WO2023127123A1

WO2023127123A1 - Cleaning management device and cleaning management method

Info

Publication number: WO2023127123A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/048867
Authority: WO
Inventors: 嘉人遠藤; 明谷口
Original assignee: 三菱電機ビルソリューションズ株式会社
Priority date: 2021-12-28
Filing date: 2021-12-28
Publication date: 2023-07-06

Abstract

A server (40) manages cleaning work performed by an autonomous movement-type cleaning robot (10). The server (40) determines whether a movement function of the cleaning robot (10) is normal from the scheduled area of the cleaning work and the movement track of the cleaning robot (10). In addition, the server (40) determines whether a cleaning function of the cleaning robot (10) is normal on the basis of a parameter that indicates that a cleaning member of the cleaning robot (10) is operating. The server (40) also determines whether the cleaning work has been implemented normally on the basis of the determination result of the movement function and the determination result of the cleaning function.

Description

Cleaning management device and cleaning management method

The present disclosure relates to a cleaning management device and cleaning management method, and more particularly to a cleaning management device and cleaning management method for managing cleaning work by an autonomous mobile cleaning robot.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-29487 (Patent Document 1) describes an autonomously traveling vacuum cleaner (cleaning robot). This vacuum cleaner includes a person appearance area information acquisition section, a current position information acquisition section, and a control section. The person appearance area information acquisition unit acquires information indicating the person appearance area in the cleaning target area. The current position information acquisition unit acquires information indicating the current position of the cleaner body. The control unit causes the cleaner to clean the human appearance area of the cleaning target area based on the information indicating the person appearance area and the information indicating the current position of the main body. It is said that this makes it possible to efficiently clean the area to be cleaned (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2021-29487 A

　When performing unmanned automatic cleaning by a cleaning robot, it is necessary to be able to check whether the cleaning robot has performed the cleaning as planned. The presence of a person to check the operation of the cleaning robot ultimately results in the need for personnel, as in the case of manned cleaning. The autonomous traveling cleaner described in Patent Literature 1 is useful in that it can efficiently clean an area to be cleaned, but no particular consideration has been given to the above problems.

The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and the purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a cleaning robot that enables confirmation at a later date whether or not the cleaning work by an autonomous mobile cleaning robot has been performed normally as planned. It is to provide a management device and a cleaning management method.

The cleaning management device of the present disclosure is a cleaning management device that manages cleaning work by an autonomous mobile cleaning robot, and includes a processor and a memory that stores programs executed by the processor. According to the program stored in the memory, the processor determines whether or not the movement function of the cleaning robot is normal from the planned cleaning work area and the movement trajectory of the cleaning robot. Also, the processor determines whether the cleaning function of the cleaning robot is normal based on parameters indicating that the cleaning members of the cleaning robot are operating. Then, the processor determines whether or not the cleaning work has been performed normally based on the determination result of the moving function and the determination result of the cleaning function.

In addition, the cleaning management method of the present disclosure is a cleaning management method for managing cleaning work by an autonomous mobile cleaning robot, and the movement function of the cleaning robot is determined to be normal from the planned area for cleaning work and the movement trajectory of the cleaning robot. and determining by the computer whether the cleaning function of the cleaning robot is normal based on a parameter indicating that the cleaning member of the cleaning robot is operating. and determining, by the computer, whether or not the cleaning work has been performed normally based on the determination result of the movement function and the determination result of the cleaning function.

In the cleaning management device and cleaning management method described above, in determining whether or not the cleaning work has been performed by the cleaning robot, not only the determination result of the movement function of the cleaning robot but also the determination result of the cleaning function of the cleaning robot are taken into consideration. be. Thereby, it is reliably determined whether or not the cleaning work by the cleaning robot has been performed normally. Therefore, according to this cleaning management device and cleaning management method, there is no need for a person to be present during the cleaning work by the cleaning robot in order to confirm the cleaning work, and whether or not the cleaning work by the cleaning robot has been carried out normally as scheduled. can be confirmed at a later date.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a cleaning system to which a cleaning management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is applied; FIG. It is a figure which shows the hardware constitutions of a server. It is a figure which shows the structural example of a cleaning robot. It is a figure which shows an example of the information managed in a server. It is a figure which shows an example of the contract information table of time DB. It is a figure which shows an example of the cleaning schedule table of time DB. It is a figure which shows an example of the cleaning performance table of time DB. It is a figure which shows an example of a cleaning contract range and a cleaning performance range. It is a figure which shows an example of the cleaning range table of drawing DB. It is a figure which shows an example of the dust concentration table of dust concentration DB. It is a figure which shows an example of the determination result table of cleaning result determination DB. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure of data acquisition processing from the cleaning robot, which is executed by the server during cleaning work by the cleaning robot; It is a flowchart which shows an example of the procedure of the cleaning result determination process performed by a server. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the procedure of the cleaning result determination process performed by a server.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same or corresponding parts in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a cleaning system to which a cleaning management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is applied. 1, the cleaning system 1 includes a cleaning robot 10, a plurality of wireless communication devices 30-1, 30-2, 30-3 . . .

