Self-propelled cleaner charging-type travel system and charging-type travel system
First Claim
1. A self-propelled cleaner charging-type travel system comprising:
- a self-propelled cleaner adapted to self-travel; and
a charger device adapted to be set on a wall surface of a room so as to project from said wall surface;
said self-propelled cleaner comprising;
a body provided with wheels;
a cleaner mechanism;
a driving mechanism responsible for steering and driving of said body;
a forward obstacle sensor for detecting a forward obstacle;
sidewall sensors for detecting a lateral obstacle;
a rotary encoder for measuring a traveling distance from revolutions of said wheels;
a charging terminal provided at a rear side of said body for facilitating charging of said self-propelled cleaner; and
an automatic charge-controlling unit;
said charger device including an electrical supply terminal to which said charging terminal of said self-propelled cleaner is operatively connected, and a recess portion to be detected by said sidewall sensors;
said automatic charge-controlling unit being adapted to facilitate operative connecting of said charging terminal to said electrical supply terminal of said charger device after said self-propelled cleaner moves near said charger device, and adapted to facilitate traveling of said body along a wall of a room;
said automatic charge-controlling unit comprising;
a charger device-search controlling unit adapted to receive data indicating that a forward obstacle has been detected by said forward obstacle sensor during the traveling of said body along said wall, then cause said body to be turned through an angle of 90°
, cause said encoder to conduct measuring of a travel distance of said self-propelled cleaner during the detection of said lateral obstacle that is performed by said sidewall sensors while causing said body to be traveled perpendicularly to said wall, measure a depth of said lateral obstacle, and judge on the basis of measuring results whether or not said lateral obstacle is said charger device; and
a position-registering processor adapted to receive data indicating that said body is turned through the angle of 90° and
travels in parallel with said wall, after said charger device is detected by said charger device-search controlling unit, and said recess portion has been detected by said sidewall sensors, cause the traveling of said body to be stopped, and then conduct a position-registering between said self-propelled cleaner and said charging device, wherein said self-propelled cleaner charging-type travel system is adapted cause said body to be turned through an angle of 90°
after said position-registering is performed by said position-registering processor, to thereby cause said charging terminal provided at said rear side of said self-propelled cleaner body to be opposed to said electrical supply terminal of said charger device, and thereafter cause said self-propelled device body to be moved back, to thereby said charging terminal to be operatively connected to said electrical supply terminal.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
When a residual quantity of a battery of a self-propelled cleaner is decreased, automatic cleaning is interrupted and driving of a cleaner mechanism is simultaneously stopped, and when a forward obstacle is detected while allowing a self-propelled cleaner to be traveled along a wall, a rotary encoder measures a traveling distance of a cleaner body BD, thereby measuring a depth of the obstacle. Then, in a case where the measured traveling distance (X) is equal to a width (H) of a charger device that projects from the wall, it is judged that the obstacle is the charger device, and traveling of the self-propelled cleaner is controlled in such a manner that its charging terminal is operatively connected to an electrical supply terminal of the charger device. Thus said charging-type travel system is precisely self-traveled to a charger device and cause itself be positively subjected to charging.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A self-propelled cleaner charging-type travel system comprising:
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a self-propelled cleaner adapted to self-travel; and
a charger device adapted to be set on a wall surface of a room so as to project from said wall surface;
said self-propelled cleaner comprising;
a body provided with wheels;
a cleaner mechanism;
a driving mechanism responsible for steering and driving of said body;
a forward obstacle sensor for detecting a forward obstacle;
sidewall sensors for detecting a lateral obstacle;
a rotary encoder for measuring a traveling distance from revolutions of said wheels;
a charging terminal provided at a rear side of said body for facilitating charging of said self-propelled cleaner; and
an automatic charge-controlling unit;
said charger device including an electrical supply terminal to which said charging terminal of said self-propelled cleaner is operatively connected, and a recess portion to be detected by said sidewall sensors;
said automatic charge-controlling unit being adapted to facilitate operative connecting of said charging terminal to said electrical supply terminal of said charger device after said self-propelled cleaner moves near said charger device, and adapted to facilitate traveling of said body along a wall of a room;
said automatic charge-controlling unit comprising;
a charger device-search controlling unit adapted to receive data indicating that a forward obstacle has been detected by said forward obstacle sensor during the traveling of said body along said wall, then cause said body to be turned through an angle of 90°
, cause said encoder to conduct measuring of a travel distance of said self-propelled cleaner during the detection of said lateral obstacle that is performed by said sidewall sensors while causing said body to be traveled perpendicularly to said wall, measure a depth of said lateral obstacle, and judge on the basis of measuring results whether or not said lateral obstacle is said charger device; and
a position-registering processor adapted to receive data indicating that said body is turned through the angle of 90° and
travels in parallel with said wall, after said charger device is detected by said charger device-search controlling unit, and said recess portion has been detected by said sidewall sensors, cause the traveling of said body to be stopped, and then conduct a position-registering between said self-propelled cleaner and said charging device, wherein said self-propelled cleaner charging-type travel system is adapted cause said body to be turned through an angle of 90°
after said position-registering is performed by said position-registering processor, to thereby cause said charging terminal provided at said rear side of said self-propelled cleaner body to be opposed to said electrical supply terminal of said charger device, and thereafter cause said self-propelled device body to be moved back, to thereby said charging terminal to be operatively connected to said electrical supply terminal.
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2. A charging-type travel system comprising:
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a travel device adapted to self-travel; and
a charger device adapted to be set on a wall surface of a room so as to project from said wall surface;
said travel device comprising;
a driving mechanism responsible for steering and driving of said travel device;
a forward obstacle sensor for detecting a forward obstacle;
sidewall sensors for detecting a lateral obstalce;
a charging terminal for facilitating charging of said travel device; and
an automatic charge-controlling unit;
said charger device including an electrical supply terminal to which said charging terminal of said travel device is to be operatively connected;
said automatic charge-controlling unit being adapted to cause said charging terminal to be operatively connected to said electrical supply terminal of said charger device after said travel device moves near said charger device;
said automatic charge-controlling unit including a charger device-search controlling unit adapted to cause said travel device to be travel led along said wall; and
said charger device-search controlling unit being adapted to receive data indicating that said forward obstacle has been detected by said forward obstacle sensors during the traveling of said travel device along said wall, then cause said travel device to be turned through an angle of 90°
, measure a depth of said forward obstacle travel device while causing said travel device to be traveled perpendicularly to said wall, and judge on the basis of measuring results whether or not said forward obstacle is said charger device. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification