JP2023168219A - Cleaner system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a cleaner system performing cleaning according to user's preference because the cleaning intensity of an autonomous travel type cleaner can be suitably changed in response to user's intention.SOLUTION: A cleaner system 400 includes: a display part 350 separating a map of a cleaning area to a plurality of grid cells and displaying the map where respective colors of the plurality of grid cells are varied according to an amount of dust sucked by an autonomous travel type cleaner 100; and an input part 340 setting a threshold value changing the cleaning intensity of the autonomous travel type cleaner 100.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates to vacuum cleaner systems.

Patent Document 1 discloses a self-propelled device that automatically moves indoors or outdoors to perform tasks such as cleaning or patrolling, and a program for the self-propelled device.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-323402

In the technology described in Patent Document 1, for example, the user can rewrite the map information to match the user's intention by inputting running designation or non-driving designation into the map information, but self-driving It is not possible to change the cleaning intensity of type equipment.

Therefore, the present disclosure provides a vacuum cleaner system that can perform cleaning according to the user's preference by changing the cleaning intensity of an autonomous vacuum cleaner according to the user's intention.

A vacuum cleaner system according to an aspect of the present disclosure divides a map of an area to be cleaned into a plurality of grid cells, and assigns a color to each of the plurality of grid cells according to the amount of dust sucked by an autonomous vacuum cleaner. and an input section for setting a threshold value for switching the cleaning intensity of the autonomous vacuum cleaner.

According to the present disclosure, since the cleaning intensity of the autonomous vacuum cleaner can be changed according to the user's intention, cleaning can be performed according to the user's preference.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vacuum cleaner system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the autonomous vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment, viewed from the front and upper side. FIG. 3 is a top view of the autonomous vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a left side view of the autonomous vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a front view of the autonomous vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the autonomous vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the autonomous vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment, seen from the lower front side. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the autonomous vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the main configuration of the server in the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a communication terminal in the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the vacuum cleaner system according to the embodiment. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the autonomous vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the communication terminal in the embodiment. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a cleaning level setting screen. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen on which real-time cleaning status is displayed. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing another example of a display screen on which real-time cleaning status is displayed. FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cleaning reservation setting screen. FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of an input section of an autonomous vacuum cleaner. FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation of the autonomous vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are all inclusive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions and connection forms of the components, steps, order of steps, etc. shown in the following embodiments are merely examples, and do not limit the scope of the claims. Further, each figure is not necessarily strictly illustrated. In each figure, substantially the same configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping explanations may be omitted or simplified.

Note that each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily strictly illustrated. Furthermore, in each figure, substantially the same configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping explanations may be omitted or simplified.

(Embodiment)
[1. composition]
[Vacuum cleaner system]
First, the configuration of a vacuum cleaner system according to an embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vacuum cleaner system according to an embodiment.

The vacuum cleaner system 400 stores, for example, information such as the current position of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100, the operating state, and the amount of dust sucked by the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 in the server 200. Maps can be created based on the stored information. The map is, for example, a map of the area cleaned by the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100, and the information included in the map includes dividing the map into a plurality of grid cells, and determining the amount of garbage in each grid cell. information, information on the movement history of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100, information on areas that have been cleaned, areas that have not been cleaned, and the like. Such a map is created and presented to the user. Note that the map and the information included in the map described earlier will be hereinafter referred to as a map and map information.

Further, for example, the vacuum cleaner system 400 performs control to switch the cleaning intensity of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 based on the presented map and in accordance with instructions input by the user.

The vacuum cleaner system 400 includes, for example, an autonomous vacuum cleaner 100, a server 200, and a communication terminal 300.

The autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 is a vacuum cleaner that autonomously moves around a cleaning target area. The autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 is connected to the server 200 and the communication terminal 300 via communication, for example. Specifically, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 wirelessly connects to the router 80 using short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The router 80 further connects to a communication network 90 using a communication protocol such as TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol). In this way, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 may be connected to the server 200 and the communication terminal 300 via the router 80 and the communication network 90.

Note that the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 may have not only the function of short-distance wireless connection but also the function of long-distance wireless communication such as WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) (registered trademark). However, it may also have a function of connecting to a communication network via a cable.

The server 200 is an information processing device that receives and stores various information transmitted from the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 and the communication terminal 300, and transmits information requested from the communication terminal 300 to the communication terminal 300. The server 200 is connected to the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 and the communication terminal 300 via the communication network 90, for example.

The communication terminal 300 is a portable communication terminal used by a user, and may be, for example, a communication terminal that can be operated with a touch panel such as a smartphone, a mobile phone device, a personal computer, or the like. Communication terminal 300 is connected to server 200 and autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 via communication network 90, for example. An application program for checking the operating state of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 is installed on the communication terminal 300, and the user can start the application installed on the communication terminal 300 to check the operating status of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100. You may also check the operating status of 100 on a map. Furthermore, the communication terminal 300 may transmit an instruction input by the user to the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100.

[Autonomous vacuum cleaner]
Next, the configuration of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 7. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 in the embodiment seen from the front and upper side.

As shown in FIG. 2, a housing 1 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 has an upper body 2 and a lower body 3, and a bumper 4 is disposed in front of the housing 1. One or more collision detection switches (not shown in FIG. 2) are arranged inside the bumper 4, and when the bumper 4 collides with an obstacle, the bumper 4 moves toward the inside of the housing 1. At the same time, the switch is turned on, and it is detected that the bumper 4 has collided with an obstacle.

A cover 5 is arranged on the upper surface of the housing 1 and behind the bumper 4. A dust collection container (not shown in FIG. 2) is arranged inside the cover 5, and when the user presses down the cover 5, the front or rear of the cover 5 comes off, allowing the dust collection container to be taken out from the housing 1. .

A LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 6 is arranged behind the cover 5 . This LiDAR 6 can detect obstacles around the housing 1 by rotating the light emitting part and the light receiving part around the center of the LiDAR 6. Moreover, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 can also create a map of the area to be cleaned (for example, a room) by using the LIDAR 6.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 in the embodiment. In FIG. 3, the front side, the back side, the left side, and the right side of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 are illustrated by arrows, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 3, a bumper 4 having a substantially U-shape when viewed from above is arranged in front of the casing 1, and an upper body 2 is arranged at the rear of the casing 1. A cover 5 is arranged between the bumper 4 and the upper body 2, and a LIDAR 6 is arranged behind the cover 5.

The bumper 4 is urged forward of the housing 1 by a spring (not shown in FIG. 3) disposed inside, and a gap exists between the bumper 4 and the upper body 2. When the bumper 4 collides with an obstacle, the bumper 4 can move rearward by this gap against the force of the spring.

FIG. 4 is a left side view of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 in the embodiment. In FIG. 4, the front side, the back side, the upper side, and the lower side of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 are illustrated by arrows, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 4, a bumper 4 is arranged in front of the housing 1, and an upper body 2 is arranged behind it. Furthermore, exhaust ports 7 are formed on the left and right side surfaces of the upper body 2, and a LiDAR 6 is arranged on the rear upper surface of the upper body 2. A side brush 8 is arranged in front of the lower body 3, and a rear wheel 9 is arranged in the rear of the lower body 3.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 in the embodiment. In FIG. 5, the upper side, lower side, left side, and right side of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 are illustrated by arrows, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 5, the front surface of the bumper 4 has two ultrasonic sensors 10, and an upper left sensor 11 and an upper right sensor 12 that are composed of a light emitting element and a light receiving element. Further, the lower body 3 has a lower left sensor 13 and a lower right sensor 14 that are made up of a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and side brushes 8 are arranged on both left and right front sides of the lower body 3. Note that this side brush 8 may be arranged on either the front right side or the left side of the lower body 3.

The upper left sensor 11 and the lower left sensor 13 are located at approximately the same position (in other words, approximately on the same line) in the vertical direction of the housing 1 . Similarly, the upper right sensor 12 and the lower right sensor 14 are located at approximately the same position (in other words, approximately on the same line) in the vertical direction of the housing 1.

As is clear from FIG. 4, the front of the lower body 3 is a slope 15 that slopes from the front toward the rear. Two recesses 16 are formed in this slope 15, and a lower left sensor 13 and a lower right sensor 14 are arranged in each of these two recesses 16.

