Automatic cleaning system and charging base

• US 10,327,618 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2017
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2017
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IBOT Robotic Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: IBOT Robotic Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Huang, Chun-Chieh
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Robert T
• Application Number:
  US15/592,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20180235423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4005 Arrangements of batteries or cells; Electric power supply arrangements
• 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 2201/022 Recharging of batteries
• 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: G01S 1/16 Azimuthal guidance systems, e.g. system for defining aircraft approach path, localiser system
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage

Abstract

An automatic cleaning system including a charging base and a cleaning robot is provided. The charging base includes a signal transmitter and a power supply portion. The charging base determines whether to transmit a start signal by the signal transmitter according to a preset time. The cleaning robot includes a signal receiver and a power receiving portion. The power receiving portion is configured to be electrically connected to the power supply portion of the charging base when the cleaning robot performs a charging operation. When the signal receiver receives the start signal, the cleaning robot leaves the charging base, and performs a cleaning operation. In addition, a charging base suitable for charging an automatic cleaning device is also provided.

Claims

1. A charging base suitable for charging an automatic cleaning device, comprising:

a power supply portion provided on a side surface of the charging base and configured to be electrically connected to a power receiving portion of the automatic cleaning device when the automatic cleaning device performs a charging operation; and

at least one signal transmitter provided inside the power supply portion and configured to determine whether to transmit at least one start signal according to a preset time so that the automatic cleaning device, after receiving the at least one start signal, leaves the charging base and performs a cleaning operation.

2. The charging base as recited in claim 1, wherein the charging base determines whether to enable the at least one signal transmitter according to whether a clock time reaches the preset time, so that the at least one signal transmitter transmits the at least one start signal.

3. The charging base as recited in claim 1, wherein the charging base further comprises a control component, and the control component is configured to output a control signal so that the charging base sets up the preset time according to the control signal.

4. The charging base as recited in claim 1, wherein the charging base further comprises a timing device configured to set up the preset time, and the charging base determines whether to enable the at least one signal transmitter to transmit the at least one start signal according to the preset time.

5. The charging base as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one signal transmitter comprises a first signal transmitter and a second signal transmitter respectively provided on a side surface of the charging base and disposed on a same horizontal line.

6. An automatic cleaning system, comprising:

a charging base that comprises at least one signal transmitter and a power supply portion, wherein the charging base determines whether to transmit at least one start signal by the at least one signal transmitter according to a preset time; and

a cleaning robot that comprises a signal receiver and a power receiving portion, wherein the power receiving portion is configured to be electrically connected to the power supply portion of the charging base when the cleaning robot performs a charging operation, and when the signal receiver receives the at least one start signal, the cleaning robot leaves the charging base and performs a cleaning operation.

7. The automatic cleaning system as recited in claim 6, wherein the charging base determines whether to enable the at least one signal transmitter according to whether a clock time reaches the preset time, so that the at least one signal transmitter transmits the at least one start signal.

8. The automatic cleaning system as recited in claim 6, wherein the charging base further comprises a control component, and the control component is configured to output a control signal so that the charging base sets up the preset time according to the control signal.

9. The automatic cleaning system as recited in claim 6, wherein the charging base further comprises a timing device configured to set up the preset time, and the charging base determines whether to enable the at least one signal transmitter to transmit the at least one start signal according to the preset time.

10. The automatic cleaning system as recited in claim 6, wherein the at least one signal transmitter comprises a first signal transmitter and a second signal transmitter respectively provided on a side surface of the charging base and disposed on a same horizontal line.