JP2013230294A - Self-travelling vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To correct a difference in cleaning degree between a part cleaned in a low suction operation mode and a part cleaned in a high suction operation mode.SOLUTION: A self-travelling vacuum cleaner includes: a dust sucking mechanism in which a suction force is switched to a plurality of levels; and a control part for controlling cleaning performance by running the self-travelling vacuum cleaner while operating the dust sucking mechanism and controlling switching of the suction force of the dust sucking mechanism during the performance of cleaning. The control part, on the basis of the trajectory of the parts travelled by the self-travelling vacuum cleaner and the suction force, controls frequency and speed of travelling each part.

Description

  The present invention relates to a self-propelled cleaner.

Self-propelled cleaners are known as so-called robot cleaners. General vacuum cleaners that are not robotic vacuum cleaners are mainly used by a user holding a hose with a suction port at one end to move it over the floor and sucking dust from the suction port. . The other end of the hose communicates with a so-called filter bag type or cyclone type dust collecting part, which collects and collects dust in the air sucked from the suction port and discharges the air. In contrast to such a general vacuum cleaner, the robot cleaner is provided with an autonomous running function in the vacuum cleaner body, and performs cleaning while running the vacuum cleaner unattended at night (for example, Patent Document 1 and 2).
Also, it is possible to set in advance a time zone such as nighttime when noise is anxious for the surrounding people, and when starting cleaning, if it is a preset time zone, the suction motor and brush There has been proposed a vacuum cleaner that performs cleaning in a silent mode with the motor rotating at a low speed (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

JP 2004-195215 A JP 2007-167617 A JP 2000-197599 A

  In general vacuum cleaners that are not self-propelled, the user operates with the hose in his / her hand during cleaning work, so the user can cope with the noise problem by determining whether or not the noise is a concern. An operation button or the like may be provided so that the user can switch the cleaner to the silent mode. On the other hand, robot cleaners perform cleaning autonomously without the need for human hands. Therefore, it is desirable to switch to the silent mode autonomously. Patent Document 3 shows one method. As another method, a cleaning operation is performed while detecting a person existing in the surroundings with a sensor, and when the person is detected, the driving of the power unit and / or the dust suction mechanism is performed in response to the normal driving ( It is conceivable to carry out the cleaning work with a quieter drive (silent mode) than in the normal mode. In that case, the quiet mode is quieter than the normal mode, but the suction force is weaker than the normal mode. Then, when the robot cleaner cleans the room in silent mode at night, or when the person is in the room, the person's surroundings are switched to silent mode and cleaned, as with normal mode cleaning. If you just do, there may be a situation where all or some of the parts are not cleaned enough.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and when the self-propelled cleaner performs cleaning while switching between a plurality of operation modes having different suction forces, the cleaning is performed in an operation mode having a low suction force. This corrects the difference in the degree of cleaning between the spot that has been cleaned and the spot that has been cleaned in the high suction mode.

  The present invention controls a dust suction mechanism capable of switching suction force to a plurality of stages, and controls the self-propelled cleaner to perform cleaning while operating the dust suction mechanism, and performs the dust suction during the cleaning. A control unit that controls switching of the suction force of the mechanism, and the control unit controls the number of times or the traveling speed at which each part travels based on the locus of the part where the self-propelled cleaner travels and the suction force. A self-propelled vacuum cleaner is provided.

  The self-propelled cleaner according to the present invention can correct a difference in the degree of cleaning between a place cleaned in an operation mode having a low suction force and a place cleaned in an operation mode having a high suction force.

It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of one Example of the self-propelled cleaner of this invention. It is a perspective view showing roughly one embodiment of the self-propelled cleaner of this invention. It is a bottom view which shows roughly the bottom face of the self-propelled cleaner shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows one aspect | mode of the process which the control part which concerns on this invention judges a surrounding person, and switches an operation mode to a normal mode or a silent mode. It is a flowchart which shows the different aspect of the process which the control part which concerns on this invention detects a surrounding person, and switches a driving mode to a normal mode or a silent mode. It is a flowchart which shows the process in which the control part which concerns on this invention senses a surrounding person, and selects the quiet mode in any one of a normal mode or several silence levels according to it according to it. It is a flowchart concerning feedback control at the time of the end of cleaning concerning this invention. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating details of a process in which the control unit determines an operation mode according to a distance to a sound source in FIG. 6. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the cleaning score map which concerns on this invention. It is a 1st explanatory view showing signs that the cleaning score map concerning this invention is updated with progress of cleaning work. It is the 2nd explanatory view showing signs that the cleaning score map concerning this invention is updated with progress of cleaning work. It is the 3rd explanatory view showing signs that the cleaning score map concerning this invention is updated with progress of cleaning work. It is a 4th explanatory view showing signs that the cleaning score map concerning this invention is updated with progress of cleaning work. It is explanatory drawing which shows a mode that the cleaning score map is updated by the 1st modification of the aspect shown in FIGS. It is explanatory drawing which shows a mode that the cleaning score map is updated by the 2nd modification of the aspect shown in FIGS. In 1 aspect of this invention which performs a cleaning operation | work in the quiet mode according to a time slot | zone, it is a 1st explanatory drawing which shows a mode that a cleaning score map is updated. In one mode of this invention which performs cleaning work in quiet mode according to a time zone, it is the 2nd explanatory view showing signs that a cleaning score map is updated. It is a flowchart which shows the process in which the control part which concerns on this invention updates the cleaning score of each block with progress of cleaning work. It is a schematic diagram which shows schematic structure of the self-propelled cleaner which concerns on other embodiment of this invention.

Before describing an embodiment of the present invention, a preferred aspect of the present invention will be described.
As one aspect, the present invention provides a dust suction mechanism capable of switching suction force in a plurality of stages, a housing that houses the dust suction mechanism, a power unit that drives the housing, and the dust suction mechanism being operated. A control unit that controls the power unit to run the casing to perform cleaning, and controls switching of the suction force of the dust suction mechanism during the cleaning, and the casing during the cleaning. A storage unit that stores a trajectory of the traveled location and a cleaning score representing the degree of cleaning of each location according to the suction force, and the control unit has a cleaning score of any location equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. It is a self-propelled cleaner which controls the frequency | count or driving speed which drive each location so that it may become.
As one aspect of the present invention, a human sensing unit that senses a person existing in the surroundings is further provided, and the control unit is configured to reduce the suction force in response to the human sensing unit sensing a person in the surroundings. It may be configured to switch so as to keep it low, and to give a larger value as the cleaning score of the portion as the suction force becomes stronger. In this way, even if cleaning is performed with a reduced suction force in the vicinity of the person so that noise is not anxious, should the number of times that part is run be increased compared to the part where cleaning is performed with a normal suction force? Or, since the control unit controls the traveling speed when cleaning the part to be slower than usual, the difference in the degree of cleaning of each part compared with the case where each part is cleaned at the same number of times or traveling speed. Is corrected.

  Furthermore, the person sensing unit may sense a distance to a person, and the control unit may switch so that the suction force is reduced as the distance from the person is closer. In this way, it is possible to perform cleaning by switching the suction force to three or more stages according to the distance to the person.

  Alternatively, it further includes a clock unit that provides the current time, the storage unit stores in advance a suction force corresponding to a time zone for performing cleaning, and the control unit receives the current time from the clock unit during the execution of the cleaning. And referring to the storage unit, the suction force may be switched according to the current time, and a larger suction force may be given as a cleaning score at that location. In this way, even when cleaning is performed while suppressing the suction force during the time period when the noise is anxious, the number of times or time for running each part is increased to be greater than the part where the cleaning is performed with the normal suction force. Since the control unit controls, the difference in the degree of cleaning at each part is corrected as compared with the case where each part is cleaned at the same number of times or traveling speed.

  Further, the control unit may control the power unit so as to suppress the traveling speed of the housing when the suction force is weaker than when the suction force is strong. In this way, the portion where cleaning is performed with a lower suction force than usual is performed for a longer time with a lower traveling speed than usual, so the weak suction force is compensated for by cleaning for a long time and the degree of cleaning is reduced. Can correct the difference.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention include combinations of any of the above-described plurality of embodiments.
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, the following description is an illustration in all the points, Comprising: It should not be interpreted as limiting this invention.

≪Configuration of self-propelled vacuum cleaner≫
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of a self-propelled cleaner according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the self-propelled cleaner 1 according to the present invention mainly includes a rotating brush 9, a side brush 10, a control unit 11, a rechargeable battery 12, an obstacle detection unit 14, and a dust collection unit 15. Furthermore, a power unit 21, a right drive wheel 22R, a left drive wheel 22L, an intake port 31, an exhaust port 32, an input unit 51, a storage unit 61, a human sensing unit 113, an electric blower 115, and an ion generation unit 117 are provided.

The self-propelled cleaner according to the present invention cleans the floor surface by sucking air containing dust on the floor surface and exhausting the air from which the dust is removed while self-propelled on the floor surface at the place where it is installed. It is a robot vacuum cleaner. The self-propelled cleaner according to the present invention may have a function of autonomously returning to a charging station (not shown) when cleaning is completed.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing one embodiment of the self-propelled cleaner according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a bottom view schematically showing the bottom surface of the self-propelled cleaner shown in FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, the self-propelled cleaner 1 includes a disk-shaped housing 2.
The housing 2 includes a bottom plate 2a, a top plate 2b having a lid 3 that can be opened and closed to put in and out a dust collecting container accommodated in the housing 2, and a bottom plate 2a and a top plate 2b. And a side plate 2c having a ring shape in plan view provided along the outer periphery. An exhaust port 32 is formed near the boundary between the front portion and the middle portion of the top plate 2b. The side plate 2c is divided into two parts, front and rear, and the front side of the side plate functions as a bumper, and a collision sensor 14C for detecting a collision of the front side of the side plate is provided inside. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a front ultrasonic sensor 14F is disposed on the front side, and a left ultrasonic sensor 14L is disposed on the left side. Although hidden in FIG. 2, the right ultrasonic sensor 14R is disposed on the right side.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the bottom plate 2a is formed with a plurality of holes that expose the front wheel 27, the right driving wheel 22R, the left driving wheel 22L, and the rear wheel 26 from the inside of the housing 2 and project outside. Yes. Further, the rotary brush 9 is located behind the intake port 31, the side brush 10 is located on the left and right sides of the intake port 31, the front wheel floor surface detection sensor 18 is located in front of the front wheel 27, the left wheel floor surface detection sensor 19L is located forward of the left drive wheel 22L, and the right drive is driven. A right wheel floor surface detection sensor 19R is disposed in front of the wheel 22R.

The self-propelled cleaner 1 travels in the direction in which the right driving wheel 22R and the left driving wheel 22L rotate forward in the same direction and moves forward, and the front ultrasonic sensor 14F is disposed. Further, the left and right drive wheels rotate backward in the same direction and move backward, and turn by rotating in opposite directions. For example, when the self-propelled cleaner 1 reaches the periphery of the cleaning area by each sensor of the obstacle detection unit 14 and when an obstacle is detected on the course, the left and right drive wheels are decelerated and then stopped. Thereafter, the left and right drive wheels are rotated in opposite directions to turn and change directions. In this way, the self-propelled cleaner 1 self-propels while avoiding obstacles over the entire installation location or the entire desired range.
Here, the front means the forward direction of the self-propelled cleaner 1 (upward along the paper surface in FIG. 3), and the rear means the backward direction of the self-propelled cleaner 1 (the paper surface in FIG. 3). Along the bottom).

Hereinafter, each component shown in FIG. 1 will be described.
The control unit 11 in FIG. 1 is a part that controls the operation of each component of the self-propelled cleaner 1, and is mainly realized by a microcomputer including a CPU, a RAM, an I / O controller, a timer, a real-time clock, and the like. The
The CPU organically operates each hardware based on a control program stored in advance in the storage unit 61, which will be described later, and expanded in the RAM, and executes the cleaning function, the traveling function, and the like of the present invention.

The rechargeable battery 12 is a part that supplies power to each functional element of the self-propelled cleaner 1, and is a part that mainly supplies power for performing a cleaning function and travel control. For example, a rechargeable battery such as a lithium ion battery, a nickel metal hydride battery, or a Ni—Cd battery is used.
The rechargeable battery 12 is charged by bringing the exposed charging terminals into contact with each other in a state where the self-propelled cleaner 1 is brought close to a charging station (not shown).

The obstacle detection unit 14, particularly the left, front, and right sensors 14L, 14F, and 14R, detects that the cleaner 1 is approaching an obstacle such as an indoor wall, desk, or chair while the vehicle is traveling. Part. Each of the sensors 14L, 14F, 14R and the like described above of the obstacle detection unit 14 detects proximity to the obstacle using an ultrasonic sensor. Instead of the ultrasonic sensor or together with the ultrasonic sensor, other types of non-contact sensors such as an infrared distance measuring sensor may be used.
The collision sensor 14 </ b> C is disposed, for example, inside the front side plate 2 c of the housing 2 in order to detect that the self-propelled cleaner 1 has come into contact with an obstacle during traveling. For example, a contact sensor such as a micro switch is used. The CPU knows that the side plate 2c has collided with an obstacle based on the output signal from the collision sensor 14C.

The front wheel floor surface detection sensor 18, the left wheel floor surface detection sensor 19L, and the right wheel floor surface detection sensor 19R detect large steps such as descending stairs.
Based on the signal output from the obstacle detection unit 14, the CPU recognizes the position where an obstacle or a step exists. Based on the recognized obstacle and step position information, the next direction to travel is determined while avoiding the obstacle and step. The left wheel floor surface detection sensor 19L and the right wheel floor surface detection sensor 19R detect the descending stairs when the front wheel floor surface detection sensor 18 fails to detect a step or fails, and the self-propelled cleaner 1 Prevent falling to the downstairs.

The person sensing unit 113 detects a person around. In this embodiment, the human sensing unit has three or more types of sensors: one or more microphones 113M, a voice recognition unit 113S, a camera 113C, an image analysis unit 113A, and a human sensor 54. However, since any one or two of these sensors can sense a person, the three types of sensors are not essential.
The microphone 113M collects ambient sounds and outputs them to the voice recognition unit 113S as voice signals. The voice recognition unit 113 </ b> S recognizes a sound (human voice) when the sound includes the sound using a well-known voice recognition technique. Furthermore, information for detecting the volume of the sound step by step and calculating the direction of the sound source and the distance to the sound source (that is, determining the distance to the person) is provided. One unidirectional microphone may be used, but the direction of the sound source may be calculated from the volume difference, time difference, and / or phase difference of the sound collected by the two microphones using the left and right microphones. Good. The calculation of the distance to the sound source can be performed based on, for example, information on the ratio between the direct sound and the reflected sound and the arrival time difference between the direct sound and the initial reflected sound. Alternatively, if three or more microphones are used, the distance of the sound source can be further calculated by combining the localization detected using two of them.

The camera 113C outputs the surrounding state as an image signal to the image analysis unit 113A. The image analysis unit 113A recognizes a human being in the image signal using a known pattern recognition technique. Furthermore, information for calculating (that is, determining) the direction and distance of the person is provided. The direction of the person can be calculated on the basis of information on the position of the person in the image of the camera 113C. The distance to the person can be calculated from the size of the person shown in the image, for example. Alternatively, a so-called 3D image may be taken by photographing the surroundings from different viewpoints using the left and right cameras, and the depth distance information may be provided by analyzing the depth of the 3D image.
As the human sensor 54, for example, a human sensor that detects infrared rays emitted by a person has been put into practical use for a lighting switch or a security system. In addition, a device that detects the presence of a person using ultrasonic waves, visible light, or the like may be used. Such a commercially available human sensor or a technology applied thereto may be used.
It should be noted that the determination of the direction and distance of a person by voice or image does not necessarily require high accuracy. Even if it is accurate enough to determine the approximate distance and direction, it is only necessary to be able to travel away so that surrounding people do not mind noise. For example, even if the accuracy of the determination is low, the designer may set a threshold value for the distance corresponding to the accuracy, and the control unit 11 may perform traveling control using the threshold value.

