JP2023100327A - Autonomous traveling cleaner and cleaning system therewith - Google Patents

Abstract

To grasp a cleanable range that will increase when a movable obstacle is removed.SOLUTION: An autonomous traveling cleaner S of the present invention comprises: a LiDAR41 for measuring a distance; and a camera 50 for detecting the shape and position of an object. A control device 30 comprises: an image processing unit 32 for acquiring information of an obstacle from image data captured by the camera 50; a map creation unit 31 for creating a map from the information acquired by the LiDAR41 and the image processing unit 32; a self-position determination unit 33 for determining a self-position of the autonomous traveling cleaner S; and a travel route creation unit 34 for creating a travel route based on the map information and the self-position information. The map creation unit 31 has a function of creating map information when the obstacle is removed. The travel route creation unit 34 creates travelable range information of the autonomous traveling cleaner S when the obstacle is removed based on the map information when the obstacle is removed, created by the map creation unit 31, and transmits it to an information terminal device 100.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an autonomously traveling cleaner that performs cleaning by autonomously traveling and a cleaning system having the same.

As an autonomously traveling vacuum cleaner, there is a technique described in Patent Document 1, for example. Patent Document 1 describes an environment measurement sensor that acquires information on the traveling environment of an autonomously traveling vacuum cleaner, a map creation unit that creates a map of the travel environment based on the information from the environment measurement sensor, and a map created by the map creation unit. Based on the information acquired by the environmental measurement sensor and the map, the storage unit that stores the map determines the position of the self, determines whether or not it is in a situation where it is impossible to travel, and determines the position where the situation is determined. and/or a self-position determination unit that stores the area.

JP 2020-190769 A

However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, although it is possible to grasp the position and area where the autonomous cleaner is unable to travel, it is difficult to grasp the cleaning range that increases when movable obstacles are removed. I couldn't do it.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide an autonomous traveling cleaner and a cleaning system having the same, which can grasp the cleaning range that increases when movable obstacles are removed. be.

In order to achieve the above object, the autonomous traveling cleaner of the present invention comprises: a cleaner main body having drive wheels and a travel motor for driving the drive wheels; An autonomously traveling cleaner comprising a case, a fan motor provided in the cleaner body for generating a suction force, the traveling motor, and a control device for controlling the fan motor, wherein the autonomously traveling cleaner comprises: a distance measuring sensor for measuring the distance between the machine and the surroundings; an imaging unit for detecting the shape and position of an object; an image processing unit that processes data to identify obstacles and acquires information about relative positions of the obstacles; and a map creation unit that creates a map based on the information from the distance measuring sensor and the information from the image processing unit. a self-position determining unit for determining the self-position of the autonomously traveling cleaner based on information from the range sensor; a travel route creation unit that creates a travel route for the autonomous travel cleaner based on the self-location information of the travel cleaner, and the map creation unit creates map information when obstacles are removed. wherein the travel route creation unit creates travelable range information of the autonomous travel type vacuum cleaner when the obstacle is removed based on the map information created by the map creation unit when the obstacle is removed; The information is transmitted to the information terminal device via the communication means.

Further, in the cleaning system of the present invention, information is transmitted and received between an autonomously traveling cleaner equipped with a controller for controlling a traveling motor and a fan motor, the autonomously traveling cleaner, and an information communication terminal. and a home appliance server, wherein the autonomously traveling cleaner includes a distance sensor that measures the distance between the autonomously traveling cleaner and the surroundings, and an imaging unit that detects the shape and position of an object. , wherein the control device includes an image processing unit that processes image data captured by the imaging unit to identify obstacles and acquires information about relative positions of the obstacles; a map creation unit that creates a map based on information from a processing unit; a self-position determination unit that determines the self-position of the autonomous traveling cleaner based on information from the range sensor; a travel route creation unit that creates a travel route for the autonomous cleaner based on the map information obtained by the self-position determination unit and the self-location information of the autonomous cleaner determined by the self-location determination unit; The section has a function of creating map information when the obstacle is removed, and the travel route creation section is based on the map information created by the map creation section when the obstacle is removed. It is characterized by creating travelable range information of the autonomous travel type cleaner and transmitting it to the home appliance server.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an autonomous traveling cleaner and a cleaning system having the same, which can grasp a cleaning range that increases when a movable obstacle is removed.