Further, the lower left sensor 13 and the lower right sensor 14 are each formed with a window portion 17 which is a surface substantially parallel to a direction perpendicular to the floor surface when the housing 1 is placed on the floor surface. A light emitting element and a light receiving element are arranged inside the section 17. As a result, even if dust flies up from the floor surface due to the rotation of the side brush 8, it is possible to reduce the accumulation of dust in the recess 16 where the light emitting element and light receiving element of the lower left sensor 13 and the lower right sensor 14 are arranged. . Further, a side brush 8 is arranged near the window 17, and when the side brush 8 rotates, the wind generated by the rotation of the side brush 8 hits the window 17 and blows away the dust attached to the window 17. It is possible to remove it by This can prevent false detection by the lower left sensor 13 and the lower right sensor 14 due to dust adhering to the window portion 17.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 in the embodiment. In FIG. 6, the front side, the back side, the left side, and the right side of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 are illustrated by arrows, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 6, a rear wheel 9 is arranged behind the lower body 3, and a battery 18 made of a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery is arranged in front of the rear wheel 9. There is. Further, a right drive wheel 19 and a left drive wheel 20 are arranged approximately at the center of the lower body 3, and a wheel support member 21 is connected to each of the right drive wheel 19 and the left drive wheel 20. This wheel support member 21 is movable in the vertical direction of the housing 1 about the axis A. Further, a wheel spring (not shown in FIG. 6) is arranged between each of the two wheel support members 21 and the lower body 3, and the wheel support member 21 and the right The drive wheel 19 and the left drive wheel 20 are urged toward the floor.

In the example of FIG. 6, a part of the battery 18 is located between the right drive wheel 19 and the left drive wheel 20, but the battery 18 is arranged behind the right drive wheel 19 and the left drive wheel 20. You can also use it as In this example, by arranging the battery 18 at the rear of the casing 1, the center of gravity of the casing 1 is designed to be at the rear of the casing 1. Therefore, in this example, it is preferable that at least a portion of the battery 18 be located between the respective axes A of the two wheel support members 21.

As shown in FIG. 6, a suction port 22 for sucking collected dust is formed in front of the battery 18 and in front of the right drive wheel 19 and the left drive wheel 20. A main brush 23 is rotatably supported inside.

Level difference sensors 24 are arranged on the left and right sides of the main brush 23, respectively. The step sensor 24 includes a light emitting section and a light receiving section, and detects when the housing 1 approaches a step.

Note that the main brush 23 may be placed at the rear of the housing. For example, the battery 18 shown in FIG. 6 may be moved to the center or front of the housing, and the main brush 23 may be arranged behind the battery 18.

There is a depression 25 in front of the step sensor 24, and the side brush 8 is arranged around the approximate center of the depression 25. The side brush 8 rotates toward the suction port 22. Therefore, in FIG. 6, the left side brush 8 rotates clockwise, and the right side brush 8 rotates counterclockwise.

As described above, in the example of FIG. 6, the center of gravity G of the casing 1 is located behind the central portion of the main body (so-called casing 1). Therefore, it is not necessary to provide the step sensor 24 in front of the lower body 3. Specifically, even if the housing 1 moves forward in the direction where there is a step and the housing 1 moves forward until the step sensor 24 located behind the side brush 8 detects the step, the center of gravity G of the housing 1 is located behind the right drive wheel 19 and the left drive wheel 20, so the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 does not fall onto a step and can clean up to the very edge of the step. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to provide the step sensor 24 in front of the lower body 3, manufacturing costs can be reduced.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 in the embodiment seen from the lower front side. As shown in FIG. 7, the front of the lower body 3 is a slope 15, and recesses 16 are formed on the left and right sides of the slope 15, respectively. Further, a lower left sensor 13 and a lower right sensor 14 are arranged in these recesses 16, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 7, recesses 25 in which the side brushes 8 are arranged are formed on the left and right sides of the front of the lower body 3, and the recesses 25 extend to the vicinity of the recess 16. The length of the side brush 8 is such that it projects further to the outside of the housing 1 than the recess 25, and the recess 25 has a curved surface toward the vicinity of the recess 16. Therefore, the side brush 8 can not only rotate smoothly toward the suction port 22, but also can blow the wind generated by the rotation of the side brush 8 to the window 17 inside the recess 16. Thereby, dust attached to the window portion 17 can be blown away by the wind.

Next, the functional configuration of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 in the embodiment. Note that configurations that are not directly related to the technology of this embodiment are omitted from illustration in this figure.

As shown in FIG. 8, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 includes, for example, a communication unit 30, a control unit 40, a storage unit 50, a rotation detection unit 60, an ultrasonic sensor 10, a step sensor 24, It includes an infrared sensor 61, a gyro sensor 62, a dust sensor 63, a suction motor 70, a right drive section 71, and a left drive section 72.

The communication unit 30 is a communication circuit that allows the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 to communicate with the server 200 and the communication terminal 300 via the communication network 90. The communication unit 30 is, for example, a wireless communication circuit that performs wireless communication, and has a communication function such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

The control unit 40 performs various information processing regarding the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100. Specifically, the control unit 40 is realized by a processor, a microcomputer, or a dedicated circuit. Further, the control unit 40 may be realized by a combination of two or more of a processor, a microcomputer, or a dedicated circuit. The control unit 40 includes, for example, a map information creation unit 41, a position information calculation unit 42, a movement control unit 43, and a cleaning control unit 44.

For example, the map information creation unit 41 generates information regarding obstacles detected by the infrared sensor 61 and the ultrasonic sensor 10 (information such as the presence or absence of an obstacle and the distance to the obstacle), and information regarding the obstacle detected by the LiDAR 6 ( map information including information on the area to be cleaned (for example, information on the floor plan of the room) is created using information such as the presence or absence of obstacles and the distance to the obstacles.

This map information mainly includes the positions of walls in the area to be cleaned (for example, a room) and the positions of obstacles. Moreover, the map information creation unit 41 may create map information using only the information detected by the LiDAR 6. The map information may also include information on the amount of garbage detected by the garbage sensor 63 in each of the plurality of grid cells by dividing the area to be cleaned into a plurality of grid cells.

The position information calculation unit 42 calculates self-position information indicating the current position of the main body of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 from the information detected by the LiDAR 6 and the information detected by the rotation detection unit 60. The information detected by the rotation detection unit 60 is, for example, information such as the rotation angle and movement amount of the drive wheels (specifically, the right drive wheel 19 and the left drive wheel 20). In the present embodiment, the position information calculation unit 42 calculates the self-position information based on the information detected by the LiDAR 6 and the information detected by the rotation detection unit 60 from this initial position, for example, using the position of the charging stand as the initial position. Calculate. The self-position may be calculated using, for example, an odometry method.

Note that the calculation of self-location information by the position information calculation unit 42 is not limited to the above method, and may be performed using other methods. For example, the position information calculation unit 42 calculates information regarding obstacles detected by the infrared sensor 61 and the ultrasonic sensor 10 (information such as presence or absence of the obstacle and distance to the obstacle), and information regarding the obstacle detected by the LiDAR 6 ( information such as the presence or absence of an obstacle and the distance to the obstacle), and the rotation direction, speed, and rotation of the drive wheels (specifically, the right drive wheel 19 and the left drive wheel 20) detected by the rotation detection unit 60. Information indicating where the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 is currently located (so-called self-position information) may be calculated using information such as the number and the like.

Note that the position information calculation unit 42 also uses information such as the traveling direction and speed of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 detected by the gyro sensor 62 to indicate where the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 is currently located. Information (so-called self-location information) may also be calculated.

The movement control unit 43 controls the right drive unit 71 and the left drive unit 72 to drive the right drive wheel 19 and the left drive wheel 20, thereby moving the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100. Note that the right drive section 71 is a motor for driving the right drive wheel 19, and the left drive section 72 is a motor for driving the left drive wheel 20. When cleaning is started, the movement control unit 43 causes the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 to leave the base station (so-called charging stand). For example, while referring to a map (specifically, a map of the cleaning target area) stored in the storage unit 50, the movement control unit 43 moves within the cleaning target area ( For example, when driving indoors. When cleaning is completed, the movement control unit 43 refers to the map stored in the storage unit 50 and returns the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 to the base station.

The cleaning control unit 44 executes cleaning according to the cleaning plan. The cleaning control unit 44 starts the cleaning operation when the set cleaning start time arrives or when the user instructs to start cleaning. While the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 is running, the cleaning control unit 44 drives the main brush 23 and the side brush 8 to clean the floor surface, and drives the suction motor 70 to suck dust from the suction port 22. Note that the suction motor 70 is a motor for generating suction air. The suction motor 70 and the suction port 22 (not shown in FIG. 8) formed on the back surface of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 communicate with each other, and outside air and dust are sucked through the suction port 22 by the suction motor 70.

The storage unit 50 is made of, for example, a nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory, and stores a control program executed by the control unit 40, various parameters, and the like.

The rotation detection unit 60 detects the rotation direction, rotation speed, rotation speed, etc. of each of the right drive wheel 19 and the left drive wheel 20.

The LiDAR 6 includes a light emitting section (light emitting element), a light receiving section (light receiving element), and a rotation mechanism and a motor for rotating these elements.

The ultrasonic sensor 10 has, for example, an output section that emits ultrasonic waves and an input section that detects the ultrasonic waves reflected on the surface of an obstacle, and a plurality of ultrasonic sensors 10 are arranged on the side of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100. There is. For example, the ultrasonic sensor 10 is a so-called obstacle sensor that detects the presence or absence of obstacles around the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 and the distance to the obstacles.

