JP6331971B2 - Self-propelled vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a self-propelled cleaner.

  In a conventional self-propelled cleaner, an external induction device that generates an induction signal of a predetermined frequency and a circuit that is connected to the external induction device and goes around the room along the wall or furniture of the room are arranged. A flexible wire or a signal line which is a metal tape, a traveling means for moving the cleaner body, a distance measuring means for detecting the distance to a wall or an obstacle, and an electromagnetic wave And a control means for controlling the travel means based on the output signals of the distance measurement means and the signal detection means, and the control means is configured such that the induction signal of the signal detection part detected by electromagnetic induction is at a predetermined level. What moves a vacuum cleaner main body along a signal line so that it may become is known (for example, refer to patent documents 1).

JP 2010-102603 A

  However, in the conventional self-propelled cleaner shown in Patent Document 1, in order for the self-propelled cleaner to make a round along the wall of the room without colliding with a wall surface or an obstacle, A signal line must be installed to go around the circuit.

  This invention was made in order to solve such a problem, and it is not necessary to install special equipment such as a signal line so as to go around the room in advance. Thus, a self-propelled cleaner that can self-propelled and clean the room without colliding the wall or an obstacle with the self-propelled cleaner is obtained.

In the self-propelled cleaner according to the present invention, a main body, moving means for moving the main body with respect to the surface to be cleaned, steering means for changing the moving direction of the main body with respect to the surface to be cleaned by the moving means, A cleaning unit that cleans the surface to be cleaned, an imaging unit that is provided in the main body and captures an image of the situation around the main body as an image, and a movement of the main body by the moving unit from an image captured by the imaging unit Obstacle recognition means for recognizing an obstacle obstructing the object, and distance calculation means for calculating a distance from the main body to the obstacle recognized by the obstacle recognition means using an image photographed by the photographing means When, using the distance to the obstacle calculated by said distance calculation means, said moving means, and a main body control means for controlling the steering means and the cleaning means, the photographing hand Includes one camera, and the main body includes camera moving means for moving the camera to a first position and a second position different from the first position, and the camera moving means includes the first position The distance calculating means moves the camera to the first position and the second position without changing the angle of the shooting direction of the camera with respect to a line connecting the position 1 and the second position. Is an obstacle recognized by the obstacle recognition means from the main body using an image taken by the camera at the first position and an image taken by the camera at the second position. It is set as the structure which calculates the distance to .

  In the self-propelled cleaner according to the present invention, the self-propelled cleaner needs to know the distance to the wall surface or obstacle without having to install special equipment such as signal lines so as to go around the room in advance. The self-propelled cleaner does not collide with the wall surface or the obstacle, and the inside of the room can be self-propelled and cleaned.

It is a perspective view which shows the whole self-propelled cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is the perspective view which looked at the self-propelled cleaner concerning Embodiment 1 of this invention from the bottom side. It is a side view of the self-propelled cleaner concerning Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure explaining the movable range of the arm with which the self-propelled cleaner concerning Embodiment 1 of this invention is provided. It is a top view of the room where the self-propelled cleaner and the charging station according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention are arranged. It is a figure which shows an example of the mark provided in the charging station which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the self-propelled cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure explaining the 1st method of the distance measurement to the target object in the self-propelled cleaner concerning Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure explaining the 2nd method of the distance measurement to the target object in the self-propelled cleaner concerning Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure explaining the 2nd method of the distance measurement to the target object in the self-propelled cleaner concerning Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure explaining the 3rd method of the distance measurement to the target object in the self-propelled cleaner concerning Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure explaining the distance measuring method to the charging station in the self-propelled cleaner concerning Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure explaining the distance measuring method to the charging station in the self-propelled cleaner concerning Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure explaining the movement operation | movement of the self-propelled cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure explaining turning operation | movement of the self-propelled cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure explaining the self-machine position detection operation | movement of the self-propelled cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure explaining the detection operation | movement of the cleaning object area | region of the self-propelled cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure explaining the cleaning operation | movement of the self-propelled cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure explaining the obstruction movement operation | movement of the self-propelled cleaner which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention.

  The present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals denote the same or corresponding parts throughout the drawings. The overlapping description of the same reference numerals will be simplified or omitted as appropriate.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
1 to 18 relate to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the entire self-propelled cleaner, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the self-propelled cleaner as viewed from the bottom side. 3 is a side view of the self-propelled cleaner, FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the movable range of the arm provided in the self-propelled cleaner, and FIG. 5 is an upper surface of the room where the self-propelled cleaner and the charging station are arranged. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a mark provided on the charging station, FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the self-propelled cleaner, and FIG. 8 is a distance to an object in the self-propelled cleaner. FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 are diagrams for explaining a first method of measurement, FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 are diagrams for explaining a second method of distance measurement to an object in a self-propelled cleaner, and FIG. 11 is an object in a self-propelled cleaner. FIGS. 12 and 13 are diagrams for explaining a third method for measuring the distance to the charging station in the self-propelled cleaner. FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining a moving operation of a self-propelled cleaner, FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining a turning operation of the self-propelled cleaner, and FIG. 16 is a self-propelled cleaner. FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining the detection operation of the cleaning target area of the self-propelled cleaner, and FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining the cleaning operation of the self-propelled cleaner.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the self-propelled cleaner according to the present invention includes a main body 100, an arm 200, and a camera 300. The main body 100 has a substantially disk-shaped outer shape. An arm 200 is attached to the center of the upper surface of the main body 100. A camera 300 is attached to the tip of the arm 200.

