JP2022147374A - Vacuum cleaner operation support device and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To operate a vacuum cleaner, that is, to execute cleaning at more appropriate timing by using a situation about cleaning within an operation range of the vacuum cleaner.SOLUTION: A vacuum cleaner operation support device 10 controls the operation of a vacuum cleaner 30 being an autonomous travel type vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner operation support device 10 includes an estimation part 13 for estimating an estimated dust amount within the operation range of the vacuum cleaner 30 and estimating an expected time of absence of a person within the operation range, an operation schedule creation part 15 for creating operation schedule information 163 of the vacuum cleaner 30 in accordance with an estimation result of the estimation part 13, and an output part 12 for outputting the operation schedule information 163 to the vacuum cleaner 30 through a network 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a technique for controlling the operation of an autonomously traveling vacuum cleaner, and more particularly to control of an autonomously traveling electric vacuum cleaner.

Currently, with the development of artificial intelligence, etc., there are electrical products that autonomously control their operation. For example, an autonomously traveling vacuum cleaner that cleans a room while autonomously moving is widespread. An autonomous driving vacuum cleaner is equipped with a rechargeable battery as a power source, and controls the rotation of the driving motor and motor-driven rotating brush with a control device to move autonomously, picking up dust and sucking it with a blower to clean it. conduct.

Patent Document 1 has been proposed as a technique for controlling the operation of this autonomously traveling cleaner. Patent Literature 1 discloses "a vacuum cleaner that can automatically detect the presence of dust and dirt and start cleaning according to the amount of dust and dirt". Furthermore, in Patent Document 1, a vacuum cleaner is provided with a person detection means for detecting the presence of a person, and cleaning (sucking) is started after the person is no longer detected.

JP 2015-58256 A

As described above, in Patent Document 1, cleaning is controlled according to the amount of dust and garbage (hereinafter referred to as garbage) and the presence of people. For this reason, in Patent Document 1, it was necessary to detect the amount of dust and dirt and the presence of people each time cleaning was performed. Therefore, it was difficult to appropriately control the operation when the conditions inside and outside the detection range of the vacuum cleaner differed. For example, if there is little dust in the vicinity of the vacuum cleaner and there is much dust outside the detection range in the next room or the like, cleaning is not performed even though cleaning is originally necessary. Conversely, if a person exists only outside the detection range, cleaning will be performed even if a person is present.

Therefore, in view of the above situation, an object of the present invention is to allow an autonomously traveling cleaner to operate at a more appropriate timing.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention estimates the expected amount of dust and the expected absence time in the operation range to be cleaned, and based on these, creates operation schedule information for the autonomous mobile cleaner. As a result, the operation of the autonomously traveling cleaner can be executed at a more appropriate timing.

More specifically, in a cleaner operation support device for controlling the operation of an autonomously traveling cleaner, the expected amount of dust in the operating range of the autonomously traveling cleaner is estimated, and the expected absence of people in the operating range is calculated. an estimation unit for estimating the timing; an operation schedule creation unit for creating operation schedule information for the autonomous traveling cleaner according to the estimation result of the estimation unit; and transmitting the operation schedule information via a network to the autonomous A cleaner operation support device having an output unit that outputs to a traveling cleaner.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a program for causing a user terminal related to control of an autonomously traveling cleaner to function as a computer, wherein the user terminal is provided with an expected amount of dust in an operating range of the autonomously traveling cleaner and the operating range. specifying the operation schedule information of the autonomous mobile cleaner created based on the estimated time of absence of the person in the above, and outputting the specified operation schedule information, and the output operation of the autonomous mobile cleaner A program that operates according to the schedule information and a storage medium that stores the program are also included.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, an autonomous traveling cleaner can be operated at a more suitable timing according to the situation regarding cleaning in a cleaning range.

