Self-running cleaning control method

• US 5,284,522 A
• Filed: 01/31/1992
• Issued: 02/08/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1990
• 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: Eguchi, Osamu, Terai, Haruo, Kondoh, Shinji, Kobayashi, Yasumichi, Yabuuchi, Hidetaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, Mark L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chaudhry, Saeed T.
• Application Number:
  US07/828,753
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 134/18, 134/21, 134/42, 15/319, 15/340.1, 15/340.2, 180/167, 180/168, 180/169
• US Class Current: 134/18
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/022 Recharging of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection

Abstract

A zone of a floor to be cleaned is subdivided into a plurality of blocks, the position of each block is memorized in a memory of a self-running cleaning apparatus, and the status of each block such that a wall or an obstacle is placed on the block or the block is passed by the cleaning apparatus thereon is also memorized in the memory. The cleaning apparatus moves across the blocks having neither wall nor obstacle thereon and which have not been passed by the cleaning apparatus on the basis of a predetermined priority order in running direction.

Claims

1. A control method, using digital processing means, for automatically operating a self-running cleaning apparatus comprising the steps of:

preparing a block-map of an area to be cleaned by said self-cleaning apparatus, said block-map including a plurality of blocks, wherein said apparatus is initially located on one of said blocks and moves from block to block, cleaning each block said apparatus is on;

storing said block-map;

analyzing, using said digital processing means, a status of said blocks which are positioned to the west, the north, the south and the east of said apparatus;

starting said automatic operation of said apparatus by deciding a moving direction on the basis of a predetermined priority order of directions, said directions corresponding to blocks which are west, north, south and east of said apparatus;

determining blank of a block (n-1, m), when each block in a line and a row of said subdivided area is designated by a combination of one of sequential numbers n-1, n, n+1, and one of sequential numbers m-1, m, m+1;

determining a presence of an obstacle on said block (n-1, m), when said block (n-1, m) is determined to be blank;

determining blank of a block (n, m-1), when said block (n-1, m) is not blank or an obstacle is on said block (n-1, m);

moving to the direction of a block having a first priority, when there is no obstacle on said block (n-1, m);

determining a presence of an obstacle on said block (n, m-1), when said block (n, m-1) is determined to be blank;

moving to the direction of a block having a second priority, when there is no obstacle on said block (n, m-1);

determining blank of a block (n, m+1), when said block (n, m-1) is not blank or an obstacle is on said block (n, m-1);

determining a presence of an obstacle on said block (n, m+1), when said block (n, m+1) is determined to be blank;

moving to the direction of a block having a third priority, when there is no obstacle on said block (n, m+1);

determining blank of a block (n+1, m) when said block (n, m+1) is not blank or an obstacle is on said block (n, m+1);

determining a presence of an obstacle on said block (n+1, m) when said block (n+1, m) is determined to be blank;

moving to the direction of a block having a fourth priority, when there is no obstacle on said block (n+1, m); and

moving said apparatus along a wall of said obstacle when said apparatus cannot run through centers of said blocks due to said obstacle being located on said blocks.

2. A control method for a self-running cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said storing step further comprises the steps of storing a block-map for representing said status of said blocks, wherein said apparatus is moved on the basis of said block-map and said predetermined priority order of directions.

3. A control method for a self-running cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein said storing step further comprises the steps of storing a location of a block which said apparatus has already cleaned in said block-map.

4. A control method, using digital processing means, for automatically operating a self-running cleaning apparatus comprising the steps of:

preparing a block-map of an area to be cleaned by said self-cleaning apparatus, said block-map including a plurality of blocks, wherein said apparatus is initially located on one of said blocks and moves from block to block, cleaning each block said apparatus is on;

storing said block-map;

analyzing, using said digital processing means, a status of said blocks which are positioned to the west, the north, the south and the east of said apparatus,

determining blocks on which an obstacle preventing advance of said apparatus is present,

determining a direction of movement of said apparatus on the basis of said status of said blocks and a predetermined priority order of directions, said directions corresponding to blocks which are west, north, south and east of said apparatus;

detecting, using detecting means, an obstacle on one of said blocks preventing advancement of said apparatus,

moving said apparatus along a wall of said obstacle when said apparatus cannot run through centers of said blocks due to said obstacle being located on said blocks; and

directing said apparatus to said initial block after cleaning said area.

