than or equal to the first voltage and greater than a second voltage which is less than the first voltage; and

determining that the first battery or the second battery falls within the sleep operation interval when the voltage output of the first battery or the second battery is less than or equal to the second voltage.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the determining of the interval to discharge the first battery comprises determining to discharge the first battery in the normal operation interval and the return operation interval when both the charge amount of the first battery and the charge amount of the second battery fall within the normal operation interval.

6 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the determining of the interval to discharge the first battery comprises determining to discharge the first battery in the normal operation interval when the charge amount of the first battery falls within the normal operation interval and the charge amount of the second battery falls within the return operation interval.

7 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the determining of the interval to discharge the first battery comprises determining to discharge the first battery in the return operation interval when the charge amount of the first battery falls within the return operation interval.

8 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising determining to discharge until the charge amount of the second battery falls within the sleep operation interval.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

periodically performing the wake-up operation at predetermined time intervals in the sleep operation interval when the charge amount of the first battery and the charge amount of the second battery fall within the sleep operation interval;

determining which of the first battery and the second battery has a higher charge amount for each wake-up operation; and

determining to use the battery determined to have a higher charge amount.

10 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the determining of which of the plurality of predetermined intervals comprises determining a battery to be used to perform a return operation for the mobile robot to return to a predetermined location based on which interval the charge amount of the first battery and the charge amount of the second battery fall within.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the determining of the battery to be used to perform the return operation comprises determining the second battery as the battery to be used to perform the return operation when both the charge amount of the first battery and the charge amount of the second battery fall within the normal operation interval.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the determining of the battery to be used to perform the return operation comprises determining the first battery as the battery to be used to perform the return operation when the charge amount of the first battery falls within the normal operation interval and the charge amount of the second battery falls within the return operation interval.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the determining of the battery to be used to perform the return operation comprises determining the second battery as the battery to be used to perform the return operation when the charge amount of the first battery falls within the return operation interval.

14 . A mobile robot, comprising:

a first battery;

a second battery; and

a processor configured to:

determine that the mobile robot is to begin driving;

determine which of a plurality of predetermined intervals a charge amount of the first battery and a charge amount of the second battery at a time point of the determination fall within, respectively;

determine an interval to discharge the first battery based on which intervals the charge amount of the first battery and the charge amount of the second battery fall within; and

perform a switching operation to begin discharging of the second battery after the first battery has completed discharging in the determined interval, wherein the plurality of predetermined intervals comprises a normal operation interval, a return operation interval corresponding to a charge amount to return to a predetermined location, and a sleep operation interval, and wherein the processor is configured to determine to discharge the first battery in the normal operation interval when the charge amount of the second battery falls within the normal operation interval or the return operation interval.

15 . The mobile robot of claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to determine to discharge the first battery first.

16 . The mobile robot of claim 14 , the predetermined location is a location where at least one of the first battery or the second battery was charged, and wherein the processor is configured to periodically perform, in the sleep operation interval, a wake-up operation using the first battery or the second battery according to a predetermined time interval and the switching operation to use a battery having a higher charge amount.

17 . The mobile robot of claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to determine to discharge the first battery in the normal operation interval and the return operation interval when both the charge amount of the first battery and the charge amount of the second battery fall within the normal operation interval.

18 . The mobile robot of claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to determine to discharge the first battery in the normal operation interval when the charge amount of the first battery falls within the normal operation interval and the charge amount of the second battery falls within the return operation interval.

19 . The mobile robot of claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to determine to discharge the first battery in the return operation interval when the charge amount of the first battery falls within the return operation interval.

20 . A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a computer program for executing the method of claim 1 stored thereon.