MOVEMENT OPERATION SYSTEM FOR AUTONOMOUS MOVING CLEANING APPARATUS

• US 20140107838A1
• Filed: 12/24/2013
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joseph Y. Ko
• Original Assignee: Joseph Y. Ko
• Inventors: Ko, Joseph Y.
• Granted Patent: US 9,138,116 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2201/0203 Cleaning or polishing vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2201/0215 Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A movement operation system for autonomous moving cleaning apparatus comprises a virtual wall apparatus and an autonomous moving cleaning apparatus. The virtual wall apparatus includes an infrared ray emitter. The autonomous moving cleaning apparatus includes an infrared ray receiver and a microcontroller unit. The infrared ray emitter emits at least one encrypted infrared signal within an emission zone. When the autonomous moving cleaning apparatus enters the emission zone and the infrared ray receiver receives the encrypted infrared signal, the microcontroller unit controls the autonomous moving cleaning apparatus to move away from the virtual wall apparatus. The encrypted infrared signal can be encrypted in different codes or operating frequencies to prevent the autonomous moving cleaning apparatus from being interfered by external lights or other infrared rays so that it can operate steadily.

Claims

1. A movement operation system for autonomous moving cleaning apparatus, comprising:

at least one virtual wall apparatus including an infrared ray emitter which emits at least one encrypted infrared signal and includes a preset emission zone for the encrypted infrared signal to emit; and

an autonomous moving cleaning apparatus including;

a battery providing electric power for the autonomous moving cleaning apparatus to operate;

a driving wheel for driving the autonomous moving cleaning apparatus to move;

a floor sweeping roller for cleaning dirt on a floor;

at least one servomotor for driving the driving wheel and the floor sweeping roller;

an infrared ray receiver for receiving the encrypted infrared signal;

a microcontroller unit which controls the servomotor to rotate and provides a digital signal processed via an encoding technique to form an encrypted code data set for sending out continuously and receives the encrypted infrared signal output from the infrared ray receiver when the autonomous moving cleaning apparatus enters the emission zone and decodes the encrypted infrared signal to generate a control signal for controlling the servomotor to move the autonomous moving cleaning apparatus away from the emission zone of the virtual wall apparatus;

a light emitter which is activated by a voltage sent and converted by the microcontroller unit;

a light receiver for receiving light from the light emitter and converting the light for sending to the microcontroller unit for operation; and

a function key for selecting preset functions provided by the microcontroller unit to control the servomotor;

wherein the encrypted code data set includes data values which are converted to a low or a high voltage to activate the light emitter to generate dim or bright light, and wherein the light receiver receives the reflective dim or bright light from the light emitter continuously to form a corresponding low or high voltage which is then converted to a corresponding digital signal for providing to the microcontroller unit to compare with the encrypted code data set for decoding so that the microcontroller unit controls the servomotor to rotate forward, decelerate, rotate backward or stop rotating according to correctness of the decoding and the detected digital signal in a strong, weak, present or absent condition.

2. The movement operation system of claim 1, wherein the encrypted code data set is formed via a Manchester encoding technique.

3. The movement operation system of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller unit further includes an encoder for forming the encrypted code data set and a decoder for comparing the digital signal with the encrypted code data set for decoding.

4. The movement operation system of claim 1, wherein the autonomous moving cleaning apparatus further includes an electronic switch controlled by the data values in the encrypted code data set and an analog/digital converter (A/D converter) for converting the low or high voltage formed by the light received by the light receiver to the corresponding digital signal.

5. The movement operation system of claim 1, wherein the autonomous moving cleaning apparatus is a floor sweeping machine.

6. The movement operation system of claim 1, wherein the encrypted infrared signal includes a first encrypted infrared signal with a first encrypted code and a first operating frequency and a second encrypted infrared signal with a second encrypted code and a second operating frequency.

7. The movement operation system of claim 1, wherein the virtual wall apparatus includes a power source module for providing electric power to the virtual wall apparatus.

8. A movement operation system for autonomous moving cleaning apparatus, comprising:

at least one virtual wall apparatus including an infrared ray emitter which emits at least one encrypted infrared signal and includes a preset emission zone for the encrypted infrared signal to emit; and

an autonomous moving cleaning apparatus including;

a battery providing electric power for the autonomous moving cleaning apparatus to operate;

a driving wheel for driving the autonomous moving cleaning apparatus to move;

a dust suction fan motor for cleaning dirt on a floor;

at least one servomotor for driving the driving wheel;

an infrared ray receiver for receiving the encrypted infrared signal;

a microcontroller unit which controls the servomotor to rotate and provides a digital signal processed via an encoding technique to form an encrypted code data set for sending out continuously and receives the encrypted infrared signal output from the infrared ray receiver when the autonomous moving cleaning apparatus enters the emission zone and decodes the encrypted infrared signal to generate a control signal for controlling the servomotor to move the autonomous moving cleaning apparatus away from the emission zone of the virtual wall apparatus;

