Patent Application
20240065510
This application claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, of German Patent Application DE 10 2022 209 066.7, filed Aug. 31, 2022; the prior application is herewith incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The invention relates to a method for operating a mobile, self-moving appliance, in particular a floor cleaning appliance, such as a vacuum cleaning and/or sweeping robot, in a wall following mode, as well as a mobile, self-moving appliance that can be operated according to such a method.
Mobile, self-moving appliances, such as robot vacuum cleaners for example, are intended to clean as much of an entire floor surface as possible autonomously. In particular robot vacuum cleaners are intended to relieve their users of the task of cleaning dust and dirt from the floor on a regular basis. Particular attention is paid here to cleaning along walls and in corners. It becomes obvious over time if the robot vacuum cleaner reaches a majority of the floor surface to be cleaned but not regions close to the walls or corners.
Robot vacuum cleaners frequently have a basic body containing a D shape. With a D-shaped robot vacuum cleaner the following steps for example are followed when cleaning corners:
If during this process the robot vacuum cleaner moves or rotates too far from one of the walls, its side brush is no longer in contact with the wall and dirt residues remain close to the wall. To ensure that the front corner of the robot vacuum cleaner does not collide with the wall during rotation and travel to the wall, some robot vacuum cleaners maintain a distance from the wall, which can result in an unsatisfactory result. Other robot vacuum cleaners move extra close to the wall for optimal wall cleaning, to the point when a front collision sensor is triggered, causing the robot vacuum cleaner to rotate. However, this means the robot vacuum cleaner regularly collides with the wall, with the result that damage to the wall cannot be excluded.
Some robot vacuum cleaners of known manufacturers have a basic body of a round shape. As such robot vacuum cleaners do not have projecting or protruding structures, movement of such robot vacuum cleaners can be controlled with simple algorithms. Round robot vacuum cleaners perform corner cleaning for example as follows:
Round robot vacuum cleaners have disadvantages however when it comes to cleaning wall corners. Their round shape means that the cleaning elements, for example the nozzle and/or side brush, of the robot vacuum cleaners do not reach the corner, allowing dust to remain in corners. D-shaped robot vacuum cleaners are therefore more advantageous, at least for cleaning corners. Such robot vacuum cleaners have a straight edge at the front, the outer housing corners of which are able to reach into corners. However, the housing corners enlarge the outer radius of an imaginary collision avoidance circle that has to be taken into account during rotational movement of the robot vacuum cleaner, with the result again that there can be regions close to the wall where the floor is not cleaned.
It is the object of the invention to provide a method for operating a mobile, self-moving appliance, wherein in a wall following mode, in particular when cleaning corners, collisions with walls are avoided while at the same time allowing optimal cleaning of problematic regions, for example corners.
This object is achieved by a method for operating a mobile, self-moving appliance with the features of the independent method and by a mobile, self-moving appliance with the features of the independent mobile, self-moving appliance claim. Advantageous configurations and developments are set out in the subclaims.
According to the invention a method for operating a mobile, self-moving appliance, in particular a floor cleaning appliance such as a vacuum cleaning and/or sweeping and/or mopping robot, in a wall following mode includes the following sequential steps:
According to the invention therefore an alternative wall following mode is deployed, which focuses specifically on the front housing corner of the appliance and ensures that this is at the optimal distance from the wall, in particular when moving round or cleaning a corner. This advantageously prevents collisions between the housing corner and the wall. Rearward evasive maneuvers can be avoided with a side brush at the same time having optimal overlap with the edge of the wall during wall or corner cleaning.
In the present instance in wall following mode a distance between the front point of the housing corner of the appliance and the wall is advantageously controlled. This not only takes into account the shape of the robot but it also ensures that the relevant appliance part for floor cleaning is always the appropriate distance from the wall. In particular during corner cleaning a controller strategy is selected for the movement of the appliance that ensures that the front point of the housing corner is always an appropriate, adequate but not too great distance from the wall, while the appliance is generally aligned parallel to the wall.
In wall following mode a cascaded controller is used for speed, direction or rotation and distance control. The distance between the front point of the housing corner and the wall is however used as an input value for the controller rather than the distance between an appliance center point and the wall. Collisions between the housing corner and the wall are avoided as the distance between the front point and the wall is regulated. No additional rearward evasive maneuvers are required, as the appliance does not move too close to the wall when the distance between front point and wall is regulated. This also means that a side brush of the appliance is always an optimal distance from the wall, so that no regions along the wall are omitted and all the regions are reliably cleaned.
A mobile, self-moving appliance refers in particular to a floor cleaning appliance, which processes floor surfaces autonomously, for example in a household context. These include inter alia vacuum cleaning and/or sweeping and/or mopping robots, such as robot vacuum cleaners, for example. During operation (cleaning operation) such appliances preferably operate without or with as little user intervention as possible. For example, the appliance moves independently in a predefined space in order to clean the floor according to a predefined and preprogrammed procedural strategy.
In order to be able to take into account any individual particularities of the environment, an exploratory journey preferably takes place with the mobile, self-moving appliance. An exploratory journey refers in particular to a reconnaissance, which is suitable for exploring a floor surface to be processed to determine obstacles, spatial divisions and the like. The purpose of an exploratory journey is in particular, to be able to assess and/or show conditions of the floor processing region to be processed.
After the exploratory journey the mobile, self-moving appliance knows its environment and can transmit it to the user in the form of the environment map, for example to a mobile device in an app (cleaning app). In the environment map the user can be offered the possibility of interacting with the mobile, self-moving appliance. The user can advantageously see information in the environment map and change and/or adapt it as required.
An environment map refers in particular to any map, which is suitable for showing the environment of the floor processing region with all its obstacles and objects. For example, the environment map shows the floor processing region with the furniture and walls contained therein in the manner of a sketch.
The environment map with obstacles is preferably shown in the app on a portable auxiliary device. This serves in particular to allow visualization for possible interaction for the user.
An auxiliary device here refers in particular to any device that a user can carry and which is located outside the mobile, self-moving appliance, in particular is external to and/or differentiated from the mobile, self-moving appliance, and is suitable for displaying, providing, conveying and/or transmitting data, for example a mobile phone, smart phone, tablet and/or a computer or laptop.
An app, in particular a cleaning app, is preferably installed on the portable auxiliary device, serving to link the mobile, self-moving appliance to the auxiliary device and in particular allowing visualization of the floor processing region, in other words the living space to be cleaned or the home or region of the home to be cleaned. The app preferably shows the user the region to be cleaned as an environment map.
A wall following mode refers in particular to any cleaning mode parallel to and along a first wall, which preferably includes a change of direction parallel to and along a second wall at a wall corner.
Sequential steps are in particular steps that can be performed one after the other and influence the movement response of the appliance. The steps can be performed directly after one another or can include intermediate steps.
The first wall and second wall preferably adjoin one another and where they touch form a wall corner. A wall corner is in particular any break in a straight alignment of the first wall. The second wall and its extension start adjacent to the wall corner.
A first predetermined distance between the front point of the housing corner of the mobile, self-moving appliance and the second wall refers in particular to a fixed distance, which is stored when the appliance is manufactured and cannot be changed by the user. The first predetermined distance here is set so that the appliance can rotate at the wall corner without colliding with one of the walls. In particular, the first predetermined distance is preset by way of a parameter. A setpoint or target state is parameterized so that the appliance can rotate at the wall corner without colliding with one of the walls in the process.
A front point of the housing corner refers in particular to a point on the housing located in a front, side region of the housing. In particular, the front point is located near to the front housing corner or directly on the front housing corner of the appliance, preferably the front right housing corner.
When the appliance is rotated about its center point, the appliance is in particular not rotated through 90 degrees. The appliance preferably rotates from its direction parallel to the first wall to an angled alignment so that the front point of the housing corner faces the second wall or is at a minimal distance therefrom. Rotation therefore takes place substantially about an angle smaller than 90 degrees, in particular in a rotation range from 30 degrees to 60 degrees to the parallel alignment to the first wall.
Only after rotation does the appliance start forward movement or forward travel, during which however the second predetermined distance between front point and second wall is kept constant. During forward movement therefore the appliance also performs an overlaid rotational movement, until the appliance is aligned parallel to the second wall. The appliance therefore performs the following steps one after the other at wall corners: move along the first wall; approach the wall corner; move backward (away from the wall corner) until the first predetermined distance between front point and second wall is reached; the appliance rotates through less than 90 degrees, until the second predetermined distance is reached between front point and second wall; the appliance moves forward while simultaneously rotating with a constant second predetermined distance between front point and second wall, until the most parallel possible or substantially parallel alignment is achieved in relation to the second wall; and move along the second wall.
