Self-propelled cleaner

• US 20050288079A1
• Filed: 06/23/2005
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Tani, Takao
• Application Number:
  US11/166,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20050288079A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2436 Characteristics of the input
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/001 Games or toys connected to, or combined with, other objects; Objects with a second use as a toy or game
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0227 using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing 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: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal

Abstract

A self-propelled cleaner which is more attractive as a playmate. A game control processor makes a sound output processor issue a prescribed successful capture message when a human body detection processor detects a player in motion after the end of each cycle of a prescribed game message repeatedly issued by the sound output processor at prescribed times. Also it makes an imaging device take an image of the player and makes an image display processor display the image. If a predetermined number of players are detected or if it is detected that a given game end key on the cleaner body has been pressed while the game message is being issued, it ends the game. As a consequence, the self-propelled cleaner not only functions as a cleaner but also as an opponent for a human player in a given game, taking full advantage of its self-propelling function.

Claims

1. A self-propelled cleaner which includes a body having a cleaning mechanism with a suction motor for vacuuming up dust and a drive mechanism with drive wheels at the left and right sides of the body whose rotation can be individually controlled for steering and driving the cleaner, and can perform a game function, comprising:

a sound output processor which can make a prescribed sound;

a human body detection processor which checks whether there is a human body moving nearby;

an imaging device which takes an image and outputs a taken image as image data;

an image display processor which displays an image based on the image data;

a game control processor which makes the sound output processor issue a prescribed successful capture message when the human body detection processor detects a player in motion after the end of each cycle of a prescribed game message repeatedly issued by the sound output processor at prescribed times and makes the imaging device take an image of the player and makes the image display processor display the image and, when a predetermined number of players are detected or when it is detected that a given game end key provided on the body has been pressed while the game message is being issued, ends the game; and

a human body detection ability adjustment processor which adjusts the human body detection processor'"'"'s ability of detecting a player in motion, in plural steps.

2. A self-propelled cleaner which has a body with a cleaning mechanism, and a drive mechanism capable of steering and driving the cleaner and can perform a game function, comprising:

a sound output processor which can make a prescribed sound;

a human body detection processor which checks whether there is a human body moving nearby; and

a game control processor which, when the human body detection processor detects a player in motion after the end of a prescribed game message issued by the sound output processor, notifies the outside of that detection, and when the human body detection processor detects a predetermined number of players or when a given instruction to end the game is received from the outside while the game message is being issued, ends the game.

3. The self-propelled cleaner as described in claim 2, wherein the human body detection processor'"'"'s ability of detecting a player in motion can be adjusted in plural steps.

4. The self-propelled cleaner as described in claim 2, wherein the sound output processor issues a prescribed message notifying of a successful capture when the human body detection processor detects a player in motion.

5. The self-propelled cleaner as described in claim 2, wherein, when the human body detection processor detects a player in motion, a given imaging device takes an image of the player and a given image display processor displays the image.

6. The self-propelled cleaner as described in claim 2, wherein a wireless LAN communication device which can transmit given information to the outside is provided and, when the human body detection processor detects a player in motion, the game control processor makes a given imaging device take an image of the player and sends the acquired image data to the outside through the wireless LAN communication device.

7. The self-propelled cleaner as described in claim 2, further comprising:

a travel route calculation processor which acquires and stores map information on a room while the cleaner is traveling around the room for cleaning it and acquires positional information on a given goal in the map information and calculates the travel route from the present position to the goal position; and

a sound recognition processor capable of recognizing sound, wherein

when a chasee mode in a game is selected, the game control processor starts traveling toward the goal along the travel route by means of the drive mechanism as soon as the sound recognition processor recognizes the first sound of a game message uttered by a player, and stops the traveling as soon as the sound recognition processor recognizes the last sound of the game message and the human body detection processor detects that the player turns around, and ends the game when the goal is reached or when the sound recognition processor recognizes a prescribed successful capture message uttered by a player.