1 is a system configuration diagram in Embodiments 1 and 2 of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the vacuum cleaner operation support device in Embodiments 1 and 2 of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of a user terminal in Embodiments 1 and 2 of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a functional block configuration diagram of the vacuum cleaner in Examples 1 and 2 of the present invention; The figure which shows the operation performance information used by Example 1 and 2 of this invention. The figure which shows the user information used by Example 1 and 2 of this invention. The figure which shows the operation schedule information used by Example 1 and 2 of this invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing learning information used in Examples 1 and 2 of the present invention; 4 is a flowchart showing a processing flow in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing display contents of a user terminal according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing a processing flow in Embodiment 2 of the present invention; FIG. The figure which shows the display content of the user terminal in Example 2 of this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

The first embodiment will be described below in the order of its configuration, information used in the configuration, and processing contents.

<Configuration>
FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram in this embodiment and in a second embodiment to be described later. In this embodiment, a cleaner operation support device 10 , a user terminal 20 , an autonomously traveling cleaner (hereinafter simply referred to as a cleaner 30 ), and a router 40 are connected to each other via a network 50 . Vacuum cleaner 30 and user terminal 20 can also be connected to network 50 via router 40 . Also, the network 50 may be composed of a home network and the Internet, or may be composed of one network. Although each device is shown in FIG. 1 as one unit, it is also possible to use a plurality of units.

Next, the configuration of each device will be described. First, the cleaner operation support device 10 is implemented by a so-called computer device, and has an input unit 11, an output unit 12, an estimation unit 13, a learning unit 14, and an operation schedule creation unit 15 that perform various calculations. The cleaner operation support device 10 also has a storage unit 16 that stores various information. The input unit 11 and the output unit 12 implement communication with other devices via the network 50 .

The estimation unit 13 estimates the scheduled operating time of the cleaner 30 . The learning unit 14 performs learning for estimating the scheduled operating time of the cleaner 30 . The operation schedule creation unit 15 creates operation schedule information using the scheduled operation time. At least some of the functions of the estimation unit 13 , the learning unit 14 , and the operation schedule creation unit 15 may be executed by the user terminal 20 or the vacuum cleaner 30 .

The storage unit 16 also stores operation record information 161, user information 162, operation schedule information 163, and learning information 164. FIG. The operation performance information 161 indicates the performance of cleaning performed by the cleaner 30 . The user information 162 is information about the user such as the user's schedule of the cleaner 30 . The operation schedule information 163 is information indicating the operation schedule of the cleaner 30 created by the operation schedule creating unit 15 . The learning information 164 is information about the operation of the cleaner 30 learned by the learning unit 14 and used by the estimation unit 13 . The details of each of these pieces of information will be described later.

Next, FIG. 2 shows a hardware configuration diagram when the functions of the vacuum cleaner operation support device 10 are implemented by a program. The cleaner operation support device 10 has a processing unit 101, a communication unit 102, a main storage unit 103 and a sub storage unit 104, which are connected to each other via a communication path.

The processing unit 101 can be implemented by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and executes operations according to various programs developed in a main storage unit 103, which will be described later. That is, the processing unit 101 executes the processing of the estimation unit 13, the learning unit 14, and the operation schedule creation unit 15 according to the program.

The main storage unit 103 can be realized by a so-called memory, and the estimation program 130, the learning program 140, the operation schedule creation program 150 stored in the sub-storage unit 104, and information necessary for processing are developed. The secondary storage unit 104 can be realized by a storage such as a hard disk drive, and stores the estimation program 130, the learning program 140, the operation schedule creation program 150, and various information described in FIG. Thus, the main storage section 103 and the sub storage section 104 correspond to the storage section 16 . Further, the various information in the sub-storage unit 104 may be stored in a database system in a housing separate from the vacuum cleaner operation support device 10 .

Note that the cleaner operation support device 10 may further include an input unit for receiving input from the operator and a display unit for outputting various information. Also, these may be used as terminal devices. Furthermore, each program of each device may be implemented as one program, or may be further subdivided. This is the end of the description of the cleaner operation support device 10 .

Next, FIG. 3 shows a hardware configuration diagram of the user terminal 20. As shown in FIG. The user terminal 20 is realized by a so-called computer device such as a smart phone. Therefore, the user terminal 20 has a touch panel 21 , a processing section 22 , a communication section 23 and a storage section 24 .

The touch panel 21 receives input from the user and displays various information. Note that the touch panel 21 may be configured by being divided into an input section for receiving input and a display section for displaying.

