Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a traveling cleaning appliance or a floor care or floor treatment appliance enabling favorable adaptation to a surface to be traveled on.SOLUTION: A self-traveling floor cleaning appliance 1 is provided with a photographing unit for taking a photographic picture of a surface to be traveled on and an evaluation unit 10. When a photographic picture of a floor 1 is taken, the picture can be evaluated with regard to the type of a floor covering so as to differentiate between, for example, a hard floor and a carpeted floor. Then a traveling plan and a cleaning parameter such as floor interval or the number of brush rotations are set on the basis of the detected type of the floor covering. That is, the cleaning parameters such as the number of brush rotations and suction ability can be set according to the type of the floor covering, thereby implementing a traveling cleaning appliance or a floor care or floor treatment appliance that can perform favorable cleaning.
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To execute operation corresponding to an emotion based on information related to cleaning.SOLUTION: A self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1 includes: an event detection unit 101 that detects that an event related to cleaning has occurred in the self-propelled vacuum cleaner; an emotion selection unit 201 that selects an operation mode when the self-propelled vacuum cleaner operates as a response to an event when the event has occurred from a plurality of options according to measurement information related to cleaning and measurable by the self-propelled vacuum cleaner; and a response operation control unit 301 that allows the self-propelled vacuum cleaner to execute the operation in accordance with operation information in which the event that has occurred and the selected operation mode are associated.
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a robot cleaner performing control such that auxiliary cleaning units are not projected when a region wherein an obstacle is sensed is an additional device region even if the obstacle is sensed on a travel path, and to provide a method for controlling the robot cleaner.SOLUTION: This robot cleaner includes: a body traveling on a floor; an obstacle sensing part sensing the obstacle approaching the body; the auxiliary cleaning units mounted in a lower part of the body such that the auxiliary cleaning units can be projected or stored; and a control part performing control such that the auxiliary cleaning units are projected or stored when the obstacle is sensed, recognizing a battery charger region, and performing the control such that the auxiliary cleaning units are not projected in the battery charger region.
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an autonomous traveling robot cleaner capable of finely cleaning an area where there are a lot of debris densely. SOLUTION: The robot cleaner 1 performs a standard cleaning action of cleaning while traveling according to a predetermined traveling rule, and when an area where a contaminated degree exceeds the standard value is found out during the standard cleaning action, further performs a local cleaning action of locally traveling after having traveled the area according to the standard cleaning action. For example, the robot cleaner 1 travels in zigzags along a route Z1 according to the standard cleaning action, and stops the standard cleaning action when reaching a P2 point passing through a crowded area of debris 70 through a P1 point. Then, the robot cleaner starts a local cleaning action, and helically travels from a P3 point to a P4 point along a route Z2 within a local cleaning area G1 inside a circle F1 whose radius is equal to generally a half of a distance from the P1 point to the P2 point and whose center rests on a P3 point which rest on the mid point of the P1 point and the P2 point. Thereafter, restarts the standard cleaning action to travel in zigzags from the P2 point along a route Z3. COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To more accurately discriminate a floor material together with the detection of the level difference of a floor surface by the same floor surface sensor and to perform fine cleaning by simple constitution in a self-propelled cleaner. SOLUTION: The self-propelled cleaner 1 is provided with obstacle detection sensors 21 and 22, a traveling means 32, a cleaning means including a power brush 41, a suction fan 42 and a nozzle 44 for sucking dust on the floor surface, and the floor surface sensors 5a and 5b for floor surface state detection composed of a CMOS passive type line sensor for receiving light from the floor surface, and performs cleaning while autonomously traveling. Distance distributions to respective floor surface areas A and B within a visual field angle are obtained on the basis of the light receiving signals of the floor surface sensors 5a and 5b, floor surface level difference detection and the judgement of the floor surface material (flooring, tatami or carpets) are performed by the spatial frequency analysis of the distance distributions, and cleaning conditions including at least one of a traveling speed, dust suction force by the suction fan and brushing strength by the power brush are changed on the basis of the judgement. COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI