APPARATUS FOR CLEANING A GLASS WINDOW AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE MOVEMENT THEREOF

• US 20130060380A1
• Filed: 05/13/2011
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Discovery Co., Ltd., Korea Institute Of Robot & Convergence
• Original Assignee: Ilshim Global Co., Ltd., Korea Institute Of Robot & Convergence
• Inventors: Ryu, Man Hyun, Jung, Kwang Mok, Choi, Young Ho
• Granted Patent: US 9,351,616 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/254
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 1/03 cleaning both sides of a window simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0227 using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area
• 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

Abstract

A window cleaning apparatus includes a first cleaning unit and a second cleaning unit that is attached to both sides of a window, respectively, by a magnetic force and moved on the sides, and a method of controlling a movement of the window cleaning apparatus. The method includes detecting the first initial attachment position of the window cleaning apparatus and moving the window cleaning apparatus close to the detected initial attachment position after cleaning.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a movement of a window cleaning apparatus that is attached and moved on a window, the method comprising:

detecting the initial attachment position of the window cleaning apparatus; and

moving the window cleaning apparatus close to the detected attachment position, in the left end the right end of the window.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting of the initial attachment position includes moving the window cleaning apparatus from the attachment position to the top of the window.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting of the initial attachment position include:

moving the window cleaning apparatus to the left end of the window by a first distance;

moving the window cleaning apparatus to the right end from the left end of the window by a second distance; and

determining the attachment position in accordance with the result of comparing the first and second distances.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining of the attachment position determines that the attachment position is at the right side on the window, when the first distance is larger than a half the second distance.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining of the attachment position determines that the attachment position is at the left side on the window, when the first distance is smaller than a half the second distance.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting of the initial attachment position include:

moving the window cleaning apparatus to the right end of the window by a third distance;

moving the window cleaning apparatus to the left end from the right end of the window by a fourth distance; and

determining that the attachment position is at the left side on the window, when the third distance is larger than a half the fourth distance.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting of the initial attachment position includes estimating the initial attachment position of the window cleaning apparatus as any one of the left side and the right side, in accordance with the direction in which the window cleaning apparatus is attached to the window.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the detecting of the initial attachment position includes:

moving the window cleaning apparatus in the direction corresponding to the estimated attachment position;

ascertaining whether the window cleaning apparatus collides with the frame of the window, within a predetermined distance;

determining the initial attachment position of the window cleaning apparatus as the estimated position, when the window cleaning apparatus collides with the frame of the window; and

determining that the initial attachment position of the window cleaning apparatus as the opposite to the estimated position, when the window cleaning apparatus collides with the frame of the window, within the predetermined distance.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the moving of the window cleaning apparatus further includes moving up the window cleaning apparatus by a predetermined distance from the lower end of the window.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting of the initial attachment position includes determining the vertical initial attachment position of the window cleaning apparatus by moving the window cleaning apparatus to the lower end of the window,

wherein a predetermined distance when the window cleaning apparatus moves up corresponds to the determined vertical initial attachment position.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the moving of the window cleaning apparatus further includes moving the window cleaning apparatus, which has moved to the left end or the right end of the window, by a predetermined distance in the opposite direction.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the moving of the window cleaning apparatus further includes moving the window cleaning apparatus, which has moved to the left end or the right end of the window, by a predetermined distance in the opposite direction.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising moving the window cleaning apparatus close to the detected attachment position, when the voltage of a battery in the window cleaning apparatus decreases to a reference level or less.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising moving the window cleaning apparatus close to the detected attachment position, when a user requires to return the window cleaning apparatus with a remote control device.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising resetting a direction offset of a direction sensor, which senses the movement direction of the window cleaning apparatus, when the window cleaning apparatus collides with the frame of the window.

16. A window cleaning apparatus that is attached and moved on a window, comprising a first cleaning unit and a second cleaning unit that are respectively attached to the inner side and the outer side of a window by a magnetic force and moved on the sides,

wherein at least one of the first and second cleaning units includes a control unit that detects the initial attachment position of the window cleaning apparatus and moves the window cleaning apparatus close to the detected initial attachment position, after cleaning.

17. The window cleaning apparatus according to claim 16, wherein control unit is disposed in the first cleaning unit, which is attached to the inner side of the window, in the first and second cleaning unit, and controls the movement of the first cleaning unit, and

the second cleaning unit is moved by a magnetic force with the movement of the first cleaning unit.

18. The window cleaning apparatus of claim 16, wherein the control unit measures a first distance from the attachment position to the left end of the window and a second distance from the attachment position to the right end, by moving the window cleaning apparatus to the left end and the right end of the window, and determines the attachment position as any one of the left side and the right side in accordance with the result of comparing the measured first and second distances.

19. The window cleaning apparatus of claim 16, wherein the control unit determines the initial attachment position of the window cleaning apparatus as any one of the left side and the right side, in accordance with the initial attachment direction of the window cleaning apparatus.

20. The window cleaning apparatus of claim 16, wherein the control unit moves the window cleaning apparatus close to the detected attachment position, in the left end and the right end of the window, after moving up the window cleaning apparatus by a predetermined distance from the lower end of the window.