The cleaning robot 10 is an autonomous mobile vacuum cleaner. The cleaning robot 10 is equipped with a battery, and can run on the floor 20 to be cleaned using electric power stored in the battery. A cleaning member for sucking dust is provided on the bottom or lower side of the cleaning robot 10, and the cleaning robot 10 can clean the floor 20 using the cleaning member while moving independently.

A wireless communication device 11 is provided in the cleaning robot 10 . The wireless communication device 11 transmits a signal for detecting the position of the cleaning robot 10 using, for example, a communication method conforming to the BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy, "Bluetooth" is a registered trademark) communication standard. Instead of the BLE communication standard, a communication method conforming to the UWB (Ultra Wide Band) communication standard or the like may be used. In addition, the wireless communication device 11 uses a communication method conforming to a wireless communication standard such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), for example, and uses an ID for identifying the cleaning robot 10 and a signal indicating the start/end of cleaning of the cleaning robot 10. etc. to the server 40 .

The wireless communication devices 30-1, 30-2, 30-3, . Using the same communication method as the wireless communication device 11 of the robot 10, it receives a signal transmitted from the cleaning robot 10 and detects its reception strength (in BLE) or signal propagation time (in UWB). The position of the cleaning robot 10 on the floor 20 can be measured from the reception strength or signal propagation time of each wireless communication device 30 . The wireless communication device 30 outputs the reception strength or signal propagation time of the signal received from the cleaning robot 10 to the server 40 . Wireless communication device 30 may be installed on a wall.

The server 40 manages the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10. The server 40 receives from each wireless communication device 30 the reception strength or the signal propagation time of the signal received by the wireless communication device 30, and determines the cleaning robot 10 on the floor 20 from the reception strength or the signal propagation time at each wireless communication device 30. Measure position. Then, the server 40 determines whether or not the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 has been performed normally according to the contract concluded in advance. Server 40 will be described later in detail.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the server 40. As shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 2, the server 40 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 41, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 42, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 43, an I/F (Interface) device 44, a storage device 45. The CPU 41 , RAM 42 , ROM 43 , I/F device 44 and storage device 45 exchange various data through a communication bus 46 .

The CPU 41 expands the program stored in the ROM 43 to the RAM 42 and executes it. Programs stored in the ROM 43 describe processes to be executed by the server 40 .

The I/F device 44 is an input/output device for exchanging signals and data with the wireless communication device 30 and the cleaning robot 10 . The I/F device 44 receives from each wireless communication device 30 the reception strength or signal propagation time of the signal received by the wireless communication device 30 . In addition, the I/F device 44 uses a communication method conforming to a wireless communication standard such as LTE to transmit an ID for identifying the cleaning robot 10, a signal indicating the start/end of cleaning of the cleaning robot 10, etc. to the cleaning robot 10. receive from

The storage device 45 is a storage that stores various types of information, such as information on the cleaning robot 10, information on the floor 20, cleaning contract information defining cleaning conditions (cleaning area, frequency, date and time, etc.), and position information on the cleaning robot 10. Also, the movement history (trajectory) and the like are stored. The storage device 45 also stores various updatable databases (DB) for managing the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 . Various DBs stored in the storage device 45 will be described later in detail. The storage device 45 is, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD: Hard Disk Drive), a solid state drive (SSD: Solid State Drive), or the like.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the cleaning robot 10. As shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 3 , cleaning robot 10 includes wireless communication device 11 , camera 12 , control unit 13 , driving unit 14 , battery 15 , cleaning member 16 and dust concentration meter 17 .

　The wireless communication device 11 transmits a signal for detecting the position of the cleaning robot 10, for example, using a communication method conforming to the BLE communication standard, as described in FIG. The wireless communication device 11 uses a communication method conforming to a wireless communication standard such as LTE, for example, to indicate an ID for identifying the cleaning robot 10, a cleaning start signal indicating the start of cleaning by the cleaning robot 10, and an end of cleaning. Various information such as a cleaning end signal, the dust concentration measured by the dust concentration meter 17 before starting cleaning, and the dust concentration measured by the dust concentration meter 17 after cleaning is sent to the server 40 .

The camera 12 captures an image of the surroundings of the cleaning robot 10 and outputs the captured image to the control unit 13 . Instead of the camera 12, a laser rangefinder or the like that measures the distance between the cleaning robot 10 and an object existing around the cleaning robot 10 may be provided.

The control unit 13 controls the start and end of cleaning by the cleaning robot 10 . Based on the captured image from the camera 12, the control unit 13 controls the driving unit 14 and the cleaning member 16 so that the cleaning robot 10 performs cleaning while moving autonomously. Further, the control unit 13 acquires the dust concentration measured by the dust concentration meter 17 before and after the cleaning is started and outputs it to the wireless communication device 11 .

The driving unit 14 generates driving force for the cleaning robot 10 to run. The driving unit 14 includes, for example, wheels for moving the cleaning robot 10 and motors for driving the wheels. The drive unit 14 (motor) can operate by receiving power supply from the battery 15 . The battery 15 supplies power for operating the drive unit 14 (motor) and other devices of the cleaning robot 10 .