The processing unit 22 can be realized by a processor such as a CPU, and executes calculations according to each program (application) described later. The communication unit 23 connects with other devices via the network 50 and the router 40 . Moreover, the communication unit 23 may further have a short-range wireless communication function for connecting with the vacuum cleaner 30 .

Storage unit 24 stores cleaner operation program 241 , schedule management program 242 and schedule information 243 . The cleaner operation program 241 implements instructions and controls related to the operation of the cleaner 30. The cleaner operation program 241 is also used for the estimation unit 13, the learning unit 14, and the operation schedule creation unit 15 of the cleaner operation support device 10. At least some of the functionality may be implemented. An example in which part of the processing of the estimating unit 13, the learning unit 14, and the operation schedule creating unit 15 is implemented by the cleaner operating program 241 will be described in a second embodiment.

Also, the schedule management program 242 is a program for managing the schedules of users and the like. The schedule information 243 is information managed by the schedule management program 242 and indicating the user's schedule. Note that the vacuum cleaner operation program 241 and the schedule management program 242 are also called applications. Note that the user terminal 20 includes a tablet terminal and a PC. Here, the PC may be a so-called notebook type or a desktop type. The description of the configuration of the user terminal 20 ends here.

Next, the configuration of cleaner 30 will be described. Vacuum cleaner 30 operates autonomously according to a control program. That is, the cleaner 30 runs and performs cleaning. A functional block diagram of cleaner 30 for performing this function is shown in FIG. Vacuum cleaner 30 has communication unit 31, touch panel 32, storage unit 33, and control unit 34 for performing control. The cleaner 30 has a traveling mechanism 35, a brush mechanism 36 and a suction mechanism 37 which are controlled.

The communication unit 31 has a function of communicating with the network 50, the router 40, or the user terminal 20. FIG. Note that the communication unit 31 may be provided with a short-range wireless communication function, like the communication unit 23 of the user terminal 20 .

The touch panel 32 displays various information to the user under the control of the control section 34 . Further, the touch panel 32 receives user operations and outputs various commands to the control unit 34 . Note that the touch panel 32 may be configured by being divided into an input section for receiving operations and a display section for displaying.

The storage unit 33 stores a control program for controlling operation and operation schedule information. The control unit 34 controls the operation of the vacuum cleaner 30 according to a control program, and can be realized by a processor such as a CPU. More specifically, the controller 34 controls operations of the travel mechanism 35 , the brush mechanism 36 and the suction mechanism 37 . Further, the control unit 34 can also follow operation instructions received by the communication unit 31 and the touch panel 32 .

The traveling mechanism 35 moves the cleaner 30 and has a driving part such as a motor and a driven part such as wheels. The brush mechanism 36 collects dust on the floor near the suction port. The suction mechanism 37 also sucks dust near the suction port and moves the dust to a dust collection box (not shown).

Here, each program and application described above can be distributed to each device via the network 50 or distributed via a storage medium. In other words, it can be distributed as a program product. This completes the description of the configurations of the first and second embodiments.

<Information>
Next, information used in Examples 1 and 2 will be described. First, FIG. 5 shows the operation record information 161. As shown in FIG. The operation performance information 161 indicates the performance of cleaning performed by the cleaner 30, and includes the date, time, temperature, amount of dust sucked, course, and average amount. The date and time indicate the date and time when the cleaner 30 was operated, that is, when cleaning was performed. The temperature indicates the temperature when the cleaner 30 executes. The temperature may be measured by a thermometer provided in the vacuum cleaner 30, or may be obtained from weather data from an external system such as the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The sucked dust amount indicates the amount of dust sucked in the corresponding operation. This can be detected by a sensor provided in cleaner 30 . Further, the course indicates the course of operation of the cleaner 30 executed at that time. The average amount of dust indicates the average amount of suctioned dust in a predetermined period. For this reason, the suctioned dust amount can be calculated by dividing it by the period from the previous time. Note that the average dust amount may be a representative value according to the relationship between the dust amount and the period.

The operation record information 161 is created by the cleaner operation support device 10 using information from the cleaner 30 . For example, the cleaner 30 transmits the date, time, and amount of dust sucked to the cleaner operation support device 10 via the network 50 . Then, the cleaner operation support device 10 creates the operation record information 161 using this information and the information of the external system. At this time, it is desirable to create for each cleaner ID that identifies the cleaner 30 transmitted from the cleaner 30 . Information from the cleaner 30 may be sent via the user terminal 20 , or the user terminal 20 may create the operation record information 161 and transmit it to the cleaner operation support device 10 .

Next, the user information 162 is shown in FIG. It is information about the user such as the schedule of the user of the vacuum cleaner 30 . In the present embodiment and the second embodiment, as the user information 162, (a) its attribute information and (b) schedule information are used. (a) Attribute information has a user ID, name, address and cleaner ID for each user. The user ID identifies the user of cleaner 30 . The name and address are the user's name and address. The cleaner ID is information for identifying the cleaner 30 itself or the model used by the user.

(b) Schedule information is information indicating a user's schedule created for each user. This schedule information may be any information that can determine the presence of a person within the operating range of the vacuum cleaner 30 . Note that the operating range indicates the area where the vacuum cleaner 30 performs cleaning, and can be set in units such as rooms, floors, and buildings. Also, this range can be set using the control program of the cleaner 30 or the cleaner operation program 241 of the user terminal 20 .

It should be noted that (b) schedule information does not have to be expressed as "in the room" or "absent" as shown in the figure, and it is desirable that the information reflects the schedules of people other than the user, such as cohabitants. The schedule information 243 of the user terminal 20 is also information similar to (b) schedule information. Furthermore, (b) instead of or in addition to the schedule information and the schedule information 243, information recording the actual situation in the operating range may be used. The actual state indicates the actual presence or absence in the operating range, and is specified using the connection status to the wireless LAN, the usage record of home appliances, and the like. Learning information 164, which will be described later, is created in accordance with the results of room or absence.

Next, FIG. 7 shows the operation schedule information 163. As shown in FIG. The operation schedule information 163 is information indicating the operation schedule of the cleaner 30 created by the operation schedule creating unit 15 . The operation schedule information 163 has a user ID, priority, scheduled operation time, and course for each user. The user ID is information that identifies the user or cleaner 30 . The priority indicates the order of priority of the operation schedule. The scheduled operating time indicates the scheduled operating time of the cleaner 30 . The course indicates the course of operation, that is, the course of cleaning, and includes, for example, a normal course and a careful course. This operation schedule information 163 is presented to the user, and is selected and instructed by the user. The cleaner 30 is operated according to the contents indicated by the operation schedule information 163 according to the results of this selection and instruction. In addition, (1) and (2) are normal courses, so the scheduled operation time is 30 minutes, while (3) is a careful course and is scheduled for 1 hour. Also, this operation schedule information 163 is created in consideration of the amount of dust in the operation range and the course.

Next, learning information 164 is shown in FIG. It is information about the operation of the cleaner 30 learned by the learning unit 14 and used by the estimation unit 13 . The learning information 164 in the present embodiment and the second embodiment uses (a) course learning information, (b) dust amount learning information, and (c) schedule learning information. (a) The course learning information specifies the amount of dust to be sucked in the cleaning course to be executed for each cleaner model or cleaner 30 . This makes it possible to specify the amount of dust estimated in the operating range and the course to be executed at that time. This information can be set for each vacuum cleaner 30 itself or for each model thereof, and can be learned, that is, adjusted, according to the operation record.

The (b) dust amount learning information is information indicating the expected amount of dust, which is the expected amount of dust in the operating range. In this example, the expected amount of garbage is specified on a daily basis, but it does not matter whether it is hourly or weekly. Note that the dust amounts of 3/6 to 3/9 are distinguished from others, which indicates that the operation of the cleaner 30 is required. That is, in the normal course of the cleaner 30, as indicated by (a) course learning information, 5 g is sucked in one operation. For this reason, 3/6 or more, where the difference from 5 g is within a predetermined range, is distinguished to indicate that cleaning is recommended. Further, 3/9 in the figure is further distinguished. This indicates the need for a careful course. Therefore, in the present embodiment and the second embodiment, the operation schedule can be determined according to the relationship between the sucked dust amount and the estimated dust amount for each operation of the cleaner 30 .

