Mobile cleaner

• US 20060056677A1
• Filed: 08/24/2005
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Tani, Takao
• Application Number:
  US11/210,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20060056677A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/259
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• 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

Abstract

A mobile cleaner includes: a running unit for automatically moving along a floor face; a cleaning unit for cleaning the floor face; an image taking unit for taking an image of a surrounding; and a switching unit for switching to a state of exposing an opening portion of the image taking unit to be able to take the image of the surrounding and a state of concealing the opening portion of the image taking unit to be unable to take the image of the surrounding.

Claims

1. A mobile cleaner comprising:

a running unit for moving along a floor face;

a cleaning unit for cleaning the floor face;

a controlling unit for controlling the running unit;

an image taking unit for taking an image of a surrounding;

a switching unit for making the image taking unit switches to a state of exposing an opening portion of the image taking unit from an upper face of an apparatus and a state of containing the image taking unit at the upper face portion of the apparatus by being pivoted centering on a support shaft;

a detecting unit for detecting the states switched by the switching unit based on a signal of the image taken by the image taking unit; and

an informing unit for informing that the image of the surrounding cannot be taken by the image taking unit,

wherein the controlling unit makes the detecting unit detect the states switched by the switching unit when a monitoring processing for taking the image of the surrounding by the image taking unit is started and operating the informing unit when the image taking unit is brought into a state of being unable to take the image of the surrounding.

2. A mobile cleaner comprising:

a running unit for automatically moving along a floor face;

a cleaning unit for cleaning the floor face;

an image taking unit for taking an image of a surrounding; and

a switching unit for switching to a state of exposing an opening portion of the image taking unit to be able to take the image of the surrounding and a state of concealing the opening portion of the image taking unit to be unable to take the image of the surrounding.

3. The mobile cleaner according to claim 2,

wherein the switching unit switches the image taking unit to a state of being contained at an upper face portion of an apparatus and a state of projecting the opening portion of the image taking unit from the upper face of the apparatus by being pivoted centering on a support shaft.

4. The mobile cleaner according to claim 2,

wherein the opening portion of the image taking unit is arranged on a front face side of an apparatus main body;

and

wherein the switching unit is a shutter capable of exposing or concealing the opening portion by being slid.

5. The mobile cleaner according to claim 2, further comprising:

a detecting unit for detecting the states switched by the switching unit;

an informing unit for informing that the image cannot be taken by the image taking unit; and

a controlling unit for operating the informing unit when the switched state of being unable to take the image is detected by the detecting unit in starting a processing of taking the image of the surrounding by the image taking unit.

6. The mobile cleaner according to claim 5,

wherein the detecting unit detects the states of the switching unit based on a signal of the image taken by the image taking unit.