1 is an external perspective view of an autonomously traveling cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a bottom view of an autonomously traveling cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which an upper case is removed from an autonomously traveling cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 1; It is a perspective view which shows a circumference|surroundings detection sensor unit. It is a perspective view of a front sensor unit. 1 is a control block diagram showing an autonomously traveling cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a cleaning system including an autonomously traveling cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing the flow from the start of cleaning to the end of cleaning according to the embodiment of the present invention; It is a figure which shows the map information based on the Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows the map information and obstacle identification result which concern on the Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows the preparation method of the driving|running|working range information which concerns on the Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows the map information at the time of obstacle removal based on the Example of this invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a travelable range when obstacles are removed according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of the home appliance server and the information terminal device according to the embodiment of the present invention; It is an example of the display screen of the information terminal device displaying map information and obstacles after cleaning. It is an example of the display screen of the information terminal device displaying the information of the obstacle. It is an example of the display screen of the information terminal device displaying the travelable range when the obstacle is removed.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Similar components are denoted by similar reference numerals, and similar descriptions are not repeated.

The various constituent elements of the present invention do not necessarily have to be independent entities, and one constituent element may consist of a plurality of members, a plurality of constituent elements may consist of one member, a certain constituent element may part of a component, part of one component overlaps part of another component, and so on.

In the figure, the ceiling side is up, the floor side is down, the direction of travel of the autonomous cleaner is the front, the opposite side of the cleaner is behind, and the left side of the cleaner is the left. , and the right side in the traveling direction of the autonomous traveling cleaner is defined as right.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an autonomously traveling cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, an autonomously traveling cleaner S is an electric device that automatically cleans a predetermined cleaning area (for example, the floor surface Y of a room (see FIG. 4)) while autonomously moving. In addition, the autonomous traveling cleaner S includes a cleaner body 1, a bumper 2 that covers the side circumference of the cleaner body 1, a pair of driving wheels 3 and 4 (see FIG. 2), an auxiliary wheel 5 (see FIG. 2), and A side brush 6 is provided.

The cleaner body 1 has an upper cover 1u that forms at least part of the upper surface and a lower case 1s that forms at least part of the bottom surface.

The upper cover 1u is provided with an operation button 7 for performing various operations such as starting and stopping operation. A detachable dust case 8 is provided on the upper cover 1u. The dust case 8 is provided on the rear side of the center in the front-rear direction. A handle 8a is rotatably attached to the dust case 8. As shown in FIG.

The bumper 2 is provided on substantially the entire side circumference of the cleaner body 1 . Such a bumper 2 can be formed, for example, in a substantially cylindrical shape with no bottom. Just do it. In addition, when the bumper 2 comes into contact with an obstacle or the like as the autonomously traveling cleaner S moves, the bumper 2 is pushed by the force associated with the contact to the inside of the autonomously traveling cleaner S (autonomous traveling cleaner S). When the front side of S contacts the bumper 2, it can be displaced toward the rear).

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the autonomous traveling cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the drive wheels 3 and 4 are wheels as an example of a drive unit, and are attached to the lower case 1s. Further, the autonomous traveling cleaner S can be moved forward, backward, and turned (including super-pivot turning) by rotating the drive wheels 3 and 4 themselves. Driving wheels 3 and 4 are arranged on both left and right sides, and are rotationally driven by wheel units each composed of traveling motors 3m and 4m (see FIG. 3) and reduction gears. Further, the drive wheels 3 and 4 are provided substantially in the center in the front-rear direction and near the outer periphery (outside) of the lower case in the left-right direction.

Further, the lower case 1s is provided with drive mechanism housing portions 11, 11 for housing a drive mechanism including the traveling motors 3m, 4m (see FIG. 3), the arms 3a, 4a, and the reduction mechanisms 3b, 4b. It is

Further, behind the driving wheels 3 and 4 and the drive mechanism accommodating portions 11 and 11, a suction port portion 12 for accommodating a rotating brush 14 and sucking dust, a scraping brush 15, and the like are provided.

The rotating brush 14 is arranged substantially parallel to an axis (horizontal direction) passing through the center of rotation of the driving wheels 3 and 4 . The rotating brush 14 is driven by a rotating brush motor 14a (see FIG. 3).

The scraping brush 15 is arranged parallel to the rotation axis of the rotating brush 14 . The scraping brush 15 is a so-called lint brush, and is designed to rotate within a predetermined angular range.

The auxiliary wheel 5 is a driven wheel and a freely rotating caster. Further, the auxiliary wheel 5 is provided on the front side of the autonomously traveling cleaner S in the front-rear direction and substantially in the center in the left-right direction. Further, the auxiliary wheels 5 contribute to keeping the lower case 1 s at a predetermined height from the floor surface Y (see FIG. 4) together with the drive wheels 3 and 4 . Further, the driving wheels 3 and 4 and the auxiliary wheels 5 allow the autonomously traveling cleaner S to move smoothly. The auxiliary wheel 5 is driven by the frictional force generated between itself and the floor surface Y as the cleaner S moves, and is pivotally supported by the lower case 1 s so that it can revolve 360° in the horizontal direction. ing.

A part of the side brush 6 is located outside the main body 1 of the cleaner (see FIG. 1), and is a brush that guides dust in places where the rotating brush 14 is difficult to reach to the suction port 12 . The side brushes 6 have three bundles of brushes extending radially at intervals of 120° in a plan view, and are arranged on the front side of the lower case 1s. Further, the side brush 6 is fixed at its base to a side brush holder 6a. The rotation axis of the side brush 6 extends vertically (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 2), and part of the side brush 6 protrudes outward from the cleaner body 1 (see FIG. 1) in plan view.

The side brush 6 has bristles slanted toward the floor surface Y (see FIG. 4) toward the tip, and the vicinity of the tip is in contact with the floor surface. In addition, the side brushes 6 are rotated so as to sweep the front outer region of the autonomously traveling cleaner S in the direction from the outer side to the inner side in the left-right direction, as indicated by an arrow α1, to remove dust on the floor surface Y. are collected on the rotating brush 14 side in the center. The side brushes 6 are rotationally driven by a side brush motor 6b (see FIG. 3).

In addition, the lower case 1s is provided with four distance measuring sensors 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d for the floor in front, back, left, and right. The floor ranging sensor 13 a is located in front of the training wheels 5 . The floor distance measuring sensor 13b is positioned on the outer peripheral side between the driving wheel 3 and the right side brush 6. As shown in FIG. The floor ranging sensor 13c is positioned symmetrically with respect to the floor ranging sensor 13b. The floor ranging sensor 13 d is located behind the scraping brush 15 .

The lower case 1s is also provided with connecting portions 16, 16 electrically connected to the charging stand. The connecting portion 16 is located between the side brush holder 6a and the floor distance measuring sensor 13a.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which an upper case is removed from the autonomous traveling cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV--IV of FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the surrounding detection sensor unit.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the autonomous traveling cleaner S includes a LiDAR unit (long-distance surrounding detection sensor) 40 as an example of a distance measurement sensor using light, a camera (imaging unit) 50, and a distance measurement sensor. (short-range distance measuring sensor) 60 and an infrared light receiving section 70 are provided. A LiDAR unit 40 (Light Detection and Ranging) is arranged on the central axis of the upper surface of the autonomous mobile cleaner S. As shown in FIG. 3, the camera 50, the distance measuring sensor 60, and the infrared light receiving section 70 are arranged so as to face the front side.

The autonomous traveling cleaner S of this embodiment includes drive wheels 3 and 4 that drive the cleaner body 1, a LiDAR unit 40 provided in the cleaner body 1, and cameras provided on the front and side surfaces of the cleaner body 1. By providing the (imaging unit) 50 and the camera (imaging unit) 50 provided in the cleaner main body 1, it is possible to accurately create a map of the cleaning location.

As shown in FIG. 5, the LiDAR unit 40 is divided into an upper rotating portion 40a and a lower fixed portion 40b. On the upper side, a LiDAR 41, which is a distance sensor that measures the distance between the autonomous cleaner S and the surroundings using light such as infrared rays, and a photointerrupter for detecting the angle of the LiDAR 41 on the horizontal plane. The fixed part on the lower side is a rotation drive motor 42 for rotating the LiDAR 41, a bearing that reduces the frictional force between the belt 43 that transmits the rotation of the rotation drive motor 42 to the LiDAR 41 and the fixed part when the rotating part rotates, and a photo interrupter. consists of protrusions for detecting angles on the horizontal plane. The LiDAR 41 is composed of a light-emitting portion 41a and a light-receiving portion 41b, and measures the distance to an object by trigonometry based on the light-emitting angle of the light-emitting portion 41a and the light-receiving angle of the light-receiving portion 41b. In this embodiment, the light emitting portion 41a is an infrared light emitting portion, and the light receiving portion 41b is an infrared light receiving portion, which are configured as one unit.