The (c) schedule learning information is information indicating the expected presence or absence of people in the operating range, that is, the expected time of absence. In this example, the information is for each user, but it may be information for each operating range in consideration of cohabitants. Also, in this example, the information is for each day of the week, but it may be for each day such as 3/1. Note that the (b) schedule information of the user information 162 and the (c) schedule learning information of the learning information 164 may be united by the operation unit time (course time) of the cleaner 30 . This completes the description of the information used in the present embodiment and the second embodiment.
<Processing>
Next, FIG. 9 shows a flowchart showing the processing flow in the first embodiment. In addition, in this flowchart, the processing subject of the cleaner operation support device 10 will be described using the constituent elements shown in FIG. 1 .

First, in step S1, the learning unit 14 of the cleaner operation support device 10 determines whether it is time to execute the reservation process, that is, this flow. For this determination, a predetermined period of time, whether a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the previous cleaning, or the like can be used. Also, whether or not a predetermined time has passed since the previous cleaning includes the start time and end time of cleaning. Furthermore, conditions other than temporal conditions may be used. As a result, if it is not the time (No), this step is repeated. Moreover, when it is time (Yes), it changes to step S2.

Next, in step S2, the learning section 14 learns the amount of dust. For this purpose, the learning unit 14 reads the operation record information 161 and learns the expected amount of dust for each period in the future. As a result, the learning unit 14 creates and adjusts (b) dust amount learning information of the learning information 164 . For this reason, the learning unit 14 estimates the amount of garbage for each day from the average amount of garbage in the performance record information 161 . As a result, the learning unit 14 can create the (b) dust amount learning information of the learning information 164 .

Further, the learning unit 14 learns (a) course learning information using the relationship between the course and the amount of dust in the operation record information 161 . This (a) course learning information is set as a default value determined in advance by specifications, and is adjusted and updated by learning. In this learning process, the learning unit 14 preferably considers weather information such as the season, day of the week, and temperature. Note that the learning process in this step S2 and step S4 described later may be appropriately performed separately from this flow.

Next, in step S3, the estimation unit 13 estimates the expected amount of dust at each period in the future. At this time, the estimation unit 13 reads the (b) dust amount learning information of the learning information 164 . This makes it possible to estimate the expected waste amount for each period.

Moreover, in step S4, the learning unit 14 learns the absence schedule. For this purpose, the learning unit 14 reads the operation record information 161 and learns the expected amount of dust for each period in the future. As a result, the learning unit 14 creates and adjusts (c) schedule learning information of the learning information 164 . For this reason, the learning unit 14 uses the (b) schedule information of the user information 162 and the record of the user's presence or absence in the room to identify the expected time of absence for each period in the future. As a result, the learning unit 14 can create (c) schedule learning information of the learning information 164 . The learning unit 14 preferably considers weather information such as the season, day of the week, and temperature in this learning process as well.

Next, in step S<b>5 , the estimation unit 13 reads the (c) schedule learning information of the learning information 164 . Based on this, the estimating unit 13 estimates the expected absence time for each period. In steps 2 to S5, it is desirable to handle information for the cycle of the reservation processing timing in step S1. In other words, in these steps, it is desirable to estimate the expected amount of garbage and the expected time of absence during the period until the next reservation process. In addition, parallel processing may be performed regardless of the processing order of steps S2 and S3 and steps S4 and S5. Furthermore, the learning process described above may be omitted or replaced with another process for executing the estimation process.

Next, in step S<b>6 , the operation schedule creation unit 15 estimates an operation time when the cleaner 30 will operate, using the expected amount of dust and the expected absence time. That is, the estimated amount of dust satisfies the processing conditions such as the necessity of cleaning, and the expected absence time is estimated as the operation time. Note that the operation period may be estimated as follows. The estimating unit 13 may estimate the period when the expected amount of dust will reach the required amount for cleaning, and estimate the expected absence period of the period. Conversely, the estimating unit 13 may estimate the estimated time of absence, and estimate the time when the expected amount of dust becomes the necessary amount of cleaning, that is, the overlapping time, as the operating time.