The level difference sensor 24 is a sensor that is arranged on the back surface of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 and detects a level difference on the floor surface. This step sensor 24 is, for example, an infrared sensor having a light emitting element and a light receiving element.

The infrared sensor 61 has, for example, a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and a plurality of infrared sensors 61 are arranged on the side surface of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100. For example, the infrared sensor 61 is a so-called obstacle sensor that detects the presence or absence of obstacles around the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 and the distance to the obstacles.

The gyro sensor 62 is a sensor that detects the moving direction and moving speed of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100.

The dust sensor 63 has a light emitting part and a light receiving part, and is installed, for example, in a passage connecting the suction port 22 to the dust collection container. The dust sensor 63 can detect the amount of dust sucked within a predetermined time or within a predetermined area by detecting dust passing between the light emitting part and the light receiving part.

[server]
Next, the configuration of the server 200 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the main configuration of server 200 in the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 9, the server 200 includes, for example, a communication section 210, a control section 220, and a storage section 230.

The communication unit 210 is a communication circuit that allows the server 200 to communicate with the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 and the communication terminal 300 via the communication network 90. The communication unit 210 connects to the communication network 90 using a communication protocol such as TCP/IP, for example. The communication unit 210 may perform wireless communication or wired communication.

The control unit 220 performs various information processing regarding the server 200. For example, when the control unit 220 receives information transmitted from the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 and stores the received information in the storage unit 230, and receives an information acquisition request from the communication terminal 300, the control unit 220 transmits the requested information. It is read from the storage unit 230 and transmitted to the communication terminal 300. The control unit 220 is specifically implemented by a processor or a microcomputer.

The storage unit 230 stores a control program executed by the control unit 220, various parameters, and the like. Moreover, the storage unit 230 stores various data (for example, map information, etc.) transmitted and received with the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 and the communication terminal 300. Specifically, the storage unit 230 is realized by an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a flash memory, or the like.

[Communication terminal]
Next, the configuration of the communication terminal 300 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. 10. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of communication terminal 300 in the embodiment.

Communication terminal 300 is a portable communication terminal used by a user. As shown in FIG. 10, the communication terminal 300 includes, for example, a communication section 310, a short-range wireless section 312, a control section 320, a storage section 330, an input section 340, and a display section 350.

The communication unit 310 is a communication circuit that allows the communication terminal 300 to communicate with the server 200 and the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 via the communication network 90. The communication unit 210 is, for example, a wireless communication circuit that performs wireless communication. The communication unit 210 connects to the communication network 90 using a communication protocol such as TCP/IP, for example.

The short-range wireless unit 312 can be wirelessly connected to the router 80, and has a communication function such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). Note that if the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 also includes a short-range wireless section, the communication terminal 300 can also be directly connected to the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 using the short-range wireless section 312.

The control unit 320 performs various information processing regarding the communication terminal 300. The control unit 320 performs various calculations according to the application program stored in the storage unit 330. The control unit 320 includes, for example, a map creation unit 321 and a movement trajectory creation unit 322. Although not shown, the control unit 320 may include a timer unit that measures a predetermined time. The control unit 320 is specifically implemented by a processor or a microcomputer.

The control unit 230 causes the display unit 350 to display the map created by the map creation unit 321. The control unit 230 divides the map of the area to be cleaned into a plurality of grid cells, changes the color of each of the plurality of grid cells according to the amount of dust sucked by the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100, and displays the map on the display unit 350. to be displayed. More specifically, upon acquiring map information including the position information of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 acquired from the server 200, the map creation unit 321 creates a map in which the colors of each of a plurality of grid cells are changed. do. The control unit 230 causes the display unit 350 to display the created map.

For example, each of the plurality of grid cells may have a predetermined size or may have different sizes. For example, the size of the plurality of grid cells may be 1 m x 1 m, 50 cm x 50 cm, or 30 cm x 30 cm. The lower limit of the size of the grid cell may be determined by the size of the suction port 22. The sizes of the plurality of grid cells may be switched according to user instructions.

Note that, when the map creation unit 321 acquires information on the movement trajectory of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 on the map created by the movement trajectory creation unit 322 described later, it may create a map that reflects the movement trajectory. The created map may be displayed on the display unit 350. For example, when the map creation unit 321 acquires information about the movement trajectory of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 on the map from the movement trajectory creation unit 322, the map creation unit 321 creates a map that includes a line indicating the movement trajectory of the autonomous vacuum cleaner on the map. The map may be created and the control unit 320 may display the created map.

Upon acquiring the map information including the position information of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 acquired from the server 200, the movement trajectory creation unit 322 creates information on the movement trajectory of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 on the map, and creates a map. It outputs to section 321.

The storage unit 330 stores control programs executed by the control unit 320, application programs, various parameters, and the like. Furthermore, the storage unit 330 stores map information and the like acquired from the server 200. Specifically, the storage unit 330 is an HDD (Hard Drive).
Disk Drive) or flash memory.

The input unit 340 receives an input operation by a user, and outputs an input signal corresponding to the input operation to the server 200 or the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100. For example, the input unit 340 may be configured as a keyboard, a touch sensor, a touchpad, a mouse, or the like. For example, the input unit 340 may be a capacitive touch panel mounted on the display unit 350.

The display unit 350 acquires an image of the map created by the map creation unit 321 and displays the image. The display unit 350 is, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, but is not limited thereto.

[2. Operation example]
Next, an example of the operation of the vacuum cleaner system 400 according to the embodiment will be described. FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the vacuum cleaner system 400 according to the embodiment. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 in the embodiment.

First, refer to FIG. 12. For example, the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 determines whether a user's instruction to start cleaning has been obtained from the communication terminal 300 (S21).

When the control unit 40 determines that the instruction to start cleaning has not been acquired (No in S21), the control unit 40 repeats the process of step S21. On the other hand, if the control unit 40 determines that an instruction to start cleaning has been obtained (Yes in S21), it starts cleaning. In other words, as shown in FIG. 11, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 shifts to cleaning (S01). Next, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 outputs a notification (for example, status notification (cleaning) in FIG. 11) to the server to inform that the state has shifted to cleaning (S02).

Upon acquiring the status notification (cleaning) from the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100, the server 200 updates the status of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 to cleaning (S03).

Next, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 stores map information including position information and the like in the storage unit 50 (S04).

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 12, the control unit 40 links information such as the positions of obstacles around itself, its own position, and the amount of garbage to map information at predetermined time intervals. and stored in the storage unit 50 (S22). The control unit 40 determines whether the cleaning is finished (S23), and if the cleaning is not finished (No in S23), repeats step S22.

After outputting an instruction to start cleaning (not shown), the communication terminal 300 transmits a signal requesting information indicating the state of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 (hereinafter referred to as a state acquisition request) to the server 200 (S05). Upon receiving the status acquisition request from the communication terminal 300, the server 200 transmits information indicating the status of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 to the communication terminal 300 (S06).

If the control unit 40 determines to end the cleaning in step S23 of FIG. 12 (Yes in S23), it ends the cleaning (S07 of FIG. 11). Upon acquiring the status notification (cleaning completed) from the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100, the server 200 updates the state of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 to "cleaning completed" (S09).

Next, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 outputs a notification that the cleaning has been completed (for example, the status notification (cleaning completed) in FIG. 11) to the server (S08).

Next, the control unit 40 reads out the information (more specifically, map information including position information, etc.) stored in the storage unit 50 at predetermined time intervals in step S22 from the storage unit 50 (S10), and reads out the read map information. is transmitted to the server (S11 in FIG. 11, S24 in FIG. 12).

Upon acquiring the map information transmitted from the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100, the server 200 stores the acquired map information in the storage unit 230 (S12).

Next, the operations of the server 200 and the communication terminal 300 in the vacuum cleaner system 400 will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 13. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of communication terminal 300 in the embodiment.

First, refer to FIG. 13. The control unit 320 of the communication terminal 300 determines whether or not to start the map application (S31), and when determining not to start the map application (No in S31), repeats step S31. On the other hand, if the control unit 320 determines to start the map application (Yes in S31), it starts the map application (S13 in FIG. 11), and sends a signal requesting map information including location information (hereinafter referred to as location information, etc. request) to the server 200 (S14 in FIG. 11, S32 in FIG. 13).

When the server 200 receives a request for location information etc. from the communication terminal 300, the server 200 reads map information including the location information of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 from the storage unit 230 (not shown), and reads map information including the read location information etc. The map information is transmitted to the communication terminal 300 (S15).

As shown in FIG. 13, the control unit 320 of the communication terminal 300 determines whether or not map information has been received (S33), and if it is determined that the map information has not been received (No in S33), an error occurs. It is determined that this has occurred (S34), and the process returns to step S31.

On the other hand, when the control unit 320 determines that map information has been received (Yes in S33, S16 in FIG. 11), the control unit 320 stores the received map information in the storage unit 330 (S35).