The angle on the horizontal plane with respect to the cleaner body 1 is the projection detected between the light emitting element and the light receiving element of each projection on the fixing portion 40b fixed to the cleaner body 1 and the photointerrupter of the rotating portion. The angle of the rotating part on the horizontal plane is detected by the number. Only one protrusion in the front direction of the cleaner body 1 is shortened from the other protrusions, the angle of the front face of the cleaner body 1 is detected, and each angle is detected by the number of protrusions detected from there.

Based on the angle of the cleaner body 1 on the horizontal plane and the distance from the obstacle measured by the LiDAR unit 40, the position and velocity vector of the cleaner body 1 on the map are specified while creating surrounding map information. In place of the LiDAR 41, the long-distance surrounding detection sensor may be a range sensor capable of measuring 1 m or more, such as a millimeter wave radar or an ultrasonic sensor. The arrangement of the LiDAR unit 40 is not limited to the upper surface of the cleaner body 1, and may be the lower surface. Further, the rotation angle of the rotating portion of the LiDAR unit 40 is not limited to 360°, and it is sufficient if the belt can be replaced with a link mechanism to measure 60° or more. The rotation may be a swing motion. The LiDAR distance measurement method may be a time-of-flight method that utilizes a phase difference between light from a light-emitting portion and a light-receiving portion instead of the trigonometric method.

In addition, the LiDAR unit 40 can detect obstacles further away by changing the light intensity of the LiDAR 41 . However, if the intensity of the light from the LiDAR 41 is kept high at all times, the power consumption will increase. Further, by increasing the rotational speed of the rotary drive motor 42, the obstacle can be detected in more detail. However, if the rotation speed of the rotation drive motor 42 is always kept high, the power consumption will increase.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the front sensor unit. As shown in FIG. 6, the front sensor unit includes a camera 50, a distance measuring sensor 60, and an infrared light receiving section 70 inside.

The camera (imaging unit) 50 is a monocular camera and is positioned on the central axis of the front surface of the cleaner body 1 . In addition, since the camera 50 can detect the shape and position of an object more accurately than the LiDAR unit 40, it becomes easier to avoid obstacles. In addition, since the camera 50 can have a wider angle of view in the vertical direction than the LiDAR unit 40, obstacles on the floor can be avoided. For example, it is possible to prevent entanglement of clothes on the floor or entanglement of the cord with the brush. In this way, by using the camera 50 together with the LiDAR unit 40, it is possible to clearly detect the shape and position of short-range obstacles while detecting the rough arrangement of obstacles in a wide range. can be determined.

Also, the camera 50 can change the frame rate. For example, it increases the frame rate when detecting nearby obstacles, and decreases the frame rate when moving in a wide area where there are no obstacles. As a result, the power consumption of the camera 50 can be suppressed because it is not necessary to operate the camera 50 in a state where the frame rate is always increased.

Thus, in this embodiment, by using both the LiDAR 41 and the camera 50, it is possible to detect the distance information and the shape information to the obstacle with high accuracy. More specifically, when creating a map of the cleaning area, the position information of the detected obstacles is detected and mapped mainly or exclusively using the LiDAR 41, and the shape information is mainly or exclusively used by the camera. Can be detected and mapped. In this embodiment, the LiDAR 41 and the camera are provided adjacent to each other (the separation distance is within 10 cm, 5 cm, or 3 cm) in order to make these associations highly accurate.

Furthermore, based on the distance information detected by the LiDAR 41, the focal length of the camera may be adjusted or the moving speed of the cleaner body 1 may be changed (for example, decelerated).

The distance measuring sensor 60 is an infrared sensor that has a detection range shorter than that of LiDAR, for example, by about 1/10 or more, and detects a distance to a relatively nearby obstacle (for example, about 1 m, preferably about 50 cm or 30 cm or less), For example, it is configured by a PSD (Position Sensitive Detector) sensor. In addition, the distance measuring sensors 60 are provided at a total of three locations on the front and on the left and right sides. Further, the distance measuring sensor 60 has a light-emitting portion that emits infrared rays, and a light-receiving portion that receives reflected light that is returned after the infrared rays have been reflected by an obstacle. The distance to the obstacle is calculated based on the reflected light detected by the light receiving section. Specifically, the distance to the obstacle is calculated based on the position at which the reflected light is received, the time until the reflected light is received, the amount and intensity of the reflected light, and the like. Note that the distance measuring sensor 60 is not limited to a PSD sensor, and may be an ultrasonic sensor. By providing a plurality of distance measuring sensors 60 in this way, it is possible to clean along the walls.