Next, in step S7, the operation schedule creation unit 15 ranks, that is, evaluates the estimated operation times according to a predetermined standard. For this criterion, it can be assumed that the number of times of cleaning is suppressed, that a careful course is suppressed, and that the period from the previous cleaning is shortened or lengthened. Then, the operation schedule creation unit 15 specifies the course to be performed in each operation period, taking into consideration the expected amount of dust. Through steps S5 and S6, the operation schedule information 163 is created by the operation schedule creation unit 15, the operation period and the course. Then, the operation schedule creation unit 15 stores the operation schedule information 163 shown in FIG.

Then, in step S<b>8 , the operation schedule creating unit 15 identifies the highest ranking, that is, the highest priority operation schedule information among the created operation schedule information 163 . Then, in step S9, the operation schedule creating unit 15 uses the output unit 12 to notify the corresponding user terminal 20 of the highest priority operation schedule information.

Next, in step S<b>10 , the user terminal 20 displays the top priority operation schedule information received by the communication unit 23 on the touch panel 21 . FIG. 10 shows the contents of this display. The touch panel 21 displays whether cleaning can be performed at the recommended time, which is the scheduled time with the highest priority. Then, as the operation schedule information, it is presented that cleaning is to be performed on "3/7 (Sunday) 10:00 to 10:30" in the "ordinary course".

On the other hand, if the user accepts (possible), he/she designates the OK button. When the user terminal 20 accepts the designation of the OK button, the process proceeds to step S12. If it is not accepted (impossible), the user designates the NG button. In response to this, the user terminal 20 starts accepting other time slots shown in the lower part of the drawing. As a result, when the user terminal 20 accepts another time period, it uses the communication unit 23 to notify the cleaner operation support device 10 of this other time period according to the designation of the send button. In this way, it is possible to specify the operation schedule information in step S10.

Next, in step S11, the input unit 11 of the cleaner operation support device 10 receives another time period as a response. Then, in step S8, the operation schedule creation unit 15 creates or corrects the operation schedule information in consideration of other time slots. For example, if another time slot is the operating period estimated in step S6, the operating schedule information for that time slot is set as the highest order operating schedule information.

In step S<b>12 , the user terminal 20 uses the communication unit 23 to notify the cleaner operation support device 10 of information indicating that the highest priority operation schedule information can be accepted as a response. Then, in step S<b>13 , the output unit 12 of the cleaner operation support device 10 notifies the corresponding operation schedule information to the cleaner 30 .

Note that steps S8 to S13 may be executed as follows. The vacuum cleaner operation support device 10 may notify the user terminal 20 of a plurality of pieces of operation schedule information having the highest order, and the user terminal 20 may be made selectable. Further, regarding steps S12 and S13, the user terminal 20 may transmit to the vacuum cleaner 30 via the router 40 or the like. Further, the operation schedule information displayed on the user terminal 20 may be set in the vacuum cleaner 30 by the user using the touch panel 32 . As described above, it is sufficient if the operation schedule information created by the cleaner operation support device 10 can be set in the cleaner 30 in some form.

Next, in step S14, the control unit 34 of the vacuum cleaner 30 records, that is, sets the notified operation schedule information in the storage unit 33 according to the control program. Then, in step SS15, the cleaner 30 performs cleaning according to the operation schedule information set by the control unit 34. FIG. That is, the vacuum cleaner 30 performs cleaning along the same set course at the scheduled operation time included in the operation schedule information.

Then, in step S<b>16 , the control unit 34 uses the communication unit 31 to notify the cleaner operation support device 10 of performance information indicating the cleaning result. Here, this step is executed in the same manner as when the cleaning is finished even if the cleaning is interrupted in the middle.

Next, in step S<b>17 , the learning unit 14 of the cleaner operation support device 10 stores the received performance information as the operation performance information 161 . Although not shown in FIG. 5, the operation record information 161 may include information that cleaning has been interrupted or completed (completed). As a result, it becomes possible for the learning unit 14 to learn the performance of cleaning and to reflect it in the subsequent generation of the operation schedule information 163 . Further, the reflection of the performance information 161, that is, the reflection to the learning may be performed in steps S11 and S13.

