Dirtiness level determining system and surface cleaning machine

• US 10,732,127 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2018
• Issued: 08/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Inventors: Yang, Chung-Ting, Chang, Yen-Min
• Primary Examiner(s): Eurice, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US16/233,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20190128821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/94 Investigating contamination, e.g. dust G01N21/85 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0612 Laser diodes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/062 LED's
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/127 Calibration; base line adjustment; drift compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0317 in co-operation with a patterned surface, e.g. absolute position or relative movement detection for an optical mouse or pen positioned with respect to a coded surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30168 Image quality inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0002 Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Abstract

A dirtiness level determining system of a surface cleaning machine, comprising: an optical information generating circuit, configured to generate optical information; a feature level determining circuit, configured to determine an optical feature level of the optical information; and a reminding message generating circuit, configured to generate at least one dirtiness level reminding message according to a relation between the optical feature level and a feature threshold level; wherein the dirtiness level reminding message is adapted to indicate a cleaning status of the cleaning surface, and the cleaning status includes at least one parameter of: a dirtiness level of the cleaning surface, a dirtiness location of the cleaning surface, and an air quality of a room where the cleaning surface locates in.

Claims

1. A dirtiness level determining system of a surface cleaning machine, comprising:

an optical information generating circuit, configured to generate optical information;

a feature level determining circuit, configured to determine an optical feature level of the optical information; and

a reminding message generating circuit, configured to generate at least one dirtiness level reminding message according to a relation between the optical feature level and a feature threshold level when light from the surface cleaning machine can reach a cleaning surface outside the surface cleaning machine and the optical information can be generated based on the light reaching the cleaning surface;

wherein the dirtiness level reminding message is adapted to indicate a cleaning status of the cleaning surface, and the cleaning status includes at least one parameter of;

a dirtiness level of the cleaning surface, a dirtiness location of the cleaning surface, and an air quality of a room where the cleaning surface locates in.

2. The dirtiness level determining system of claim 1, wherein the reminding message generating circuit generates the dirtiness level reminding message indicating a fixed dirty area exists on the cleaning surface, if a control circuit of the surface cleaning machine determines the fixed dirty area still exists according to the optical information after the surface cleaning machine cleans the fixed dirty area.

3. The dirtiness level determining system of claim 1, wherein the reminding message generating circuit generates the dirtiness level reminding message indicating the air quality of the room is below an air quality threshold level, if a control circuit of the surface cleaning machine determines the dirtiness level of a specific area of the cleaning surface increases according to the optical information after the surface cleaning machine cleans the specific area for a predetermined period of time.

4. The dirtiness level determining system of claim 1, wherein the feature threshold level can be adjusted by a user.

5. The dirtiness level determining system of claim 1, wherein the optical information comprises at least one image and the optical feature level is an image feature level of the image.

6. The dirtiness level determining system of claim 1,

wherein the optical information is generated based on light from a first light source in the surface cleaning machine, wherein the optical feature level of the optical information generated based on the light from the first light source is proportional to a dirtiness level of the cleaning surface;

wherein the reminding message generating circuit generates the dirtiness level reminding message which indicates a dirtiness level of the cleaning surface is above a dirtiness threshold level if the optical feature level is above or equal to the feature threshold level.

7. The dirtiness level determining system of claim 6, wherein the first light source is an LED.

8. The dirtiness level determining system of claim 1,

wherein the optical information is generated based on light from a second light source in the surface cleaning machine, wherein the optical feature level of the optical information generated based on the light from the second light source is inversely proportional to a dirtiness level of the cleaning surface;

wherein the reminding message generating circuit generates the dirtiness level reminding message which indicates a dirtiness level of the cleaning surface is above a dirtiness threshold level if the optical feature level is lower or equal to the feature threshold level.

9. The dirtiness level determining system of claim 8, wherein the first light source is a laser diode.

10. A surface cleaning machine, comprising:

a light source;

a dirtiness level determining system, comprising;

an optical information generating circuit, configured to generate optical information according to light from the light source;

a feature level determining circuit, configured to determine an optical feature level of the optical information; and

a reminding message generating circuit, configured to generate at least one dirtiness level reminding message according to a relation between the optical feature level and a feature threshold level when light from the surface cleaning machine can reach a cleaning surface outside the surface cleaning machine and the optical information can be generated based on the light reaching the cleaning surface;

wherein the dirtiness level reminding message is adapted to indicate a cleaning status of the cleaning surface, and the cleaning status includes at least one parameter of;

a dirtiness level of the cleaning surface, a dirtiness location of the cleaning surface, and an air quality of a room where the cleaning surface locates in.

11. The surface cleaning machine of claim 10, further comprising a control circuit, wherein the reminding message generating circuit generates the dirtiness level reminding message indicating a fixed dirty area exists on the cleaning surface, if the control circuit determines the fixed dirty area still exists according to the optical information after the surface cleaning machine cleans the fixed dirty area.

12. The surface cleaning machine of claim 10, further comprising a control circuit, wherein the reminding message generating circuit generates the dirtiness level reminding message indicating the air quality of the room is below an air quality threshold level, if the control circuit determines the dirtiness level of a specific area of the cleaning surface increases according to the optical information after the surface cleaning machine cleans the specific area for a predetermined period of time.

13. The surface cleaning machine of claim 10, wherein the feature threshold level can be adjusted by a user.

14. The dirtiness level determining system of claim 10, wherein the optical information comprises at least one image and the optical feature level is an image feature level of the image.

15. The surface cleaning machine of claim 10,

wherein the optical feature level of the optical information generated based on the light from the light source is proportional to a dirtiness level of the cleaning surface;

wherein the reminding message generating circuit generates the dirtiness level reminding message which indicates a dirtiness level of the cleaning surface is above a dirtiness threshold level if the optical feature level is above or equal to the feature threshold level.

16. The surface cleaning machine of claim 15, wherein the first light source is an LED.

17. The surface cleaning machine of claim 10,

wherein the optical feature level of the optical information generated based on the light from the light source is inversely proportional to a dirtiness level of the cleaning surface;

wherein the reminding message generating circuit generates the dirtiness level reminding message which indicates a dirtiness level of the cleaning surface is above a dirtiness threshold level if the optical feature level is lower or equal to the feature threshold level.

18. The surface cleaning machine of claim 17, wherein the first light source is a laser diode.

19. A dirtiness level determining system of a surface cleaning machine, comprising:

an optical information generating circuit, configured to generate optical information;

a feature level determining circuit, configured to determine an optical feature level of the optical information; and

a reminding message generating circuit, configured to generate at least one dirtiness level reminding message according to a relation between the optical feature level and a feature threshold level when light from the surface cleaning machine can reach the cleaning surface and the optical information can be generated based on the light from the surface cleaning machine;

wherein the dirtiness level reminding message is adapted to indicate a cleaning status of the cleaning surface, and the cleaning status includes at least one parameter of;

a dirtiness level of the cleaning surface, a dirtiness location of the cleaning surface, and an air quality of a room where the cleaning surface locates in;

wherein the optical information is generated based on light from a first light source in the surface cleaning machine, wherein the optical feature level of the optical information generated based on the light from the first light source is proportional to a dirtiness level of the cleaning surface;

wherein the reminding message generating circuit generates the dirtiness level reminding message which indicates a dirtiness level of the cleaning surface is above a dirtiness threshold level if the optical feature level is above or equal to the feature threshold level.

20. A surface cleaning machine, comprising:

a light source;

a dirtiness level determining system, comprising;

an optical information generating circuit, configured to generate optical information according to light from the light source;

a feature level determining circuit, configured to determine an optical feature level of the optical information; and

a reminding message generating circuit, configured to generate at least one dirtiness level reminding message according to a relation between the optical feature level and a feature threshold level when light from the surface cleaning machine can reach the cleaning surface and the optical information can be generated based on the light from the surface cleaning machine;

wherein the dirtiness level reminding message is adapted to indicate a cleaning status of the cleaning surface, and the cleaning status includes at least one parameter of;

a dirtiness level of the cleaning surface, a dirtiness location of the cleaning surface, and an air quality of a room where the cleaning surface locates in;

wherein the optical feature level of the optical information generated based on the light from the light source is proportional to a dirtiness level of the cleaning surface;

wherein the reminding message generating circuit generates the dirtiness level reminding message which indicates a dirtiness level of the cleaning surface is above a dirtiness threshold level if the optical feature level is above or equal to the feature threshold level.

21. A surface cleaning machine, comprising:

a light source;

a dirtiness level determining system, comprising;

an optical information generating circuit, configured to generate optical information according to light from the light source;

a feature level determining circuit, configured to determine an optical feature level of the optical information; and

a reminding message generating circuit, configured to generate at least one dirtiness level reminding message according to a relation between the optical feature level and a feature threshold level when light from the surface cleaning machine can reach the cleaning surface and the optical information can be generated based on the light from the surface cleaning machine;

wherein the dirtiness level reminding message is adapted to indicate a cleaning status of the cleaning surface, and the cleaning status includes at least one parameter of;

a dirtiness level of the cleaning surface, a dirtiness location of the cleaning surface, and an air quality of a room where the cleaning surface locates in;

wherein the optical feature level of the optical information generated based on the light from the light source is inversely proportional to a dirtiness level of the cleaning surface;

wherein the reminding message generating circuit generates the dirtiness level reminding message which indicates a dirtiness level of the cleaning surface is above a dirtiness threshold level if the optical feature level is lower or equal to the feature threshold level.