The bumper 2 is made of resin or glass that transmits light. At least the portion of the bumper 2 near the distance measuring sensor 60 is made of a material having a higher transmittance for infrared rays than for visible light and ultraviolet rays. As a result, it is possible to reduce the risk of erroneous recognition of the distance to the obstacle due to the entry of ultraviolet light or visible light into the light receiving section. A material that transmits only the wavelength of the light used may be used.

The autonomously traveling cleaner S is electrically connected to the charging stand via the connecting portion 16 and supplies power to the storage battery 21 . In addition, the autonomous traveling cleaner S receives three types of infrared LEDs emitted from the charging base with the infrared light receiving unit 70, and identifies the direction of the charging base with respect to the main body of the cleaner according to the type of received infrared light. .

As shown in FIG. 4, the autonomously traveling cleaner S includes a storage battery 21, a fan motor 22, and a dust sensor 80 inside.

The storage battery 21 is arranged in front of the fan motor 22, and includes various motors such as the running motors 3m and 4m (see FIG. 3), the rotating brush motor 14a, and the fan motor 22, a bumper sensor (not shown), a camera 50, and a range sensor 60. , floor ranging sensors 13a to 13d, LiDAR unit 40, and various other sensors.

The fan motor 22 generates a suction force to collect the dust scraped by the rotating brush 14 into the dust case 8 . Further, the fan motor 22 is provided between the drive wheels 3 and 4 in the center in the front-rear direction. A dust collection filter 8 b is arranged between the dust case 8 and the fan motor 22 . Air taken into the dust case 8 together with dust is taken into the fan motor 22 via the dust collection filter 8b. Exhaust air from the fan motor 22 is mainly discharged to the outside of the autonomously traveling cleaner S from an exhaust port 1t (see FIG. 2) formed in the lower case 1s, but part of it is discharged forward of the cleaner body 1. The exhaust is used to cool the rotary drive motor 42 .

FIG. 7 is a control block diagram showing an autonomously traveling cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 7, the control device 30 comprehensively controls the autonomous cleaner S, and is configured by mounting a microcomputer and peripheral circuits on a substrate, for example. A microcomputer reads a control program stored in a ROM (Read Only Memory), develops it in a RAM (Random Access Memory), and executes various processes by a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Peripheral circuits include an A/D/D/A converter, a sensor drive circuit, a charging circuit for the storage battery 21, as well as a map creation unit, an image processing unit, a self-position determination unit, a travel route creation unit, and a travel control unit, which will be described later. have.

In addition, the control device 30 controls the operation of the operation button 7 that allows the user to input commands, a bumper sensor (not shown), floor ranging sensors 13a to 13d, a ranging sensor 60, the camera 50, the LiDAR 41, and a dust sensor. 80, performs arithmetic processing according to the signal input from the communication means 90, and outputs the signal after the arithmetic processing. Although not shown, the communication means 90 is provided at an arbitrary position on the main body 1 of the cleaner.

An autonomously traveling cleaner starts traveling from a charging base at a user's instruction or at a reserved start time, for example, and cleans a floor surface or the like. When the cleaning is finished, the autonomously traveling cleaner returns to the charging base. Autonomous vacuum cleaners avoid obstacles such as walls and furniture to clean, but if power cords or the like are placed on the surface to be cleaned, for example, they cannot clean around them. . Also, if the autonomous cleaner cannot detect the power cord, the rotating brushes and drive wheels of the autonomous cleaner might get caught in the power cord, making it impossible to run. Means for solving such problems will be described below.

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of a cleaning system including an autonomous cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. The cleaning system of this embodiment includes an autonomously traveling cleaner S, a wireless LAN router 200, an information terminal device 100, and a home appliance server 300. FIG.

The autonomously traveling cleaner S can be wirelessly connected to a home appliance server 300 outside the home via a wireless LAN router 200 installed inside the home. Also, the autonomously traveling cleaner S can communicate with the information terminal devices 100 outside and inside the home via the wireless LAN router 200 and the home appliance server 300 . When the autonomous cleaner S communicates with the information terminal device 100 in the home, it goes through the wireless LAN router 200 , the home appliance server 300 , the wireless LAN router 200 and the home appliance server 300 .

The information terminal device 100 can make a schedule reservation for the autonomously traveling cleaner S and give an instruction to start or stop cleaning via the wireless LAN router 200 and the home appliance server 300 . The autonomous traveling cleaner S that has received the schedule reservation starts cleaning on the set date and time. In addition, the autonomously traveling cleaner S that has received the start of cleaning leaves the charging base and starts cleaning.

Further, the autonomous mobile cleaner S transmits map information created based on the information from the LiDAR 41 and the camera 50 to the information terminal device 100 via the wireless LAN router 200 and the home appliance server 300 .

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device 30 according to the embodiment of the invention. In FIG. 9 , the map creation unit 31 creates a map of the room being cleaned by the autonomous cleaner S based on the information detected by the LiDAR 41 . The map information created by the map creating section 31 is a two-dimensional grid map.

The image processing unit 32 identifies obstacles from the image data captured by the camera 50 , acquires information about the relative positions of the obstacles, and transmits the information to the map creation unit 31 .

The self-position determination unit 33 determines the self-position of the autonomously traveling cleaner S based on the information detected by the LiDAR 41 and transmits the determination to the map creation unit 31 .

The map creation unit 31 writes the obstacle identification result including the position information of the obstacle specified by the image processing unit 32 and the self-position of the autonomous cleaner S determined by the self-position determination unit 33 on the created map. The map information created by the map creation unit 31 and the obstacle identification result are stored in the storage unit of the control device 30 .

Based on the self-position of the autonomously traveling cleaner S determined by the self-position determination unit 33 and the map information stored in the storage unit, the travel route generation unit 34 calculates a travelable range and determines the self-position. A travel route of the autonomous travel cleaner S as a starting point is created and transmitted to the communication means 90 and the travel control unit 35 .

The travel control unit 35 controls the travel motors 3m and 4m so that the autonomous travel cleaner S travels along the created travel route.

The device control unit 36 controls the traveling motors 3m and 4m, the side brush motor 6b, the rotating brush motor 14a, and the fan motor 22 as the autonomous traveling cleaner S travels.

The communication means 90 transmits the travel route created by the travel route creation unit 34 to the home appliance server 300, and the self-position of the autonomous travel cleaner S determined by the self-position determination unit 33 and the map information stored in the storage unit. , periodically transmits the obstacle identification result stored in the storage unit to the home appliance server 300 .

Next, operations of the autonomous traveling cleaner S, the home appliance server 300, and the information terminal device 100 will be described. FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing the flow from the start of cleaning to the end of cleaning according to the embodiment of the present invention.

When the autonomously traveling cleaner S leaves the charging stand and starts cleaning, the map information obtained by the map creation unit 31, the image processing unit 32, and the self-position determination unit 33, the obstacle identification result, and the autonomously traveling cleaner S are collected. The self-location of S is transmitted to home appliance server 300 via communication means 90 . The information transmitted from the communication means 90 is periodically transmitted until the autonomously traveling cleaner S returns to the charging stand.

Map information, map information, and obstacle identification result data will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing map information according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing map information and obstacle identification results according to the embodiment of the present invention. 11 and 12, the map information is represented as a two-dimensional grid map. A white portion W indicates a range in which the autonomous cleaner S can travel or has already traveled. The black B portions indicate areas where the vehicle cannot travel, obstacles, and walls. The gray G portion is the range in which the vehicle can travel, and indicates the non-traveling portion. The hatched portion H indicates the result of obstacle identification.

A room in which the autonomously traveling cleaner S travels is surrounded by walls, and furniture and the like are placed inside. Since walls and furniture are obstacles that cannot be moved each time cleaning is performed, the control device 30 of the autonomously traveling cleaner S is recognized as a range in which it cannot travel. In a room, there are, for example, power cords (cables) in addition to immovable obstacles such as walls and furniture. Since the power cord may get caught in the autonomously traveling cleaner S, the image processing unit 32 recognizes it as an obstacle. However, since the power cord is movable and removing it eliminates the obstacle, the image processing unit 32 recognizes the power cord separately from walls and furniture. The result of identifying the power cord is added to the map information as indicated by hatching H in FIG. The image processing unit 32 recognizes the type of obstacle and determines whether or not the obstacle is movable.

Returning to FIG. 10, when the information terminal device 100 activates the application software by the user's operation and requests map information from the home appliance server 300, the home appliance server 300 sends the map information transmitted from the autonomous mobile cleaner S to the information terminal device. 100 sequentially. Map information is displayed in real time on the display screen of the information terminal device 100 . The display contents of the information terminal device 100 will be described later. Application software installed in the information terminal device 100 is downloaded from the home appliance server 300, for example.