The cleaning member 16 is provided on the bottom surface of the cleaning robot 10 and is a member for sucking dust from the floor surface. The cleaning member 16 includes, for example, a suction port, a fan for sucking dust from the suction port, a rotating brush provided at the suction port, and a motor for driving the rotating brush.

The dust concentration meter 17 is provided inside the tank in which the dust collected by the cleaning member 16 is stored, and measures the concentration of the dust inside the tank. The dust concentration is measured before and after the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 is started, and whether the cleaning member 16 is operating normally is determined by whether the dust concentration changes (increases) before and after the cleaning work. That is, it can be determined whether the cleaning function of the cleaning robot 10 is normal.

In the case of unmanned automatic cleaning by autonomous mobile cleaning robots as described above in facilities such as buildings and shopping malls, it is necessary to be able to check whether the cleaning robots have cleaned as planned. There is The presence of a person to check the operation of the cleaning robot ultimately results in the need for personnel, as in the case of manned cleaning.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 is managed by the server 40, and it is determined whether or not the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 has been performed normally as planned. That is, the server 40 corresponds to the "cleaning management device" in the present disclosure. Generally, confirmation of the cleaning work performed by the cleaning robot is performed by confirming the movement function based on the movement trajectory of the cleaning robot. Instead, after determining whether the cleaning function of the cleaning robot 10 is normal, it is determined whether the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 has been performed normally. Thus, it is reliably determined whether or not the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 has been performed normally. Therefore, there is no need for a person to be present in order to confirm the work of the cleaning robot 10, and it is possible to confirm later whether the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 has been normally carried out as scheduled (according to the contract).

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of information managed by server 40 according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 4, server 40 includes a time DB 70 that stores information about cleaning areas and cleaning dates and times, a drawing DB 80 that stores information about the cleaning range of each cleaning area, and a cleaning state of cleaning members (dust collection). status), and a cleaning result determination DB 100 that stores information related to cleaning work determination results. Each of these DBs is stored in the storage device 45 of the server 40 (FIG. 2).

The time DB 70 includes a contract information table 72, a cleaning schedule table 74, and a cleaning performance table 76. The contract information table 72 includes data relating to contract conditions defined in a cleaning contract with a building manager or cleaning manager. The cleaning schedule table 74 includes data extracted from the contract information table 72 for the cleaning schedule for the day of cleaning. The cleaning record table 76 includes data relating to the actual cleaning times for the cleaning schedules in the cleaning schedule table 74 .

5 to 7 are diagrams showing examples of the contract information table 72, the cleaning schedule table 74, and the cleaning performance table 76 of the time DB 70, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 5, the contract information table 72 includes floors to be cleaned, cleaning areas on each floor, cleaning frequency, cleaning date, cleaning start time, and cleaning end time for each area specified in the cleaning contract. including data such as For example, representatively explaining the first row of the contract information table 72, a contract is made to perform cleaning work by a cleaning robot between 2:15 and 3:45 on the first Saturday of every month for a predetermined area 1 on the 2nd floor. It is

Referring to FIG. 6, the cleaning schedule table 74 is created from the contract information table 72, and is created by extracting the cleaning schedule data for the day of cleaning from the contract information table 72. For example, the cleaning schedule table 74 includes cleaning schedule data from 00:00 on the day of cleaning to 00:00 on the following day. FIG. 6 shows an example in which a cleaning schedule table 74 is created by extracting cleaning schedule data for the first Saturday from the contract information table 72 of FIG. The cleaning schedule table 74 is created once a day at a predetermined time (for example, at a shopping mall closing time).

With reference to FIG. 7, the cleaning performance table 76 is created corresponding to the cleaning schedule table 74 and includes data regarding the performance of the cleaning implementation time for the cleaning schedule of the cleaning schedule table 74. For example, the first row of the cleaning record table 76 will be representatively explained. On Saturday, June 5th, the cleaning work of area 1 on the 2nd floor was started by the cleaning robot 10 with the robot number A at 2:23, and at 3:35. indicates that the cleaning work has been completed. The cleaning start time and the cleaning end time are the times when the server 40 receives the cleaning start signal and the cleaning end signal from the cleaning robot 10 with the robot number A, respectively.

The time determination result in the cleaning performance table 76 indicates whether or not the cleaning robot 10 performed the cleaning work within the scheduled cleaning time indicated in the cleaning schedule table 74 . Specifically, for each cleaning area, the result of determining whether or not a cleaning start signal and a cleaning end signal have been received from the cleaning robot 10 within the scheduled cleaning time (from the cleaning start time in the cleaning schedule table 74 to the cleaning end time). is shown in the time determination result.

For example, for area 1 on the 2nd floor, the scheduled cleaning times (2:15 to 3:45) shown in the cleaning schedule table 74 are cleaned from the cleaning robot 10 with robot number A at 2:23 and 3:35, respectively. A start signal and an end-of-cleaning signal are received. Therefore, the server 40 determines that the cleaning work has been performed by the cleaning robot 10 within the scheduled cleaning time, and stores "normal" in the time determination result.

For area 3 on the 2nd floor, no cleaning start signal or cleaning end signal has been received from the cleaning robot 10 during the scheduled cleaning time (22:05 to 22:55) shown in the cleaning schedule table 74 Start time and cleaning end time are blank). Therefore, the server 40 determines that the cleaning work has not been performed within the scheduled cleaning time, and stores "abnormal" in the time determination result.

For area 4 on the 3rd floor, the cleaning start signal is sent from the cleaning robot 10 with robot number E at 2:00 and 2:55, respectively, with respect to the scheduled cleaning times (1:55 to 2:45) shown in the cleaning schedule table 74. and the cleaning end signal is received. Since the cleaning end time (2:55) at which the cleaning end signal was received is later than the scheduled cleaning end time (2:45), the server 40 did not complete the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 within the scheduled cleaning time. Also in this case, "abnormal" is stored in the time determination result.

　Referring to FIG. 4 again, the drawing DB 80 stores information about the cleaning range by the cleaning robot 10 for each cleaning area shown in the cleaning schedule table 74. FIG. The drawing DB 80 includes a cleaning range table 86. FIG. The cleaning range table 86 includes data on the actual cleaning range for the scheduled cleaning range based on the cleaning contract for each cleaning area for the day scheduled in the cleaning schedule table 74 .

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a cleaning contract range and a cleaning performance range. Referring to FIG. 8, cleaning contract range 82 indicates the area to be cleaned in the contract. In this example, ranges 112, 116, and 118 corresponding to

areas

1, 3, and 4 of areas 1 to 4 on the 2nd floor are designated cleaning areas for the day specified in the contract.

The cleaning performance range 84 indicates the cleaning performance area of the cleaning robot 10 based on the movement trajectory of the cleaning robot 10 . The cleaning performance range 84 is created corresponding to the cleaning contract range 82 and indicates the area to which the cleaning robot 10 has moved based on the movement trajectory of the cleaning robot 10 . In this example, it is shown that the cleaning robot 10 has moved within

ranges

122 and 128 respectively corresponding to

areas

1 and 4 on the 2nd floor.

Note that the cleaning performance range 84 is created based on the movement locus of the cleaning robot 10 and is data for confirming the movement function of the cleaning robot 10 . The cleaning performance range 84 does not take into consideration the operating state of the cleaning member 16 of the cleaning robot 10 (the cleaning function of the cleaning robot 10). The operating state of the cleaning member 16 is managed by the dust concentration DB 90 .

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the cleaning range table 86 of the drawing DB 80 shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 9, cleaning range table 86 is created corresponding to cleaning schedule table 74 (FIG. 6) of time DB 70, and cleaning is performed for each cleaning area for the day scheduled in cleaning schedule table 74. It includes data such as the drawing number indicating the contract range, the drawing number indicating the cleaning performance range, the cleaning date and time, and the determination result of the cleaning performance range for the cleaning contract range.

For example, in the first row of the cleaning range table 86, for a predetermined area 1 on the 2nd floor, the drawing data number indicating the cleaning contract range of the area is C-2F-1, and the cleaning robot 10 cleans the area. It is indicated that the drawing data number indicating the actual range is A-2F-1. The drawing data of the drawing number A-2F-1 indicating the cleaning performance range is created based on the movement trajectory obtained from the position information of the cleaning robot 10 of the robot number A that cleans the area.

Then, the server 40 compares the cleaning performance range of drawing number A-2F-1 with the cleaning contract range of drawing number C-2F-1. "Normal" is stored in the range determination result.

Also, to explain the second row of the cleaning range table 86, since the cleaning robot 10 did not perform cleaning work for area 3 on the 2nd floor, there is no drawing showing the cleaning performance range of that area. Therefore, the server 40 stores "abnormal" in the cleaning range determination result.

Referring to FIG. 4 again, the dust concentration DB 90 stores information on the cleaning state (dust collection state) by the cleaning members of the cleaning robot 10 for each cleaning area shown in the cleaning schedule table 74 . The dust concentration DB 90 includes a dust concentration table 92. FIG. The dust concentration table 92 includes data on the concentration of dust collected by the cleaning robot 10 for each cleaning area for the day of cleaning scheduled in the cleaning schedule table 74 .

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the dust concentration table 92 of the dust concentration DB 90 shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 10, dust concentration table 92 is created corresponding to cleaning schedule table 74 (FIG. 6) of time DB 70, and cleaning is performed for each cleaning area for the day scheduled in cleaning schedule table 74. It includes data such as the dust concentration at the start of cleaning and its measurement time, the dust concentration at the end of cleaning and its measurement time, and the judgment result of the cleaning function based on the dust concentration.

For example, regarding the first row of the dust concentration table 92, for a predetermined area 1 on the 2nd floor, when the cleaning robot 10 with the robot number A starts cleaning, the dust concentration in the dust tank is measured by the dust concentration meter 17 (10 CPM). and its measurement time (2:23) are stored in the start dust concentration and start measurement time, respectively. At the end of cleaning, the dust concentration value (15 CPM) measured by the dust concentration meter 17 and the measurement time (3:35) are stored in the end dust concentration and end measurement time, respectively.