  As shown in FIG. 2, an intake nozzle 101 is formed at a position closer to the front in the bottom surface of the main body 100. The intake nozzle 101 is connected to a dust collection bag 103 housed in substantially the center of the main body 100 through an air passage 102 provided in the main body 100. A blower 104 is provided behind the dust bag 103 inside the main body 100. Due to the negative pressure generated by the blower 104, dust can be sucked from the intake nozzle 101 into the dust bag 103. The intake nozzle 101 is provided with a rotating brush (not shown).

  A pair of drive wheels 105 are provided near the left and right sides of the bottom surface of the main body 100. These drive wheels 105 protrude downward from an opening provided in the bottom surface of the main body 100 and are provided on the floor surface to be cleaned so as to be grounded. The pair of drive wheels 105 are arranged so as to be symmetric with respect to the left and right center line of the main body 100. The pair of drive wheels 105 are independently driven by a motor (not shown). Each drive wheel 105 can rotate in both forward and reverse directions independently of each other.

  Two auxiliary wheels 106 are further provided on the bottom surface of the main body 100. One of the auxiliary wheels 106 is disposed at a position between the intake nozzle 101 and the dust bag 103 on the left and right center line of the main body 100. Another auxiliary wheel 106 is disposed on the rear side of the main body 100 on the left-right center line. These auxiliary wheels 106 are attached to the main body 100 so as to be freely changeable in direction. The main body 100 is supported by a driving wheel 105 and an auxiliary wheel 106 on a floor surface to be cleaned.

  Next, the configuration of the arm 200 will be described with reference to FIG. The arm 200 is attached to the center of the upper surface portion of the main body 100 via the turning mechanism 201. The turning mechanism 201 rotates with respect to the main body 100 about an axis perpendicular to the upper surface portion of the main body 100. The turning mechanism 201 can rotate with respect to the main body 100 within a predetermined angle range (for example, 360 °). With this turning mechanism 201, the direction of the arm 200 attached to the upper part of the turning mechanism 201 with respect to the main body 100 can be changed.

  A first arm portion 202 is provided on the upper part of the turning mechanism 201 so as to protrude upward. A second arm unit 204 is attached to the upper end of the first arm unit 202 via a first joint 203. The angle formed by the first arm unit 202 and the second arm unit 204 can be changed within a predetermined angle range via the first joint 203.

  A third arm portion 206 is connected to an end portion of the second arm portion 204 opposite to the first joint 203 via a second joint 205. The angle formed by the second arm unit 204 and the third arm unit 206 can be changed within a predetermined angle range via the second joint 205.

  A grip 208 is attached to the end of the third arm 206 opposite to the second joint 205 via a third joint 207. For example, the grip portion 208 includes a pair of finger portions. The grip portion 208 can grip various objects by changing the interval between the pair of finger portions. The third joint 207 has a direction of the grip portion 208 with respect to the third arm portion 206 around the axis parallel to the longitudinal direction of the third arm portion 206 (that is, the direction of a pair of fingers of the grip portion 208). Can be rotated.

  A camera 300 is attached to the distal end portion of the arm 200, that is, the grip portion 208. Here, the camera 300 is disposed between a pair of finger portions in the grip portion 208.

  With the arm 200 and the camera 300 configured as described above, the position of the camera 300 with respect to the main body 100 can be changed within the movable range of the arm 200. An example is shown in FIG. FIG. 4 shows an example in which the position of the camera 300 is changed by the arm 200 while maintaining the shooting direction of the camera 300 in the front horizontal direction.

  When the arm 200 is moved to the state (a) shown in FIG. 4, the position of the camera 300 can be lowered to the lowest. Further, by setting the arm 200 to the state shown in FIG. 4B, the position of the camera 300 can be made highest. Then, by setting the arm 200 to the state shown in FIG. 4C, the position of the camera 300 can be intermediate (middle) between the lowest position of (a) and the highest position of (b). If the arm 200 is in the state shown in FIG. 4D, the position of the camera 300 can be moved to the rearmost position. Although not shown here, the angle formed by the first arm portion 202 and the second arm portion 204 is a right angle, and the second arm portion 204 and the third arm portion 206 are directed forward. If it extends so that it may become linear, the position of the camera 300 can be brought to the forefront.

  FIG. 5 shows an example in which the self-propelled cleaner (main body 100) configured as described above is arranged inside the room 400 to be cleaned. As shown in FIG. 5, a charging station 500 is installed inside a room 400 that is a cleaning target area. Electric power for driving the main body 100 of the self-propelled cleaner is provided by a battery built in the main body 100. The charging station 500 is a charging device for charging a battery built in the main body 100.

  The charging station 500 and the main body 100 are provided with terminals that can be electrically connected to each other. Then, when the main body 100 comes close to the charging station 500 and connects the terminals, charging from the charging station 500 to the built-in battery of the main body 100 is performed. The charging station 500 is connected to a commercial power source by a household outlet or the like.

  For example, a mark 501 having a predetermined shape and size as shown in FIG. 6 is attached to the surface of the charging station 500. This mark 501 is arranged at a position where it can be seen from various directions and positions of the charging station 500. A plurality of marks 501 may be provided on the charging station 500. In this case, it is desirable to determine the positions of the plurality of marks 501 so that only one mark 501 can be seen from any position.

  Next, a functional configuration of the control system of the main body 100, the arm 200, and the camera 300 of the self-propelled cleaner will be described with reference to FIG. Note that each function described below is implemented by a control board or the like housed in the main body 100.

  The operation of the arm 200 including the grip 208 is controlled by the arm controller 601. The camera 300 is provided in the main body 100 and constitutes a photographing means for photographing the situation around the main body 100 as an image. As described above, the camera 300 is provided in the grip 208 at the tip of the arm 200, and the position of the camera 300 and the shooting direction of the camera 300 can be changed by the arm 200.

