Automatic cleaning system

• US 20060217840A1
• Filed: 03/22/2006
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2005
• 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: Uehigashi, Naoya
• Application Number:
  US11/386,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20060217840A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• 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: 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 1/028 using a RF signal

Abstract

The automatic cleaning system according to the present invention comprises a radio wave generating device 70, a radio wave receiver antenna 61 for receiving a radio wave transmitted from the radio wave generating device 70, and a radio wave-strength measuring circuit 62 for measuring strength of the radio wave received by the radio wave receiver antenna 61. When radio wave-strength measured by the radio wave-strength measuring circuit 62 exceeds a predetermined threshold level, the number of revolutions of drive wheel motors 42R, 42L, a main brush motor 52, a side brush motor 58 and a suction motor 55 which are provided at a body BD of the self-propelled cleaner 10 are reduced, and loudness of a speaker 29b is reduced.

Claims

1. An automatic cleaning system comprising:

a self-propelled cleaner; and

a radio wave generating device for generating a radio wave of a predetermined wavelength;

said radio wave generating device being adapted to be able to change strength of the radio wave to be generated, according to a predetermined operation;

said self-propelled cleaner comprising;

a body;

a cleaner mechanism provided at said body;

said cleaner mechanism including a main brush, a main brush motor for causing said main brush to be rotationally driven, side brushes, and a side brush motor for causing said side brushes to be rotationally driven;

a drive mechanism for realizing steering and driving of said body;

said driven mechanism including drive motors for causing said body to be travel-driven;

a radio wave receiver circuit for receiving the radio wave generated from said radio wave generating device;

a radio wave-strength measuring circuit for measuring strength of the radio wave received by said radio wave receiver circuit; and

a noise suppressing control processor for reducing noise generated from said body in use of said self-propelled cleaner, by causing the number of revolutions of said drive motors, main brush motor and side brush motor to be reduced or for causing said body to be moved to an area in which radio wave-strength measured by said radio wave-strength measuring circuit does not exceeds a predetermined threshold level, when the radio wave-strength measured by said radio wave-strength measuring circuit exceeds the predetermined threshold level.

2. An automatic cleaning system comprising:

a self-propelled cleaner; and

a radio wave generating device for generating a radio wave of a predetermined wavelength;

said self-propelled cleaner comprising;

a body;

a cleaner mechanism provided at said body;

a drive mechanism for realizing steering and driving of said body;

a radio wave receiver circuit for receiving the radio wave generated from said radio wave generating device;

a radio wave-strength measuring circuit for measuring strength of the radio wave received by said radio wave receiver circuit; and

a noise suppressing control processor for reducing noise generated from said body in use of said self-propelled cleaner, when the radio wave-strength measured by said radio wave-strength measuring circuit exceeds a predetermined threshold level.

3. An automatic cleaning system according to claim 2, wherein said drive mechanism includes drive motors for causing said body to be travel-driven and said noise suppressing control processor is designed so as to cause the number of revolutions of said drive motors to be reduced.

4. An automatic cleaning system according to claim 2, wherein said cleaner mechanism includes a main brush and a main brush motor for causing said main brush to be rotationally driven, and said noise suppressing control processor is designed so as to cause the number of revolutions of said main brush motor to be reduced.

5. An automatic cleaning system according to claim 2, wherein said cleaner mechanism includes side brushes and a side brush motor for causing said side brushes to be rotationally driven, and said noise suppressing control processor is designed so as to cause the number of revolutions of said side brush motor to be reduced.

6. An automatic cleaning system according to claim 2, wherein said noise suppressing control processor is designed so as to control said body in such a manner to prevent said body from entering an area in which the radio wave-strength measured by said radio wave-strength measuring circuit exceeds the predetermined threshold level.

7. An automatic cleaning system according to claim 2, wherein said radio wave generating device is designed so as to be able to change strength of the radio wave to be generated, according to a predetermined operation.

8. An automatic cleaning system according to claim 2, wherein said self-propelled cleaner is designed so as to be able to change the predetermined threshold level according to a predetermined operation.

