SELF-PROPELLED VACUUM CLEANER

• US 20160000289A1
• Filed: 02/14/2014
• Published: 01/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: SENOO, Toshihiro, NOIRI, Junichi
• Application Number:
  US14/766,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20160000289A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/022 Recharging of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means

Abstract

A self-propelled vacuum cleaner comprising a housing; traveling members for allowing the housing to travel; cleaning members for cleaning a floor surface; an obstacle detection unit for detecting positions of obstacles present around the housing; and a control unit for controlling the traveling members, the cleaning members and the obstacle detection unit to allow the housing to clean the floor surface while the housing is self-propelled, wherein the control unit controls the obstacle detection unit to detect the positions of the obstacles around the housing and determines a traveling time to clean the floor surface on the basis of the positions of the obstacles.

Claims

1. A self-propelled vacuum cleaner comprising a housing;

traveling members for allowing the housing to travel;

cleaning members for cleaning a floor surface;

an obstacle detection unit for detecting positions of obstacles present around the housing; and

a control unit for controlling the traveling members, the cleaning members and the obstacle detection unit to allow the housing to clean the floor surface while the housing is self-propelled,

wherein the control unit controls the obstacle detection unit to detect the positions of the obstacles around the housing and determines a traveling time to clean the floor surface on the basis of the positions of the obstacles.

2. The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines the traveling area where the housing would be possibly self-propelled on the basis of the positions of the obstacles.

3. The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the control unit modifies the traveling time in the case where the housing goes out of the traveling area while being self-propelled.

4. The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to claim 3, wherein the control unit modifies the traveling area and the traveling time on the basis of a distance of how far the housing goes out of the traveling area and/or a time of how long the housing goes out of the traveling area.

5. The self-propelled vacuum cleaner according to claim 3, wherein the control unit controls the obstacle detection unit to detect the positions of the obstacles and modifies the traveling time on the basis of the positions of the obstacles.