This completes the description of the processing of the first embodiment. According to this embodiment, the cleaner operation support device 10 can centrally create the operation schedule information. Therefore, without preparing a special user terminal 20 or cleaner 30, it is possible to create the operation schedule information 163 that allows the cleaner 30 to operate at a more appropriate timing.

Next, Example 2 will be described. Since the configuration and information of this embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment as described above, the processing flow thereof will be described. FIG. 11 shows a flowchart showing the processing flow of the second embodiment. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the user terminal 20 executes the estimation process and the creation of the operation schedule information 163 . Therefore, the description will focus on such differences. In addition, in FIG. 11, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same processes as in FIG. 9 of the first embodiment.

First, in steps S1 and S2, the same processing as in the first embodiment is performed. Also in step S4, the same processing as in the first embodiment is executed. Note that the processing order of steps S2 and S4 does not matter, and they may be processed in parallel.

Next, in step S101, the output unit 12 notifies the user terminal 20 of the learning information 164 created in steps S2 and S4. Here, it is desirable that the learned information 164 to be notified is limited to the amount necessary for creating the operation schedule information on the user terminal 20 .

Next, in step S<b>3 , the processing unit 22 of the user terminal 20 estimates the amount of dust according to the cleaner operation program 241 . This executes the same processing as in the first embodiment, except that the subject of processing is different. However, it is desirable that the user terminal 20 accesses the cleaner operation support device 10 to obtain the operation record information 161 .

Next, in step S<b>5 , the processing unit 22 estimates the absence time according to the cleaner operation program 241 . This is the same processing as in the first embodiment, but in the second embodiment, the schedule information 243 may be used, or the user information 162 may be obtained by accessing the cleaner operation support device 10 . Incidentally, the order of steps S and S5 does not matter, and parallel processing may be performed.

Next, in step S<b>6 , the processing unit 22 estimates the operating time according to the vacuum cleaner operation program 241 as in the first embodiment. Then, in step S7, the processing unit 22 creates the operation schedule information 163 according to the vacuum cleaner operating program 241, as in the first embodiment.

Next, in step S<b>102 , the processing unit 22 displays the created operation schedule information 163 on the touch panel 21 according to the cleaner operation program 241 . FIG. 12 shows the contents of this display. The touch panel 21 displays operation schedule information arranged in order of priority, together with radio buttons for selection of each item. At this time, it is desirable that the radio button for the operation schedule information with the highest priority is displayed in a checked state.

Then, in step S103, processing unit 22 accepts selection for step S102 according to cleaner operation program 241. FIG. Thus, the operation schedule information can be specified in this step. As a result, the processing unit 22 notifies the selected operation schedule information to the cleaner operation support device 10 using the communication unit 23 according to the cleaner operation program 241 .

Next, in step S105, the input unit 11 of the cleaner operation support device 10 receives the selected operation schedule information. Then, in step S13, the output unit 12 of the cleaner operation support device 10 notifies the cleaner 30 of the received operation schedule information.

Note that steps S102 to S13 may be executed as follows. The user terminal 20 notifies a plurality of operation schedule information with the highest priority, and accepts an alternative if it is not accepted. In other words, the same processing as in the first embodiment may be performed. Also, the notification in step S104 may be transmitted from the user terminal 20 to the cleaner 30 via the router 40 or the like. Further, the user may use the touch panel 32 to set the operation schedule information selected by the user terminal 20 in the vacuum cleaner 30 . As described above, it is sufficient if the operation schedule information created by the cleaner operation support device 10 can be set in the cleaner 30 in some form.

After that, the processes of steps S14 to S17 are executed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Note that the reflection to the learning in step S17 may be executed in step S105. This completes the description of the processing of the second embodiment. According to this embodiment, the operation schedule information 163 can be created while reducing load concentration by sharing the processing between the cleaner operation support device 10 and the user terminal 20 .