5. A control method for a self-running cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 4, wherein said storing step further comprises the steps of storing a block-map for representing said status of said blocks, wherein said apparatus is moved on the basis of said block-map and said predetermined priority order of directions.

6. A control method for a self-running cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 5, wherein said storing step further comprises the step of storing a location of a block which said apparatus has already cleaned in said block-map.

7. A control method, using digital processing means, for a self-running cleaning apparatus comprising the steps of:

manually moving said self-running cleaning apparatus from a starting position to an end position along a predetermined path within a zone to be cleaned;

starting an automatic operation of said self-cleaning apparatus;

preparing a block-map of said zone, said block-map including a plurality of blocks, wherein said apparatus is initially located on one of said blocks, and moves from block to block, cleaning each block said apparatus is on,

storing a positional representation of said zone surrounding said predetermined path;

analyzing, using said digital processing means, a status of said blocks which are positioned to the west, the north, the south and the east of said apparatus;

determining blocks on which an obstacle preventing advance of said main body is present,

determining a direction of movement of said apparatus on the basis of said status of said blocks and a predetermined priority order of directions, said directions corresponding to blocks which are west, north, south and east of said apparatus;

detecting, using detecting means, an obstacle on one of said blocks preventing advancement of said apparatus;

moving said apparatus along a wall of said obstacle when said apparatus cannot run through centers of said blocks due to said obstacle being located on said blocks; and

directing said main body to said starting position after cleaning said area.

8. A control method, using digital processing means, for automatically operating a self-running cleaning apparatus initially located at a predetermined position in an area to be cleaned, said method comprising the steps of:

preparing a block-map of said area to be cleaned, said block-map including a plurality of blocks, wherein said predetermined position corresponds to one of said blocks and said apparatus moves from block to block, cleaning each block said apparatus is on;

storing said block-map;

setting a priority order of directions, said directions being north, south, east and west;

for each location block of said plurality of blocks, analyzing, using said digital processing means, all of said blocks which are adjacent to said location block, said location block being one block of said plurality of blocks on which said apparatus is located, said analyzing step including the steps of;

a. detecting, using detecting means, whether each of said adjacent blocks has an obstacle on it or a wall on it;

b. determining whether said apparatus was previously located on each of said adjacent blocks; and

c. referring to said priority order of directions;

for each said location block, determining a movement block, said movement block being one of said adjacent blocks that said apparatus determines it will move to next; and

controlling movement of said apparatus so that it moves to said movement block.

9. The control method of claim 8, wherein in said analyzing step, if it is detected that there is no obstacle or wall on said adjacent blocks and it is determined that said apparatus was not previously located on said adjacent blocks, determing said movement block based on said priority order of directions.

10. The control method of claim 8, further comprising the step of moving said apparatus to said predetermined position after said area has been cleaned.

11. The control method of claim 8, further comprising the step of storing locations of each said block having a wall or obstacle located on it.

12. The control method of claim 8, further comprising the step of storing locations of each said block on which said apparatus was previously located.

13. A control method, using digital processing means, for automatically operating a self-running cleaning apparatus initially located at a predetermined position in an area to be cleaned, said method comprising the steps of:

manually operating said apparatus on a predetermined path in said area;

preparing a block-map of a remaining portion in said area to be cleaned, said block-map including a plurality of blocks, wherein said predetermined position corresponds to one of said blocks and said apparatus moves from block to block;

setting a priority order of directions, said directions being north, south, east and west;

for each location block of said plurality of blocks, analyzing, using said digital processing means, all of said blocks which are adjacent to said location block, said location block being one block of said plurality of blocks on which said apparatus is located, said analyzing step including the steps of;

a. detecting, using detecting means, whether each of said adjacent blocks has an obstacle on it or a wall on it;

b. determining whether said apparatus was previously located on each of said adjacent blocks; and

c. referring to said priority order of directions;

for each said location block, determining a movement block, said movement block being one of said adjacent blocks that said apparatus determines it will move to next; and

controlling movement of said apparatus so that it moves to said movement block.