Next, as shown in FIG. 11, the communication terminal 300 divides the map of the cleaning target area into a plurality of grid cells based on the received map information, and divides the map of the cleaning target area into a plurality of grid cells to A map is created in which the color of each of the plurality of grid cells is changed according to the amount (S17), and the map is displayed on the display section 350 (S17, S36 in FIG. 13).

Next, as shown in FIG. 13, the control unit 320 determines whether the input operation by the user has been accepted (S37), and if it is determined that the input operation has not been accepted (No in S37). , repeat step S37.

On the other hand, if the control unit 320 determines that the input operation by the user has been accepted (S37: Yes), it displays according to the operation (S38). Hereinafter, specific operations and display examples will be explained with reference to the drawings.

[First example]
In the first example, a cleaning history map is displayed on the display unit 350 of the communication terminal 300 after cleaning is completed. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen.

When the user starts the application on the communication terminal 300, for example, as shown in FIG. 14, the map created in step S17 is displayed on the display unit 350 of the communication terminal 300 as a cleaning history map.

In this map, the map of the area to be cleaned is divided into a plurality of grid cells, and the color of each of the plurality of grid cells is changed depending on the amount of dust sucked up by the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100. The color change may be a gradation of a single color (including grayscale), or it may be a gradation of a single color (including gray scale), or it may be a change depending on the amount of dust, such as the larger the amount of dust, the closer it becomes to red, and the smaller the amount of dust, the closer it is to blue. It may also be a gradual change to different colors. By looking at this color, the user can know where and how much trash is present.

On the display unit 350, a plurality of bar graphs are displayed in an area below the area where the map is displayed. Each bar graph indicates the total amount of dust sucked by the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 in one cleaning. The horizontal axis of the bar graph indicates date and time, and the bar graph displayed on the right side is an older bar graph, and the bar graph displayed on the left side is a recent bar graph. When the vacuum cleaner 100 performs cleaning, a bar graph indicating the total amount of dirt sucked up by the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 is added and displayed on the left side of the screen. Further, the vertical axis of the bar graph indicates the amount of garbage. The higher the height of the bar graph, the greater the total amount of dust sucked by the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 during one cleaning.

A cursor represented by a hand icon is displayed on the display unit 350 together with a map. The user can instruct desired processing by moving this cursor. For example, when a user selects a bar graph displayed at the bottom of the screen by moving a cursor, a map corresponding to the selected bar graph is displayed at the top of the screen.

The displayed map shows the walls, obstacles, and multiple grid cells of the cleaned area. Further, as described earlier, each grid cell is displayed in a different color depending on the amount of dust sucked by the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100. Note that among the cells, cells displayed in white are areas where there was no amount of dust sucked by the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 (that is, the amount was below the detection limit), or where the vacuum cleaner 100 was traveling. It shows the areas where it was not done. For example, on the map, a travel trajectory (also referred to as a movement trajectory) in which the vacuum cleaner 100 traveled in the past may be displayed as a line or the like, or an icon of a charging stand may be displayed.

The display unit 350 can display not only such a history map but also a trash total map. The trash total map displays the cumulative amount of trash sucked up by the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 during multiple cleanings. For example, the garbage total map is created by adding together information on the amount of garbage sucked up by the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 in the most recent cleaning and information on the amount of garbage sucked in by the vacuum cleaner 100 in the previous cleaning. can be displayed. Therefore, in the trash total map, the cumulative amount of trash sucked up by the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 during multiple cleanings for each grid cell is displayed in color. The display unit 350 switches between displaying the history map and the trash total map, but may display these two maps at the same time.

When the user performs an input operation to enable "Add this garbage distribution to the garbage total map," the garbage distribution of the currently displayed map is added to the information of the already stored garbage total map.

For example, when the user touches one of the displayed bar graphs, an instruction to select the touched bar graph is input to the input unit 340, and the amount of garbage indicated by the bar graph is added to the garbage total map. good.

The method of adding the amount of trash to the trash total map is not limited to the above example. For example, when the user touches one of multiple areas in the history map, an instruction to select the touched area is input to the input unit 340, and the amount of dust sucked by the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 in the area is input to the input unit 340. may be added to the trash accumulation map.

Also, for example, if you want to add the amount of garbage to the garbage total map on a weekly or monthly basis, display the calendar and select the start and end date of the cumulative total on the calendar. You may select the day of the week, week, or month.

Thereby, the user can select whether the total is for a short period of time or for a long period of time, thereby improving convenience.

[Second example]
In the second example, an example will be described in which a setting screen for setting the cleaning intensity (hereinafter also referred to as cleaning level) of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 is displayed on the display unit 350 of the communication terminal 300. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a cleaning level setting screen. FIG. 15A is an example of a screen for setting the cleaning level of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100.

The cleaning intensity (cleaning level) is a level indicating how carefully the cleaning is performed, and the higher the cleaning level, the more thoroughly the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 cleans. When cleaning thoroughly, for example, actions such as increasing the suction power, reducing the running speed, increasing the rotational speed of the brush, or moving the vacuum cleaner back and forth over the same area are performed. When performing thorough cleaning, one or more of these actions may be performed.

On the other hand, the lower the cleaning level, the easier the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 performs cleaning. When cleaning is performed easily, for example, an operation of lowering the suction force, an operation of increasing the running speed, or an operation of lowering the rotational speed of the brush is performed, compared to when the cleaning level is high. When cleaning easily, one or more of these actions may be performed.

As shown in FIG. 15(a), when the user selects "cleaning level" on the setting screen, a setting screen for setting a threshold value for changing the cleaning level is displayed on the display unit 350, and the user can By moving to the right or left, it is possible to set the threshold value. An example will be explained in which there are two cleaning levels: medium (normal) and strong (thorough).

For example, if the garbage amount level is displayed in 6 stages as shown in Figure 15(a), and the stages from high to low are respectively 6 to 1, an arrow should be drawn between stage 4 and stage 3. It is possible to move the cleaning level between stage 4 and stage 3 to set the threshold for switching the cleaning level.

In this case, when the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 is cleaning and the amount of dust detected by the dust sensor 63 is cleaning the area corresponding to stages 1 to 3 in each grid cell, the cleaning level " "Medium (Normal)" to clean the area. That is, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 performs normal cleaning without thorough cleaning. As a normal cleaning operation, for example, the suction force of the suction motor 70 is set to a normal level.

On the other hand, when the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 is cleaning and the amount of dust detected by the dust sensor 63 is cleaning the area corresponding to stages 4 to 6 in each grid cell, the cleaning level is "strong". (Tightly)" to clean the area. That is, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 performs careful cleaning. In this case, for example, the suction force of the suction motor 70 is made higher than the normal level to increase the suction force of the dust.

In this way, for example, when the user moves the arrow on the screen in the direction of decreasing the dust amount level, the cleaning level is set to be switched from medium to strong with a smaller amount of dust than the current setting. On the other hand, when the user moves the arrow on the screen in the direction of increasing the amount of dust, the cleaning level is set to switch from medium to strong when the amount of dust is larger than the current setting.

In the second example, if the user wants to finish cleaning quickly even if there is a large amount of garbage, the user may move the cursor on the screen displaying the map to the position of the grid cell where the amount of garbage is high. Accordingly, it is possible to set the threshold value to the amount of dust sucked into the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 in a grid cell with a high dust level. This allows the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 to perform normal cleaning even if there is a little amount of dust, and the cleaning can be completed early.

On the other hand, if the user wants to have the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 thoroughly clean even if there is little trash, for example, the user can move the cursor on the screen displaying the map to a grid cell with a low trash level. Accordingly, it is possible to set the threshold value to the amount of dust sucked into the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 in a grid cell with a low dust level. Thereby, even if there is only a small amount of dust, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 can be made to clean at a level higher than that of a vacuum cleaner, and can be made to clean thoroughly.

In this manner, the user can instruct the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 to perform thorough cleaning and easy cleaning with a simple operation.

FIG. 15B is an example of a display screen that displays a list of the correspondence between the amount of trash displayed on the trash map (history map and cumulative trash map) and the cleaning level.

For example, as shown in FIG. 15(b), if there are three cleaning levels from 1 to 3, an arrow indicating the threshold value for switching between cleaning levels 1 and 2 and an arrow indicating the threshold value for switching between cleaning levels 1 and 2 are displayed. An arrow indicating the switching threshold is displayed above the dust amount level meter. Note that the arrow indicating the threshold value for switching between cleaning levels 1 and 2 and the arrow indicating the threshold value for switching between cleaning levels 2 and 3 may be displayed at the same time above the garbage amount level meter, or, for example, may be displayed vertically. It may be displayed individually on two garbage amount level meters that are lined up.

At this time, for example, the display in FIG. 15(b) may be displayed as a pop-up display superimposed on the display in FIG. 15(a).

