Vacuum cleaner using an intelligent power network

• US 8,978,195 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2010
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Daehwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): HORTON, ANDREW ALAN
• Application Number:
  US13/578,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20120311812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: 153/39, 153/19, 700/295, 307 64- 68
• US Class Current: 15/319
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2868 Arrangements for power supply of vacuum cleaners or the accessories thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner to perform a plurality of cleaning functions includes a main body including a suction motor, a nozzle to suction air and foreign material by using a suction power generated by the suction motor, and a handle disposed between the nozzle and the main body to be gripped by a user. A communication unit receives power information from an external, and a power management unit receives the power information from the communication unit. The power management unit determines a number of cleaning functions available to the vacuum cleaner among the plurality of cleaning functions based on the received power information, and a display unit displays the number of the cleaning functions determined by the power management unit to be available to the vacuum cleaner.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner to perform a plurality of cleaning functions, comprising:

a main body including a suction motor;

a nozzle to suction air and foreign material by using a suction power generated by the suction motor;

a handle disposed between the nozzle and the main body to be gripped by a user;

a communication unit to receive power information including price information from an external;

a power management unit to receive the power information from the communication unit, the power management unit to determine a number of cleaning functions available to the vacuum cleaner among the plurality of cleaning functions based on the received power information; and

a display unit to display the number of the cleaning functions determined by the power management unit to be available to the vacuum cleaner, wherein the power management unit supplies an operating power of the vacuum cleaner in an energy saving mode or a normal mode according to the price information provided through the external,

wherein, in the normal mode, the power management unit causes the display unit to display all the plurality of cleaning functions, and

in the energy saving mode, the power management unit causes the display unit to display the cleaning functions from among the plurality of cleaning functions that are available in the energy saving mode.

2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein when the power management unit determines that a power supply amount is sufficient to operate all the plurality of cleaning functions, the power management unit causes the display unit to

indicate that the vacuum cleaner can operate in the normal mode.

3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein when the power management unit determines that the power supply amount is not sufficient to operate all the plurality of cleaning functions, the power management unit causes the display unit to indicate that the vacuum cleaner can operate in the energy saving mode.

4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 3, wherein when the power management unit determines that the power supply amount is not sufficient to operate in the normal mode after previously determining that the power supply amount was sufficient to operate in the normal mode, the power management unit causes display unit to indicate that the vacuum cleaner can operate in the energy saving mode, and causes the display unit to display the cleaning functions from among the plurality of cleaning functions that are available in the energy saving mode.

5. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, wherein the display unit comprises:

a main display unit to display the power information that includes the price information and a power supply amount for each power supply source from the external; and

a sub display unit to display the number of cleaning functions determined by the power management unit to be available to the vacuum cleaner based on the power supply amount.

6. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, wherein the main display unit is disposed at the main body, and the sub display unit is disposed at the handle.

7. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 6, further comprising a power management button, wherein the power management button is used to select a power supply source from among a plurality of power supply sources and the power management button is disposed at the main display unit.

8. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 7, wherein the power management button comprises a selection button to cause the power management unit to change a power supply source displayed on the main display unit each time the selection button is pressed, and a confirmation button to confirm a power supply source as the power supply source to receive power when the confirmation button is pressed.

9. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, wherein the power management unit causes a chroma in a background of the main display unit to be displayed based on the power supply amount of the power supply source.

10. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, wherein the sub display unit is located at the handle of the vacuum cleaner, and the sub display unit further comprises a mode display unit to display the normal mode or the saving mode, and a function

display unit to display available cleaning functions based on the normal mode or the savings mode.

11. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 10, further comprising a control button to select a cleaning function from the available cleaning functions.

12. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, wherein the main display unit displays a power consumption amount or an electricity charge after one of the plurality of cleaning functions is performed.

13. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 further comprising a plug insertable into a socket to receive a power supply, wherein the communication unit is included in the plug to receive the power information.

14. A vacuum cleaner to perform a plurality of cleaning functions, comprising:

a main body including a suction motor;

a nozzle to suction air and foreign material by using a suction power generated by the suction motor;

a handle disposed between the nozzle and the main body to be gripped by a user;

a communication unit to receive power information including price information from an external;

a power management unit to receive the power information from the communication unit, the power management unit to determine a number of cleaning functions available to the vacuum cleaner among the plurality of cleaning functions based on the received power information; and

a display unit to display the number of the cleaning functions determined by the power management unit to be available to the vacuum cleaner, wherein the power management unit supplies an operating power of the vacuum cleaner in an energy saving mode or a normal mode according to the price information provided through the external,

wherein when the power management unit determines that a power supply amount is sufficient to operate all the plurality of cleaning functions, the power management unit causes the display unit to indicate that the vacuum cleaner can operate in the normal mode, and causes the display unit to display all the plurality of cleaning functions.