Self-propelled electronic device

• US 9,566,712 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Masashi, Miki, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Sample, Jonathan L
• Application Number:
  US14/384,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20150039127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,435 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances

Abstract

In a self-propelled vacuum cleaner (1), a housing operation management section (51) and an image transmission control section (53) receive a stop instruction for stopping a transmission operation of an image from a user. In a case where the stop instruction is received, the image transmission control section (53) stops the transmission operation of the image and sets a command non-reception mode. Upon receipt of the stop instruction for stopping the transmission operation of the image, the command control section (56) notifies, to a login terminal device which has transmitted a command of the transmission operation of the image, that the command non-reception mode in which reception of the operation command from the login terminal device is refused has been set in the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1.

Claims

1. A self-propelled electronic device, comprising:

a camera;

a microphone;

a control circuit; and

stop instruction circuitry that provides a stop instruction when operated;

wherein

the self-propelled electronic device operates in response to a command transmitted from a terminal device connected via a communication network;

the self-propelled electronic device generates at least one of;

image data corresponding to an image obtained with the camera and sound data corresponding to sound obtained with the microphone in response to the command;

the self-propelled electronic device transmits the image data or the sound data to the terminal device via the communication network in response to the command;

when the stop instruction circuitry is operated while (i) the self-propelled electronic device generates at least one of the image data and the sound data, or (ii) the self-propelled electronic device transmits the image data or the sound data to the terminal device via the communication network, the control circuit receives the stop instruction and stops the generation of the image data and the sound data or stops the transmission of the image data or the sound data to the terminal device via the communication network;

when the stop instruction circuitry is operated while neither (i) the generation of the image data and the sound data is performed, nor (ii) the transmission of the image data or the sound data to the terminal device via the communication network is performed, the control circuit ignores the stop instruction; and

when the control circuit receives the stop instruction, (i) the control circuit sets a command non-reception mode in which reception of an operation command from the terminal device is refused, and (ii) the self-propelled electronic device notifies to the terminal device, which has transmitted the command to the self-propelled electronic device, that the command non-reception mode has been set in the self-propelled electronic device.

2. The self-propelled electronic device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the stop instruction circuitry includes a button provided on a housing of the self-propelled electronic device; and

the stop instruction is received by the control circuit when the button is operated during (i) the generation of the image data and the sound data, or (ii) the transmission of the image data or the sound data to the terminal device via the communication network.

3. The self-propelled electronic device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a remote controller, wherein:

the stop instruction circuitry includes a button provided on the remote controller; and

the stop instruction is received by the control circuit when the button is operated during (i) the generation of the image data and the sound data, or (ii) the transmission of the image data or the sound data to the terminal device via the communication network.

4. The self-propelled electronic device as set forth in claim 1,

wherein, in a case where a next command is received from the terminal device which has previously transmitted, to the self-propelled electronic device, the command to perform the generation or the transmission which was stopped on receipt of the stop instruction, the control circuit transmits, as a response, a notification that the command non-reception mode has been set.

5. The self-propelled electronic device as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the control circuit includes a CPU.