Robot cleaner, information providing system, and method for providing information

• US 9,943,206 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2016
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yang, Hee-kyung, Eom, Ji, Jang, Ji-hye
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US15/167,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20160374526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 700 90, 700245, 700275, 3185681
• 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 11/4013 Contaminants collecting devices, i.e. hoppers, tanks or the like
• 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 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A robot cleaner is provided. The robot cleaner includes a communication unit configured to communicate with the robot cleaner using a near field wireless communication (NFC) and a processor configured to detect a state of the robot cleaner among a plurality of predefined states. The processor is also configured to, in response to NFC tagging being performed with the mobile terminal, control the communication unit to transmit information corresponding to the detected state to the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner, comprising:

a communication unit configured to communicate with a mobile terminal using a near field wireless communication (NFC); and

a processor configured to detect a state of the robot cleaner among a plurality of predefined states, and in response to an NFC tagging being performed with the mobile terminal, control the communication unit to transmit information comprising the detected state to the mobile terminal,

wherein the plurality of predefined states comprises at least one of a standby state, a cleaning state, a state in which a battery is being charged, a state in which a component needs to be replaced, or an error state.

2. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the communication unit to transmit information regarding an application exclusive for the robot cleaner to the mobile terminal.

3. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to update its firmware using a new firmware received from the mobile terminal.

4. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the communication unit to transmit, to the mobile terminal, at least one of state information of a dust bin that collects dust, state information of a dust filter, or state information of a battery charge.

5. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the communication unit to transmit, to the mobile terminal, address information of a webpage providing customer support information regarding errors in the robot cleaner.

6. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the communication unit to transmit, to the mobile terminal, different information according to information received from the mobile terminal.

7. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to, in response to receiving information indicating that a user of the mobile terminal has not yet left a house, control the communication unit to transmit information regarding a cleaning reservation set in the robot cleaner to the mobile terminal, and in response to receiving information indicating that the user of the mobile terminal has returned home, control the communication unit to transmit information regarding a cleaning history to the mobile terminal.

8. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a dust sensor configured to detect a concentration of dust in a cleaned space,

wherein the processor is configured to control the communication unit to transmit, to the mobile terminal, information regarding a concentration of dust in the cleaned space.

9. An information providing system, comprising:

a robot cleaner having a near field communication (NFC) module; and

a mobile terminal configured to communicate with the robot cleaner using a near field wireless communication by NFC-tagging the robot cleaner,

wherein the robot cleaner is configured to detect a state of the robot cleaner among a plurality of predefined states, and

wherein the mobile terminal is configured to display a screen which provides information corresponding to the detected state of the robot cleaner,

wherein the plurality of predefined states comprises at least one of a standby state, a cleaning state, a state in which a battery is being charged, a state in which a component needs to be replaced or an error state.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the mobile terminal is configured to:

determine whether a user has left a house based on location information positioning the mobile terminal,

in response to determining that the user has not yet left the house, display a reservation setting screen to reserve cleaning by the robot cleaner, and

in response to determining that the user has returned home, display information regarding history of cleaning performed by the robot cleaner.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the mobile terminal is configured to display the reservation setting screen to designate an area to be cleaned and information regarding cleaning history which differs by area, using information regarding a map of an indoor area where the robot cleaner is disposed.

12. A method for providing information regarding a robot cleaner, the method comprising:

detecting a state of the robot cleaner among a plurality of predefined states; and

in response to a near field communication (NFC) tagging being performed with a mobile terminal, transmitting, to the mobile terminal, information corresponding to the detected state;

wherein the plurality of predefined states comprises at least one of a standby state, a cleaning state, a state in which a battery is being charged, a state in which a component needs to be replaced or an error state.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting to the mobile terminal information regarding an application exclusive for the robot cleaner.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a new firmware from the mobile terminal; and

updating a firmware installed in the robot cleaner to the received new firmware.

15. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting at least one of state information of a dust bin, state information of a filter for filtering dust, or state information of battery charging.

16. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting address information of a webpage that provides customer support information regarding errors in the robot cleaner.

17. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting different information according to information received from the mobile terminal.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the transmitting comprises, in response to receiving information indicating that a user of the mobile terminal has not yet left a house, transmitting information regarding a cleaning reservation set in the robot cleaner, and in response to receiving information indicating that the user of the mobile terminal has returned to the house, transmitting information regarding cleaning history.

19. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

detecting a concentration of collected dust,

wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting information regarding a concentration of dust in an area cleaned.

20. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

detecting a charge state of a battery of the robot cleaner; and

in response to detecting that the charge state of the battery is low, automatically returning the robot cleaner to a charging position.