Although the explanation of each embodiment is finished above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. For example, it can be applied to an automatic window cleaner for buildings and an automatic vacuum cleaner for commercial use. In this case, it is possible to estimate the expected time of absence based on the business hours of the building or office, using not only the amount of dust but also the amount of dirt on the windows. It can also be applied to maintenance equipment such as grounds. In this case, the operation schedule information is created based on the state of growth of the lawn and the state of use of the ground.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Vacuum cleaner operation support apparatus, 11... Input part, 12... Output part, 13... Estimation part, 14... Learning part, 15... Operation schedule preparation part, 16... Storage part, 161... Operation result information, 162... User Information 163 Operation schedule information 164 Learning information 20 User terminal 30 Vacuum cleaner 40 Router 50 Network

Claims (14)

In a vacuum cleaner operation support device for controlling the operation of an autonomous traveling vacuum cleaner,
an estimating unit for estimating the expected amount of dust in the operating range of the autonomous traveling cleaner and estimating the expected time of absence of people in the operating range;
an operation schedule creation unit that creates operation schedule information for the autonomous mobile cleaner according to the estimation result of the estimation unit;
A cleaner operation support device having an output unit that outputs the operation schedule information to the autonomously traveling cleaner via a network. In the vacuum cleaner operation support device according to claim 1,
The estimation unit estimates a period in which the expected amount of dust is equal to or greater than a certain amount,
The operation schedule creation unit creates the operation schedule information as a scheduled operation time of the autonomous traveling type vacuum cleaner when a period in which the expected amount of dust is equal to or greater than a certain amount overlaps with the expected absence time. support equipment. In the vacuum cleaner operation support device according to claim 2,
The vacuum cleaner operation support device, wherein the estimating unit estimates an expected absence time during a period when the expected amount of dust is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount. In the vacuum cleaner operation support device according to claim 1,
moreover,
learning about the expected amount of dust based on the amount of dust sucked by the autonomously traveling vacuum cleaner;
Having a learning unit that performs learning about the expected time of absence,
The vacuum cleaner operation support device, wherein the estimating unit estimates the expected dust amount and the expected absence time using the learning result of the learning unit. In the vacuum cleaner operation support device according to claim 4,
Further, an input unit that receives an operation result according to the operation schedule information from the autonomous traveling type vacuum cleaner,
The vacuum cleaner operation support device, wherein the learning unit learns the expected dust amount and the expected absence time using the operation record. In the vacuum cleaner operation support device according to claim 1,
The cleaner operation support device, wherein the output unit notifies a user terminal used by a user of the operation schedule information via the network. In the vacuum cleaner operation support device according to claim 6,
further comprising an input unit that receives a response to the operation schedule information from the user terminal via the network;
The cleaner operation support device, wherein the operation schedule creation unit corrects the operation schedule information when the response indicates that the operation schedule information is not accepted. In the program that makes the user terminal involved in the control of the autonomous running vacuum cleaner function as a computer,
to the user terminal,
Identifying scheduled operation information of the autonomously traveling cleaner, which is created based on the expected amount of dust in the operating range of the autonomously traveling cleaner and the expected time of absence of people in the operating range;
Execute the output of the specified operation schedule information,
A program that operates according to the output operation schedule information of the autonomous traveling cleaner. In the program according to claim 8,
estimating the expected garbage amount and the expected absence time in the user terminal;
A program for executing creation of the operation schedule information. In the program according to claim 9,
to the user terminal,
Estimate a period in which the expected amount of dust is equal to or greater than a certain amount,
A program for creating the operation schedule information assuming that a period in which the expected amount of dust is equal to or greater than a certain amount overlaps with the expected absence time as the scheduled operation time of the autonomous traveling cleaner. In the program according to claim 10,
to the user terminal,
A program for estimating an expected absence time during a period when the expected garbage amount is equal to or greater than a certain amount. In the program according to claim 9,
to the user terminal,
The expected amount of dust and the expected time of absence are estimated by using the learning result of the expected amount of dust and the learning result of the expected time of absence performed based on the amount of dust sucked by the autonomously traveling cleaner. program. The program according to claim 12,
The learning result is a program for learning the expected amount of dust and the expected time of absence from the autonomous traveling cleaner by using the operation results corresponding to the operation schedule information. In the program according to claim 8,
to the user terminal,
Allowing the user to select the created operation schedule information,
A program for outputting the selected operating schedule information.

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