Cleaner with security function and travel device with security function

• US 20060088204A1
• Filed: 10/18/2005
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2004
• 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: Shimizu, Akitaka
• Application Number:
  US11/252,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20060088204A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/153
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/00 Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19608 Tracking movement of a target, e.g. by detecting an object predefined as a target, using target direction and or velocity to predict its new position
• 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: G08B 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/001 Concealed systems, e.g. disguised alarm systems to make covert systems

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a travel device with a security function, which can always monitor a suspicious person. When charging of a battery is performed, electric power supplied from a charger device is supplied to both the buttery and a suspicious person-detecting section, and four pyroelectric sensors of the suspicious person-detecting section are activated during the charging of the battery and perform detection of a suspicious person. Thus, it is possible to detect a suspicious person during the charging and it is therefore possible to always monitor the suspicious person.

Claims

1. A self-propelled cleaner with a security function, comprising:

a driving mechanism responsible for steering and driving of said self-propelled cleaner;

a cleaner mechanism;

a human sensor;

a suspicious person-detecting section for detecting a suspicious person;

a camera capable of picking up an image of the suspicious person;

a battery for supplying electric power to said driving mechanism and said suspicious person-detecting section;

said battery being adapted to be charged by an external charger device;

wherein when said battery is charged, electric power supplied from said charger device is adapted to be supplied to both said battery and said suspicious person-detecting section, whereby said suspicious person-detecting section is activated under charging of said battery;

a battery monitoring-section for detecting a residual amount of said battery;

wherein when said suspicious person-detecting section detects the suspicious person during the charging of said battery and said residual amount of said battery that is detected by said battery monitoring-section exceeds a predetermined level, said self-propelled cleaner is adapted to be traveled so as to be operatively separated from said charger device and is then drive-controlled so as to be turned so that said suspicious person comes within an image picking-up range of said camera; and

a suspicious person'"'"'s image picking-up section for performing picking-up of an image of the suspicious person having been detected by said camera.

2. A travel device with a security function, comprising:

a driving mechanism responsible for steering and driving of said travel device;

a suspicious person-detecting section for detecting a suspicious person; and

a battery for supplying electric power to said driving mechanism and said suspicious person-detecting section;

said battery being adapted to be charged by an external charger device;

wherein when said battery is charged, electric power supplied from said charger device is adapted to be supplied to both said battery and said suspicious person-detecting section, and said suspicious person-detecting section is activated under the charging of said battery.

3. A travel device with a security function according to claim 2, wherein said suspicious person-detecting section comprises a human sensor.

4. A travel device with a security function according to claim 2, including a camera that can pick up an image of said suspicious person.

5. A travel device with a security function according to claim 4, including a suspicious person'"'"'s image picking-up section for picking up an image of a suspicious person, said suspicious person'"'"'s image picking-up section including said camera, wherein when the suspicious person has been detected by said suspicious person-detecting section during the charging of said battery, said travel device is adapted to be traveled so as to be operatively separated from said charger device, and said travel device is adapted to be then drive-controlled so as to be turned so that the suspicious person comes within an image picking-up range of said camera, and said suspicious person'"'"'s image picking-up section is adapted to perform picking-up of an image of the suspicious person by said camera.

6. A travel device with a security function according to claim 5, further including a battery monitoring-section for detecting a residual amount of said battery, wherein when said residual amount of said battery that has been detected by said battery monitoring-section exceeds a predetermined level, said suspicious person'"'"'s image picking-up section is adapted to be activated.

7. A travel device with a security function according to claim 2, further including a cleaner mechanism.

8. A travel device with a security function according to claim 2, wherein said human sensor comprises pyroelectric sensors that sense infrared rays generated from a human body and then detect a suspicious person who is present in the vicinity of a body of said travel device, wherein a detecting range around 360°

of said body can be obtained by said pyroelectric sensors.

9. A travel device with a security function according to claim 2, including a charging terminal that is to be connected to said charger device, a charge-controlling circuit, said charging terminal being electrically connected to said charging terminal, and a switch circuit, said charge-controlling circuit being electrically connected to said battery through said switch circuit.

10. A travel device with a security function according to claim 6, wherein said battery monitoring-section is adapted to perform the detecting of said residual amount of said battery by monitoring a voltage of said battery.

11. A travel device with a security function according to claim 9, wherein said switch circuit serves as means to switch a destination to which electric power supplied from said battery and said charger device is supplied, and wherein when said travel device is not subjected to charging, said switch circuit is switched so as to allow the electric power from said battery to be supplied to said suspicious person-detecting section, whereas when said travel device has been subjected to charging, said switch circuit is switched so as to allow the electric power from said charger device to be supplied to said battery.

12. A travel device with a security function according to claim 2, including a main control circuit, a CPU, a RAM, a ROM and a cleaning/security section, wherein operations of said charge-controlling circuit, switch circuit and cleaning/security section are adapted to be primarily controlled based on control programs and various parameter tables which are previously memorized in said ROM.

13. A travel device with a security function according to claim 12, wherein said driving mechanism comprises motor drivers, drive wheel motors, drive wheels and a gear unit arranged between said drive wheel motors and said drive wheels, wherein when said travel device is turn-traveled, said drive wheel motors are adapted to be particularly drive-controlled by said motor drivers in such a manner that rotational direction and rotation angle of said drive wheel motors are controlled, and each of said motor drivers is adapted to output driving signals corresponding to control instructions from said CPU.

14. A travel device with a security function according to claim 12, wherein said camera comprises an optical system that can pick up a forward image, and a CCD camera for producing electrical signals according to visible rays that are inputted from a sight that is realized by said optical system, wherein said CCD camera is adapted to also produce image picking-up signals that are sent through a bus to said main control circuit, and said main control circuit is adapted to perform processes with respect to said image picking-up signals.

15. A travel device with a security function according to claim 2, wherein when a residual amount of said battery is not more than a predetermined level, the charging of said battery is preferentially continued.