Thereby, the user can determine the threshold value for switching the cleaning level while referring to the operating state of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 (for example, suction force, running speed, running operation, and brush rotation speed) corresponding to the cleaning level. can be set. Therefore, the user can easily recognize the level of cleaning that suits his/her intention, so the vacuum cleaner system 400 can perform cleaning according to the user's preference.

In this embodiment, the suction force, running speed, and running operation corresponding to the cleaning level are preset values from the factory. A configuration may be adopted in which the speed and traveling operation can be freely set by the user. Moreover, although the example in which the cleaning level is two or three levels has been described, the cleaning level may be four or more levels.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 is cleaning, the cleaning level is changed according to the amount of garbage detected by the garbage sensor 63, but the map created in the past is The cleaning level may be changed according to the amount of dust in each grid cell of a previously created map.

Furthermore, as a method of setting the threshold value for switching the cleaning level, for example, in Fig. 15(a), the garbage amount level is set to 6 to 4 out of 6 levels (counting from the highest garbage amount level in the figure to the third). When the cleaning level is set to "Strong", a frame surrounding the garbage level 6 to 4 is displayed on the bar indicating the garbage level, and the frame is highlighted in black. good. Specifically, for example, by touching the frame and swiping to the left, the user can change the target area (grid cell) to be cleaned at dust level 6 and 5 (strong) to dust level 6 and 5 ( (up to the second bar from the left end of the bar indicating the garbage amount level). At this time, the frame is displayed so as to surround bars 6 and 5 indicating the garbage amount level. On the other hand, for example, by touching the frame and swiping to the right, the user can change the target area (grid cell) to be cleaned at the dust level 6 to 4 (dust level 6 to 4). (up to the third bar from the left end of the bar indicating the bar). At this time, the frame is displayed so as to surround bars 6 to 4 indicating the garbage amount level. As a result, the user can easily set which garbage amount level grid cell the cleaning level "Strong" should be executed in by moving the frame surrounding the garbage amount level value to the left or right. I can do it. In addition, the user can easily recognize which garbage level grid cell the cleaning level "Strong" is specified for by simply looking at which garbage level is surrounded by a frame. can.

In addition, when the cleaning level is set to ``medium (normal)'' for garbage amount levels 1 to 3 out of 6, a frame will be displayed surrounding the three frames for garbage amount levels 1 to 3, and the The frame is highlighted in black, and the user moves the frame to the right or left in the same way as the method described earlier to select at what level of dust the cleaning level "medium (normal)" should be executed. It may be possible. This allows the user to easily set which garbage amount level grid cell the cleaning level "medium (normal)" will be executed in, and which garbage amount level is surrounded by a frame. It is possible to easily recognize to which grid cell the garbage amount level the cleaning level "medium (normal)" is specified just by looking at the amount of garbage.

Note that the borders of grid cells with the amount of garbage specified by the cleaning level "Strong" may be displayed on the map with a thicker emphasis, or they may be displayed brighter than other grid cells on the map. It may be displayed in a blinking manner.

[Third example]
In the third example, an example will be described in which the current position of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 and the amount of dust sucked in the area passed through are displayed on the history map on the display unit 350 of the communication terminal 300 in real time. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen on which real-time cleaning status is displayed.

In the above operation example, after the cleaning is completed, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 stores information (so-called map information) such as the position of obstacles, its own position, and the amount of garbage stored in the storage unit 50 during cleaning. Although the map information is transmitted to the server 200, the map information may be transmitted to the server 200 at predetermined time intervals.

Thereby, the communication terminal 300 can display the position of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100, the amount of garbage, etc. on the history map at predetermined time intervals, and present the display to the user.

As shown in FIG. 16, for example, the communication terminal 300 uses a map ( An icon indicating the current position of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 is displayed on the so-called history map.

At this time, for example, the communication terminal 300 may display a bar graph indicating the amount of dust in each grid cell that the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 has passed under the history map. The bar graph displaying the vacuum cleaner icon indicates the amount of dust sucked in the area that the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 cleaned just before (more specifically, the area corresponding to the grid cell on the history map). It shows. Note that the vacuum cleaner icon may or may not be displayed.

In the example of FIG. 16, a vacuum cleaner icon is displayed below the bar graph at the right end, and the bar graph directly above the vacuum cleaner icon is the most recently detected amount of dust. Therefore, the amount of dust in the bar graph on the vacuum cleaner icon at the bottom of the screen and the cell where the vacuum cleaner icon is located on the map, or the vacuum cleaner icon one cell before the vacuum cleaner icon corresponds to the amount of dust in the cell where the cell was located.

In addition, the multiple bar graphs displayed on the screen indicate the amount of garbage detected in the past from right to left, and as the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 moves through the cleaning target area, the bar graphs change. They are created in order from left to right on the screen.

This allows the user to check the amount of dust sucked up by the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 in real time. Furthermore, since the vacuum cleaner icon on the map is displayed together with the bar graph, the user can easily check where and how much trash is on the map.

In addition, by applying the configuration of the second example to the configuration of the third example, when the user feels that the amount of garbage is larger than usual cleaning, the threshold setting for switching the cleaning level from the setting screen can be changed. You can also do that. Therefore, the vacuum cleaner system 400 can perform cleaning according to the user's preference.

In the third example, the communication terminal 300 displays the bar graph indicating the amount of garbage on the display unit 350, but instead of displaying the bar graph, the color of the icon indicating the current position of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 is changed to the garbage amount. It may be changed depending on the color.

Further, regarding the bar graph in FIG. 16, the bar graph of the previous cleaning history and the bar graph of the current cleaning may be displayed simultaneously. This allows the previous cleaning result to be compared with the current cleaning result.

[Modification 1 of the third example]
Modification 1 of the third example will be described. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing another example of a display screen on which real-time cleaning status is displayed.

In the first modification of the third example, a camera is mounted on the front or top surface of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100, and it is possible to photograph the front of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100.

In the first modification of the third example, a camera image showing the front (that is, the direction of movement) of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 is displayed in response to the user's input operation. For example, when the user touches the "camera" button (see FIG. 16), the communication terminal 300 displays a camera image in front of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 below the history map.

Thereby, the user can grasp the current position of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 more clearly.

In FIG. 17, by displaying the icon of the autonomous vacuum cleaner on the history map and further changing the orientation of the icon according to the orientation of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100, the user can Based on the orientation and the camera image, it is possible to easily know in which direction the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 is currently facing, and what exists in the direction that the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 is facing.

In addition, if the obstacle is displayed on the history map in FIG. 17 but not on the camera image, the user can select the obstacle displayed on the history map. It is also possible to delete it. For example, by operating the input unit 340, the user can erase an obstacle displayed on the history map using an eraser icon, or by encircling the obstacle with his or her fingers to erase it. , it is possible to erase.

On the other hand, if an obstacle is displayed in the camera image even though no obstacle is displayed on the history map in FIG. 17, the user may add the obstacle to the history map. It is possible. For example, the user operates the input unit 340 to add an obstacle by placing an icon of the obstacle on the history map, or placing an obstacle by surrounding the obstacle with his/her fingers. Is possible.

Further, a plurality of icons corresponding to the types of obstacles (for example, clothes, cords, tables, chairs, legs of chairs, game consoles, irons, vacuum cleaners, etc.) are prepared in advance in the storage unit 330 of the communication terminal 300, It is also possible for the user to select and place a desired icon from these icons on the history map. Since obstacles such as walls and doors cannot be moved, icons for these obstacles may be movable by the user. Of course, the configuration may be such that the user can also add obstacles such as walls and doors onto the history map.

When the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 creates a history map of a room for the first time, it is possible to use icons for obstacles such as walls and doors, but obstacles may be added when cleaning the same room. In this case, perhaps an icon of an obstacle that the user can move is used.

Furthermore, by operating the input unit 340 of the communication terminal 300, the user may force the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 to perform the cleaning operation automatically until now. When the user discovers a place to focus on cleaning while looking at images taken with a camera, by operating the input unit 340, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 is forcibly moved by the user's operation, and the place to be cleaned is focused. A configuration may also be adopted in which the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 can be moved to a desired location to perform cleaning. In this case, the point from which the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 started to be forcibly moved is memorized, and when the operation to forcibly move the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 is completed, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 moves to the memorized point. A configuration may also be adopted in which the vacuum cleaner 100 is moved and the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 resumes cleaning according to a preset running route or pattern.

Such a function is not limited to the embodiment in which images taken with a camera are displayed, but can also be implemented in embodiments in which history maps, graphs, etc. are displayed. In an embodiment in which a history map and the current position of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 are displayed, the user may forcibly move the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 from the current position of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 while viewing the history map. It is possible to clean while avoiding obstacles. Of course, at this time, the current position of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100, the route traveled, etc. are displayed on the history map according to the user's operation.

In FIG. 17, based on the user's operation, the display may be switched to only the history map, or may be switched to only the images taken with the camera.

As shown in FIG. 17, when the user touches the "back" button, the screen switches to the bar graph shown in FIG. 16.