The dust concentration determination result in the dust concentration table 92 indicates whether or not the cleaning function of the cleaning robot 10 was operating normally during the cleaning work, based on the change (increase) in the dust concentration before and after the cleaning work. . Specifically, the server 40 calculates the change (increase) in dust concentration from the start of cleaning to the end of cleaning for each cleaning area. Then, when the change (increase) in the dust concentration exceeds the threshold value, the server 40 determines that the cleaning function of the cleaning robot 10 was normal, and stores "normal" in the dust concentration determination result. do.

In the example of the first row of the dust concentration table 92, it is determined that the change in dust concentration from the start of cleaning to the end of cleaning (increase of 5 CPM) exceeds the threshold, and "normal" is stored in the dust concentration determination result. It is In the example of the second line, since no cleaning work was performed, there is no dust concentration measurement value, and the dust concentration determination result is "abnormal".

Referring to FIG. 4 again, the cleaning result determination DB 100 stores information regarding the determination result of the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 for each cleaning area shown in the cleaning schedule table 74 . The cleaning result determination DB 100 includes a determination result table 102. FIG. The determination result table 102 includes data of determination results as to whether or not the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 was normally performed according to the contract for each cleaning area for the day scheduled in the cleaning schedule table 74 .

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the determination result table 102 of the cleaning result determination DB 100 shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 11, determination result table 102 is created corresponding to cleaning schedule table 74 (FIG. 6) of time DB 70. For each cleaning area for the day scheduled in cleaning schedule table 74, time It includes determination results, cleaning range determination results, and dust concentration determination results.

The time determination result is obtained from the cleaning performance table 76 of the time DB 70, and indicates whether or not the cleaning work has been performed by the cleaning robot 10 within the scheduled cleaning time. The cleaning range determination result is acquired from the cleaning range table 86 of the drawing DB 80, and indicates whether the cleaning robot 10 has moved within the cleaning contract range, that is, whether the movement function of the cleaning robot 10 has been normal. The dust concentration determination result is acquired from the dust concentration table 92 of the dust concentration DB 90, and determines whether the cleaning member 16 of the cleaning robot 10 was operating during cleaning work, that is, whether the cleaning function of the cleaning robot 10 was normal. shows the results of

The determination result table 102 shows the final determination result as to whether or not the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 was normally performed according to the contract for each cleaning area for the day scheduled in the cleaning schedule table 74. It further includes cleaning determination result data. The cleaning determination result is determined based on the time determination result, the cleaning range determination result, and the dust concentration determination result. Specifically, the server 40 stores "normal" in the cleaning determination result when all of the time determination result, cleaning range determination result, and dust concentration determination result are "normal" for each cleaning area. On the other hand, if at least one of the time determination result, cleaning range determination result, and dust concentration determination result is "abnormal", the server 40 stores "abnormal" in the cleaning determination result.

Thus, in the present embodiment, not only the cleaning range determination result indicating whether the movement function of the cleaning robot 10 is normal, but also the dust concentration indicating whether the cleaning function of the cleaning robot 10 is normal. It is determined whether or not the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 has been performed normally, taking into account the determination result. Thereby, it is reliably determined whether or not the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 has been carried out according to the contract.

FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing an example of the procedure of data acquisition processing from the cleaning robot 10, which is executed by the server 40 during cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10. FIG. A series of processes shown in this flowchart are executed for each cleaning robot 10 and for each cleaning area in association with the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 . Each data acquired from the cleaning robot 10 includes the ID of the cleaning robot 10 that is the transmission source, and the server 40 identifies the cleaning robot 10 that is the transmission source by the ID included in each data that is acquired. do.

Referring to FIG. 12, server 40 acquires from cleaning robot 10 the measured value of the dust concentration in the dust tank measured by dust concentration meter 17 in cleaning robot 10 before the start of cleaning by cleaning robot 10 (step S10). Note that the server 40 stores the acquired time and the measured value of the dust concentration in the dust concentration table 92 ( FIG. 10 ) of the dust concentration DB 90 , the start measurement time and the start dust concentration corresponding to the cleaning robot 10 that is the transmission source. Store each in concentration.

Next, the server 40 acquires from the cleaning robot 10 a cleaning start signal indicating the start of cleaning by the cleaning robot 10 (step S20). Then, the server 40 specifies the time when the cleaning start signal is acquired as the cleaning start time by the cleaning robot 10 (step S30). The specified time is stored in the cleaning start time corresponding to the cleaning robot 10 that is the transmission source in the cleaning performance table 76 (FIG. 7) of the time DB 70 .

Then, the server 40 acquires the position information of the cleaning robot 10 (step S40). Specifically, the server 40 acquires from each wireless communication device 30 the reception strength (in BLE) or the signal propagation time (in UWB) of the signal received by each wireless communication device 30 from the cleaning robot 10, and The position of the cleaning robot 10 is acquired from the reception intensity or signal propagation time of 30 by a known method.

Then, the server 40 uses the position information of the cleaning robot 10 to generate the movement trajectory of the cleaning robot 10 (step S50). Generation of the movement locus of the cleaning robot 10 is repeatedly executed until the cleaning by the cleaning robot 10 is completed.