  Therefore, the arm 200 constitutes a camera moving unit that moves the camera 300 to a first position and a second position different from the first position. The arm 200 also constitutes a shooting angle changing unit that changes the angle of the shooting direction of the camera with respect to a line connecting the first position and the second position.

  An image photographed by the camera 300 as the photographing means is input to the image identification unit 602. The image identification unit 602 processes an image photographed by the camera 300 and identifies individual objects photographed in the image. The obstacle recognition unit 603 determines whether each object identified by the image identification unit 602 is an obstacle that hinders movement. That is, the image identification unit 602 and the obstacle recognition unit 603 constitute an obstacle recognition unit that recognizes an obstacle that hinders the movement of the main body 100 from an image taken by the camera 300 that is a photographing unit.

  In addition, the charging station recognition unit 604 determines whether each object identified by the image identification unit 602 is the charging station 500. That is, the image identifying unit 602 and the charging station recognizing unit 604 constitute charging device recognition means for recognizing the charging station 500 that is a charging device from an image photographed by the camera 300 that is photographing means.

  Here, as described above, the mark 501 having a predetermined shape and size is attached to the surface of the charging station 500. The charging station recognition unit 604 can determine whether or not the object is the charging station 500 by confirming whether or not the object identified by the image identification unit 602 is marked 501. That is, the charging device recognition unit can recognize the charging station 500 by identifying the mark 501 in the image taken by the camera 300.

  The distance calculation unit 605 uses the image captured by the camera 300 serving as an image capturing unit, from the main body 100 to the obstacle recognized by the obstacle recognition unit 603 and the charging station 500 recognized by the charging station recognition unit 604. The distance is calculated. Next, a method for calculating the distance from the main body 100 to the obstacle and the charging station 500 in the distance calculation unit 605 will be described.

  First, a first method for calculating the distance from the main body 100 to the obstacle and the charging station 500 will be described with reference to FIG. Although the case where the distance calculation target is the charging station 500 will be described here, the same applies to the case where the distance calculation target is an obstacle. In this first method, the arm 200 serves as both the camera moving means and the photographing angle changing means described above.

  Here, it is assumed that the first position and the second position where the camera 300 is disposed are positions separated by a height h in the vertical direction. The lower position is set as the first position, and the upper position is set as the second position. Note that the first position and the second position may be not only the vertical direction but also a position separated by a predetermined distance in the horizontal direction, for example.

  First, with the arm 200 as the camera moving means, the camera 300 is set so that the shooting direction is the front horizontal direction at the first position. In this state, the camera 300 takes a picture so that the charging station 500 enters the image. Next, the camera 300 is moved to the second position by the arm 200 as camera moving means. At this time, the position of the charging station 500 in the image taken by the camera 300 at the second position is determined by the parallax accompanying the movement of the camera from the first position to the second position. Moves from a position in the image taken at the first position.

  Therefore, the arm 200 functions as a photographing angle changing unit to change the photographing direction of the camera 300 at the second position downward from the horizontal, and the charging station 500 in the image photographed by the camera 300 at the first position. And the angle of the photographing direction of the camera 300 are adjusted so that the position of the charging station 500 in the image photographed by the camera 300 at the second position is the same. Let θ be the shooting angle of the camera 300 with respect to the horizontal direction when adjusted in this way. This angle θ can be said to be the difference in angle between the elevation angle of the camera 300 when the charging station 500 is imaged from the first position and the elevation angle when the charging station 500 is imaged from the second position.

  Here, the height h, which is the distance between the first position and the second position, and the angle θ adjusted by the arm 200, which is the photographing angle changing means, are known. The distance calculation unit 605 calculates the distance L from the main body 100 to the charging station 500 (or the obstacle) using the following (1) from the height h and the angle θ.

  L = h × (1 / tan θ) (1)

  Specifically, for example, when h = 30 cm and θ = 10 °, the distance L is calculated to be approximately 170 cm from L = 30 × (1 / tan10 °) obtained by substituting these values into the equation (1). be able to.

  Next, a second method for calculating the distance from the main body 100 to the obstacle and the charging station 500 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. Here, as in the first method, the case where the distance calculation target is the charging station 500 will be described, but the same applies even if the distance calculation target is an obstacle. In this second method, the arm 200 serves as the camera moving means described above.

  Also in this case, similarly to the first method, the first position and the second position where the camera 300 is disposed are positions separated by a height h in the vertical direction. The lower position is set as the first position, and the upper position is set as the second position. Note that the first position and the second position may be not only the vertical direction but also a position separated by a predetermined distance in the horizontal direction, for example.

  First, with the arm 200 as the camera moving means, the camera 300 is set so that the shooting direction is the front horizontal direction at the first position. In this state, the camera 300 takes a picture so that the charging station 500 enters the image. Next, the camera 300 is moved to the second position by the arm 200 as camera moving means. At this time, the position of the charging station 500 in the image photographed by the camera 300 is determined by the parallax accompanying the movement of the camera from the first position to the second position. Move from a position in the captured image.

  FIG. 10 shows a state of an image taken by the camera 300 at this time. FIG. 10A shows an image of the mark 501 of the charging station 500 taken when the camera 300 is in the first position. Then, in the image taken when the camera 300 is in the second position, as shown in FIG. 10 (b), it is lower by the movement amount X in the image than in FIG. 10 (a). Move to the side. This movement amount X can be measured, for example, in units of the number of pixels in the image.