a light emitter which is activated by a voltage sent and converted by the microcontroller unit;

a light receiver for receiving light from the light emitter and converting the light for sending to the microcontroller unit for operation; and

a function key for selecting preset functions provided by the microcontroller unit to control the dust suction fan motor and the servomotor;

wherein the encrypted code data set includes data values which are converted to a low or a high voltage to activate the light emitter to generate dim or bright light, and wherein the light receiver receives the reflective dim or bright light from the light emitter continuously to form a corresponding low or high voltage which is then converted to a corresponding digital signal for providing to the microcontroller unit to compare with the encrypted code data set for decoding so that the microcontroller unit controls the servomotor to rotate forward, decelerate, rotate backward or stop rotating according to correctness of the decoding and the detected digital signal in a strong, weak, present or absent condition.

9. The movement operation system of claim 8, wherein the encrypted code data set is formed via a Manchester encoding technique.

10. The movement operation system of claim 8, wherein the microcontroller unit further includes an encoder for forming the encrypted code data set and a decoder for comparing the digital signal with the encrypted code data set for decoding.

11. The movement operation system of claim 8, wherein the autonomous moving cleaning apparatus further includes an electronic switch controlled by the data values in the encrypted code data set and an analog/digital converter (A/D converter) for converting the low or high voltage formed by the light received by the light receiver to the corresponding digital signal.

12. The movement operation system of claim 8, wherein the autonomous moving cleaning apparatus is a vacuum cleaner which includes a dust suction port at a lower side thereof connecting with the dust suction fan motor.

13. The movement operation system of claim 8, wherein the encrypted infrared signal includes a first encrypted infrared signal with a first encrypted code and a first operating frequency and a second encrypted infrared signal with a second encrypted code and a second operating frequency.

14. The movement operation system of claim 8, wherein the virtual wall apparatus includes a power source module for providing electric power to the virtual wall apparatus.

15. A movement operation system for autonomous moving cleaning apparatus, comprising:

at least one virtual wall apparatus including an infrared ray emitter which emits at least one encrypted infrared signal and includes a preset emission zone for the encrypted infrared signal to emit; and

an autonomous moving cleaning apparatus including;

a battery providing electric power for the autonomous moving cleaning apparatus to operate;

a driving wheel for driving the autonomous moving cleaning apparatus to move;

at least one servomotor for driving the driving wheel;

an infrared ray receiver for receiving the encrypted infrared signal;

a microcontroller unit which controls the servomotor to rotate and provides a digital signal processed via an encoding technique to form an encrypted code data set for sending out continuously and receives the encrypted infrared signal output from the infrared ray receiver when the autonomous moving cleaning apparatus enters the emission zone and decodes the encrypted infrared signal to generate a control signal for controlling the servomotor to move the autonomous moving cleaning apparatus away from the emission zone of the virtual wall apparatus;

a light emitter which is activated by a voltage sent and converted by the microcontroller unit;

a light receiver for receiving light from the light emitter and converting the light for sending to the microcontroller unit for operation; and

a function key for selecting preset functions provided by the microcontroller unit to control the servomotor;

wherein the encrypted code data set includes data values which are converted to a low or a high voltage to activate the light emitter to generate dim or bright light, and wherein the light receiver receives the reflective dim or bright light from the light emitter continuously to form a corresponding low or high voltage which is then converted to a corresponding digital signal for providing to the microcontroller unit to compare with the encrypted code data set for decoding so that the microcontroller unit controls the servomotor to rotate forward, decelerate, rotate backward or stop rotating according to correctness of the decoding and the detected digital signal in a strong, weak, present or absent condition.

16. The movement operation system of claim 15, wherein the encrypted code data set is formed via a Manchester encoding technique.

17. The movement operation system of claim 15, wherein the microcontroller unit further includes an encoder for forming the encrypted code data set and a decoder for comparing the digital signal with the encrypted code data set for decoding.

18. The movement operation system of claim 15, wherein the autonomous moving cleaning apparatus further includes an electronic switch controlled by the data values in the encrypted code data set and an analog/digital converter (A/D converter) for converting the low or high voltage formed by the light received by the light receiver to the corresponding digital signal.

19. The movement operation system of claim 15, wherein the autonomous moving cleaning apparatus is a floor moping machine which includes a floor moping element attached to a lower side thereof for cleaning dirt on a floor.

20. The movement operation system of claim 15, wherein the encrypted infrared signal includes a first encrypted infrared signal with a first encrypted code and a first operating frequency and a second encrypted infrared signal with a second encrypted code and a second operating frequency.

21. The movement operation system of claim 15, wherein the virtual wall apparatus includes a power source module for providing electric power to the virtual wall apparatus.