PRIORITIZING CLEANING AREAS

• US 20160313741A1
• Filed: 12/19/2013
• Published: 10/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aktiebolaget Electrolux
• Original Assignee: Aktiebolaget Electrolux
• Inventors: Lindhe, Magnus, Forsberg, Petter
• Granted Patent: US 9,946,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0248 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

A method of controlling operation of a robotic cleaning device and a robotic cleaning device performing the method. The robotic cleaning device includes a main body, a propulsion system arranged to move the robotic cleaning device, and an obstacle detection device arranged to detect obstacles. The robotic cleaning device further includes a controller arranged to control the propulsion system to move the robotic cleaning device. The controller is further arranged to identify one or more sections to be cleaned where the robotic cleaning device is likely to move without being hindered by the detected obstacles, and to control movement of the robotic cleaning device such that cleaning of the identified one or more sections is prioritized before sections of the surface where the robotic cleaning device is more likely to be hindered by the detected obstacles.

Claims

1. A method of controlling operation of a robotic cleaning device, the method comprising:

detecting obstacles on a surface;

identifying one or more sections of the surface to be cleaned where the robotic cleaning device is likely to move without being hindered by the detected obstacles; and

controlling movement of the robotic cleaning device on the surface such that cleaning of the identified one or more sections is prioritized before sections of the surface where the robotic cleaning device is more likely to be hindered by the detected obstacles.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

positioning the robotic cleaning device with respect to the detected obstacles;

wherein the controlling of the movement of the robotic cleaning device is performed on the basis of the positioning.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a section comprising a fewer number of obstacles is considered to be a section where the robotic cleaning device is more likely to move without being hindered as compared to a section comprising a larger number of obstacles.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a section comprising obstacles having a height below a predetermined threshold value is considered to be a section where the robotic cleaning device is likely to move without being hindered.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

identifying one or more sections that the robotic cleaning device will abstain from cleaning.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a section comprising obstacles under which the robotic cleaning device is to move having a clearance height exceeding a predetermined clearance threshold value is considered to be a section where the robotic cleaning device is likely to move without being hindered.

15. A computer program comprising computer-executable instructions for causing a device to perform the steps recited in claim 1 when the computer-executable instructions are executed on a processing unit included in the device.

16. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium having the computer program according to claim 15 embodied therein.

7. Robotic cleaning device comprising:

a main body;

a propulsion system arranged to move the robotic cleaning device;

an obstacle detection device arranged to detect obstacles;

a controller arranged to control the propulsion system to move the robotic cleaning device, the controller further being arranged to;

identify one or more sections where the robotic cleaning device is likely to move without being hindered by the detected obstacles; and

control movement of the robotic cleaning device such that cleaning of the identified one or more sections is prioritized before sections of the surface where the robotic cleaning device is more likely to be hindered by the detected obstacles.

8. The robotic cleaning device according to claim 7, the controller further being arranged to:

position the robotic cleaning device with respect to the detected obstacles from positional data derived from the obstacle detection device, wherein the controlling of the movement of the robotic cleaning device is performed on the basis of the positioning.

9. The robotic cleaning device according to claim 7, wherein the obstacle detection device comprises a 3D sensor system.

10. The robotic cleaning device according to claim 9, wherein the 3D sensor system comprises:

a camera device arranged to record images of a vicinity of the robotic cleaning device; and

a first vertical line laser and a second vertical line laser arranged to illuminate the vicinity of the robotic cleaning device;

the controller further being arranged to derive the positional data from the recorded images.

11. The robotic cleaning device according to claim 7, wherein a section comprising a fewer number of obstacles is considered to be a section where the robotic cleaning device is more likely to move without being hindered as compared to a section comprising a larger number of obstacles.

12. The robotic cleaning device according to claim 7, wherein a section comprising obstacles having a height below a predetermined threshold value is considered to be a section where the robotic cleaning device is likely to move without being hindered.

13. The robotic cleaning device according to claim 7, the controller further being arranged to:

identify one or more sections that the robotic cleaning device will abstain from cleaning.

14. The robotic cleaning device according to claim 7, wherein a section comprising obstacles under which the robotic cleaning device is to move having a clearance height exceeding a predetermined clearance threshold value is considered to be a section where the robotic cleaning device is likely to move without being hindered.