Self-propelled cleaner

• US 20050212680A1
• Filed: 03/12/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Uehigashi, Naoya
• Application Number:
  US11/078,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20050212680A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/632
• 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 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0259 using magnetic or electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/16 Combustible gas alarms

Abstract

A conventional gas leak alarm system is installed in a fixed place of a kitchen or similar space and just generates an alarm sound. Therefore, only a person which is at home can hear an alarm sound which it generates and even a person at home may not be able to hear it if he/she is away from it. According to this invention, after movement to a standby position at step S440, a system judges whether there is a gas leak, according to the result of detection by a gas sensor. If there is a gas leak, it transmits a text mail to notify a predetermined destination (person) of occurrence of a gas leak and calculates a travel route to a specified first alarm position at steps S452 and S454; after movement along the travel route to the alarm position at step S456, an alarm sounder generates an alarm sound at step S458. After a preset time period, it moves to a specified second alarm position by taking a similar procedure at steps S462 to 466 and continues to generate an alarm sound. Then, it continues shuttling between the first and second alarm positions.

Claims

1. A self-propelled cleaner having a body with a cleaning mechanism with a suction motor for vacuuming up dust, and a drive mechanism with driving wheels at the left and right sides of the body whose rotation can be individually controlled for steering and driving the cleaner, comprising:

a mapping processor which acquires and stores geographical information on a room to be cleaned during traveling around the room for cleaning it and acquires positional data on an alarm position, during traveling around the room, from a marker installed in a given place in the room which outputs positional data on a previously specified location, and adds it to the geographical information;

a gas sensor which detects a gas leak;

an alarm sounder which generates an alarm sound;

a wireless LAN communication device which can transmit given information to the outside through a wireless LAN;

a travel route calculation processor which calculates a travel route from the present position to the specified location; and

a gas leak alarm control processor which acquires the result of detection by the gas sensor in a predetermined standby position and upon detection of a gas leak, enables the travel route calculation processor to calculate a travel route and controls the drive mechanism to move the cleaner along the travel route to the specified location, allows the alarm sounder to generate an alarm sound through a speaker and sends an alarm message to the outside through the wireless LAN communication device.

2. A self-propelled cleaner having a body with a cleaning mechanism, and a drive mechanism capable of steering and driving the cleaner, comprising:

a gas sensor which detects a gas leak;

an alarm sounder which generates an alarm sound; and

a gas leak alarm control processor which acquires the result of detection by the gas sensor in a predetermined standby position and upon detection of gas, controls the drive mechanism to move the cleaner to a predetermined alarm position and enable the alarm sounder to generate an alarm sound in that position.

3. The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 2, wherein it has a wireless LAN communication device which can transmit given information to the outside through a wireless LAN and the alarm sounder not only generates a voice alarm but also sends an alarm message to the outside through the wireless LAN communication device.

4. The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 2, wherein it has a suction motor for vacuuming up dust and the gas sensor lies in the suction channel and the gas leak alarm control processor drives the suction motor to take in ambient air and allow the gas sensor to detect for a gas leak.

5. The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 4, wherein a communication pipe with openings at both the ceiling and floor sides is installed in a room and an opening in the suction channel of the suction motor can communicate with the floor side opening in the communication pipe.

6. The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the gas sensor is separate from the body and notifies the gas leak alarm control processor of the result of detection wirelessly.

7. The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the gas leak alarm control processor comprises:

a mapping processor which generates and stores geographical information on a room during traveling around the room by self-propulsion, and acquires, from a marker installed in a given place in the room which outputs positional data on a previously specified location, the positional data during traveling around the room and adds it to the geographical information;

a travel route calculation processor which calculates a travel route from the present position to the specified location; and

a movement control processor which enables the travel route calculation processor to calculate a travel route and controls the drive mechanism to move the cleaner along the travel route to the specified location.

8. The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the gas leak alarm control processor has, on the body, a wall sensor for detecting a surrounding wall surface, and while receiving the result of detection by the wall sensor, can control the drive mechanism to move the cleaner along the wall, and acquire positional data from a marker installed along the wall which outputs positional data, and judge whether movement to the alarm position has been completed or not.

9. The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the gas leak alarm control processor has an operation panel unit composed of a liquid crystal display panel for selection of a gas leak detection mode and operation switches.

10. The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 2, wherein, prior to starting a gas leak detection process, the gas leak alarm control processor calculates a travel route from the present position to a special location as the standby position for gas leak detection and lets the body move along the travel route;

after movement to the special location, it orders a motor driver to drive the suction motor for driving a suction fan in the low power mode;

then in the standby position specified as a special location, it drives the suction fan in the low power mode to take in ambient air through a suction hole and detect for a gas leak continuously.