Method and device to recognize and indicate a discharge vessel filling level in a vacuum system

• US 6,237,648 B1
• Filed: 09/29/1999
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Cuce', Antonino, Busacca, Silvia, Cucuccio, Antonino
• Primary Examiner(s): JACYNA, J CASIMER
• Application Number:
  US09/408,815
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 141/1, 141/59, 141/65, 141/95, 141/198
• US Class Current: 141/95
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/19 Means for monitoring filtering operation

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device for recognizing and warning of the level of fullness of a waste container in a suction system driven by a motor and provided with an internal chamber kept under suction pressure and comprising the waste container. The method foresees a measurement of the difference of pressure between the internal chamber and the environment outside the vacuum cleaner and an elaboration of such measurement according to a set of rules in fuzzy logic for producing an electric warning signal corresponding to the filling level of the waste container.

Claims

1. A method for recognizing and warning of the level of filling of a waste container in a system of suction that includes a suction appliance driven by a motor and provided with an internal chamber maintained under suction pressure and also includes the waste container, the method comprising measuring a difference in pressure between the internal chamber and a room outside the suction appliance and elaborating the measured difference according to a set of rules in fuzzy logic for producing an electric signal corresponding to a fullness level of the waste container.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the measuring is carried out based on a variation of a rotation speed of the motor.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measuring is referred to a same surface on which the suction is carried out.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the relationship between the set of rules in fuzzy logic and the state of fullness of the waste container is expressly by means of the following group of fuzzy rules:

IF pressure IS Very_Low THEN the container is Empty

IF pressure IS Low THEN the container IS Not Very_Full

IF pressure IS Medium THEN the container IS Half_Full

IF pressure IS High THEN the container IS Almost_Full

IF pressure IS Very_High THEN the container IS Full.

5. A device for recognizing and signaling of fullness level of a waste container in a system of suction comprising a suction appliance driven by a motor and provided with an internal chamber kept under suction pressure and comprising the waste container, wherein the device comprises a pressure sensor connected to said chamber for detecting a suction pressure value of the waste container and an electronic controller coupled to the sensor and operating in fuzzy logic for determining the fullness level of the waste container based on the suction pressure value sensed by the sensor and for supplying in output an electric signal corresponding to the fullness level of the waste container, the controller being programmed to produce values of the electric signal corresponding to a plurality of values of the fullness level in addition to a fullness level value corresponding to a completely full waste container.

6. The device according to claim 5 wherein said controller is further connected to said motor in order to be able to receive a rotation speed measurement of the motor.

7. The device according to claim 5 wherein said suction pressure value is measured as difference of pressure between said internal chamber and the area outside the vacuum cleaner.

8. The device according to claim 5 wherein said electronic controller is a fuzzy processor.

9. A suction system comprising:

a sucking appliance driven by a motor and provided with an internal chamber kept under suction pressure;

a waste container positioned within the internal chamber; and

a device for recognizing and signaling a fullness level of the waste container including a pressure sensor connected to said chamber for detecting a suction pressure value of the chamber and waste container; and

an electronic controller downstream of the sensor and operating in fuzzy logic for supplying in output an electric signal corresponding to the fullness level of the waste container, the controller being programmed to produce values of the electric signal corresponding to a plurality of values of the fullness level in addition to a fullness level value corresponding to a completely full waste container.

10. In a suction system including a motor, an internal chamber maintained under suction pressure by the motor, and a waste container, a method to sense a fullness level of the waste container comprising:

measuring a difference in pressure between the internal chamber and an area outside the internal chamber; and

processing the measured pressure difference according to a set of fuzzy logic rules to obtain an output signal corresponding to the fullness level of the waste container, the processing including producing values of the output signal corresponding to a plurality of values of the fullness level in addition to a fullness level value corresponding to a completely full waste container.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the processing takes into consideration a rotation speed of the motor.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the processing takes into consideration a surface on which the suction is performed.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising converting the output signal into a indication of fullness of the waste container that can be sensed by an operator of the suction system.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the indication of fullness of the waste container is continuously presented to the operator.

15. In a suction system including a motor, an internal chamber maintained under suction pressure by the motor, and a waste container, a method to sense a fullness level of the waste container comprising:

measuring a difference in pressure between the internal chamber and an area outside the internal chamber; and

processing the measured pressure difference according to a set of fuzzy logic rules to obtain an output signal corresponding to the fullness level of the waste container, wherein a relationship between the set of fuzzy logic rules and the fullness level of the waste container comprises the following relations;

IF pressure IS Very_Low THEN the waste container is Empty

IF pressure IS Low THEN the waste container IS Not Very_Full

IF pressure IS Medium THEN the waste container IS Half_Full

IF pressure IS High THEN the waste container IS Almost_Full

IF pressure IS Very_High THEN the waste container IS Full.

16. A suction device comprising:

a motor;

an internal chamber able to be kept under suction pressure by the motor;

a waste container portion of the internal chamber;

a pressure sensor coupled to the internal chamber having an output terminal; and

a fuzzy logic programmed electronic controller having an output terminal and having an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the pressure sensor, the electronic controller structured to provide an electric signal at its output terminal responsive to the pressure sensor output, the electric signal corresponding to the fullness level of the waste container, the controller being programmed to produce values of the electric signal corresponding to a plurality of values of the fullness level in addition to a fullness level value corresponding to a completely full waste container.

17. The suction device of claim 16 wherein the electronic controller further comprises a second input terminal structured to accept a signal corresponding to a type of surface on which the suction device operates, the controller being programmed to determine the fullness level based on the pressure sensor output and on the signal corresponding to the type of surface on which the suction device operates.

18. The suction device of claim 17 wherein the electronic controller further comprises a third input terminal structured to accept a signal corresponding to a rotation speed of the motor, the controller being programmed to determine the fullness level based on the pressure sensor output, on the signal corresponding to the type of surface on which the suction device operates, and on the rotation speed of the motor.

19. The suction device of claim 16 wherein the pressure sensor is structured to measure a difference of pressure between the internal chamber and an area outside the suction device.

20. The suction device of claim 16 further comprising a level indicator coupled to the output terminal of the electronic controller.

21. A suction device comprising:

a motor;

an internal chamber able to be kept under suction pressure by the motor;

a waste container portion of the internal chamber;

a pressure sensor coupled to the internal chamber having an output terminal; and

a fuzzy logic programmed electronic controller having an output terminal and having an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the pressure sensor, the electronic controller structured to provide an electric signal at its output terminal responsive to the pressure sensor output, the electric signal corresponding to the fullness level of the waste container, wherein the electronic controller is programmed with the following relations;

IF pressure IS Very_Low THEN the waste container is Empty

IF pressure IS Low THEN the waste container IS Not Very_Full

IF pressure IS Medium THEN the waste container IS Half_Full

IF pressure IS High THEN the waste container IS Almost_Full

IF pressure IS Very_High THEN the waste container IS Full.