  Here, similarly to the first method, the difference between the elevation angle of the camera 300 when the charging station 500 is photographed from the first position and the elevation angle when the charging station 500 is photographed from the second position. Is an angle θ, the movement amount X is directly proportional to tan θ. Therefore, when the proportionality coefficient is α, the following equation (2) is established.

  tan θ = X / α (2)

  Therefore, if the coefficient α is identified by measuring the movement amount X in a state in which the distance L between the main body 100 and the object is known in advance, the following equation is obtained by substituting the equation (2) into the equation (1). By using the expression (3), the distance calculation unit 605 uses the height h, which is the distance between the first position and the second position, and the movement amount X, from the main body 100 to the charging station 500. A distance L to (or an obstacle) can be calculated.

  L = h × (α / X) (3)

  When h is always constant, h × α can be handled as a constant β. In this case, the expression (3) can be simplified to the following expression (3 ').

  L = β / X (3 ')

  In both the first method and the second method for calculating the distance from the main body 100 to the obstacle and the charging station 500, the distance calculation unit 605 is taken by the camera 300 at the first position. Using the image and the image taken by the camera 300 at the second position, the distance from the main body 100 to the obstacle recognized by the obstacle recognition unit 603, or the main body 100 to the charging station recognition unit 604 The distance to the recognized charging station 500 is calculated.

  The first method includes an arm 200 as a photographing angle changing means for changing a photographing direction angle of the camera with respect to a line connecting the first position and the second position, and the photographing angle changing means. As an arm 200, the obstacle (or charging station 500) in the image taken by the camera 300 at the first position and the obstacle in the image taken by the camera 300 at the second position The angle of the shooting direction of the camera is adjusted so that the position of the object (or the charging station 500) is the same position, and the distance calculation unit 605 determines the distance h between the first position and the second position. And a distance to the obstacle (or the charging station 500) is calculated based on the angle θ adjusted by the photographing angle changing unit.

  In the second method, the distance calculation unit 605 is located at the position of the obstacle (or the charging station 500) in the image taken by the camera 300 at the first position and the second position. The distance to the obstacle (or charging station 500) is calculated based on the movement amount X in the image with the position of the obstacle (or charging station 500) in the image taken by the camera 300.

  In the above description, the case where one camera 300 as an imaging unit is moved to the first position and the second position by the arm 200 as a camera moving unit has been described. By moving the camera 300 in this way, the distance to an obstacle or the like can be calculated without providing a plurality of cameras 300. Note that the arm 200 described here can be used as the camera moving means. For example, you may make it provide the camera 300 so that a movement along a rail is possible. The photographing angle changing means is not limited to the arm 200, and other known mechanisms may be used. However, by using the arm 200, the position of the camera 300 can be changed more flexibly and easily over a wide range.

  Moreover, you may make it provide two cameras, a 1st camera and a 2nd camera, as an imaging | photography means, without providing a camera moving means. In this case, as a photographing means, a first camera provided in the main body 100 and a second camera provided in a position different from the installation location of the first camera in the main body 100 are provided. For example, the first camera is disposed at the first position, and the second camera is disposed at the second position.

  Then, the distance calculation unit 605 uses the image captured by the first camera and the image captured by the second camera, the obstacle recognized by the obstacle recognition unit 603 from the main body 100, or the main body The distance from 100 to the charging station 500 recognized by the charging station recognition unit 604 is calculated. Also in this case, the same method as the first method and the second method described above can be used. Further, according to such a configuration, it is not necessary to move the position of the camera when calculating the distance to the obstacle or the like.

  Next, a third method for calculating the distance from the main body 100 to the obstacle will be described with reference to FIG. The third method is a method that can be used for an obstacle that has been measured once from the main body 100 using the first method or the second method.

  That is, when the distance from the main body 100 is measured for the certain obstacle by the first method or the second method, the length X of the obstacle in the image taken by the camera 300 at that time is stored. Keep it. At this time, the length X of the obstacle to be stored may be the outer edge size of the obstacle or the distance between feature points in the obstacle (for example, the length of the front edge of the furniture).

  Here, the length X of the obstacle in the image photographed by the camera 300 and the distance L from the main body 100 to the obstacle are in an inversely proportional relationship similar to the equation (3 ′). Therefore, the distance calculation unit 605 can calculate the distance from the main body 100 to the obstacle by using this inversely proportional relationship for the obstacle that has calculated the distance to the main body 100 once.

  Finally, a fourth method for calculating the distance from the main body 100 to the charging station 500 will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. As described above, the mark 501 is attached to the surface of the charging station 500. The size of the mark 501 is a predetermined known value. Therefore, for example, the height h of the mark 501 shown in FIG. 12 is known.

  Also in this case, as in the case of the third method described above, the length X (FIG. 13) of the charging station 500 in the image taken by the camera 300 and the distance L from the main body 100 to the charging station 500 are: There is an inversely proportional relationship similar to equation (3 ′). Therefore, if the length X in the state where the distance L between the main body 100 and the charging station 500 is known is measured in advance, the height h of the mark 501 does not change. Thus, the distance calculation unit 605 can calculate the distance from the main body 100 to the charging station 500.

  By appropriately using the first to fourth methods as described above, the distance calculation unit 605 can detect the obstacle recognized by the obstacle recognition unit 603 from the main body 100 or the charging station recognition unit from the main body 100. The distance to the charging station 500 recognized by 604 is calculated.

  The description of the control system of the self-propelled cleaner will be continued with reference back to FIG. The main body control unit 606 controls the moving unit 607, the steering unit 608, and the cleaning unit 609 using the distance to the obstacle calculated by the distance calculation unit 605 as described above. The moving means 607 is means for moving the main body 100 relative to the floor surface to be cleaned. Steering means 608 is means for changing the moving direction of the main body 100 relative to the floor surface, which is the surface to be cleaned, by the moving means 607. Here, specifically, the moving means 607 and the steering means 608 are configured by the drive wheels 105 provided in the main body 100.