This allows the user to check the camera image to see where there is a large amount of dust and use it as a reference for determining whether or not to change the setting of the threshold value for switching the cleaning level.

Note that the displayed camera image may not only be displayed in front of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 but may also be displayed 360 degrees, or may be displayed by dividing or combining images taken at a plurality of angles.

[Modification 2 of the third example]
In the third example and modification 1 of the third example, an example in which the cleaning status is displayed in real time has been described, but in modification 2 of the third example, an example in which the cleaning status is displayed after cleaning is completed is described. .

Although not shown, for example, in the second modification of the third example, a history map after cleaning is displayed on the display unit 350 of the communication terminal 300, and when the user touches the history map, an image is taken at the touched location. A camera image of the front of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 is displayed.

In this case, the photographed image and the position information of each grid cell may be associated with each other and held by the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 or the communication terminal 300, or may be held by the server 300. For example, by including the identification number of a photographed image and the location information where the image was photographed in the map information, the communication terminal 300 can display a specified image on the map when displaying the map and the image on the display unit 350. A configuration may also be adopted in which an image corresponding to a position is acquired from the server 300 or read from the storage unit 330 and displayed.

This allows users to more clearly understand the location of a large amount of trash in the cleaning target area by checking the status of the location with a large amount of trash using the colors displayed on the history map and the camera image. be able to.

Note that in all of the above display examples, the sizes of the plurality of grid cells displayed on the history map may be changed as appropriate according to the user's instructions. For example, the sizes of the plurality of grid cells may be each a predetermined size, or may be different sizes. For example, if the user wants to check the distribution of the amount of dust in detail, the user may input an instruction to change the size of the plurality of grid cells from 1 m x 1 m to 50 cm x 50 cm, for example. In this case, the communication terminal 300 may change the size of the plurality of grid cells displayed on the history map and display them on the display unit 350 according to the user's instructions. Also, for example, if there is a place in the area to be cleaned where the user wants to check the distribution of the amount of dust in particular detail, the user can specify that place and enter instructions to make the grid cell size smaller than other places. It's okay. In this case, the communication terminal 300 may reduce the size of the grid cell located at the location specified by the user and display it on the display unit 350.

This allows users to change the display depending on how well they want to understand the distribution of trash, making it easier for users to decide which areas should be thoroughly cleaned and which areas should not. . Therefore, the vacuum cleaner system 400 can perform cleaning according to the user's preference.

[Variation 3 of the third example]
In the third modification, when a moving object, a person, etc. is detected from the image taken by the camera of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100, the communication terminal 300 is notified of the detection.

When the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 detects a moving object or a person through image analysis or the like from an image taken by a camera, the control unit 40 controls the communication unit 30 to send a message to the communication terminal 300 via the server 200. Notifies that a moving object or person is detected. When the control unit 320 of the communication terminal 300 determines that the notification has been received from the communication unit 310, it causes the display unit to display text data such as “Intruder present”, for example.

When the communication terminal 300 is, for example, a smartphone, when such a notification is received in a so-called standby state, text data is automatically displayed on the display unit 350. Further, the notification is not limited to the display of text data, but may be performed by audio notification or vibration of the casing by a vibrator.

In addition, when a call is in progress, when the control unit 320 determines that the call has ended, it may automatically display text data on the display unit 350, or activate the vibration of the housing during or after the call. A configuration may also be used in which notification is provided by vibration.

Furthermore, an image taken with a camera may be displayed on the display unit 350 together with such a notification, or an image taken with a camera may be displayed on the display unit 350 based on the user's operation after the notification.

Detection of such moving objects, people, etc. is not limited to detection using camera images, and other sensors such as LIDAR may be used, for example.

[Fourth example]
In the fourth example, a setting screen for setting the time when the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 automatically starts cleaning is displayed on the display unit 350 of the communication terminal 300, and the user can set the cleaning schedule on the setting screen. An example of setting a reservation (so-called cleaning reservation) will be explained. FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cleaning reservation setting screen.

By touching a setting item displayed on the display screen (display unit 350) of the information terminal 300, the user can set the time when the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 automatically starts cleaning.

First, the user sets a map of the area to be cleaned, and then sets a cleaning reservation, for example, as shown in FIG. 18.

In setting the map of the area to be cleaned, the user selects the map of the area to be cleaned, and specifies on the map the areas that the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 will clean and the areas that the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 will not clean. By doing so, a map of the area to be cleaned may be set. Further, for example, the user reads out from the storage unit 50 and selects a map of the area to be cleaned or a map of the area to be cleaned in which areas to be cleaned by the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 and areas not to be cleaned are set. A map of the area to be cleaned may be set.

When setting a cleaning reservation, the user first selects the type of cleaning reservation. For example, as shown in FIG. 18, the types of cleaning reservations are "one-time setting", which executes cleaning of the area to be cleaned only once at the set time, and "one-time setting", which executes cleaning of the area to be cleaned only once at the set time, and This is a ``repeat setting'' that repeatedly performs cleaning. The user may set the type of cleaning reservation by touching and sliding the arrow displayed on the display screen, or select the type of cleaning reservation by touching the item indicating the desired type of cleaning reservation. may be set. In the example of FIG. 18, the user selects "one-time setting" as the type of cleaning reservation.

Next, the user sets a time for the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 to automatically start cleaning (hereinafter also referred to as cleaning start time). The start time in the figure corresponds to the cleaning start time. For example, as shown in FIG. 18, the user sets a desired time (here, 14:00) in the start time pull-down menu displayed on the display screen (display unit 350).

In this way, when the user selects the one-time setting as the type of cleaning reservation and sets the cleaning start time, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 uses the map of the area to be cleaned and the cleaning reservation set by the user. Setting contents such as the type and cleaning start time are stored in the storage unit 50.

The autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 automatically starts cleaning the area to be cleaned at the set cleaning start time (here, 14:00). When the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 finishes cleaning the area to be cleaned, it resets the settings. In other words, since the setting for the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 to start cleaning the area to be cleaned at 14:00 is reset, the setting is automatically canceled. Therefore, in the one-time setting, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 can automatically clean only once at the time set by the user.

Note that in the "one-time setting", the date may be set in addition to the cleaning start time. Thereby, the user can set a cleaning reservation well in advance of the cleaning day, thereby improving convenience.

Next, the "repeat setting" will be explained. After setting the map of the area to be cleaned, the user selects "repeat setting" as the type of cleaning reservation, and then sets the day on which the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 will clean and the cleaning start time. Specific days may be specified as days when the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 cleans, but for example, weekdays (for example, Monday to Friday) and holidays (for example, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays), or weekdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. , and may be specified by general categories such as holidays, or may be specified by days of the week. For example, as shown in FIG. 18, the user selects "repeat setting" to have the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 automatically clean the area to be cleaned at a predetermined time (for example, 15:00) on weekdays. You may also set the "repeat setting" to perform the following steps. In FIG. 18, the setting contents of one "repeat setting" are displayed on the display screen (display unit 350), but the setting contents of a plurality of "repeat settings" may be displayed. That is, the user may set different cleaning reservations for weekdays and holidays, or may set different cleaning reservations for each day of the week. In this case, individual setting contents may be classified by adding numbers, such as "Repeat setting 1" and "Repeat setting 2."

Although the fourth example describes an example in which the user sets the cleaning start time, the user is not limited to this example. For example, the user may set the time until the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 starts cleaning (hereinafter also referred to as cleaning start time). For example, if the user sets the cleaning start time one hour later, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 automatically starts cleaning one hour after the time is set.

As described above, when the user uses the communication terminal 300 to perform setting operations such as the type of cleaning reservation, cleaning start time (or cleaning start time), and cleaning day, the communication terminal 300 The control unit 320 transmits the setting contents set by the setting operation to the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 via the communication unit 310. The control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 acquires the settings transmitted from the communication terminal 300 via the communication unit 30, and stores the acquired settings in the storage unit 50. The control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 controls the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 to start cleaning at the set time based on the settings stored in the storage unit 50. Control behavior.

[Modification 1 of the fourth example]
Note that in the fourth example, the user sets a cleaning reservation after setting a map of the area to be cleaned, but it is also possible for the user to set a cleaning reservation without setting a map of the area to be cleaned. Good too. For example, if a map of the area to be cleaned and information included in the map (so-called map information) are not stored in the storage unit 30 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 will The cleaning device may detach from the charging stand and clean while running along the walls and obstacles in the area to be cleaned, and when it returns to the charging stand, the cleaning may be completed.

[Modification 2 of the fourth example]
Note that in the fourth example and the first modification of the fourth example, the user uses the communication terminal 300 to set a cleaning reservation. A cleaning reservation may be set using the input unit 35. The input unit 35 is, for example, a touch panel type liquid crystal display device mounted on the main body 1 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100, and as shown in FIG. good. Further, for example, if there is no space to arrange a liquid crystal display device in the main body 1 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100, the input unit 35 may be a remote control mounted on the main body 1, or the input unit 35 may be a remote control mounted on the main body 1 It may be a set of a plurality of keys (so-called physical buttons). In this case, the input unit 35 accepts an input operation such as the user pressing any one of a plurality of keys.

