Vehicle that moves automatically within an environment as well as a system with a vehicle and an external illuminating device

• US 10,444,765 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2018
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vorwerk & Company Interholding Gesellschaft Mit Beschrã¤Nkter Haftung (Vorwerk & Company KG)
• Original Assignee: Vorwerk & Company Interholding Gesellschaft Mit Beschrã¤Nkter Haftung (Vorwerk & Company KG)
• Inventors: Erkek, David, Hackert, Georg, Isenberg, Gerhard, Ortmann, Roman, Schmidt, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Brushaber, Frederick M
• Application Number:
  US16/002,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20180356834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0085 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1666 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0231 using optical position detecting means position-fixing by using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. optical position detecting means G01S5/16
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0285 using signals transmitted via a public communication network, e.g. GSM network
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/125 by using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/09 Closed loop, sensor feedback controls arm movement

Abstract

An unmanned vehicle that moves automatically within an environment, in particular a cleaning robot, with a detection system for detecting object data in an environment of the vehicle and a calculating device for generating an area map based on recorded object data. The area map has information about a position of an external illuminating device designed separately from the vehicle, as well as one or several items of information about the illuminating device, such as light intensity, emission spectrum, position and/or size of a partial area of an environment that can be illuminated by the illuminating device, and type of illuminating device.

Claims

1. An unmanned vehicle that moves automatically within an environment comprising:

a detection system configured for detecting object data in an environment of the vehicle;

a calculating device for generating an area map based on the detected object data, and

a controller, which is configured to generate a control command depending on an operation of the detection system and/or a lighting status in a detection range of the detection system

wherein the area map has positions of objects located within the environment, wherein the area map has information about a position of an external illuminating device designed separately from the vehicle, as well as one or several items of information about the illuminating device,

wherein the information is selected from the group consisting of;

light intensity, emission spectrum, position of a partial area of an environment that can be illuminated by the illuminating device, and size of a partial area of an environment that can be illuminated by the illuminating device,

wherein the controller is configured to generate a control command that turns on the illuminating device if a partial area of the environment that can be illuminated by this illuminating device at least partially overlaps a detection range of the detection system.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle has a communication module for communicating with an external illuminating device and/or a central controller of a home automation network.

3. A system comprised of at least one unmanned vehicle that moves automatically within an environment, comprising:

a detection system for detecting object data in an environment of the vehicle;

a calculating device for generating an area map based on recorded object data,

at least one external illuminating device designed separately from the vehicle, and

a controller configured for transmitting a control command to the illuminating device to turn on the lighting device,

wherein the area map has positions of objects located within the environment,

wherein the area map has information about the position of the illuminating device as well as one or more items of information about the illuminating device, and

wherein the information is selected from the group consisting of;

light intensity, emission spectrum, position of a partial area of an environment that can be illuminated by the illuminating device, and size of a partial area of an environment that can be illuminated by the illuminating device.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the controller, is disposed remote from the vehicle and has a communications link to the vehicle and a communications link to the illuminating device.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein the controller is set up to generate a control command for controlling the external lighting device and transmit the control command to the illuminating device and/or receive the control command from the vehicle and transmit it to the illuminating device.

6. The system according to claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to control the illuminating device when a partial area of an environment that can be illuminated by the illuminating device at least partially overlaps a detection range of the detection system of the vehicle, to turn on the illuminating device depending on a detected lighting status within the detection range.

7. The system according to claim 3, wherein the controller is set up to register vehicles and/or illuminating devices to the system and receive information about a position, a light intensity, an emission spectrum, a position and/or size of a partial area of the environment that can be illuminated by the illuminating device and/or a type of illuminating device.

8. A method for operating an unmanned vehicle that moves automatically within an environment, comprising:

detecting with a detection system of the vehicle an illuminating device within the environment,

recording with the detection system of the vehicle information about a position of the illuminating device as well as at least one additional item of information about the illuminating device, and

generating with a calculating device of the vehicle an area map based on recorded object data, and

turning on an illuminating device when a partial area of the environment that can be illuminated by this illuminating device at least partially overlaps a detection range of the detection system of the vehicle, such that the illuminating device is turned on depending on a detected lighting status within the detection range,

wherein the information is selected from the group consisting of;

light intensity, emission spectrum, position of a partial area of an environment that can be illuminated by the illuminating device, and size of a partial area of an environment that can be illuminated by the illuminating device.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of generating a control command with a controller of the vehicle for controlling an external illuminating device and transmitting the control command to the illuminating device, or generating a control command with a controller of the system that is disposed remote from the vehicle and transmitting the control command to the illuminating device, or receiving a control command from the vehicle and transmitting the control command to the illuminating device.