Next, the server 40 determines whether or not a cleaning end signal indicating the end of cleaning by the cleaning robot 10 has been obtained from the cleaning robot 10 (step S60). If server 40 has not acquired a cleaning end signal (NO in step S60), the process returns to step S40.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the cleaning end signal has been acquired in step S60 (YES in step S60), server 40 specifies the time when the cleaning end signal was acquired as the cleaning end time by cleaning robot 10 (step S70). ). The identified time is stored in the cleaning end time corresponding to the cleaning robot 10 of the transmission source in the cleaning record table 76 of the time DB 70 .

Subsequently, the server 40 acquires from the cleaning robot 10 the measured value of the dust concentration in the dust tank measured by the dust concentration meter 17 in the cleaning robot 10 after the cleaning robot 10 finishes cleaning (step S80). The server 40 stores the time when the measured value of the dust concentration is acquired and the measured value in the end measurement time and the end dust concentration corresponding to the cleaning robot 10 of the transmission source in the dust concentration table 92 of the dust concentration DB 90, respectively. do.

Finally, the server 40 identifies the cleaning performance range (FIG. 8) indicating the range of cleaning performed by the cleaning robot 10 of the transmission source from the movement trajectory generated in step S50 (step S90). This cleaning performance range is stored in the storage device 45 as drawing data, and the number of the drawing data is stored in the cleaning performance range drawing number of the corresponding cleaning area in the cleaning range table 86 (FIG. 9) of the drawing DB 80.

FIGS. 13 and 14 are flowcharts showing an example of the procedure of cleaning result determination processing executed by the server 40. FIG. Referring to FIG. 13, first, a contract information table 72 (FIG. 5) is created in the time DB 70 from the cleaning contract (step S110). Although the contract information table 72 is created by the user of the cleaning system 1, the server 40 extracts predetermined items from the contract according to a predetermined form, and extracts the contract information table 72 from the contract. may be automatically generated.

Next, the server 40 creates a cleaning schedule table 74 (FIG. 6) for the cleaning day from the contract information table 72 (step S120). For example, once a day, at a predetermined time, the server 40 extracts cleaning schedule data from midnight on the day of cleaning to midnight on the next day from the contract information table 72 and creates a cleaning schedule table 74. create.

After the cleaning schedule table 74 is created, a series of subsequent processes from step S130 to step S270 in FIG. 14 are executed for each cleaning area of the cleaning schedule table 74. An arbitrary cleaning area included in the cleaning schedule table 74 will be described below.

The server 40 determines whether cleaning has been started by the cleaning robot 10 (step S130). Whether or not cleaning has started is determined by whether or not a cleaning start signal has been received from the cleaning robot 10 . Note that the server 40 can specify the area to be cleaned by the cleaning robot 10 based on the position information of the cleaning robot 10 that has transmitted the signal.

When it is determined in step S130 that cleaning robot 10 has started cleaning (YES in step S130), server 40 stores the time at which the cleaning start signal was received as the cleaning start time in cleaning record table 76 (FIG. 7). (Step S140). Furthermore, the server 40 associates the measured value of the dust concentration before the start of cleaning received from the cleaning robot 10 with the start of cleaning with the cleaning robot 10 in the dust concentration table 92 ( FIG. 10 ) of the dust concentration DB 90 . Store in the starting dust concentration (step S150). The server 40 also stores the time at which the measured value of the dust concentration is received as the start measurement time corresponding to the cleaning robot 10 in the dust concentration table 92 .

Although not shown, if a predetermined time has passed since the cleaning end time in the cleaning schedule table 74 without the cleaning robot 10 starting cleaning (NO in step S130), steps shown in FIG. 14 to be described later are executed. The process proceeds to S220 (no actual cleaning time).

Next, the server 40 determines whether the cleaning by the cleaning robot 10 has been completed (step S160). Whether or not cleaning by the cleaning robot 10 has been completed is determined by whether or not a cleaning end signal has been received from the cleaning robot 10 .

When it is determined in step S160 that the cleaning by the cleaning robot 10 has finished (YES in step S160), the server 40 stores the cleaning performance range indicating the cleaning range performed by the cleaning robot 10 in the cleaning range table 86 of the drawing DB 80. (FIG. 9) (step S170). More specifically, the server 40 stores the drawing data of the cleaning performance range in the storage device 45 and stores the drawing number of the drawing data in the cleaning range table 86 of the drawing DB 80 . Note that the cleaning performance range is specified in step S90 of FIG.

Furthermore, the server 40 stores the time when the cleaning end signal is received in the cleaning end time of the cleaning record table 76 (step S180). Further, the server 40 stores the measured value of the dust concentration after cleaning received from the cleaning robot 10 upon completion of cleaning in the final dust concentration corresponding to the cleaning robot 10 in the dust concentration table 92. (Step S190). The server 40 also stores the time when the measured value of the dust concentration is received in the end measurement time corresponding to the cleaning robot 10 in the dust concentration table 92 .

