Vacuum cleaner with fuzzy logic

• US 5,251,358 A
• Filed: 11/22/1991
• Issued: 10/12/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Seiji, Matsuyo, Tadashi, Moro, Masaru
• Primary Examiner(s): MacDonald, Allen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAVIS, GEORGE B
• Application Number:
  US07/796,316
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 395/3, 395/61, 395/900, 15/319
• US Class Current: 15/319
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/281 the amount or condition of incoming dirt or dust
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/90 Fuzzy logic

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner comprising a fuzzy inferring device for determining a motor speed in response to the amount of dust, and means for holding the motor speed determined by the fuzzy inferring device for a predetermined period of time, whereby, after the motor speed is held for the predetermined period time, the motor is driven for a certain period of time at the speed subsequently determined by the fuzzy inferring device.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

dust amount detecting means or detecting the amount of dust in response to a signal outputted thereto from a sensor provided in an airflow passage and for producing an output;

comparing/counting means for performing a comparison and counting of the amount of dust and for producing an output;

a fuzzy inferring device for determining the speed of a motor in response to the output of said dust amount detecting means and the output of said comparing/counting means and for producing an output; and

means for holding the motor speed determined by said fuzzy inferring device for a predetermined period of time and or producing an output;

wherein after the motor speed is held for said predetermined period of time, said motor is driven for a certain period of time at the speed subsequently determined by sad fuzzy inferring device.

2. A vacuum cleaner as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

speed comparing means in response to the output of said fuzzy inferring device and the output of said means for holding the motor speed, for changing said motor speed stepwise toward the motor speed determined by said fuzzy inferring device after the predetermined period of time elapses,

wherein the motor speed is changed to

1) the motor speed minus a predetermined step value if the motor speed minus a predetermined step value is greater than the output of the fuzzy inferring device or

2) the output of the fuzzy inferring device if the output of the fuzzy inferring device is greater than the motor speed minus the predetermined step value.

3. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

dust amount detecting means for detecting the amount of dust in response to a signal outputted thereto from a sensor provided in an airflow passage and for producing an output;

comparing/counting means for performing a comparison and counting of the amount of dust and for producing an output;

a fuzzy inferring device for determining the speed of a motor in response to the output of said dust amount detecting means and the output of said comparing/counting means and for producing an output;

means for holding the motor speed determined by said fuzzy inferring device for a predetermined period of time and for producing an output; and

speed comparing means, in response to the output of said fuzzy inferring device and the output of said means for holding the motor speed, for immediately changing the motor speed to the output of said fuzzy inferring device if said output of said fuzzy inferring device exceeds the output of said means for holding during the predetermined period of time,

wherein after the motor speed is held for said predetermined period of time, said motor is driven for a certain period of time at the motor speed subsequently determined by said fuzzy inferring device.

4. A vacuum cleaner as defined in claim 3 wherein said speed comparing means, in response to the output of said fuzzy inferring device and the output of said means for holding the motor speed, changes the motor speed stepwise toward the motor speed determined by said fuzzy inferring device after the predetermined period of time elapses.

5. A vacuum cleaner as defined in claim 4, wherein the motor speed is changed tothe motor speed minus a predetermined step value if the motor speed minus a predetermined step value is greater than the output of the fuzzy inferring device orthe output of the fuzzy inferring device if the output of the fuzzy inferring device is greater than the motor speed minus the predetermined step value.