Cognitive vacuum cleaner with learning and cohort classification

• US 20180070787A1
• Filed: 09/09/2016
• Published: 03/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gordon, Michael S., Pickover, Clifford A., Vukovic, Maja
• Granted Patent: US 10,123,674 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2815 using optical detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2847 Surface treating elements
• 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: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/02 Control of position or course in two dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/46 Sensing device

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product for modifying a cleaning routine of a mobile cleaner scans the surface to collect debris data, the debris data including an amount and location of debris on the surface. A profile of the surface is updated with the collected debris data. A profile of the surface is analyzed to identify a debris region on the surface, the debris region including an amount of debris differs from a high threshold. A cleaning routine of the mobile cleaner is modified based on the profile

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for modifying a cleaning routine of a mobile cleaner, said method comprising:

traversing a surface area via a mobile cleaner;

scanning the surface area and collecting debris data including amounts and locations of debris on the surface area;

analyzing collected debris data and identifying at least one location of the surface area as having an amount of debris that differs from a threshold; and

modifying the cleaning routine, in response to said analyzing and identifying.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor includes an optical sensor and the debris data includes a type of debris on the surface area, further comprising:

analyzing the collected debris data to identify a type of debris at a location, and sending a message indicating the type of debris at the location.

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

identifying a region of the surface area as commonly occupied during a time period; and

modifying the cleaning routine to avoid the region of the surface that is commonly occupied during the time period, in response to said identifying.

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

receiving information about an event at a region of the surface area during a time period;

modifying the cleaning routine to avoid the region of the surface area associated with the event during the time period; and

cleaning the region of the surface area a predetermined amount of time after the time period.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving audio data associated with a region of the surface area, and storing the audio data, wherein the audio data is selected from a group consisting of;

pet sounds, baby sounds, and children sounds.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said scanning the surface area and collecting debris data further comprises optically scanning the surface area;

and updating a surface area profile in response to said optically scanning the surface area.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said modifying the cleaning routine, comprises a modification selected from a group consisting of:

increasing a cleaning time of the mobile cleaner, increasing a suction power of the mobile cleaner, and decreasing a speed of movement of the mobile cleaner;

decreasing a cleaning time of the mobile cleaner, decreasing a suction power of the mobile cleaner, and increasing a speed of movement of the mobile cleaner.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said analyzing collected debris data and identifying a first location further comprises:

identifying a first location of the surface area as a high debris region; and

modifying the cleaning routine in the high debris region.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

identifying the high debris region as a common problem area on the surface area; and

modifying the cleaning routine, in response to identifying the high debris region as a common problem area.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising:

storing collected debris data in a surface area profile;

wherein said modifying the cleaning routine is based the surface area profile.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the surface area profile includes a location of at least one object on the surface area, further comprising:

modifying the cleaning routine based on the surface area profile.

12. A system for modifying a cleaning routine of a mobile device, said system comprising:

a sensor communicably coupled to on a mobile cleaner, said sensor configured to scan the surface to collect debris data, the debris data including an amount of debris and a location of debris on the surface;

a memory storing a profile of the surface area and collected debris data, said memory communicably coupled to a processor;

a processor communicably coupled to connected to said memory, said processor configured to analyze the collected debris data to identify a first location of the surface area, as including an amount of debris that differs from a threshold; and

a controller communicably coupled to said processor, said controller configured to modify the cleaning routine, based on the collected debris data.

13. The system according to claim 12, further comprising modifications to the cleaning routine of the mobile cleaner, selected from a group consisting of:

an increase in a cleaning time of the mobile cleaner;

an increase in suction power of the mobile cleaner

a decrease in speed of movement of the mobile cleaner;

a decrease in the cleaning time of the mobile cleaner;

a decrease in the suction power of the mobile cleaner; and

an increase in the speed of movement of the mobile cleaner.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein said controller performs an action, wherein the action is selected from the group consisting of:

increasing a suction power of the mobile cleaner in the at least one high debris region;

decreasing a speed of movement of the mobile cleaner in the at least one high debris region; and

deploying at least one additional brush on the mobile cleaner.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein said processor identifies at least one low debris region on the surface, the at least one low debris region including an amount of debris below a low debris region threshold,

wherein said controller modifies the cleaning routine of the mobile cleaner, wherein the modification is selected from the group consisting of:

decrease an amount of time in the at least one low debris region,

increase a speed of movement of the mobile cleaner in the at least one low debris region, and

decrease a suction power of the mobile cleaner in the at least one low debris region.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein said sensor includes an optical sensor,

wherein the sensor is configured to detect types of debris on the surface, and

wherein said processor is further configured to modify the profile of the area based on the type of debris detected on the surface.

17. The system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a microphone connected to said processor, said microphone configured to receive audio input selected from a group consisting of pet sounds, baby sounds, and children sounds; and

an interface connected to said processor, said interface configured to receive a surface plan from the user, the surface plan including furniture on the surface,

wherein said processor is further configured to modify the profile of the area based on the audio input and the surface plan.

18. The system according to claim 12, wherein said processor identifies at least one common problem area on the surface based on at a profile of the user, and

wherein said controller modifies the cleaning routine of the mobile cleaner, wherein the modification is selected from the group consisting of increasing an amount of time of the mobile cleaner in the common problem area, increasing a suction power of the mobile cleaner in the common problem area, and decreasing a speed of movement of the mobile cleaner in the common problem area.

19. The system according to claim 12, wherein said processor identifies a region of the surface at which an object is located during a time period, and

wherein said controller avoids the region of the surface that the object is located during the time period.

20. A computer program product for modifying a cleaning routine of a mobile cleaner, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon;

first program instructions executable by a computer to cause the computer to traverse a surface area via a mobile cleaner;

second program instructions executable by the computer to cause the computer to scan the surface area and collecting debris data including amounts and locations of debris on the surface area;

third program instructions executable by the computer to cause the computer to analyze collected debris data and identify at least one location of the surface area as having an amount of debris that differs from a threshold; and

fourth program instructions executable by the computer to cause the computer to modify the cleaning routine, in response to said analyzing and identifying.