  That is, as described above, the pair of drive wheels 105 can independently rotate in both forward and reverse directions. Therefore, the main body 100 can be moved forward and backward by rotating the two drive wheels 105 in the same direction. In addition, by rotating the two driving wheels 105 in the same direction and reducing the rotational speed of one of the driving wheels 105 from the other, the main body 100 is moved while changing the moving direction of the main body 100 toward the driving wheel 105 having a lower rotational speed. Can be made. Furthermore, by rotating one drive wheel 105 and stopping the other drive wheel 105, the main body 100 can be moved to the side of the stopped drive wheel 105 while changing the moving direction of the main body 100 ( Noble turn). Then, by rotating the two drive wheels 105 in opposite directions, the main body 100 can be turned on the spot.

  The cleaning unit 609 is a unit that cleans the floor surface to be cleaned. Specifically, the cleaning means 609 is configured by the intake nozzle 101, the air passage 102, the dust bag 103, and the blower 104 (and the rotating brush provided on the intake nozzle 101) provided in the main body 100. The main body control unit 606 controls the operation of the cleaning unit mainly by controlling the operation of the blower 104 (and the rotating brush).

  Control of the moving unit 607, the steering unit 608, and the cleaning unit 609 using the distance to the obstacle by the main body control unit 606 will be described with reference to FIGS. First, FIG. 14 shows that the main body control unit 606 sets the moving unit 607 and the steering unit 608 so that the distance to the obstacle calculated by the distance calculating unit 605 maintains a predetermined first reference distance. It is an example in the case of controlling.

  In the example shown in FIG. 14, the wall surface 401 of the room 400 is on the upper side in the drawing. Then, the obstacle recognizing unit 603 recognizes the wall surface 401 as an obstacle based on the image taken by the camera 300. The distance calculation unit 605 calculates the distance between the wall surface 401 that is an obstacle and the main body 100. The main body control unit 606 controls the moving unit 607 and the steering unit 608 so that the distance between the main body 100 and the wall surface 401 calculated by the distance calculation unit 605 maintains a predetermined first reference distance.

  That is, if the distance between the main body 100 and the wall surface 401 calculated by the distance calculation unit 605 is longer than the first reference distance, the main body control unit 606 controls the moving unit 607 and the steering unit 608, that is, the driving wheel 105. Then, the main body 100 is moved in a direction approaching the wall surface 401.

  When the distance between the main body 100 and the wall surface 401 calculated by the distance calculation unit 605 becomes the first reference distance, the main body control unit 606 controls the moving unit 607 and the steering unit 608, and The main body 100 is moved in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the wall surface 401 is detected when viewed from the main body 100.

  That is, the distance between the main body 100 on the leftmost side and the wall surface 401 in the drawing of FIG. 14 is X1, the distance between the main body 100 and the wall surface 401 in the middle in the drawing is X2, and the rightmost in the drawing. If the distance between the main body 100 and the wall surface 401 is X3, they are all equal to X1 = X2 = X3. By doing so, as shown in FIG. 14, the distance between the main body 100 and the wall surface 401 can be maintained at the first reference distance, and the main body 100 can be moved along the wall surface 401 in parallel with the wall surface 401. it can.

  Next, FIG. 15 illustrates that the main body control unit 606 uses the moving unit 607 when the distance to the obstacle calculated by the distance calculation unit 605 is equal to or less than a predetermined second reference distance. This is an example in which the movement of the main body 100 is stopped and the steering means 608 controls the movement direction of the main body 100 to be changed.

  In the example shown in FIG. 15, the wall surface 401 of the room 400 is on the upper side and the right side in the drawing. A corner portion 402 is formed at a location where these two wall surfaces 401 intersect. When the main body 100 that has moved along the upper wall surface 401 toward FIG. 15 reaches the corner portion 402 of the room 400 by the control described above, the main body 100 approaches the right wall surface 401 toward FIG. To do.

  In such a case, the obstacle recognizing unit 603 recognizes the right wall surface 401 as an obstacle from the image taken by the camera 300. The distance calculation unit 605 calculates the distance between the right wall 401 that is an obstacle and the main body 100. When the distance between the main body 100 calculated by the distance calculation section 605 and the right wall surface 401 becomes a predetermined second reference distance, the main body control section 606 first moves the main body 100 by the moving means 607. Stop. Next, the moving direction of the main body 100 is changed by the steering means 608. Specifically, the pair of drive wheels 105 are rotated in opposite directions, and the main body 100 is turned on the spot.

  As described above, by performing the control described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15, the main body 100 is moved along the wall surface 401 and the furniture without colliding with the wall surface 401 and the furniture that are obstacles. Can do. Therefore, the main body 100 can be moved along the outer edge of the cleanable area in the room 400 that is the area to be cleaned.

  The value of the second reference distance can be set regardless of the value of the first reference distance. However, it is not hindered to make the second reference distance equal to the first reference distance. Further, during the control of the moving means 607 and the steering means 608 described above, the main body control unit 606 may operate the cleaning means 609 to clean the floor surface.

  The description of the control system of the self-propelled cleaner will be continued with reference back to FIG. The relative position detection unit 610 detects the relative position of the obstacle with respect to the main body 100 using the distance to the obstacle calculated by the distance calculation unit 605. More specifically, based on the distance to the obstacle calculated by the distance calculation unit 605 and the direction in which the obstacle is detected when viewed from the main body 100, the relative position detection unit 610 detects the obstacle with respect to the main body 100. Distances and directions, i.e. relative positions. The relative position of the obstacle with respect to the main body 100 detected by the relative position detection unit 610 is stored in the storage unit 612 included in the main body 100.

