Direction device and operation system utilizing the same

• US 9,089,249 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2011
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MSI Computer Company Limited (Micro-Star International Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: MSI Computer Company Limited (Micro-Star International Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hung, Shih-Che, Liu, Hong-Lun, Yeh, Yi-Chih
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stroud, James E
• Application Number:
  US13/044,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20110295447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,602 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/3, 701/19, 701/21, 701/22, 701/23, 701/26, 701/36, 701/50, 701/90, 701/70
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
• 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: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals

Abstract

A direction device controlling a traveling route of a cleaning robot and including a receiving unit, an emitting unit and a control unit is disclosed. The receiving unit receives an encoded ultrasonic wave emitted by the cleaning robot. The emitting unit emits at least one wireless signal. The control unit activates the emitting unit to emit a first direction wireless signal when the receiving unit receives the encoded ultrasonic wave. The cleaning robot passes according to the first direction wireless signal.

Claims

1. A direction device controlling a traveling route of a cleaning robot, comprising:

a receiving unit receiving a first encoded ultrasonic wave emitted by the cleaning robot;

an emitting unit emitting a wireless signal; and

a control unit, which activates the emitting unit to emit a first direction wireless signal to control the traveling route of the cleaning robot when the receiving unit receives the first encoded ultrasonic wave,

wherein;

the direction device is separated from the cleaning robot,

the emitting unit emits the first direction wireless signal toward to a specific direction and the cleaning robot remains in a first region according to the first direction wireless signal,

when the receiving unit receives a second encoded ultrasonic wave emitted by the cleaning robot, the emitting unit emits a second direction wireless signal toward to the specific direction and the cleaning robot leaves the first region and enters to a second region according to the second direction wireless signal,

an encoded value of the first direction wireless signal is different from an encoded value of the second direction wireless signal, and

when the cleaning robot remains in the second region and the receiving unit receives the second encoded ultrasonic wave emitted by the cleaning robot, the emitting unit emits the first direction wireless signal and does not emit the second direction wireless signal,

when the emitting unit receives the second encoded ultrasonic wave for the first time, the emitting unit emits the second direction wireless signal, and when the emitting unit receives the second encoded ultrasonic wave again, the emitting unit emits the first direction wireless signal replacing the second direction wireless signal, and

when the receiving unit receives a third encoded ultrasonic wave emitted by the cleaning robot, the emitting unit emits the second direction wireless signal again.

2. The direction device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second wireless signals is an ultrasonic wave or an infrared ray.

3. The direction device as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the receiving unit has not received the first encoded ultrasonic wave yet, the control signal de-activates the emitting unit such that the emitting unit does not emit the first wireless signal.

4. The direction device as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the receiving unit has received the first encoded ultrasonic wave, the control unit activates the emitting unit such that the emitting unit emits only one recognition wireless signal.

5. The direction device as claimed in claim 1, wherein after the emitting unit emits the first direction wireless signal, the control unit again activates the emitting unit according to the intensity or the encoded value of the first encoded ultrasonic wave such that the emitting unit emits only one second direction wireless signal.

6. The direction device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the encoded value of the first direction wireless signal is different from the encoded value of the second direction wireless signal, or the intensity of the first direction wireless signal is different from the intensity of the second direction wireless signal.

7. An operation system comprising:

a cleaning robot executing a cleaning procedure and comprising;

a first emitting unit emitting a first encoded ultrasonic wave; and

a direction device comprising;

a receiving unit receiving the first encoded ultrasonic wave;

a second emitting unit emitting at least one wireless signal; and

a control unit, which activates the second emitting unit to emit only one first direction wireless signal to control the cleaning robot when the receiving unit receives the first encoded ultrasonic wave,

wherein;

the direction device is separated from the cleaning robot,

the second emitting unit emits the first direction wireless signal toward to a specific direction and the cleaning robot remains in a first region according to the first direction wireless signal,

when the receiving unit receives a second encoded ultrasonic wave emitted by the cleaning robot, the second emitting unit emits a second direction wireless signal toward to the specific direction and the cleaning robot leaves the first region and enters to a second region according to the second direction wireless signal,

an encoded value of the first direction wireless signal is different from an encoded value of the second direction wireless signal, and

when the cleaning robot remains in the second region and emits second encoded ultrasonic wave, the second emitting unit emits the first direction wireless signal and does not emit the second direction wireless signal,

when the emitting unit receives the second encoded ultrasonic wave for the first time, the emitting unit emits the second direction wireless signal, and when the emitting unit receives the second encoded ultrasonic wave again, the emitting unit emits the first direction wireless signal replacing the second direction wireless signal, and

when the receiving unit receives a third encoded ultrasonic wave emitted by the cleaning robot, the emitting unit emits the second direction wireless signal again.

8. The operation system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least one wireless signal is an ultrasonic wave or an infrared ray.

9. The operation system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the direction device further comprises:

a charging terminal; and

a charging unit charging the cleaning robot via the charging terminal.

10. The operation system as claimed in claim 9, wherein after the cleaning robot receives the first direction wireless signal, the cleaning robot moves and is close to the charging terminal, and then the second emitting unit emits only one second direction wireless signal to direct the cleaning robot.

11. The operation system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the cleaning robot contacts the charging terminal according to the second direction wireless signal.

12. The operation system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the cleaning robot moves to a right side of the direction device or to a left side of the direction device according to the second direction wireless signal.

13. The operation system as claimed in claim 7, wherein when the receiving unit has not received the first encoded ultrasonic wave yet, the control signal de-activates the second emitting unit such that the second emitting unit does not emit the first wireless signal.

14. The operation system as claimed in claim 7, wherein when the receiving unit has received the first encoded ultrasonic wave, the control unit activates the second emitting unit such that the second emitting unit emits only one recognition wireless signal,

wherein the cleaning robot moves and is close to the direction device according to the recognition wireless signal, and after the second emitting unit emits the recognition wireless signal, the cleaning robot obtains a distance between the cleaning robot and the direction device according to the first direction wireless signal.

15. The operation system as claimed in claim 7, wherein after the cleaning robot finishes the cleaning procedure in the first region, the first emitting unit emits the second encoded ultrasonic wave,

wherein the direction device emits only one second direction wireless signal according to the second encoded ultrasonic wave, and the cleaning robot enters the second region according to the second direction wireless signal.

16. The operation system as claimed in claim 15, wherein after the cleaning robot enters the second region, the direction device again emits the first direction wireless signal and the first emitting unit emits the first encoded ultrasonic wave.

17. The operation system as claimed in claim 16, wherein after the cleaning robot finishes the cleaning procedure in the second region, the first emitting unit emits the third encoded ultrasonic wave, and

wherein the direction device emits the second direction wireless signal according to the third encoded ultrasonic wave, and the cleaning robot enters the first region according to the second direction wireless signal.

18. The operation system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the cleaning robot comprises:

a rechargeable unit; and

a quantity detection unit detecting an electric quantity of the rechargeable unit, wherein when the electric quantity of the rechargeable unit is less than a preset value, the first emitting unit emits the third encoded ultrasonic wave,

wherein the direction device emits the second direction wireless signal according to the third encoded ultrasonic wave, and the cleaning robot enters the first region according to the second direction wireless signal.

19. The operation system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the cleaning robot further comprises a storage unit, wherein the storage unit stores information relating to the cleaning procedure when the cleaning robot receives the first direction wireless signal, and wherein the stored information is reset or corrected.

20. The operation system as claimed in claim 7, wherein when the cleaning robot receives the first direction wireless signal, the cleaning robot determines that the direction device is a virtual wall.