After traveling along the travel route created by the travel route creation unit 34, the autonomous travel cleaner S returns to the charging stand.

After returning to the charging stand, the autonomously traveling cleaner S creates travelable range information when the identified obstacle is removed. A method and result of creating the travelable range information will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 to 15. FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a method of creating travelable range information according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing map information when obstacles are removed according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the travelable range when obstacles are removed according to the embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 13, the map creation unit 31 creates map information when the identified obstacle is removed based on the map information and the obstacle identification result stored in the storage unit of the control device 30, and creates a travel route. 34. The map information when the obstacle is removed is as shown in FIG. When the obstacle is removed, the map information of the location where the obstacle existed is stored as gray G as a travelable range and an untraveled location.

The travel route creation unit 34 creates travelable range information when the obstacle is removed based on the map information created by the travel route creation unit 34 when the obstacle is removed. FIG. 15 shows the travelable range information when the obstacle is removed. Due to the removal of the obstacle, it becomes possible to travel through the location displayed in gray G, and the travel route of the autonomous traveling cleaner S is added to the location displayed in gray G.

Returning to FIG. 10 , the autonomous traveling cleaner S transmits the travelable range information during obstacle removal created by the travel route creating unit 34 to the home appliance server 300 via the communication means 90 . In addition, the autonomously traveling cleaner S transmits information that cleaning has ended to the home appliance server 300 via the communication means 90 . Home appliance server 300 notifies information terminal device 100 that the cleaning is finished.

When the information terminal device 100 activates the application software by the user's operation and requests map information from the home appliance server 300 , the home appliance server 300 sends the map information sent from the autonomous mobile cleaner S to the information terminal device 100 . On the display screen of the information terminal device 100, a map including a travel locus is displayed when the autonomous cleaner S has finished cleaning.

Next, display contents displayed on the information terminal device 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 to 19. FIG. FIG. 16 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of the home appliance server and information terminal device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 17 is an example of a display screen of an information terminal device displaying map information and obstacles after cleaning. FIG. 18 is an example of a display screen of an information terminal device displaying information about obstacles. FIG. 19 is an example of the display screen of the information terminal device displaying the travelable range when the obstacle is removed.

As shown in FIG. 17, on the display screen 101 of the information terminal device 100, map information and obstacles after cleaning are displayed. On the display screen 101 shown in FIG. 17, an immovable obstacle BA1 such as a wall or furniture and a removable obstacle BA2 such as a power cord are displayed. The display screen 101 also displays an obstacle icon 102 corresponding to the obstacle BA2. The obstacle icon 102 displays a specific obstacle as a picture. The user can grasp what the obstacle is by checking the obstacle icon 102 .

When the user taps the obstacle icon 102 displayed on the display screen 101 of the information terminal device 100, the information terminal device 100 requests the home appliance server 300 for travelable range information when the obstacle is removed (FIG. 16).

In response to the request from the information terminal device 100, the home appliance server 300 transmits to the information terminal device 100 the travelable range information when the obstacle is removed.

The information terminal device 100 receives information from the home appliance server 300 and displays a message regarding obstacle removal on the display screen 101 . For example, as shown in FIG. 18, the display screen 101 displays a message such as "The cable was blocking the path. If the cable is put away, the cleanable area will increase by xxm ^2. Would you like to view the cleanable area?" A message is displayed.

Then, when the user taps "Browse" displayed on the display screen 101, as shown in FIG. 19, the range that can be cleaned after the power cord is removed is displayed as an extended range EX. That is, the display screen 101 identifies and displays the increase in the cleanable range. This embodiment is characterized in that a proposal for obstacle removal is made to the user via the information terminal device 100 . In the present embodiment, the user is prompted to remove the obstacle by visualizing that the cleaning range will be expanded by removing the obstacle.

Then, the user can remove the power cord, which is an obstacle, and instruct the autonomous traveling cleaner S to clean the uncleaned extended range EX.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the user is notified of the presence of an obstacle that hinders cleaning, and the effect of removing the obstacle is visualized. becomes easier to remove.

Also, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to grasp the increased cleanable range when a movable obstacle is removed.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modifications. The above-described embodiments have been described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the described configurations. For example, the autonomous running cleaner S and the information terminal device 100 may directly transmit and receive data without going through the wireless LAN router 200 and the home appliance server 300 .

