Vacuum cleaner, control method thereof, and computer readable recording medium

• US 9,877,628 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2015
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Won-gyu
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUNG V
• Application Number:
  US14/854,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20160073844A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0061 adapted for disinfecting or sterilising
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/10 Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner is provided. The vacuum cleaner includes an imaging unit configured to image a floor and generate a captured image, a storage unit configured to store a plurality of pieces of floor information that identify different types of floors and suction intensity information of the vacuum cleaner corresponding to each of the plurality of pieces of floor information, and a controller configured to search for floor information corresponding to the generated captured image among the plurality of pieces of floor information, and control a suction intensity of the vacuum cleaner using suction intensity information corresponding to the searched floor information.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

an imaging unit configured to capture a floor and generate a captured image;

a storage unit configured to store a plurality of pieces of floor information and suction intensity information of the vacuum cleaner corresponding to each of the plurality of pieces of floor information; and

a controller configured to search for floor information corresponding to the captured image among the plurality of pieces of floor information, and control a suction intensity of the vacuum cleaner using suction intensity information corresponding to the searched floor information,

wherein the controller is further configured to, when the floor information corresponding to the captured image is not stored in the storage unit, automatically update the floor information stored in the storage unit by matching a current suction intensity of the vacuum cleaner to the floor information corresponding to the captured image and storing the floor information matched with the current suction intensity of the vacuum cleaner in the storage unit.

2. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the floor information includes at least one piece of information of a color and pattern of the floor, and

the controller is further configured to search for the floor information corresponding to the generated captured image by analyzing the at least one piece of information of the color and pattern of the floor in the captured image.

3. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a manipulator configured to receive a suction intensity in which the vacuum cleaner performs suction on a surface to be cleaned in the floor,

wherein the controller is further configured to store the floor information corresponding to the captured image and the suction intensity that is received through the manipulator and is corresponding to the floor information.

4. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 3, wherein, in response to the suction intensity information corresponding to the floor information being pre-stored, the controller is further configured to update the pre-stored suction intensity information to the received suction intensity.

5. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to detect a corner region from the captured image, and the controller is further configured to increase the suction intensity of the vacuum cleaner in response to the corner region being detected.

6. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the storage unit is further configured to store protrusion state information of a brush corresponding to each of the plurality of pieces of floor information, and

the controller is further configured to control a protrusion state of the brush in the vacuum cleaner using the protrusion state information of the brush corresponding to the searched floor information.

7. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the storage unit is further configured to store setup information of a sterilizing function corresponding to each of the plurality of pieces of floor information, and

the controller is further configured to control the sterilizing function of the vacuum cleaner using the setup information of the sterilizing function corresponding to the searched floor information.

8. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a main body configured to suck air and collect dust in the air;

a suction nozzle assembly configured to be in contact with the floor and suck the air;

an extension passage configured to couple the main body and the suction nozzle assembly, and transfer the air sucked from the floor to the main body; and

a handle member located in one side of the extension passage and gripped by a user,

wherein the imaging unit is provided in the handle member and further configured to capture the floor around the suction nozzle assembly.

9. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a main body configured to suck air and collect dust in the air;

a suction nozzle assembly configured to be in contact with the floor and suck the air;

an extension passage configured to couple the main body and the suction nozzle assembly, and transfer the air sucked from the floor to the main body; and

a handle member located in one side of the extension passage and gripped by a user,

wherein the imaging unit is provided in the suction nozzle assembly and further configured to capture the floor around the suction nozzle assembly.