The CPU in the control unit 11 determines whether or not a person exists in the vicinity based on voice recognition by the voice recognition unit 113S, image analysis by the image analysis unit 113A, and / or an output signal from the human sensor 54. Get information used to calculate direction and distance.
The power unit 21 is a part that realizes traveling by a drive motor that rotates and stops the left and right drive wheels of the self-propelled cleaner 1. By configuring the drive motor so that the left and right drive wheels can be rotated independently in both forward and reverse directions, the traveling state of the self-propelled cleaner 1 such as advancing, retreating, turning, and acceleration / deceleration is realized.

The intake port 31 and the exhaust port 32 are portions that perform intake and exhaust of air for cleaning, respectively.
The dust collection part 15 is a part which performs the cleaning function which collects indoor garbage and dust, and is mainly provided with the dust collection container which is not shown in figure, the filter part, and the cover part which covers a dust collection container and a filter part. Further, the dust collecting container has an inflow port that leads to an inflow path that communicates with the intake port 31, and an exhaust port that communicates with an exhaust path that communicates with the exhaust port 32. An electric blower 115 is disposed in the discharge path. The electric blower 115 sucks air from the intake port 31, guides the air into the dust collection container via the inflow passage, and passes the air after passing through the filter unit from the exhaust port 32 through the discharge passage. Generates airflow that is released to the outside.

A rotary brush 9 that rotates about an axis parallel to the bottom surface is provided behind the intake port 31, and a side brush 10 that rotates about a vertical rotation axis is provided on both the left and right sides of the intake port 31. ing. The rotating brush 9 is formed by implanting a brush spirally on the outer peripheral surface of a roller that is a rotating shaft. The side brush 10 is formed by providing a brush bundle radially at the lower end of the rotating shaft. The rotating shaft of the rotating brush 9 and the rotating shaft of the pair of side brushes 10 are pivotally attached to a part of the bottom plate 2a of the housing 2, and a brush motor 119 provided in the vicinity thereof, a pulley, a belt, etc. It is connected via a power transmission mechanism that includes it. This is merely an example, and a dedicated drive motor that rotates the side brush 10 may be provided.
Including the dust collecting unit 15, the rotating brush 9, the side brush 10, the brush motor 119, the electric blower 115, and the like described above, the dust on the cleaning surface such as the floor due to the rotation of the rotating brush 9 is taken into the dust collecting container, and the intake port A dust suction mechanism is configured to suck the air sucked from 31 through the dust collection container of the dust collection unit 15 and exhaust from the exhaust port 32.

Moreover, the self-propelled cleaner 1 according to this embodiment has an ion generation function as an additional function. An ion generation unit 117 is provided in the discharge path. When the ion generator 117 is operated, the airflow discharged from the exhaust port includes ions generated by the ion generator 117 (for example, plasma cluster ions (registered trademark), negative ions, or the like). The air containing the ions is exhausted from an exhaust port 32 provided on the upper surface of the housing 2. Indoor air sterilization and deodorization are performed by the air containing the ions. In the case of negative ions, it is also known to give a relaxing effect to humans. At this time, air is exhausted from the exhaust port 32 obliquely upward to the rear, so that the dust on the floor surface is prevented from being rolled up, and the cleanliness of the room can be improved.
A part of the ions generated by the ion generator 117 may be guided to the inflow path. In this way, since ions are included in the airflow guided from the intake port 31 to the inflow path, it is possible to sterilize and deodorize a dust collection container and a filter (not shown) of the dust collection unit 15. In addition, the dust can be gradually discharged, and the collected dust can be reliably discarded.

The input unit 51 is a part where the user inputs an instruction for the operation of the self-propelled cleaner 1, and is provided on the surface of the housing of the self-propelled cleaner 1 as an operation panel or an operation button.
Further, a remote control unit is provided separately from the operation panel and operation buttons provided in the above-described cleaner body, and this remote control unit also corresponds to the input unit 51. When an operation button provided on the remote control unit is pressed, an infrared ray or a radio wave signal is transmitted from the remote control unit, and an operation instruction is input by wireless communication.

  The input unit 51 includes a main power switch 52M, a power switch 52S, and a start switch 53. The main power switch 52M is a switch that turns on / off the power supply from the rechargeable battery 12 to the control unit 11 and the like. The power switch 52 </ b> S is a switch for turning on / off the power of the self-propelled cleaner 1. The start switch 53 is a switch for starting the cleaning work. As the input unit 51, other switches (for example, a charge request switch, an operation mode switch, a timer switch) are further provided. When the remote controller serving as the input unit 51 receives an instruction from the user, the control unit 11 responds to the instruction, for example, controls the power unit 21 to travel in the direction instructed by the user or stop traveling. Further, for example, the ion generation of the ion generation unit 117 is controlled.

The storage unit 61 is a part that stores information necessary for realizing various functions of the self-propelled cleaner 1 and a control program, and is used by a non-volatile semiconductor storage element such as a flash memory or a storage medium such as a hard disk. It is done.
In the storage unit 61, for example, battery information 62 indicating a state such as a remaining capacity of the rechargeable battery 12, a history of a travel route of the self-propelled cleaner 1, position information 63 indicating a current position and direction, and a degree of cleaning of each part Are stored for each part, and a cleaning score map 65 for each part and operation mode information 71 indicating an operation mode of the self-propelled cleaner 1 are stored. The control unit 11 detects the distance and direction of movement with the charging station as a base point during travel, and stores the travel route history, current position, and direction as one of the position information 63 in the storage unit 61. . The distance and direction of the movement are detected by detecting the shaft rotation of the drive motor of the power unit 21 that drives the left drive wheel 22L and the right drive wheel 22R, respectively, the reduction ratio for driving each drive wheel, the radius and rotation of each drive wheel. It can be calculated based on the cumulative value of the angle. When a stepping motor is used as the drive motor, the cumulative value of the rotation angle is obtained from the rotation direction and the number of steps of the stepping motor that drives the left drive wheel 22L and the right drive wheel 22R, respectively. When the drive motor is a DC motor, an encoder may be provided on the motor shaft or drive wheel to detect the rotation angle. Further, the rotation of the left drive wheel 22L and the right drive wheel 22R may be detected instead of the drive motor.

  The operation mode information 71 stores an operation mode 72, a standby mode 73, and a sleep mode 74. The operation mode 72 is data indicating that a cleaning operation is being performed. The standby mode 73 is data indicating that the state of the self-propelled cleaner is a standby mode in which cleaning can be started in response to the start switch 53. The sleep mode 74 is data indicating that the sleep mode is in the power saving state. Furthermore, the operation mode 72 includes data indicating either the normal mode 72a or the silent mode 72b. In the aspect in which the silent mode selects any one of the multistage silent levels, the silent mode 72c is further included as data indicating the selected silent level. Furthermore, the storage unit 61 may store in advance a suction force corresponding to a time period during which cleaning is performed.

≪Silent control: Part 1≫
Next, switching control between the normal mode and the silent mode based on voice recognition will be described.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an aspect of a process in which the control unit 11 senses the presence or absence of a surrounding person and switches the operation mode to the normal mode or the silent mode accordingly. During the cleaning operation, the control unit 11 executes this process as one task in a multitask environment, for example. Therefore, the process described below is intermittently executed in parallel with other tasks such as a process of traveling while detecting and avoiding an obstacle, and a management of a cleaning score described later. In order to simplify the explanation, other tasks are processed in the portion of the flowchart that is in a waiting loop when the program is installed. This embodiment is a process based on the premise that the human sensing unit 113 includes four microphones 113M and voice recognition units 113S on the front, rear, left, and right. The four microphones 113M are all unidirectional microphones, and have different sensitivities so as to have maximum sensitivity in the forward direction, the backward direction, the left direction, and the right direction of the self-propelled cleaner 1, respectively. It is attached.

As shown in FIG. 4, when starting the cleaning operation, the control unit 11 selects the normal mode as the initial operation mode (step S10), and resets the timer To included in the control unit 11 (step S11). This timer is used to maintain the silent mode for a predetermined period after switching the operation to the silent mode.
And after the control part 11 starts the cleaning operation | work of the self-propelled cleaner 1, the voice recognition part 113S analyzes the sound which the microphone 113M of front and back, right and left collected, and the control part 11 obtains the information of an analysis result (Step S13). The information includes information on whether or not the collected sound includes a sound having a loudness equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value S.

When it is determined that the collected sound includes a sound having a magnitude greater than or equal to the threshold value S (Yes in step S15), the control unit 11 causes the person who is the sound source to emit the sound from the self-propelled cleaner 1. The distance is calculated (step S17).
Here, a modified example of steps S13 and S15 will be described. When the human sensing unit 113 further includes a human sensor 54 that senses a person when the person is within the proximity limit, in place of the steps S13 and S15 or in addition to the steps S13 and S15, You may make it determine whether the sensor 54 sensed the person who exists in the circumference | surroundings.

  Returning to the description of FIG. In step S17, the sound volume difference, time difference, and / or phase difference information collected by each microphone is used to calculate the distance to the sound source. If three microphones are provided, the direction (localization) of the sound source can be detected based on the volume difference, time difference and / or phase difference of the sound collected by the two microphones. The distance to the sound source can be calculated by detecting the localization for each of the three combinations of selecting two from the three microphones and combining them. In this embodiment, the distance to the sound source is more accurately calculated using four microphones, front, rear, left and right.

  As a modification, an embodiment using one or two microphones is also conceivable. In this case, the calculation of the distance to the sound source can be performed based on, for example, the ratio between the direct sound and the reflected sound and the arrival time difference between the direct sound and the initial reflected sound. In this case, the ratio of the direct sound and the reflected sound of the room where the self-propelled cleaner 1 performs the cleaning work and the arrival time difference between the direct sound and the initial reflected sound are registered in advance. When the self-propelled cleaner 1 has a sound source circuit and a speaker (not shown) and a user executes a dedicated initial setting menu, the control unit operates the sound source circuit to emit a test sound. The acoustic characteristics of the room where the vacuum cleaner 1 is installed are stored in the storage unit 61. The distance from the self-propelled cleaner 1 to the person is calculated by comparing the acoustic characteristics thus registered with the voice recognized during the cleaning operation.

And the control part 11 judges whether the distance to a sound source is below the predetermined threshold value D (step S19). When the distance to the person is equal to or less than the threshold value D (Yes in Step S19), the control unit 11 selects the silent mode as the operation mode (Step S21), and performs the cleaning work while suppressing the operation sound. More specifically, the control unit 11 controls the electric fan 115 and the brush motor 119 so as to reduce the rotation speed of the electric blower 115 and the brush motor 119 by a predetermined amount from the rotation speed of the normal mode. In addition to or instead of this, the control unit 11 controls the driving speed of the power unit 21 to drop from the speed of the normal mode by a predetermined amount.
And the control part 11 sets the predetermined period to the timer To, and starts the count of a timer (step S23). The period is a 5-minute countdown timer in the example of FIG. Thereafter, the routine proceeds to step S29.

On the other hand, if the voice of the magnitude | size beyond the threshold value S is not contained by the said step S15 (No of step S15), the control part 11 will judge that there is no person around. Then, the routine proceeds to step S25.
If the distance to the sound source is farther than the threshold D in step S19 (No in step S19), the control unit 11 determines that the distance from the person is sufficiently far away. In this case also, the routine proceeds to step S25.

In step S25, the control unit 11 determines whether the timer To is counting. If the timer To is not counting (No in step S25), the routine returns to step S13 and continues the cleaning operation while sensing the presence or absence of a person.
On the other hand, when the timer To is in the reset state or the count is ended in Step S25 (Yes in Step S25), the control unit 11 selects the normal mode as the operation mode (Step S27). That is, the rotational speeds of the electric blower 115 and the brush motor 119 are controlled to a predetermined normal mode rotational speed. In addition, or instead of this, the control unit 11 controls the driving speed of the power unit 21 to a predetermined normal mode speed. Then, the routine proceeds to step S29.

In step S <b> 29, the control unit 11 determines whether or not all the parts have been cleaned. If an uncleaned part remains (No in step S29), the routine returns to step S13 and continues the cleaning operation while sensing the presence or absence of a person. On the other hand, if it is determined that all the parts have been cleaned (Yes in step S29), the self-propelled cleaner 1 is returned to the charging station.
For feedback control, the control unit 11 refers to the position information 63 in the storage unit 61 and causes the self-propelled cleaner 1 to travel toward the charging station while avoiding obstacles (step S31 in FIG. 7). When the target charging station is reached (step S33), traveling is terminated in the state of being close to the charging station (step S35), and the rechargeable battery 12 is charged by bringing both exposed charging terminals into contact with each other.
The above is the control for switching between the normal mode and the silent mode based on voice recognition.

≪Silent control: Part 2≫
Next, switching control between the normal mode and the silent mode based on image analysis will be described.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing different modes of processing in which the control unit 11 senses the presence or absence of a surrounding person and switches the operation mode to the normal mode or the silent mode accordingly. This embodiment is processing based on the premise that the human sensing unit 113 includes a camera 113C and an image analysis unit 113A. The camera 113C is composed of one or more cameras and shoots a viewing angle of 90 degrees or more on the left and right with the front as the center.
The following processing of FIG. 5 includes processing corresponding to FIG. Therefore, the description of the overlapping processes is omitted, and different processes are described.

In FIG. 5, steps S80 and S81 correspond to steps S10 and S11 of FIG.
In step S83, the image analysis unit 113A analyzes the image captured by the camera 113C, and the control unit 11 obtains information on the analysis result. The information includes information on whether or not a person is shown in the photographed image (step S83). Steps S95 and S97 when no person is photographed (No in step S85), and subsequent processes in S99 and S100 correspond to the processes in steps S25 to S29 and S30 in FIG.

  Here, a modified example of the processing of steps S83 and S85 will be described. In the case where the human sensing unit 113 further includes a human sensor 54 that senses a person when the person is within the proximity limit, in place of the steps S83 and S85 or in addition to the steps S83 and S85, You may make it determine whether the sensor 54 sensed the person who exists in the circumference | surroundings. As a further modification, all or part of the determination based on the image, the determination based on the human sensor 54, and the silent control: determination based on the sound described in the first (steps S13 and S15) may be combined.

  The description of FIG. 5 is continued. If it is determined in step S85 that a person is shown in the image (Yes in step S85), the control unit 11 calculates how far the person shown in the image is from the self-propelled cleaner 1 (step S85). S87). For example, a so-called 3D image may be shot by shooting the surroundings from different viewpoints using the left and right cameras, and the depth distance may be calculated by analyzing the depth of the 3D image. Or you may calculate from the magnitude | size of the person reflected in the image.

And the control part 11 judges whether the distance to a person is below the predetermined threshold value D (step S89). If the distance to the person is greater than the proximity limit (No in step S89), the routine proceeds to step S95, and if the timer To is not counting, the normal mode is selected.
On the other hand, when the distance from the person is equal to or less than the threshold value D (Yes in step S89), the subsequent steps S91 and S93 correspond to steps S21 and S23 in FIG. Subsequent processing from step S99 corresponds to step S29 in FIG. 4 and steps S31 to S35 in FIG. 5 as described above.

≪Silent control: Part 3≫
Next, control in which the control unit 11 selects and switches the silence level corresponding to the distance will be described. In this embodiment, the silent mode further has three levels of silence, and the control unit 11 determines which silence level is in the silent mode. More specifically, the control unit 11 controls the rotational speed of the electric blower 115 and the brush motor 119 so as to drop from the rotational speed of the normal mode by a predetermined amount corresponding to each silent level. In addition, or instead of this, the control unit 11 controls the driving speed of the power unit 21 to drop from the speed of the normal mode by a predetermined amount according to each noise level. Needless to say, the three stages are merely examples, and should be understood as representative examples of a plurality of stages of silence levels.

FIG. 6 shows a process in which the control unit 11 senses the presence or absence of a surrounding person, switches the operation mode to the normal mode or the silent mode accordingly, and selects one of a plurality of stepwise silent levels in the silent mode. It is a flowchart which shows one aspect | mode. In this embodiment, the description is given by taking as an example a configuration in which the human sensing unit 113 senses a person based on sound, but it can also be applied to a configuration in which a person is sensed based on an image.
The process of FIG. 6 includes a process corresponding to FIG. Therefore, the description of the overlapping processes is omitted, and different processes are described.

  In FIG. 6, steps S110 to S117 correspond to steps S10 to S17 of FIG. In step S119, the control unit 11 determines an operation mode corresponding to the calculated distance to the sound source, and returns the operation mode. Step S119 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. The control unit 11 determines which operation mode is the silent mode or the normal mode. In the silent mode, the control unit 11 further determines any one of three levels of silent levels.

If it is determined in step S119 that the control unit 11 determines a silent mode of any silent level as the operation mode, the routine proceeds to step S121. And the control part 11 controls the rotational speed of the electric blower 115 or the brush motor 119 so that the self-propelled cleaner 1 may perform the cleaning work in the silent mode of the determined silent level. In addition to or in place of it, the control unit 11 controls the driving speed of the power unit 21.
Subsequent steps S123 and S124 correspond to steps S23, S29 and S30 in FIG.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S119 that the control unit 11 determines that the normal mode is the operation mode, the routine proceeds to step S125. If the timer To is not counting (Yes in Step S125), the control unit 11 controls the cleaning operation to be performed in the normal operation mode (Step S127), and determines whether or not the cleaning operation is finished (Step S129). . Steps S125 and S127 correspond to steps S25 and S27 in FIG.

Here, the details of the step S119, that is, the process of determining the operation mode according to the distance to the sound source will be described.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing details of the process in which the control unit 11 determines the operation mode according to the distance to the sound source. In FIG. 8, the control unit 11 determines the silence level by comparing the distance to the sound source with three threshold values, D1, D2, and D3. Each threshold value has a relationship of D3>D2> D1. Among the threshold values, D3 has the longest distance to the sound source, and when it is determined that the sound source is farther than D3, the operation mode is set to the normal mode. When the sound source is at a distance equal to or less than D3, the operation is performed in the silent mode. For example, when it is determined that there is a sound source closer to D1, which is the minimum threshold, the silent level is set to 1 which is the minimum operation sound. Hereinafter, it demonstrates along a flowchart.

  First, the control unit 11 determines whether or not the distance to the sound source is D1 or less (step S141). If it is equal to or less than D1 (Yes in step S141), the operation mode is determined to be the silent mode of level 1, the result is returned (step S143), and the process is terminated. As described above, D1 is the minimum value among D1 to D3, and 1 of the silence level is the silence level with the lowest operating sound among the levels 1 to 3.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S141 that the distance to the sound source is greater than D1 (No in step S141), the control unit 11 next determines whether the distance to the sound source is equal to or less than D2 (step S145). . If it is equal to or less than D2 (Yes in step S145), the operation mode is determined to be the quiet mode of level 2, and the result is returned (step S147), and the process is terminated.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S145 that the distance to the sound source is greater than D2 (No in step S145), the control unit 11 next determines whether or not the distance to the sound source is D3 or less (step S149). ). If it is equal to or less than D3 (Yes in step S149), the operation mode is determined to be the silent mode of level 3, the result is returned (step S151), and the process is terminated.

When it is determined in step S149 that the distance to the sound source is greater than D3 (No in step S149), the control unit 11 determines the operation mode as the normal mode, returns the result (step S153), and ends the process.
The details of the processing for determining the operation mode according to the distance to the sound source have been described above.

≪Creating contour of cleaning area≫
The controller 11 creates the outline of the cleaning area before cleaning the place where the self-propelled cleaner 1 is installed. When the user performs a predetermined operation using the input unit 51, the control unit 11 receives the operation and starts creating the contour of the cleaning area. As another aspect, while the self-propelled cleaner 1 is charged at a charging station (not shown), the control unit 11 causes the camera 113C to capture a surrounding image, analyzes the captured image, and determines that it is installed in a new place. In this case, the outline of the cleaning area may be created.

The outline of the cleaning area is obtained by causing the control unit 11 to make a round trip of the self-propelled cleaner 1 along the wall from the charging station and storing the distance and direction of movement as one of the position information 63 during the running. create. Note that the charging station is usually installed near the wall because it is connected to an AC outlet in order to obtain a charging power source or needs to be installed in an unobstructed place. As described above, the detection of the distance and direction of movement is obtained by detecting the rotation of the left driving wheel 22L and the right driving wheel 22R. The wall surface is detected using a left ultrasonic sensor 14L, a front ultrasonic sensor 14F, a right ultrasonic sensor 14R, and a collision sensor 14C. Steps such as stairs without wall surfaces are detected using a front wheel floor surface detection sensor 18, a left wheel floor surface detection sensor 19L, and a right wheel floor surface detection sensor 19R.
As another method, the camera 113C may be able to take an image of the upper part, and the outline of the room may be recognized by photographing the ceiling of the room.

≪Creation of cleaning score map for cleaning area≫
As described above, when the outline of the cleaning area is determined, the control unit 11 divides the area surrounded by the outline into a plurality of blocks divided in a matrix form. Then, a storage area for storing points corresponding to each block is secured in the storage unit 61. This storage area is the cleaning score map 65 shown in FIG. As described later, the point is a numerical value corresponding to the suction force, that is, the operation mode and the cleaning time or the number of times of cleaning. An example of the size of the block is a square whose one side corresponds to the width of the region to be cleaned by the rotary brush 9 and the side brush 10. The width is substantially equal to the width of the self-propelled cleaner 1. As a different example, one side is a square that is an integral multiple of that side.

  FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the cleaning score map according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 9, the cleaning area is an area where four obstacles are placed in a rectangular room. Obstacles are rectangular in the upper left corner, the lower left corner, the lower right corner of the drawing, and at the four corners near the lower right from the center of the room. Examples of obstacles near the walls are shelves and storage, and examples of obstacles in the middle of the room are sofas. The cleaning score map is composed of a plurality of blocks obtained by dividing the cleaning area vertically and horizontally. The control unit 11 assigns and identifies a unique block number to each block, and stores a cleaning score corresponding to each block in the cleaning score map 65. In FIG. 9, zero is stored in each block as the initial value of the cleaning score.

≪Cleaning score management (control): Part 1≫
As described above, when the cleaning area for cleaning the interior of the room, the cleaning area is subdivided, and the cleaning score map relating to the score indicating the clean state is created, by actually performing the cleaning operation, A score indicating a clean state is stored (including updating) in the created cleaning score map. This clean state is the operation mode at the time of cleaning described above, and the score at that time is determined by levels 1 and 2 of the normal mode and the silent mode. For example, in the operation mode described with reference to FIG. 8, the score is set to “4” in the normal mode and “3” in the silent mode (distance D3 or less). These examples are only examples and may be determined as necessary.
By storing and updating such a cleaning score, the cleaning status of all the cleaning areas in the room, that is, the degree of cleaning, is set as the cleaning score in the normal mode. Examples thereof will be described in detail below.
First, upon receiving an instruction from a user using the input unit 51 or a remote controller (not shown), or when a preset time has arrived using the input unit 51, the control unit 11 starts a cleaning operation. The control unit 11 rotates the electric blower 115 and the brush motor 119, and further operates the ion generation unit 117. Moreover, the self-propelled cleaner 1 is caused to travel by rotating the drive motor of the power unit 21.
Although various patterns can be considered as the travel route, in this embodiment, it is assumed that the vehicle travels in a folded basic pattern from the block near the wall where the charging station is placed. If there is an obstacle on the route, run while avoiding the obstacle. Even if the basic pattern is not a zigzag pattern but a spiral pattern or other patterns, the method described below can be applied.

  The control unit 11 sequentially detects the distance and direction of movement with the position where the cleaning operation is started as a base point, and stores the travel locus as position information 63. Then, the control unit 11 sequentially analyzes which block of the cleaning score map 65 corresponds to the trajectory. Depending on the result of the analysis, the score is added to the cleaned block. In this example, the control unit 11 performs the cleaning operation while switching between three operation modes having different suction forces in accordance with the sensed distance from the person.

  FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing how the cleaning score map according to the present invention is updated as the cleaning operation proceeds. The number in each block represents the cleaning score. FIG. 10A shows a state in the middle of a cleaning operation in which a block having a cleaning score of zero has not been cleaned yet. The thick frame is a block that has been cleaned. In FIG. 10A, it is assumed that a charging station is installed in a block near the wall indicated by Pc. The self-propelled cleaner 1 travels to the right in FIG. 10 (a) from the block, turns back when reaching the right end wall, travels to the left in the row of the lower block on the drawing, and then folds in a zigzag manner. Carry out cleaning while traveling. In addition, the colored block at the right end of the third row from the top in the drawing and the colored block adjacent to the left of the block are run while the self-propelled cleaner 1 cleans the already cleaned block in an overlapping manner. It is the part which did. When the self-propelled cleaner 1 turns back when it reaches the right end wall, it is a portion that has been reversely sent along the route that has already traveled due to an obstacle on the lower side in the drawing. For colored blocks, a round trip cleaning score is added. The self-propelled cleaner 1 moves to the left one block after the obstacle disappears and travels to the left.

  In FIG. 10A, it is assumed that there is a person at the center of the circle indicated by the broken line (indicated by Hu in FIG. 10A). As described with reference to FIG. 8, the control unit 11 detects the person by the human sensing unit 113 and performs control so that the cleaning operation is performed in the quietest level 1 silent mode below the radius (distance) D1. The cleaning score for the cleaning operation at that time is defined as “1”. Further, if the person exceeds the radius D1 and is less than or equal to the radius D2, the control is performed so that the cleaning operation is performed in the quiet mode 2 of the next quiet level. The cleaning score at that time is set to “2”. Further, if the person exceeds the radius D2 and is equal to or less than the radius D3, the control is performed so that the cleaning operation is performed in the silent mode of level 3. The cleaning score at this time is set to “3”. Control is performed so that the cleaning operation is performed in the normal mode at a place away from the person from the radius D3. The cleaning score at this time is “4”. And the control part 11 updates the cleaning score of each block which performed cleaning. In the example of FIG. 10, the blocks cleaned by the above-described reciprocation are cleaned in the quiet mode of level 3 at the time of going back and forth, so the total cleaning score is “6”.

  FIG. 10B shows the cleaning score when the self-propelled cleaner 1 reaches the end point of the spelling. Self-propelled cleaner 1 is in a position indicated by a broken line. Note that the colored blocks in FIG. 10 (b) are portions that traveled while being cleaned by overlapping already cleaned blocks from the time shown in FIG. 10 (a). The thick frame indicates a block that has been cleaned after FIG. This is because the self-propelled cleaner 1 cannot move to the next lower block due to an obstacle at the wall. In FIG. 10B, areas U1 and U2 that have not yet been cleaned remain in the room. U1 is an area that has not been cleaned because it is behind an obstacle in the middle of the room. U2 is an area that has not been cleaned due to the relationship between the size of the obstacle at the wall and the width of the travel route. The control unit 11 moves the cleaning robot 1 to the nearest block among the blocks having the cleaning score of zero. In the example of FIG. 10B, the control unit 11 moves the self-propelled cleaner 1 to the block ahead of the chain line arrow N to clean the area U1, and then moves the self-propelled cleaner 1 to the block. It moves to the area | region U2 and completes the whole cleaning of the whole room.

  FIGS. 11-13 is explanatory drawing which shows a mode that the cleaning score map 65 based on this invention is further updated with the further progress of a cleaning operation | work. The colored block is a portion that has traveled to the region U1 while cleaning the already cleaned block. Fig.11 (a) has shown the cleaning score at the time of self-propelled (vacuum) cleaner 1 having finished cleaning area | region U1. FIG.11 (b) has shown the cleaning score at the time of having finished cleaning area | region U2, after self-propelled (vacuum) cleaner 1 cleaned area | region U1. In addition, the colored block is a portion which has been run while cleaning with overlapping already cleaned blocks. The control unit 11 causes the electric blower 115 and the brush motor 119 to run while rotating so that dust attached to the rotating brush 9 does not fall on the floor surface during running.

FIG. 12A shows again the cleaning score of each block at the time of FIG. 11B. Each block has been cleaned at least once, but there remains a cleaning score smaller than the normal mode, that is, a block with a cleaning score smaller than “4”. In FIG. 12A, those blocks are indicated by thick frame lines.
The control unit 11 continues the cleaning work so that the cleaning score of each block becomes “4” or more. The basic running pattern is zigzag folding, but if the block with the cleaning score of less than “4” remains diagonally forward in the direction of zigzag folding, the control unit 11 runs through the block, causing fragmentation. Control so that there is no leftover. FIG. 12B shows a state at the time when a cleaning operation is performed by running through a block having a cleaning score smaller than “4”. The traveled route is indicated by an arrow. In FIG. 12B, a block having a cleaning score smaller than “4” is indicated by a thick frame line. Here, the operation mode in each block is determined according to the distance from the person, as in FIGS. 10 and 11.

  At the time of FIG. 12B, a block having a cleaning score smaller than “4” still remains in the vicinity of the person. These are several blocks that have been cleaned in a one level quiet mode because they are close to a person. Through the cleaning process shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, all blocks have a cleaning score of “4” or higher. In FIG. 13A in the middle of the cleaning operation, a block having a cleaning score smaller than “4” is indicated by a thick frame line. In FIG.13 (b), the control part 11 judges that the cleaning work was completed, and returns the self-propelled cleaner 1 to a charging station.

≪Cleaning score management (control): Part 2≫
With regard to the cleaning score of the cleaning score map of subdivided sections (blocks) in the indoor cleaning region by actually performing the cleaning operation, in FIG. 13B described above, the maximum value of the cleaning score of each block is “12”, which is three times different from the reference “4”. A cleaning score that is too high leads to an extra consumption of the power stored in the battery. From this viewpoint, a modified example of the above-described control can be considered.
In the first modification, when the cleaning score of a block that travels while being overlapped and cleaned is less than “4”, the control unit 11 switches the operation mode so that the cleaning score after traveling becomes “4”. Embodiments are possible. Here, when driving with a block of cleaning score of “4” or more, the vehicle is driven in the level 1 silent mode. Alternatively, the cleaning operation may be stopped and the main body of the cleaner 1 may be run.

  In the second modified example, when cleaning is performed in a low-level silent mode, the traveling speed is decelerated from that in the normal mode, thereby increasing the cleaning score added in one traveling and traveling the same block many times. It is possible to suppress the excessive power consumption due to the above. For example, the control is performed so that the cleaning score “2” is added in one run by halving the running speed in the level 1 silent mode. In this way, even if the block is cleaned in the level 1 silent mode, the reference cleaning score can be obtained in two runs.

  As a development of the second modification, a third modification can be considered. In other words, the driving speed is reduced to 1/4 of the normal speed in the quiet mode of level 1, the driving speed is reduced to 1/2 of the normal speed in the quiet mode of level 2, and the driving speed is reduced to 3/4 in the quiet mode of level 3. It is. Thus, it is the aspect which makes the cleaning score of each silent mode constant by controlling so that it may drive | work at the running speed corresponding to the fall of attraction | suction power. In other words, it is control that compensates for a decrease in suction force by a reduction in travel speed. By doing so, the cleaning score of each block is “4” or more at the time when the cleaning of each block is completed, in the above example, at the time of FIG. 11B.

≪Cleaning score management (control): Part 3≫
FIG. 14 shows an example in which the first and second modifications are combined. That is, it is explanatory drawing which shows a mode that the cleaning score map is updated by the 1st modification of the aspect shown in FIGS. FIG. 14A is a diagram at a time corresponding to FIG. The colored block is a portion that has been run while being cleaned by overlapping the already cleaned blocks. Among them, the cleaning score of the block corresponding to the colored portion in FIG. 10A is “4” as a result of adding the cleaning score “3” in the past and the cleaning score “1” in the return time. Further, the cleaning score of each block corresponding to the colored portion in FIG. 10B is “5” as a result of adding the cleaning score “4” at the time of going forward and the cleaning score “1” at the time of returning. Similarly, the cleaning score of each block corresponding to the colored portion in FIG. 11A is 4 + 1 = 5 or 3 + 1 = 4 as a result of the sum of the two cleaning operations. Further, among the blocks in the area U1, the cleaning score within the radius D1 is “2” as a result of performing the cleaning operation in the quiet mode of level 1 and half the normal traveling speed. Then, the cleaning score of each block corresponding to the colored portion in FIG. 11B is 2 + 2 = 4 or 3 + 1 = 4 as a result of the total of the two cleaning operations. In FIG. 14A, blocks having a cleaning score of less than “4” are indicated by a thick frame.

  FIG. 14 (b) corresponds to FIG. 12 (b), and shows a state at the time when a cleaning operation is performed by running through a block having a cleaning score smaller than “4”. The colored block is a portion that has been run while cleaning with overlapping already cleaned blocks in FIG. According to this aspect, all the blocks have a cleaning score of “4” or more at the time of FIG. 14B, and the maximum cleaning score is “6”. At this point, the control unit 11 determines that the cleaning operation has been completed.

≪Cleaning score management (control): 4≫
FIG. 15 shows an example in which the first and third modifications are combined. That is, it is explanatory drawing which shows a mode that the cleaning score map is updated by the 2nd modification of the aspect shown in FIGS. FIG. 15A corresponds to FIG. 10B, and shows a state when the self-propelled cleaner 1 reaches the end point of the zigzag folding. The cleaning score of the block on which the self-propelled cleaner 1 has traveled is “4” or higher. The colored block is a portion that has been run while being cleaned by overlapping the already cleaned blocks. At this point, there are areas U1 and U2 that have not yet been cleaned.
FIG. 15 (b) corresponds to FIG. 11 (b), and shows a state at the time when all the blocks are traveled and cleaning work is performed. The colored block is a portion that has been traveled while being cleaned by overlapping the already cleaned blocks in FIG.

The total cleaning score of each block in FIG. 13B is 696. On the other hand, the total cleaning score of each block in FIG. Also, the total cleaning score of each block in FIG. Compared to the sum of the cleaning scores in FIG. 13B, the sum of the cleaning scores in FIG. 14B and FIG. On the other hand, the difference between FIG. 14B and FIG. 15B is smaller than that. In the aspect of FIG. 15, the travel distance is shorter than in the aspect of FIG. However, when the self-propelled cleaner 1 reaches the end point of the zigzag folding in FIG. 15A, the cleaning score of each block that has passed is all “4”. Thereafter, when moving to the uncleaned areas U1 and U2, the point that the cleaning score of all the cleaned blocks in the middle exceeds the reference “4” is disadvantageous than the mode of FIG. Nevertheless, it is considered that the difference from the aspect of FIG.
As described above, both the aspect in which the first and second modified examples are combined and the aspect in which the first and third modified examples are combined effectively use the electric power stored in the rechargeable battery 12. I understand that.

≪Cleaning score management (control): Part 5≫
In the previous item, the aspect in which the cleaning score map is updated while switching the suction force according to the human detection by the human detection unit 113 has been described.
In contrast, a mode in which the cleaning operation is performed in a silent mode corresponding to the time zone and the cleaning score of each block of the cleaning score map is updated will be described. In this aspect, it is assumed that suction force data corresponding to a time zone for performing cleaning is stored in the storage unit 61 in advance. Data registration is performed as follows, for example. When the user performs a predetermined operation using the input unit 51, the control unit 11 accepts the operation, and stores the silent level corresponding to the time zone, that is, the stage of the suction force, in the storage unit 61.
Although it is the same as the above-mentioned aspect that it drive | works with the basic pattern of a zigzag folding, the cleaning score of each block is decided not by the presence or absence of a person but by the time slot | zone which performs cleaning work. When the cleaning operation is performed over a plurality of time zones registered in the storage unit 61, the control unit 11 performs control so as to switch the suction force before and after the time zone boundary.

FIGS. 16 and 17 are explanatory diagrams showing how the cleaning score map is updated with the progress of the cleaning work in this embodiment. FIG. 16A corresponds to FIG. 10B, and shows a state when the self-propelled cleaner 1 reaches the end point of the zigzag folding. The time zone in which the cleaning operation is performed is a time zone to be cleaned in the quiet mode of level 2. Further, the first modification of the previous item is considered. That is, when driving with a block having a cleaning score of less than “4”, the operation mode is switched so that the cleaning score after driving becomes “4”, and a block with a cleaning score of “4” or more is stacked. In some cases, the vehicle is driven in a quiet mode of level 1.
The cleaning score of the block once the self-propelled cleaner 1 has traveled is “2”. The colored scrubbing block has a cleaning score of “4”. Since there are areas U1 and U2 that have not yet been cleaned at the time of FIG. 16A, the self-propelled cleaner 1 cleans U1 and U2. FIG. 16B corresponds to FIG. 11B, and shows a state at the time when the cleaning of the areas U1 and U2 where the cleaning score is zero is completed. At the time of FIG. 16 (b), since the block of “2” having a cleaning score of less than “4” remains, the control unit 11 performs control so that the blocks having the cleaning score of “2” overlap each other. . FIG. 17 shows a state at the time when the self-propelled cleaner 1 continues to clean and there are no more blocks with a cleaning score of less than “4”. At this point, the control unit 11 determines that the cleaning operation has been completed.

≪Control of cleaning score storage (update) ≫
FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining a control procedure for storing and updating the cleaning score according to the operation mode actually described in each block of the cleaning score map described in the management of each cleaning score described above. That is, it is a flowchart showing a process in which the control unit 11 stores or updates the cleaning score of each block of the cleaning score map as the cleaning operation progresses. A processing procedure will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
In FIG. 18, the control unit 11 refers to the position information 63 and acquires a block number corresponding to the current position. The acquired block number is stored in the temporary variable X on the memory 61 (step S41). Subsequently, the control unit 11 refers to the cleaning score C (X) of the block number indicated by the temporary variable X among the cleaning scores of each block stored in the cleaning score map 65 (step S43). Furthermore, with reference to the operation mode 72, the cleaning score C (X) is updated according to the current operation mode.

  Specifically, it is determined whether or not the current operation mode is the normal mode (step S45). If the current operation mode is the normal mode (Yes in step S45), a cleaning score of “4” is added to C (X) ( Step S47). Thereafter, the routine proceeds to step S59. On the other hand, when the operation mode is the silent mode (No in Step S45), the silent level 72c is referred to. When the operation mode is 3 (Yes in Step S49), a cleaning score of “3” is added to C (X). (Step S51), the process proceeds to Step S59. When the silent level 72c is 2 (Yes in Step S53), the cleaning score of “2” is added to C (X) (Step S55), and the process proceeds to Step S59. In other cases (No in step S53), it is determined that the silent mode is level 1, and a cleaning score of “1” is added to C (X) (step S57), and the process proceeds to step S59.