Next, the configuration of the input section 35 will be described with reference to FIG. 19. FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the input section 35 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100.

The reservation key is a key for setting a cleaning start time or a cleaning start time so that the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 automatically performs cleaning at a predetermined time or after a predetermined time. For example, when the user presses and holds the reservation key for three seconds or more, the cleaning start time or setting of the cleaning start time is started.

The daily key is a key for setting the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 to perform cleaning at a predetermined time every day. For example, if the user presses and holds the reservation key for three seconds or more, then inputs the cleaning start time or cleaning start time, and presses the daily key, the cleaning reservation is set to perform cleaning every day at the input time.

A plurality of (for example, three) 7-segment LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) indicate the time when the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 automatically starts cleaning (so-called cleaning start time) or the time until cleaning starts ( When setting the so-called cleaning start time, the set cleaning start time or cleaning start time is displayed. In the example of FIG. 19, the input unit 35 includes three 7-segment LEDs, but may include four or more, or may include a liquid crystal display instead of the 7-segment LEDs. When displaying the set cleaning start time or cleaning start time using 7-segment LEDs, it is easier to express the time when there are four 7-segment LEDs than three.

The up and down keys are used when the user sets the cleaning start time or cleaning start time. When the type of map (for example, M1 to M3) is displayed on the 7-segment LED, the up and down keys are used to select the map of the area to be cleaned, and when the user operates the up and down keys, the map of the area to be cleaned is displayed. Select.

The map creation key is used when the user instructs the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 to create a map of the area to be cleaned.

The remote control key is used to enable remote control of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 from a communication terminal 300 such as a smartphone via wireless communication.

The reset key is a key for resetting settings that were set by pressing another key. The setting content is, for example, information such that the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 is set to automatically clean at a predetermined time, etc., but may be other set items.

The shutdown key is a key for turning off the power of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100. Although a key for turning on the power of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 is provided in addition to the shutdown key, a single key may be used to turn on and off the power of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100.

The start/stop key is a key used by the user to input instructions for the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 to start and stop cleaning. For example, when the user presses the start/stop key once, an instruction is input to the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 to start cleaning, and when the user presses the start/stop key again, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 starts cleaning. An instruction to stop is input.

Next, the user's operations when setting a cleaning reservation using the input unit 35 shown in FIG. 19 will be described.

First, when the user presses and holds the reservation key for, for example, 3 seconds or more, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 starts setting a cleaning reservation.

Next, the user operates the up and down keys located to the right of the 7-segment LED to set the time when the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 starts cleaning (so-called cleaning start time).

Next, if the user wants to clean the area to be cleaned every day at the above-mentioned cleaning start time, the user presses the every day key. On the other hand, if the user wants to clean the area to be cleaned only once at the cleaning start time, the user does not press the key every day, but presses the reservation key. This completes the cleaning reservation setting.

Note that if the user wants to cancel the cleaning reservation setting, the user can cancel the setting by pressing the reset button.

As described above, by operating the input unit 35 mounted on the main body 1 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100, the user can determine the time at which the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 starts cleaning the area to be cleaned (so-called start time) or the time until cleaning starts (so-called cleaning start time), and the cleaning frequency (for example, every day or only once) can be set.

Furthermore, by operating the input unit 35, the user may set the time when the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 finishes cleaning, or set the day on which the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 will clean. good. Note that the days on which the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 cleans may be set as weekdays (Monday to Friday), holidays (Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays), Saturdays and Sundays, holidays, days of the week, or dates.

Note that after the cleaning reservation is set, the user may press the start/stop key to cause the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 to start cleaning regardless of the cleaning reservation setting, or the communication terminal 300 may The autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 may start cleaning by remote control from the user. On the other hand, for example, in places such as offices and factories where people are active at roughly fixed times, the cleaning start time is set so that the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 automatically starts cleaning in the middle of the night. There are many cases. In such a place, if the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 starts cleaning at a time other than the time set in the cleaning reservation (for example, at night) due to a user's operational error, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 may interfere with the movement of the person. It may happen. For these reasons, after a cleaning reservation is set, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 accepts instructions to start cleaning by operating the start/stop key, accepts remote control from the communication terminal 300, and controls the area to be cleaned. Operations such as map creation may be prohibited. By configuring the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 in this way, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 cleans during times when people are active, so the situation where the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 interferes with people's activities can be avoided. can be avoided as much as possible.

Next, the operation of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 will be explained. FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation of the autonomous vacuum cleaner according to the embodiment.

In step S41, the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 determines whether an instruction to set a cleaning reservation has been obtained, and if it is determined that an instruction to set a cleaning reservation has not been obtained (in step S41) No), the process returns to step S41. On the other hand, when the control unit 40 determines that the instruction to set the cleaning reservation has been acquired (Yes in step S41), the control unit 40 stores the setting contents acquired together with the setting instruction in the storage unit 30 (step S42). The settings include, for example, the type of cleaning reservation, a map of the area to be cleaned in which the area to be cleaned by the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 and the area not to be cleaned by the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100, and the area to be cleaned by the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100. These include the date on which the target area is to be cleaned, and the cleaning start time (or cleaning start time). Note that the instruction for setting a cleaning reservation and the setting contents may be acquired from the communication terminal 300 via the communication unit 30, or may be input to the input unit 35 mounted on the main body 1 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100. It may also be obtained by

In step S42, the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 causes the storage unit 50 to store the settings acquired in step S41. For example, the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 stores information such as the time to start cleaning (so-called setting contents) received from the communication terminal 300 via the communication unit 30 in the storage unit 50, and A flag indicating whether settings have been made in the storage unit 50 is turned on.

In step S43, the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 enters a standby state. In this state, the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 is waiting for input operations to the input unit 35 and reception of wireless signals, and sensors such as the LIDAR 6 and drive units 71, 72, etc. have stopped. state. Thereby, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 can suppress battery power consumption as much as possible.

In step S44, the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 acquires the time measured by the timer unit of the control unit 40 by the control unit 40 in step S41, and saves it in the storage unit 30 in step S42. When the specified cleaning start time arrives (Yes in step S44), cleaning of the area to be cleaned is started in step S45, otherwise the process proceeds to step S47.

In step S45, the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 starts cleaning based on the settings. For example, the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 starts driving the suction motor 70, starts detecting obstacles etc. using various sensors such as LIDAR 6, and controls the drive units 71 and 72, so that the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 can run autonomously. The movement of the vacuum cleaner 100 is started. Note that at this time, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 performs cleaning according to, for example, a map of the area to be cleaned that is stored in the storage unit 50 in advance.

In step S46, when the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 determines that cleaning of the area to be cleaned has been completed (Yes in step S46), the process returns to step S43. More specifically, for example, the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 cleans all areas to be cleaned by the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 that are preset in the map of the area to be cleaned. If it is determined that the cleaning target area has been cleaned, it is determined that the cleaning of the cleaning target area has been completed.

In step S47, if the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 determines that an instruction to cancel the settings acquired in step S41 and stored in the storage unit 30 in step 42 has been acquired (step S47 (Yes), in step S48, the setting flag stored in the storage unit 50 is turned off to cancel the setting. On the other hand, in step S47, the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 determines that the instruction to cancel the settings acquired in step S41 and stored in the storage unit 30 in step 42 has not been acquired. (No in step S47), the process returns to step S44.

Note that the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 may exit the standby state a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) before the cleaning start time and start driving the sensor such as the LIDAR 6. Before starting cleaning, it may be necessary to obtain information on surrounding obstacles using sensors such as LIDAR 6 in order to confirm where the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 itself is currently located. It is.

Alternatively, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 may enter a standby state after a predetermined period of time (for example, 5 minutes) after completing cleaning.

Since the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 automatically starts cleaning at the time preset by the user, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 can clean the area to be cleaned at the user's desired time. This improves convenience. In addition, in the standby state until a predetermined time, the sensors such as the LIDAR 6 and the drive units 71, 72, etc. are in a stopped state, so the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 can suppress battery power consumption as much as possible. .

Furthermore, even if the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 is powered off during the above standby state, the power will be automatically turned on at a preset time, so the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 will You can start cleaning at the specified time. Further, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 automatically enters a standby state after cleaning is completed.

Note that if the time period during which the cleaning reservation is set is from night to early morning (for example, 22:00-6:00), the user may reduce the volume output from the speaker of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100. , you may also set it so that no sound is emitted from the speakers. As a result, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 prevents the user's sleep from being disturbed by the sound output from the speaker of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 when moving the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 inside the residence at night. can be avoided.

