Self-propelled cleaner with surveillance camera

• US 20050237388A1
• Filed: 04/15/2005
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd. (Funai Electric Holdings Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd. (Funai Electric Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Tani, Takao
• Application Number:
  US11/107,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20050237388A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

The conventional self-propelled cleaners can detect surrounding obstacles but cannot detect steps, and therefore require additional one or more sensors. In a self-propelled cleaner according to the present invention, a plurality of camera devices are provided, each with a different VF angle and each mounted at a different elevation angle, and an image output processor, after facing the body toward the detected human based on detection result of a human sensor that detects the presence of a human around the body, takes an image of the human with each of said plurality of camera devices, inputs the image data, and then outputs said image data in a predetermined manner. This eliminates the time and the mechanism required for zooming and/or focusing.

Claims

1. A self-propelled cleaner having a body equipped with a cleaning mechanism and a drive mechanism equipped with drive wheels that are disposed at both sides of said body and their rotations can be controlled individually to enable steering and driving of said self-propelled cleaner,

said body comprising:

a standard VF angle camera device and a wide VF angle camera device, said wide VF angle camera device being fixed at an elevation angle so that the floor is within the VF angle and said standard VF camera being fixed at an elevation angle lower than said elevation angle of the wide VF angle camera device;

a plurality of human sensors that are disposed at the sides of the body and detect an infrared-emitting object, based on changes in the amount of received infrared light; and

an image output processor that determines a relative angle between the intruder and said body based on the detection results of these plurality of human sensors, changes the rotation angle of said body so as to eliminate said relative angle, causes said camera devices to take images of the intruder, and transmits the image data to the outside via a wireless LAN according to a predetermined protocol.

2. A self-propelled cleaner having a body equipped with a cleaning mechanism and a drive mechanism capable of steering and driving said self-propelled cleaner, said body comprising:

a plurality of camera devices each with a different VF angle and mounted each at a different elevation angle;

a plurality of human sensors that detect the presence and direction of a human around the body; and

an image output processor that faces said body toward the human detected based on the detection results of said human sensor, takes images of the human with each of said plurality of camera devices, inputs the image data, and then outputs said image data in a predetermined manner.

3. A self-propelled cleaner of claim 2, wherein:

the plurality of camera devices consist of a standard VF angle camera device and a wide VF angle camera device,

wherein the elevation angle of the standard VF angle camera is lower than that of the wide VF angle camera, and the wide VF angle camera device has an elevation angle within which part of the floor is included.

4. A self-propelled cleaner of claim 3, wherein:

said wide VF angle camera device is a wide angle lens camera with a VF angle of 110 degrees, and is mounted on the base board so that shooting direction is at right angle to the base board,

wherein the base board itself is mounted on the mounting base tilted at 45 degrees, and therefore the imaging range becomes from 10 to 110 degrees below the horizontal plane.

5. A self-propelled cleaner of claim 3, wherein:

said standard VF angle camera device is a standard lens camera with a VF angle of 58 degrees, and is mounted on said base board with a wedge-shaped adapter placed under it,

wherein the imaging range becomes from 1 to 57 degrees relative to horizontal direction since the VF angle is 58 degrees.

6. A self-propelled cleaner of claim 2, wherein:

said plurality of human sensors detect an infrared-emitting object based on changes in the amount of received infrared light and disposed at the sides of said body.

7. A self-propelled cleaner of claim 6, wherein

said image output processor detects a relative angle between the human and said body based on detection result of the plurality of human sensors, changes the rotation angle of said body so as to eliminate said relative angle, and causes said camera devices to take images.

8. A self-propelled cleaner of claim 7, wherein:

a plurality of said human sensors outputting the detection of the presence of an infrared-emitting object are disposed at equal intervals, if only one of the human sensors outputs a detection result, the angle of the mounting position of the human sensor that outputs said detection result is the relative angle, if two human sensors output detection results, the middle angle between the mounting positions of these two human sensors is the relative angle, and if three human sensors output detection results, the angle of the mounting position of the middle human sensor is the relative angle.

9. A self-propelled cleaner of claim 2, wherein:

said image output processor is equipped with a wireless transmitter to transmit the image data taken with said camera devices to the outside.

10. A self-propelled cleaner of claim 9, wherein:

said wireless transmitter is a wireless LAN module, and said image output processor transmits the image data taken with said plurality of camera devices according to a predetermined protocol.

11. A self-propelled cleaner of claim 9, wherein:

said image output processor temporarily stores the image data taken with said plurality of camera devices, and transmits them when said wireless transmitter becomes available for transmission.

12. A self-propelled cleaner of claim 11, wherein:

said image output processor continues to take images with said plurality of camera devices as long as a human is detected by said human sensors, and transmits the image data through said wireless transmitter after a predetermined number of images are taken, or when said human sensors do not detect the human any more.

13. A self-propelled cleaner of claim 2, wherein:

an illumination device is provided that face the imaging range of said plurality of camera devices, and said image output processor faces said body toward the detected human and also illuminates the imaging range with said illumination device.

14. A self-propelled cleaner of claim 2, wherein:

continuous image taking with a wide angle camera or continuous image taking with a standard camera can be selected by a user.

15. A self-propelled cleaner of claim 2, wherein:

a user can select a mode in which only one image is taken with a wide VF angle camera device and subsequent images are taken with a standard VF angle camera device.

16. A self-propelled cleaner of claim 15, wherein:

the body is slightly turned after taking an image, and another image is taken, and so on, in order to compensate for the narrow imaging range of a standard VF angle camera device.

17. A self-propelled cleaner of claim 16, wherein:

when taking images, first face the body toward a direction of eliminating said relative angle, then slightly turn the body to the left, and then slightly to the right.

18. A self-propelled cleaner of claim 17, wherein:

when taking images, after turning the body to the left as described above, turn the body to the right little by little so that the imaging range is widened.