Referring to FIG. 14, server 40 converts the drawing data of the cleaning performance range indicated by the cleaning performance range drawing number in the cleaning range table 86 of the drawing DB 80 to the drawing data of the cleaning contract range indicated by the cleaning contract range drawing number. (step S200). Then, the server 40 stores the cleaning range determination result based on the comparison result in the cleaning range determination result (FIG. 9) of the cleaning range table 86 (step S210). For example, if the cleaning performance range is equal to or greater than a predetermined percentage of the cleaning contract range, the server 40 stores "normal" in the cleaning range determination result. On the other hand, if the cleaning performance range is smaller than the predetermined ratio, the server 40 stores "abnormal" in the cleaning range determination result.

In addition, the server 40 compares the cleaning performance time (cleaning start time/cleaning end time) of the cleaning performance table 76 of the time DB 70 with the cleaning contract time (cleaning start time/cleaning end time) of the cleaning schedule table 74 (step S220). Then, the server 40 stores the determination result of the cleaning time based on the comparison result in the time determination result (FIG. 7) of the cleaning record table 76 (step S230). For example, when the cleaning record time (from the cleaning start time to the cleaning end time of the cleaning record table 76) is included in the cleaning contract time (from the cleaning start time to the cleaning end time of the cleaning schedule table 74), the server 40 , "Normal" is stored in the time determination result. On the other hand, if the cleaning end time in the cleaning record is later than the cleaning end time in the cleaning contract, the server 40 stores "abnormal" in the time determination result.

Furthermore, the server 40 calculates the change (increase) in the dust concentration before and after the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 (step S240). Specifically, the server 40 calculates the change in dust concentration before and after cleaning by subtracting the starting dust concentration from the ending dust concentration in the dust concentration table 92 . Then, the server 40 stores the determination result of the dust concentration based on the change in the dust concentration before and after cleaning in the dust concentration determination result (FIG. 10) of the dust concentration table 92 (step S250). For example, when the amount of increase in dust concentration before and after cleaning exceeds the threshold value, the server 40 stores "normal" in the dust concentration determination result. On the other hand, if the amount of increase in dust concentration before and after cleaning is equal to or less than the threshold value, the server 40 stores "abnormal" in the dust concentration determination result.

Next, the server 40 stores the cleaning range determination result of the cleaning range table 86, the time determination result of the cleaning performance table 76, and the dust concentration determination result of the dust concentration table 92 in the determination result table 102 (FIG. 11) of the cleaning result determination DB 100. (step S260).

Based on the cleaning range determination result, time determination result, and dust concentration determination result of the determination result table 102, the server 40 makes a final cleaning determination as to whether or not the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 was normally performed according to the contract. A result is determined (step S270). Specifically, when all of the cleaning range determination result, the time determination result, and the dust concentration determination result are "normal", the server 40 determines the cleaning result of the cleaning robot 10 as "normal". On the other hand, if at least one of the cleaning range determination result, the time determination result, and the dust concentration determination result is "abnormal", the server 40 determines the cleaning result as "abnormal". This final determination result is stored in the cleaning determination result of the determination result table 102 .

It should be noted that the determination of the cleaning result in step S270 is performed, for example, at the final cleaning end time or after a predetermined time has elapsed from that time.

As described above, in this embodiment, when the server 40 determines whether or not the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 has been performed, not only the determination result of the movement function of the cleaning robot 10 but also the cleaning result of the cleaning robot 10 is used. Functional determination results are also taken into account. Thereby, the server 40 can determine whether or not the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 has been performed normally. Therefore, according to this embodiment, there is no need for a person to be present during the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 to confirm the cleaning work, and it is possible to check at a later date whether the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 has been carried out normally as planned. It is possible to confirm.

Further, in this embodiment, it is determined whether or not the cleaning work execution time is normal based on the scheduled time of the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 and the actual time when the cleaning work was performed. Whether or not the cleaning work was performed normally is determined from the determination result of the cleaning function and the determination result of the execution time. Thereby, the server 40 can more reliably determine whether the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 has been performed normally.

Further, in this embodiment, whether or not the cleaning member 16 of the cleaning robot 10 is operating, that is, whether or not the cleaning function of the cleaning robot 10 is normal, is determined based on the dust concentration measured by the dust concentration meter 17. is determined. More specifically, whether or not the cleaning function of the cleaning robot 10 is normal is determined based on the change (increase) in the dust concentration before and after cleaning measured using the dust concentration meter 17 . Even if the amount of dust collected by cleaning is very small, the dust concentration meter 17 can measure the change in the amount of dust before and after cleaning. , the operation of the cleaning function can be determined more reliably.

In the above embodiment, the dust concentration measured by the dust concentration meter 17 is used to confirm that the cleaning member 16 of the cleaning robot 10 is operating, and that the cleaning function of the cleaning robot 10 is normal. Although it has been determined that there is, other parameters may be used to confirm that the cleaning member 16 is operating.

For example, the cleaning robot 10 is equipped with a dust weighing scale for measuring the weight of the dust collected by the cleaning member 16 and stored in the tank of the cleaning robot 10, and the weight of the dust measured by the dust weighing scale is used. , may verify that the cleaning member 16 is operating. The weight of the dust is measured before and after the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 is started, and whether or not the cleaning member 16 is operating normally is determined by whether the weight of the dust increases before and after the cleaning work. It can be determined whether the cleaning function of the cleaning robot 10 is normal.

In addition, for example, the operation of the motor that sucks dust, the operation of the rotating brush of the cleaning member 16 provided at the suction port, the operation of the motor that drives the rotating brush, and the measured value of the differential pressure gauge that detects the differential pressure before and after the filter. For example, it may be determined whether the cleaning member 16 is operating normally, that is, whether the cleaning function of the cleaning robot 10 is normal.

The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The technical scope indicated by the present disclosure is indicated by the scope of claims rather than the description of the above-described embodiments, and is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the scope of the claims. .

10 Cleaning robot, 11, 30 Wireless communication device, 12 Camera, 13 Control unit, 14 Drive unit, 15 Battery, 16 Cleaning member, 17 Dust concentration meter, 20 Floor, 35 Ceiling, 40 Server, 41 CPU, 42 RAM, 43 ROM, 44 I/F device, 45 storage device, 70 time DB, 72 contract information table, 74 cleaning schedule table, 76 cleaning performance table, 80 drawing DB, 82 cleaning contract range, 84 cleaning performance range, 86 cleaning range table, 90 Dust concentration DB, 92 Dust concentration table, 100 Cleaning result judgment DB, 102 Judgment result table.

Claims

A cleaning management device for managing cleaning work by an autonomous mobile cleaning robot,
a processor;
a memory that stores a program to be executed by the processor;
The processor, according to the program,
determining whether or not the movement function of the cleaning robot is normal from the planned area for the cleaning work and the movement trajectory of the cleaning robot;
determining whether the cleaning function of the cleaning robot is normal based on a parameter indicating that the cleaning member of the cleaning robot is operating;
A cleaning management device that determines whether or not the cleaning work has been performed normally based on a determination result of the movement function and a determination result of the cleaning function.
The processor
Determining whether the implementation time of the cleaning work is normal from the scheduled time of the cleaning work and the actual time when the cleaning work was performed,
2. The cleaning management device according to claim 1, wherein it is determined whether or not the cleaning work has been performed normally based on the determination result of the moving function, the determination result of the cleaning function, and the determination result of the execution time.
The scheduled time is a contract time determined by a contract,
3. The cleaning management device according to claim 2, wherein said processor determines whether or not the execution time of said cleaning work is normal by comparing said actual time with said contracted time.
The planned area is a contracted area defined by a contract,
4. Any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the processor determines whether or not the movement function is normal by comparing a cleaning performance range based on the movement trajectory of the cleaning robot with the contracted range. Cleaning management device according to paragraph.
The cleaning management device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the parameter includes a weighing result of dust collected by the cleaning member.
The processor determines whether the cleaning function is normal by comparing the dust metric at the end of the cleaning task with the dust metric at the start of the cleaning task. The cleaning management device according to claim 5.
The cleaning robot includes a dust densitometer that measures the concentration of dust collected by the cleaning member,
7. The cleaning management device according to claim 5, wherein said parameter is the concentration of dust measured by said dust concentration meter.
the cleaning robot includes a dust weighing scale that measures the weight of dust collected by the cleaning member;
7. The cleaning management device according to claim 5, wherein said parameter is the weight of dust measured by said dust scale.
A cleaning management method for managing cleaning work by an autonomous mobile cleaning robot,
a step of determining by a computer whether or not the movement function of the cleaning robot is normal based on the planned cleaning work area and the movement trajectory of the cleaning robot;
determining by the computer whether the cleaning function of the cleaning robot is normal based on parameters indicating that the cleaning member of the cleaning robot is operating;
and determining, by the computer, whether or not the cleaning work has been performed normally based on the determination result of the moving function and the determination result of the cleaning function.
further comprising a step of determining by the computer whether the cleaning work execution time is normal from the scheduled time of the cleaning work and the actual time when the cleaning work was performed;
The step of determining whether or not the cleaning work was performed normally includes determining whether or not the cleaning work was performed normally based on a determination result of the movement function, a determination result of the cleaning function, and a determination result of the execution time. 10. The cleaning management method of claim 9, comprising the step of determining whether.
The scheduled time is a contract time determined by a contract,
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of determining whether the implementation time is normal includes determining whether the implementation time is normal by comparing the actual performance time with the contracted time. Described cleaning management method.
The planned area is a contracted area defined by a contract,
The step of determining whether the movement function is normal determines whether the movement function is normal by comparing a cleaning performance range based on the movement locus of the cleaning robot with the contracted range. 12. A cleaning management method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, comprising steps.
The cleaning management method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the parameter includes a weighing result of dust collected by the cleaning member.
The step of determining whether the cleaning function is normal includes comparing the dust measurement value at the end of the cleaning work with the dust measurement value at the start of the cleaning work. 14. The cleaning management method according to claim 13, comprising the step of determining whether the function is normal.
The cleaning robot includes a dust densitometer that measures the concentration of dust collected by the cleaning member,
15. The cleaning management method according to claim 13, wherein said parameter is the concentration of dust measured by said dust concentration meter.
the cleaning robot includes a dust weighing scale that measures the weight of dust collected by the cleaning member;
15. The cleaning management method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein said parameter is the weight of dust measured by said dust scale.