In step S59, the control unit 11 determines whether or not the cleaning work has been completed. When the cleaning work is finished (Yes in step S59), the process is finished. On the other hand, when the cleaning operation is being performed (No in step S59), the block number corresponding to the current position is acquired with reference to the position information 63, and it is determined whether or not the block has been moved to a new block (step S61). In the case of the same block (No in step S61), the routine returns to the above-described step S59 and waits for movement to a new block. If it moves to a new block (Yes of step S61), a routine will return to step S41 and will update the cleaning score of the block in the above-mentioned procedure. The above is the processing for updating the cleaning score of each block as the cleaning operation progresses.
≪Other embodiments of self-propelled vacuum cleaner≫
Another embodiment of the self-propelled cleaner according to the present invention will be described.
In FIG. 19, the schematic diagram which shows schematic structure of the self-propelled cleaner 201 which concerns on other embodiment of this invention is shown. As shown in the figure, in the present embodiment, the self-propelled cleaner 201 includes a self-propelled cleaner body 202 and a management device 204, and the control unit 11 of the above-described self-propelled cleaner 1 and / or At least a part of the functions of the storage unit 61 is configured to be realized by the management device 204.
The self-propelled cleaner main body 202 includes a communication unit 202 (not shown) inside, and is connected to the communication network 204 via the communication unit 202. Note that the self-propelled cleaner body 202 is omitted to include a configuration similar to the above-described embodiment except that the communication unit 203 is provided.
The communication network 204 is a network that connects the self-propelled cleaner 201 and the management device 210, and is connected to the self-propelled cleaner body 202 and the management device 210. For example, the communication network 204 is the Internet or a LAN (Local Area Network). The communication network 204 may use infrared communication or the like.
The management device 205 is a device that controls at least one self-propelled cleaner body 202 to be managed, and is connected to the communication network 203 via the communication unit 206. As described above, the self-propelled cleaner main body 202, the communication network 204, and the management device 205 are connected to each other so that the self-propelled cleaner and the management device can communicate with each other.
In addition, the management device 205 includes a control unit 207 and a storage unit 208.
The control part 207 performs at least one part of the function of the control part 11 of the self-propelled cleaner 1 mentioned above.
The memory | storage part 208 performs at least one part of the function of the memory | storage part 61 of the self-propelled cleaner 1 mentioned above.
As described above, in the present embodiment, the self-propelled cleaner 201 includes the self-propelled cleaner body 202 and the management device 204, and the control unit 11 and / or the self-propelled cleaner 1 described above. Alternatively, since at least a part of the function of the storage unit 61 is configured to be realized by the management device 204, the self-propelled cleaner main body 202 includes a control unit or a high-capacity storage unit having a high degree of arithmetic processing capability Even in the case where there is not, the switching to the silent mode described above or the management of the cleaning score can be executed.

  In addition to the embodiments described above, there can be various modifications of the present invention. These modifications should not be construed as not belonging to the scope of the present invention. The present invention should include the meaning equivalent to the scope of the claims and all modifications within the scope.

  In the present invention, the dust suction mechanism realizes a cleaning function for collecting dust and dust. An example of the specific configuration includes an air inlet, a rotating brush, a mechanism for rotating the rotating brush, a dust collecting container, a dust collecting filter, an inflow path, a discharge path, and an electric blower. The air inlet is an opening provided on the bottom surface of the housing for sucking dust on the floor. The rotating brush is provided so as to be exposed from the air inlet and sweep the floor surface. The dust collection filter keeps the dust housed in the housing and sucked in the dust collection container, and allows air to pass through the discharge path. The inflow path is a path communicating from the intake port to the dust collecting container. The discharge path is a path that communicates from the dust collection container and the dust collection filter to the exhaust port that discharges to the cleaner body. The electric blower is disposed, for example, in the discharge path, sucks air from the intake port, and guides it to the dust collecting container via the inflow path. Further, the air is led to the exhaust port through the dust collection filter and the discharge path and discharged. In the embodiment described above, the dust suction mechanism corresponds to an air inlet, a rotating brush, a brush motor, a dust collecting container and a filter, an inflow path, a discharge path, and an electric blower. The suction force can be switched by switching the rotational speed of the electric blower.

Further, the housing corresponds to a vehicle body when compared to an automobile, and houses a dust suction mechanism and a circuit of a vacuum cleaner. In addition, as a mechanism for running the self-propelled cleaner, left and right drive wheels and a motor as a power unit that independently drives the drive wheels are provided.
The hardware of the control unit is mainly a microcomputer having a CPU, ROM, RAM, I / O controller, timer, real-time clock, and the like. The CPU executes processing using these hardware resources in accordance with a control program stored in advance in a ROM or a storage unit described later, thereby realizing a function as a control unit. In the embodiment described above, the control unit controls the hardware resources of the electric blower and the brush motor in order to perform the cleaning operation. Further, the traveling control is specifically realized using hardware resources such as a power unit, an obstacle detection unit, and a human sensing unit. The control unit switches to the silent mode by dropping the electric blower or brush motor of the dust suction mechanism by a predetermined amount from the normal rotation speed.
Further, the control unit may change the traveling speed by switching the driving speed of a motor as a power unit.

The person sensing unit senses a person around the self-propelled cleaner. Not only humans but also animals may be sensed but not. Specific examples thereof include, for example, a microphone and a voice recognition circuit that sense sound, a camera and image analysis unit that captures an image, and / or a human sensor.
The storage unit is hardware that stores a control program executed by the control unit and information necessary for processing executed based on the control program. The trajectory traveled by the self-propelled cleaner and the cleaning score are included in the information. As the storage unit, a nonvolatile semiconductor storage element such as a flash memory or a storage medium such as a hard disk is used.
The surroundings mean the vicinity of the self-propelled cleaner, but are, for example, within a predetermined distance range or the room where the self-propelled cleaner is placed. Further, for example, when a person is detected by voice, it is a range in which a certain volume of voice is collected. When a person is detected by an image, it may be a range that appears in the image, or a nearby region may be determined from the image and be within that range. In the above-described embodiment, the human sensing unit corresponds to a microphone and a voice recognition unit, a camera and an image analysis unit, and a human sensor.

1: Self-propelled cleaner 2: Housing 2a: Bottom plate 2b: Top plate 2c: Side plate 3: Lid 9: Rotating brush 10: Side brush 11: Control unit 12: Rechargeable battery 14: Obstacle detection unit 14C: Collision Sensor 14F: Front ultrasonic sensor 14L: Left ultrasonic sensor 14R: Right ultrasonic sensor 15: Dust collector 18: Front wheel floor surface detection sensor 19L: Left wheel floor surface detection sensor 19R: Right wheel floor surface detection sensor 21: Power unit 22L: Left drive wheel 22R: Right drive wheel 26: Rear wheel 27: Front wheel 31: Inlet port 32: Exhaust port 51: Input unit 52M: Main power switch 52S: Power switch 53: Start switch 54: Human sensor 61 : Storage unit 62: Battery information 63: Position information 65: Cleaning score map 71: Operation mode information 72: Operation mode 72 a: Normal mode 72 b: Silent mode 72 c: Silent level 73: Standby mode 7 : Sleep Mode 113: human sensing unit 113A: image analysis unit 113C: Camera 113M: Microphone 113S: speech recognition unit 115: an electric blower 117: ion generating unit 119: brush motor U1, U2: region

Claims (5)

A dust suction mechanism that can switch the suction force to multiple stages;
A control unit that controls the self-propelled cleaner to run and clean while operating the dust suction mechanism, and controls switching of the suction force of the dust suction mechanism during the cleaning,
The said control part controls the frequency | count or driving speed which drive each location based on the locus | trajectory of the location which the self-propelled cleaner traveled, and the said attraction | suction force. A human sensing unit for sensing people;
2. The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 1, wherein when the person sensing unit senses a person around, the control unit switches the suction force to be lower than usual. The person sensing unit senses a distance from a person,
The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the control unit performs switching so as to suppress the suction force as the distance from the person is shorter. It further has a clock that provides the current time,
The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the control unit switches the suction force based on a current time acquired from a clock unit during execution of the cleaning.   The automatic cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit controls the self-propelled cleaner so that the traveling speed of the self-propelled cleaner is reduced when the suction force is weak and when the suction force is strong. .