S... Autonomous traveling type vacuum cleaner, 1... Vacuum cleaner body, 1s... Lower case, 1t... Exhaust port, 1u... Upper cover, 2... Bumper, 3... Driving wheel, 3a... Arm, 3b... Reduction mechanism, 3m... Traveling Motor 4 Drive wheel 4a Arm 4b Reduction mechanism 4m Running motor 5 Auxiliary wheel 6 Side brush 6a Side brush holder 6b Side brush motor 7 Operation button 8 Dust case 8a... Handle 8b... Dust collection filter 9... Display unit 11... Drive mechanism accommodation unit 12... Mouthpiece 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d... Range sensor for floor surface 14... Rotating brush, 14a... Rotating brush motor 15... Scraping brush 16... Connection unit 21... Storage battery 22... Fan motor 30... Control device 31... Map creation unit 32... Image processing unit 33... Self position determination unit 34... Travel route creation unit 35... Travel control unit 36... Device control unit 40... LiDAR unit 41... LiDAR 40a... Rotating part 40b... Fixed part 50... Camera 60... Ranging sensor 70... Infrared light receiving unit 80 Dust sensor 90 Communication means 100 Information terminal device 101 Display screen 200 Wireless LAN router 300 Home appliance server

Claims (8)

A cleaner main body having drive wheels and a traveling motor for driving the drive wheels, a dust case provided in the cleaner main body for collecting dust, and a fan provided in the cleaner main body for generating suction force. An autonomous traveling cleaner comprising a motor, and a controller for controlling the traveling motor and the fan motor,
Equipped with a distance sensor that measures the distance between the autonomously traveling vacuum cleaner and the surroundings, an imaging unit that detects the shape and position of an object, and a communication means that transmits and receives information terminal equipment,
The control device includes an image processing unit that processes image data captured by the imaging unit to identify obstacles and acquires information about relative positions of the obstacles, information from the distance measuring sensor, and information from the image processing unit. a map creation unit that creates a map based on; a self-position determination unit that determines the self-position of the autonomous traveling vacuum cleaner based on information from the range sensor; map information created by the map creation unit; a travel route creation unit that creates a travel route for the autonomous cleaner based on the self-position information of the autonomous cleaner determined by the self-position determination unit;
The map creation unit has a function of creating map information when obstacles are removed,
The travel route creation unit creates travelable range information of the autonomous travel type vacuum cleaner when the obstacle is removed based on the map information created by the map creation unit when the obstacle is removed, and the communication means. to the information terminal device via. In claim 1,
The travel route creation unit creates travelable range information of the autonomous travel cleaner when obstacles are removed after the autonomous travel cleaner returns to the charging stand. machine. In claim 1,
The autonomous traveling cleaner, wherein the image processing unit recognizes the type of the obstacle and determines whether or not the recognized obstacle is a movable object. A cleaning system comprising: an autonomously traveling cleaner equipped with a controller for controlling a traveling motor and a fan motor; and a home appliance server for transmitting and receiving information between the autonomously traveling cleaner and an information communication terminal. and
The autonomously traveling cleaner comprises a distance sensor that measures the distance between the autonomously traveling cleaner and the surroundings, and an imaging unit that detects the shape and position of an object,
The control device includes an image processing unit that processes image data captured by the imaging unit to identify obstacles and acquires information about relative positions of the obstacles, information from the distance measuring sensor, and information from the image processing unit. a map creation unit that creates a map based on; a self-position determination unit that determines the self-position of the autonomous traveling vacuum cleaner based on information from the range sensor; map information created by the map creation unit; a travel route creation unit that creates a travel route for the autonomous cleaner based on the self-position information of the autonomous cleaner determined by the self-position determination unit;
The map creation unit has a function of creating map information when obstacles are removed,
The travel route creation unit creates travelable range information of the autonomous travel type vacuum cleaner when the obstacle is removed based on the map information created by the map creation unit when the obstacle is removed, and the home appliance server. A cleaning system characterized by transmitting to. In claim 4,
The cleaning system, wherein the home appliance server transmits travelable range information of the autonomous travel type cleaner to an information terminal device. In claim 4,
The cleaning system, wherein the travel route creation unit creates travelable range information of the autonomous travel cleaner when obstacles are removed after the autonomous travel cleaner returns to the charging stand. In claim 4,
The cleaning system, wherein the image processing unit recognizes the type of the obstacle and determines whether or not the recognized obstacle is a movable object. In claim 5,
The cleaning system, wherein the home appliance server transmits map information to the information terminal device in response to a request from the information terminal device.

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