Specifically, for example, the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 does not output sound at night or early in the morning by remote control from the input unit 35 mounted on the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 or the communication terminal 300. When it is determined that the mode (silence mode) has been set, this setting is stored in the storage unit 50, and the time counted by the timer unit of the control unit 40 is set at night or early in the morning (for example, 22:00). 00-6:00), the control unit 40 prohibits sound from being output from the speaker.

[Fifth example]
In the fifth example, the time when the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 starts and ends cleaning the area to be cleaned is set, and when the time to finish cleaning comes, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 returns to the charging stand. An example will be explained in which the cleaning is completed even if there is no battery, and the vehicle runs toward the charging stand. In this case, the next time the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 reaches a predetermined time, it may head to the area that could not be cleaned last time and resume cleaning from that area. Thereby, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 can clean every corner of the area to be cleaned (for example, a room).

Next, the operation of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 20.

In step S41, the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 determines whether an instruction to set a cleaning reservation has been obtained, and if it is determined that an instruction to set a cleaning reservation has not been obtained (in step S41) No), the process returns to step S41. On the other hand, when the control unit 40 determines that the instruction to set the cleaning reservation has been acquired (Yes in step S41), the control unit 40 stores the setting contents acquired together with the setting instruction in the storage unit 30 (step S42). The settings include, for example, the type of cleaning reservation, a map of the area to be cleaned in which the area to be cleaned by the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 and the area not to be cleaned by the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100, and the area to be cleaned by the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100. These include the date on which the target area is to be cleaned, and the cleaning start time (or cleaning start time). Note that the instruction for setting a cleaning reservation and the setting contents may be acquired from the communication terminal 300 via the communication unit 30, or may be input to the input unit 35 mounted on the main body 1 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100. It may also be obtained by

In step S42, the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 causes the storage unit 50 to store the settings acquired in step S41. For example, the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 stores information such as the time to start cleaning (so-called setting contents) received from the communication terminal 300 via the communication unit 30 in the storage unit 50, and A flag indicating whether settings have been made in the storage unit 50 is turned on.

In step S43, the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 enters a standby state. In this state, the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 is waiting for input operations to the input unit 35 and reception of wireless signals, and sensors such as the LIDAR 6 and drive units 71, 72, etc. have stopped. state. Thereby, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 can suppress battery power consumption as much as possible.

In step S44, the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 acquires the time measured by the timer unit of the control unit 40 by the control unit 40 in step S41, and saves it in the storage unit 30 in step S42. When the specified cleaning start time arrives (Yes in step S44), cleaning of the area to be cleaned is started in step S45, otherwise the process proceeds to step S47.

In step S45, the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 starts cleaning based on the settings. For example, the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 starts driving the suction motor 70, starts detecting obstacles etc. using various sensors such as LIDAR 6, and controls the drive units 71 and 72, so that the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 can run autonomously. The movement of the vacuum cleaner 100 is started. Note that at this time, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 performs cleaning according to, for example, a map of the area to be cleaned that is stored in the storage unit 50 in advance.

In step S46, when the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 determines that the cleaning of the area to be cleaned has been completed (Yes in step S46), the control unit 40 ends the cleaning and returns to the process of step S43. More specifically, for example, when the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 determines that the time measured by the timer unit has reached the time to end the cleaning stored in the storage unit 50, the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 It determines that the area has been cleaned and returns to the charging station.

In step S47, if the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 determines that an instruction to cancel the settings acquired in step S41 and stored in the storage unit 30 in step 42 has been acquired (step S47 (Yes), in step S48, the setting flag stored in the storage unit 50 is turned off to cancel the setting. On the other hand, in step S47, the control unit 40 of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 determines that the instruction to cancel the settings acquired in step S41 and stored in the storage unit 30 in step 42 has not been acquired. (No in step S47), the process returns to step S44.

Note that the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 may exit the standby state a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) before the cleaning start time and start driving the sensor such as the LIDAR 6. Before starting cleaning, it may be necessary to obtain information on surrounding obstacles using sensors such as LIDAR 6 in order to confirm where the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 itself is currently located. It is.

Alternatively, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 may enter a standby state after a predetermined period of time (for example, 5 minutes) after completing cleaning.

Thus, in the fifth example, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 has the following effects by setting the time to start and end time to clean the area to be cleaned. For example, if the user has the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 clean the area to be cleaned while the user is out, and when the user returns home, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 cleaning will interfere with the user's activities. There is. Therefore, by setting the time period in which the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 performs cleaning, when the user returns home, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 will already be in a stopped state, so that the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 can monitor the user's activities. Obstructions can be avoided as much as possible.

[3. Effects, etc.]
As described above, the vacuum cleaner system 400 according to the embodiment divides the map of the area to be cleaned into a plurality of grid cells, and divides the map of the area to be cleaned into a plurality of grid cells according to the amount of dust sucked by the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100. It includes a display unit 350 that displays a map in which the color of each cell is changed, and an input unit 340 that accepts an input operation for setting a threshold value for switching the cleaning intensity of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100.

Thereby, the vacuum cleaner system 400 can change the cleaning intensity of the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 according to the user's intention, so that cleaning can be performed according to the user's preference.

In the vacuum cleaner system 400 according to the embodiment, the display unit 350 displays a plurality of colors corresponding to the amount of dust in a row according to the amount, and the input unit 340 selects which of the plurality of colors is adjacent to each other. The interval between colors may be set as a threshold value for switching the cleaning intensity.

As a result, the vacuum cleaner system 400 can set the cleaning intensity by comparing cells with colors corresponding to the amount of dirt and the colors of a plurality of grid maps on the map, so that the user can clean more easily. The intensity can be set.

(Other embodiments)
Although the vacuum cleaner system according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure has been described based on the above embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. Unless departing from the gist of the present disclosure, various modifications that can be thought of by those skilled in the art to the embodiments, and configurations configured by combining components of different embodiments may also be applied to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. may be included within the range.

For example, in an embodiment, the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 may include a short-range wireless section. In this case, since the autonomous vacuum cleaner 100 can perform direct wireless communication with the communication terminal 300, the network to be used can be switched depending on the communication state of the communication network 90.

Further, each processing unit included in the vacuum cleaner system according to the above embodiment is typically realized as an LSI, which is an integrated circuit. These may be integrated into one chip individually, or may be integrated into one chip including some or all of them.

Further, circuit integration is not limited to LSI, and may be realized using a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) that can be programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure the connections and settings of circuit cells inside the LSI may be used.

Note that in the above embodiments, each component may be configured with dedicated hardware, or may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or a processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a storage medium such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory.

Moreover, all the numbers used above are exemplified to specifically explain the present disclosure, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the illustrated numbers.

Furthermore, the division of functional blocks in the block diagram is just an example; multiple functional blocks can be realized as one functional block, one functional block can be divided into multiple functional blocks, or some functions can be moved to other functional blocks. It's okay. Further, functions of a plurality of functional blocks having similar functions may be processed in parallel or in a time-sharing manner by a single piece of hardware or software.

Further, the order in which the steps in the flowchart are executed is for illustrative purposes to specifically explain the present disclosure, and may be in an order other than the above. Further, some of the above steps may be executed simultaneously (in parallel) with other steps.

The present disclosure can be widely used in vacuum cleaner systems including autonomous vacuum cleaners.

1 Housing 2 Upper body 3 Lower body 4 Bumper 5 Cover 6 LiDAR
7 Exhaust port 8 Side brush 9 Rear wheel 10 Ultrasonic sensor 11 Upper left sensor 12 Upper right sensor 13 Lower left sensor 14 Lower right sensor 15 Slope 16 Recess 17 Window 18 Battery 19 Right drive wheel 20 Left drive wheel 21 Wheel support member 22 Inlet 23 Main brush 24 Step sensor 25 Hollow 30 Communication section 35 Input section 40 Control section 41 Map information creation section 42 Position information calculation section 43 Movement control section 44 Cleaning control section 50 Storage section 60 Rotation detection section 61 Infrared sensor 62 Gyro sensor 63 Dust sensor 70 Suction motor 71 Right drive unit 72 Left drive unit 80 Router 90 Communication network 100 Autonomous vacuum cleaner 200 Server 210 Communication unit 220 Control unit 230 Storage unit 300 Communication terminal 310 Communication unit 312 Short range wireless unit 320 Control unit 321 Map creation Section 322 Movement trajectory creation section 330 Storage section 340 Input section 350 Display section 400 Vacuum cleaner system

Claims (2)

a display unit that divides a map of the area to be cleaned into a plurality of grid cells and displays the map in which the color of each of the plurality of grid cells is changed according to the amount of garbage sucked up by the autonomous vacuum cleaner; ,
an input unit that accepts an input operation for setting a threshold value for switching the cleaning intensity of the autonomous vacuum cleaner;
vacuum cleaner system. The display section displays a plurality of colors corresponding to the amount of dust in a row according to the amount,
Using the input unit, setting any adjacent color among the plurality of colors as a threshold value for switching the cleaning intensity;
A vacuum cleaner system according to claim 1.

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