Self-propelled cleaner

• US 20050251457A1
• Filed: 04/13/2005
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kashiwagi, Yoshihiro
• Application Number:
  US11/105,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20050251457A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/04 with driven brushes or agitators
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2847 Surface treating elements
• 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: A47L 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2889 Safety or protection devices or systems, e.g. for prevention of motor over-heating or for protection of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0259 using magnetic or electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering

Abstract

A conventional automatic ordering system requires stock management, so it is useless unless it is used on the assumption that stock is in hand and managed. In a self-propelled cleaner according to this invention, based on the results of a series of self-diagnosis steps (step S400 and subsequent steps) and the cumulative duration of use and the cumulative traveled distance as accumulated during daily cleaning operations (step 270), the necessity for an order for a replacement is judged (steps S431 and S427 to S478) and if ordering is necessary, the user is asked to decide whether to approve ordering (steps S482 and S484) and through a wireless LAN, an order is placed and payment is made by prepaid electronic money (steps S488 and S490). This automatic ordering system can be used conveniently in the home where consumable stock management is impossible.

Claims

1. A self-propelled cleaner having a body with a cleaning mechanism with a rechargeable battery for cleaning with brushes, and a drive mechanism with replaceable drive wheel units at the left and right sides of the body which can be individually controlled for steering and driving the cleaner, comprising:

a wireless LAN communication device which can transmit information to the outside and receive information from the outside through a wireless LAN;

a self-diagnosis processor which conducts self-checks including judgment about the condition of the rechargeable battery and judgment about the condition of the brushes based on the cumulative duration of use of the brushes and the cumulative distance traveled during their use; and

a consumables ordering control processor which, based on the results of self-diagnosis, checks the rechargeable battery for exhaustion and the brushes for wear, based on the cumulative duration of use of the brushes and the cumulative traveled distance, checks the drive wheels for abnormality and determines which consumables should be replaced, asks the user to decide whether to order or not and makes the wireless LAN communication device place an order.

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

a wireless LAN communication device which can transmit information to the outside and receive information from the outside through a wireless LAN;

a self-diagnosis processor which conducts self-checks; and

a consumables ordering control processor which determines, based on the results of self-diagnosis, which consumables should be replaced and makes the wireless LAN communication device place an order.

3. The self-propelled cleaner as described in claim 2, wherein the ordering control processor asks the user to decide whether to order or not before ordering through the wireless LAN communication device.

4. The self-propelled cleaner as described in claim 3, wherein, in asking the user to decide whether to order or not, the names of consumables are shown and the user can choose whether to order or not and also order a consumable other than the consumable to be replaced.

5. The self-propelled cleaner as described in claim 4, wherein the user can specify the quantity of order.

6. The self-propelled cleaner as described in claim 2, wherein the body has a rechargeable battery;

the self-diagnosis processor diagnoses the condition of the rechargeable battery; and

, if the self-diagnosis processor finds based on the results of self-diagnosis that the rechargeable battery is exhausted, the consumables ordering control processor makes the wireless LAN communication device order a replacement for the battery.

7. The self-propelled cleaner as described in claim 2, wherein the cleaning mechanism in the body has brushes for cleaning;

the self-diagnosis processor can suggest wear of a brush; and

if the self-diagnosis processor suggests wear of the brushes based on the results of self-diagnosis, the consumables ordering control processor makes the wireless LAN communication device order replacements for the brushes.

8. The self-propelled cleaner as described in claim 7, wherein the self-diagnosis processor measures with a timer and accumulates the duration of use of the brushes and suggests wear of the brushes when a prescribed cumulative duration of use is exceeded.

9. The self-propelled cleaner as described in claim 7, wherein the self-diagnosis processor accumulates the distances traveled during use of the brushes and suggests wear of the brushes when a prescribed cumulative traveled distance is exceeded.

10. The self-propelled cleaner as described in claim 2, wherein the drive mechanism is a replaceable unit and, if the self-diagnosis processor finds based on the results of self-diagnosis that the drive mechanism is out of order, the ordering control processor orders a replacement for the drive mechanism as a unit.

11. The self-propelled cleaner as described in claim 2, wherein the ordering control processor allows payment for an order by prepaid card electronic money.

12. The self-propelled cleaner as described in claim 11, wherein a verification code which is given the user when the user makes payment to a prescribed institution is entered into the self-propelled cleaner in advance and the code is encrypted and sent to a consumables supplier.

13. The self-propelled cleaner as described in claim 2, wherein the self-diagnosis processor makes a double check to improve reliability.

14. The self-propelled cleaner as described in claim 13, wherein in double check, comparison with a reference value is made in the first check and the result of learning is reflected in diagnosis at the second check.