9. An automatic cleaning system according to claim 2, wherein said automatic cleaning system further includes a CPU, a ROM and a RAM that act as a control section and are connected through a bus to said body of said self-propelled cleaner, said CPU being designed so as to use said RAM as a work area and carry out various controls, according to a control program and various parameter tables that are memorized in said ROM.

10. An automatic cleaning system according to claim 9, wherein said drive mechanism comprises a pair of motor drivers, left and right drive wheel motors, left and right drive wheels, and a gear unit arranged between said drive wheel motors and said drive wheels, wherein rotational directions and rotation angles of said drive wheel motors are particularly controlled by said motor drivers at the time when the body is turned, and wherein said motor drivers are adapted to output drive signals that correspond to predetermined control instructions given from said CPU, according to the predetermined control instructions.

11. An automatic cleaning system according to claim 9, wherein said body is provided with a receiver antenna for receiving the radio wave generated from said radio wave generating device and said radio wave-strength measuring circuit is provided at said body, said radio wave-strength measuring circuit being adapted to measure strength of the radio wave received by said receiver antenna and provide measuring results to said CPU.

12. An automatic cleaning system according to claim 11, wherein said predetermined threshold level is memorized in said ROM for the strength of the radio wave received by said receiver antenna, and wherein said noise suppressing control processor is designed so as to make a comparison between the measuring results supplied to said CPU by said radio wave-strength measuring circuit, and said predetermined threshold level memorized in said ROM, and carry out a noise suppressing process in which noise produced from said body is reduced, when said measuring results exceed said threshold level.

13. An automatic cleaning system according to claim 9, wherein said radio wave generating device comprises an oscillating circuit for generating the radio wave, a radio wave transmitting antenna for transmitting the radio wave generated by said oscillating circuit, and a radio wave-strength adjusting circuit for adjusting strength of the radio wave generated from said oscillating circuit, and wherein the strength of the radio wave transmitted from said radio wave transmitting antenna is adapted to become lower as a distance between said radio wave transmitting antenna and said body becomes greater.

14. An automatic cleaning system according to claim 13, wherein said radio wave-strength adjusting circuit is adapted to enhance or lower the strength of the radio wave produced by said oscillating circuit, according to operation of a remote controller which is performed by a user.

15. An automatic cleaning system according to claim 14, wherein the strength of the radio wave transmitted from said radio wave transmitting antenna can be changed to three levels, namely, a low level, a middle level and a high level, according to the operation of said remote controller.

16. An automatic cleaning system according to claim 9, wherein during cleaning by said self-propelled cleaner, a noise suppressing process is accessed and carried out, when the strength of the radio wave from said radio wave generating device that is measured by said radio wave-strength measuring circuit exceeds the predetermined threshold level.

17. An automatic cleaning system according to claim 9, wherein said automatic cleaning system is designed so that the strength of the radio wave generated from said radio wave generating device is kept constant, multiple threshold levels for a radio wave-strength are set on the side of said self-propelled cleaner, and a threshold level to be set is changed according to operation of a remote controller.

18. An automatic cleaning system according to claim 9, wherein said body of said self-propelled cleaner is provided with a remote controller I/F for receiving a signal transmitted from a second remote controller which is operated by a user, and a receiver antenna, wherein said ROM memorizes multiple threshold levels for strength of a radio wave received by said receiver antenna, and wherein any one of said multiple threshold levels is set on the basis of the signal provided by operating of said second remote controller by the user and comparison is made between the set threshold level and the measuring results obtained by said radio wave-strength measuring circuit.

19. An automatic cleaning system according to claim 9, wherein said self-propeller cleaner is provided with a plurality of motors and wherein only noise produced by any of the plurality of motors are adapted to be reduced.

20. A self-propelled cleaner comprising:

a body;

a cleaner mechanism provided at said body;

a drive mechanism for realizing steering and driving of said body;

a radio wave receiver circuit for receiving a radio wave generated from a radio wave generating device for generating a radio wave of a predetermined wavelength;

a radio wave-strength measuring circuit for measuring strength of the radio wave received by said radio wave receiver circuit; and

a noise suppressing control processor for reducing noise generated from said body in use of said self-propelled cleaner, when the radio wave-strength measured by said radio wave-strength measuring circuit exceeds a predetermined threshold level.