  The relative position detector 610 detects the relative position of the charging station 500 with respect to the main body 100 using the distance to the charging station 500 calculated by the distance calculator 605. As in the case of the previous obstacle, more specifically, based on the distance to the charging station 500 calculated by the distance calculating unit 605 and the direction in which the charging station 500 is detected when viewed from the main body 100, the relative The position detection unit 610 identifies the distance and direction of the charging station 500 relative to the main body 100, that is, the relative position. The relative position of the charging station 500 with respect to the main body 100 detected by the relative position detection unit 610 is also stored in the storage unit 612 included in the main body 100.

  Based on the obstacles stored in the storage unit 612 and the relative position of the charging station 500 with respect to the main body 100, the absolute position detection unit 611 determines the absolute position of each obstacle in the room 400 that is the area to be cleaned. To detect. The “absolute position” here is a position specified and grasped in a coordinate system in which the position of the charging station 500 is set as a reference point, that is, a coordinate origin, in the room 400 that is the cleaning target area.

  If the relative positions of the obstacles and the charging station 500 with respect to the main body 100 when the main body 100 is at the same position in the room 400 are known, the relative positions of the obstacles with respect to the charging station 500, for example, by position vector calculation, etc. The absolute position here can be obtained. In this way, the absolute position detection unit 611 performs charging in the cleaning target region (room 400) based on the relative position of the obstacle and the charging station 500 detected by the relative position detection unit 610. The absolute position of the obstacle with respect to the station 500 is detected. The absolute position of each obstacle detected by the absolute position detection unit 611 is stored in the storage unit 612.

  The own position detection unit 613 detects the position of the main body 100 based on the control results of the moving unit 607 and the steering unit 608 by the main body control unit 606. That is, the own device position detection unit 613 grasps at any time how much distance has moved from a certain starting point by the moving unit 607 and the steering unit 608, so that the position of the own device relative to the starting point is determined. Is detected.

  At this time, by setting the starting point serving as a reference for the position detection of the own device to the charging station 500, the own device position can be grasped from the absolute position with respect to the charging station 500. In other words, the own device position can be handled in the same coordinate system as the absolute position of each obstacle detected by the absolute position detection unit 611 stored in the storage unit 612.

  In addition, own device position correction unit 614 corrects the position of main body 100 detected by own device position detection unit 613 based on the relative position of the charging station with respect to main body 100 detected by relative position detection unit 610. .

  As described above, when the starting point serving as a reference for detecting the position of the own device is the charging station 500, the own device position detected by the own device position detecting unit 613 is grasped by the absolute position, that is, the relative position with respect to the charging station 500. Is done. Therefore, in this case, ideally, the own device position detected by the own device position detection unit 613 is always an inverse vector of the relative position of the charging station 500 with respect to the main body 100 detected by the relative position detection unit 610. It will be in a relationship.

  In view of this, the own device position correction unit 614 detects the own device position detected by the own device position detection unit 613 when a predetermined condition is satisfied, and the charging station for the main body 100 detected by the relative position detection unit 610. Correction is performed so that the inverse vector of the relative position of 500 is obtained. The conditions for executing the own machine position correction include, for example, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the previous own machine position correction was performed or when the obstacle recognition unit 603 is in the moving direction of the main body 100. This may be the case when an obstacle is recognized.

  Here, in order to detect the relative position of the charging station 500 with respect to the main body 100, the charging station 500 needs to be recognized by the charging station recognition unit 604. Therefore, when the position correction is performed, first, the main body 100 is turned on the spot by the steering means 608, or the arm 200 is turned with respect to the main body 100 by the turning mechanism 201. Photographing is performed with the camera 300 in all directions, and a direction in which the charging station 500 is located is searched.

  Note that the size determination unit 615 shown in FIG. 7 is not necessarily provided in the first embodiment. The size determination unit 615 will be described in the second embodiment.

  Next, an example of the flow of the cleaning operation by the self-propelled cleaner configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 to 18. Here, as shown in these drawings, it is assumed that a table, a sofa, and television furniture and home appliances are arranged as obstacles in a room 400 that is an area to be cleaned.

  When cleaning is started, first, as shown in FIG. 16, the main body 100 starts from the position where the charging station 500 is located in the room 400, and the wall surface of the room 400 is controlled according to the control described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15. And move along furniture. At this time, the route along which the main body 100 has moved is stored using the detection result by the own device position detection unit 613. At this time, each time the above-described condition (for example, the elapse of a certain time) is satisfied, the own device position correction unit 614 corrects the own device position detection result by the own device position detection unit 613.

  As described above, the main body 100 moves along the wall surface 401, the furniture, and the like without colliding with the wall surface, the furniture, and the like that are obstacles, and along the outer edge of the cleanable region in the room 400 that is the cleaning target region. Moving. As shown in FIG. 17, when the main body 100 returns to the position of the charging station 500 that is the starting point, the area surrounded by the movement path of the main body 100 so far is recognized as a cleanable area.

  At this time, the absolute position detection unit 611 detects the absolute position of each obstacle recognized by the obstacle recognition unit 603 before the main body 100 returns to the charging station 500. Then, the absolute position of each detected obstacle is stored. In this manner, first, the cleanable area in the room 400 and each obstacle in the room 400 are grasped at the absolute position with reference to the charging station 500. Note that the outer edge of the cleanable area may be cleaned by operating the cleaning means 609 during the above movement.

  And the main body 100 cleans the inside of the cleanable area | region in the room 400 grasped | ascertained as mentioned above. At this time, as shown in FIG. 18, the operation of the main body 100 is performed so that the main body 100 passes through and is cleaned at least once for each portion inside the cleanable region by combining predetermined traveling patterns. Is controlled. In this way, when cleaning has been completed at all locations inside the cleanable area, the main body control unit 606 determines that the cleaning of the room 400 that is the area to be cleaned has been completed.

  When it is determined that the cleaning of the interior of the room 400 has been completed, the position of the charging station 500 is grasped by using the turning of the arm 200 by the turning mechanism 201 or the turning of the main body 100 by the steering means 608. Then, the main body control unit 606 controls the moving unit 607 and the steering unit 608 to return the main body 100 to the charging station 500. Alternatively, since the charging station 500 is the origin in the absolute position coordinate system, the main body control unit 606 moves the moving unit 607 and the steering unit 608 so as to return from the current position of the main body 100 detected by the own position detection unit 613 to the original point. May be controlled to return the main body 100 to the charging station 500.

  If it is detected during cleaning that the voltage of the battery built in the main body 100 has dropped below a specified value, the cleaning is interrupted and the main body 100 is returned to the charging station 500 to charge the built-in battery. May be performed.

  The self-propelled cleaner configured as described above has a main body 100, a moving means 607 that moves the main body 100 relative to the surface to be cleaned, and a steering that changes the moving direction of the main body 100 relative to the surface to be cleaned by the moving means 607. From the means 608, the cleaning means 609 for cleaning the surface to be cleaned, the camera 300 that is provided in the main body 100 and that takes an image of the situation around the main body 100 as an image, and the image taken by the camera 300, the main body 100 from the main body 100 to the obstacle recognized by the obstacle recognition unit 603 using an obstacle recognition unit 603 that recognizes an obstacle that hinders movement by the moving means 607 of 100 and an image taken by the camera 300 Using the distance calculation unit 605 that calculates the distance and the distance to the obstacle calculated by the distance calculation unit 605, the moving unit 607 and the steering unit 60 And a main control unit 606 for controlling the cleaning means 609, those having a.

  For this reason, it is not necessary to install special equipment such as signal lines so as to go around the room in advance, and the self-propelled cleaner grasps the distance to the wall surface or obstacle, and is self-propelled to the wall surface or obstacle. The cleaner can run and clean in the room without colliding with the cleaner.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining an obstacle moving operation of the self-propelled cleaner according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
First, the functional configuration of the control system in the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7 which is also used in the description of the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, the size determination unit 615 is provided in the control system. The size determining unit 615 determines the size of the obstacle recognized by the obstacle recognizing unit 603 using an image taken by the camera 300 that is a photographing unit.

  The size of the obstacle can be calculated using, for example, the distance to the obstacle calculated by the distance calculation unit 605 and the size of the obstacle in the image taken by the camera 300. The size determination unit 615 calculates the size of the target obstacle in this way, and determines whether or not the calculated size of the obstacle is equal to or less than a predetermined reference size.

  This reference size is set as a reference whether or not the size allows the obstacle 200 to be grasped and lifted by the grip portion 208 of the arm 200. Specifically, for example, setting the reference size to a size smaller than the size of the main body 100 (for example, the size of a towel or a plastic bottle) can be considered.

  When the size of the obstacle 700 determined by the size determination unit 615 is equal to or less than the reference size, the arm control unit 601 holds the obstacle 700 by the grip unit 208 of the arm 200 and lifts the obstacle 700. 200 and the grip 208 are controlled. Then, the arm control unit 601 controls the arm 200 and the gripping unit 208 to move the obstacle 700 lifted by the arm 200 into an area that has already been cleaned by the cleaning unit 609 (FIG. 19).

At this time, when the area already cleaned by the cleaning unit 609 is not present around the main body 100, the main body control unit 606 lifts the obstacle 700 with the arm 200 and the floor surface to be cleaned. The moving means 607, the steering means 608 and the cleaning means 609 are controlled so as to clean them. Since this cleaning can newly create a cleaned area around the main body 100, the arm controller 601 moves the obstacle 700 lifted by the arm 200 into the cleaned area thus formed. The arm 200 and the grip 208 are controlled.
Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The self-propelled cleaner configured as described above has a main body 100, a moving means 607 that moves the main body 100 relative to the surface to be cleaned, and a steering that changes the moving direction of the main body 100 relative to the surface to be cleaned by the moving means 607. A means 608; a cleaning means 609 for cleaning the surface to be cleaned; an arm 200 provided in the main body 100 and having one or more joints and a grip portion 208 provided at the tip; and provided at the tip of the arm 200. , A camera 300 that is an imaging unit that captures an image of the situation around the main body 100, and an obstacle recognition unit that recognizes an obstacle that hinders movement by the moving unit 607 of the main body 100 from the image captured by the camera 300. 603 and a size determining unit 615 that determines the size of the obstacle recognized by the obstacle recognizing unit 603 using an image captured by the camera 300. When the size of the obstacle determined by the size determination unit 615 is equal to or smaller than a predetermined reference size, the arm 200 and the grip unit 208 are configured to grip and lift the obstacle by the grip unit 208 of the arm 200. An arm control unit 601 for controlling.

  In the conventional self-propelled cleaner as disclosed in Patent Document 1, when there is an obstacle that hinders the movement of the cleaner in an area that has not been cleaned yet, the obstacle is a human hand. It was not possible to clean the area until it was moved.

  On the other hand, according to the self-propelled cleaner according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in addition to being able to achieve the same effects as those of the first embodiment described above, in an area that has not yet been cleaned. A certain obstacle can be moved by the self-propelled cleaner to clean the area. At this time, the number of times the obstacle is moved can be minimized by moving the obstacle to the already cleaned area.

  Also, by cleaning with the obstacle lifted by the arm, even if there is no cleaned area around the body of the self-propelled cleaner, a new cleaned area is created and It is possible to minimize the number of times the obstacle is placed and the obstacle is moved.

  Furthermore, since the obstacle can be removed from the moving direction of the self-propelled cleaner before the self-propelled cleaner collides with the obstacle, the self-propelled cleaner does not collide with the obstacle. , Can self-propelled and clean the room.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Main body, 101 Intake nozzle, 102 Air path, 103 Dust collection bag, 104 Blower, 105 Driving wheel, 106 Auxiliary wheel, 200 arm, 201 Turning mechanism, 202 1st arm part, 203 1st joint, 204 2nd Arm part, 205 second joint, 206 third arm part, 207 third joint, 208 grip part, 300 camera, 400 room, 401 wall surface, 402 corner part, 500 charging station, 501 mark, 601 arm Control unit, 602 Image identification unit, 603 Obstacle recognition unit, 604 Charging station recognition unit, 605 Distance calculation unit, 606 Main body control unit, 607 Moving unit, 608 Steering unit, 609 Cleaning unit, 610 Relative position detection unit, 611 Absolute Position detection unit, 612 storage unit, 613 Own device position detection unit, 614 Own device position Correction unit, 615 size determination unit 700 obstacle

Claims (15)

The body,
Moving means for moving the body relative to the surface to be cleaned;
Steering means for changing a moving direction of the main body relative to the surface to be cleaned by the moving means;
Cleaning means for cleaning the surface to be cleaned;
A photographing means provided in the main body, for photographing the situation around the main body as an image;
Obstacle recognition means for recognizing an obstacle that hinders movement of the main body by the moving means from the image photographed by the photographing means;
Distance calculating means for calculating a distance from the main body to the obstacle recognized by the obstacle recognizing means using an image taken by the photographing means;
Using a distance to the obstacle calculated by the distance calculating means, and a main body control means for controlling the moving means, the steering means, and the cleaning means ,
The photographing means includes one camera,
The main body includes camera moving means for moving the camera to a first position and a second position different from the first position,
The camera moving means moves the camera between the first position and the second position without changing an angle of a shooting direction of the camera with respect to a line connecting the first position and the second position. Move to
The distance calculating means recognizes from the main body by the obstacle recognizing means using an image taken by the camera at the first position and an image taken by the camera at the second position. A self-propelled vacuum cleaner that calculates the distance to a given obstacle . The distance calculation means includes the position of the obstacle recognized by the obstacle recognition means in the image taken by the camera at the first position and the image taken by the camera at the second position. The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 1, wherein a distance to the obstacle is calculated based on a movement amount in the image with the position of the obstacle. A photographing angle changing means for changing an angle of a photographing direction of the camera with respect to a line connecting the first position and the second position;
The photographing angle changing means is photographed by the position of the obstacle recognized by the obstacle recognizing means in the image photographed by the camera at the first position and the camera at the second position. Adjust the angle of the shooting direction of the camera so that the position of the obstacle in the image is the same position,
The distance calculating unit calculates a distance to the obstacle based on a distance between the first position and the second position and an angle adjusted by the photographing angle changing unit. The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to 1 . Provided in front Symbol body further includes an arm having one or more joints,
The camera is provided at the tip of the arm ,
The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein the camera moving unit is configured by the arm . An arm provided on the main body and having two or more joints;
The camera is provided at the tip of the arm,
The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 3, wherein the camera moving means and the photographing angle changing means are constituted by the arm. A grip provided at the tip of the arm;
Size judging means for judging the size of the obstacle recognized by the obstacle recognizing means using the image taken by the photographing means;
When the size of the obstacle determined by the size determining means is equal to or smaller than a predetermined reference size, the arm and the gripping unit are configured to grip and lift the obstacle by the gripping unit of the arm. The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 4 or 5, further comprising arm control means for controlling The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 6 , wherein the arm control means controls the arm and the grip portion so that an obstacle lifted by the arm is moved into an area already cleaned by the cleaning means. The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 7 , further comprising a main body control means for controlling the moving means, the steering means, and the cleaning means so as to clean the surface to be cleaned while the obstacle is lifted by the arm. A charging device installed in the area to be cleaned;
Wherein the image captured by the imaging means, further comprising a charging device recognizing means for recognizing the charging device,
Said distance calculating means, using said image captured by the imaging means, any one of claims 1 to claim 8 for calculating the distance from the body to the charging device, which is recognized by the charging device recognizing unit Self-propelled vacuum cleaner as described in the paragraph. The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 9 , further comprising a relative position detecting unit that detects a relative position of the obstacle with respect to the main body using the distance to the obstacle calculated by the distance calculating unit. . The relative position detecting means detects the relative position of the charging device with respect to the main body using the distance to the charging device calculated by the distance calculating means,
Based on the relative position of the obstacle with respect to the main body and the charging device detected by the relative position detection means, the absolute position of the obstacle in the region based on the charging device is detected. The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 10 , further comprising an absolute position detecting means. Based on the control results of the moving means and the steering means by the main body control means, own position detection means for detecting the position of the main body,
Based on the relative position of the charging device relative to the main body detected by the relative position detection unit, wherein the ship position correcting means for correcting the position of the body detected by the own device location detection means, a further The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 11 provided. The charging device is marked with a predetermined shape,
The self-propelled cleaning according to any one of claims 9 to 12 , wherein the charging device recognition unit recognizes the charging device by identifying the mark in an image photographed by the photographing unit. Machine. The body control means, said distance wherein a distance to the obstacle calculated by the calculation means from claim 1 for controlling said moving means and said steering means to keep the first reference distance predetermined to claim 13 The self-propelled cleaner according to any one of the above. The main body control means stops the movement of the main body by the moving means when the distance to the obstacle calculated by the distance calculating means is equal to or less than a predetermined second reference distance, and the steering The self-propelled cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 14 , wherein the moving direction of the main body is changed by means.

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