A center point of the appliance refers in particular to the actual appliance center point or a center point of the wheel axles.
A second predetermined distance refers in particular to a distance set by the manufacturer, which cannot be changed by the user. In particular, the second predetermined distance is a distance, at which the bristles of the side brush of the appliance still reach the wall. The second predetermined distance is therefore shorter than the bristle length but long enough for the housing corner not to collide with the second wall.
In one advantageous embodiment the sequential steps allow a movement response of the mobile, self-moving appliance to be controlled such that the second predetermined distance between front point of the housing corner and first wall and then second wall is kept as constant as possible. The side brush of the appliance is preferably arranged on the front point of the housing corner. The constant distance ensures that the side brush has optimal overlap with the edge of the wall, to ensure reliable and in particular complete wall and corner cleaning.
In a further advantageous embodiment the front point of the housing corner is selected so that a distance between the front point and an actual housing boundary of the mobile, self-moving appliance is substantially constant in cleaning directions. The front point is therefore selected so that the distance between the point and the actual housing boundary of the appliance is constant or almost constant in all directions close to the point or of significance, in other words in particular frontal, side and angled forward. The cleaning directions here are any directions in which the cleaning region of a cleaning element attached in the front region, for example a side brush in the front right housing corner, is located.
In a further advantageous embodiment the front point of the housing corner is selected so that an active range of at least one cleaning element is substantially constant in the cleaning directions. For example, the cleaning element is a side brush and the front point a side brush axle, the distance between which and the first or second wall is used as a controller parameter for wall following mode. A front point selected thus advantageously takes into account the shape of the housing, in particular a D shape of the housing, as well as the reach or active range of the side brush, which is arranged in particular on the housing corner. This means that the side brush always has an optimal overlap with the edge, regardless of the orientation of the appliance when moving toward the wall. In particular, the axle of the side brush of the housing corner is always the same distance from the wall. The side brush axle or its distance from the first or second wall is therefore used as a basis for the controller for wall following mode.
In a further advantageous embodiment the second predetermined distance has a tolerance range, in which the front point can appear without a travel movement of the mobile, self-moving appliance being adjusted. A deviation range in particular is therefore defined around the setpoint distance, the front point being able to appear therein without the controller intervening in the travel movement of the appliance.
In a further advantageous embodiment a forward movement of the front point is brought about by a first, for example right, drive of the mobile, self-moving appliance and an alignment of the mobile, self-moving appliance is brought about by a second, for example left, drive of the mobile, self-moving appliance. The forward movement of the front point is therefore brought about principally by the first drive, while the alignment of the appliance is influenced predominantly by the second drive. The interaction of the movements of the two drives results in a path for the appliance, in which it is not the path of the appliance center point that is regulated but the front point, in particular the side brush axle.
In a further advantageous embodiment the mobile, self-moving appliance has a D shape. In particular, the shape of the housing of the appliance is D-shaped. This appliance shape with a straight front face means that the appliance rotates through less than 90 degrees when cleaning corners or in wall following mode. In particular, rotation only takes place until the front point is aligned with the second wall.
In a further advantageous embodiment the mobile, self-moving appliance reduces its speed before reaching the second wall. In the last section of the approach of the mobile, self-moving appliance toward the second wall the appliance therefore slows down and reduces its speed to ensure a safe, reliable and collision-free approach to the second wall.
The invention also relates to a mobile, self-moving appliance, which is operated as described above, and which comprises a distance measurement unit, which is configured to determine a distance between front point of the housing corner and adjacent wall.
Features, configurations, embodiments and advantages relating to the method also apply in the context of the inventive appliance and vice versa.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a method for operating a mobile, self-moving device, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
Cleaning robots, for example robot vacuum cleaners, are intended to clean dust and dirt from the floor on a regular basis. It is however more difficult to clean reliably along walls and in corners. For example, it is disadvantageously obvious if a robot vacuum cleaner reaches the majority of the floor surface to be cleaned but not regions close to the wall. When corners are being cleaned, collisions can also occur in regions close to the wall or corner regions, with the risk of damage.
Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to
Its round shape means that the cleaning elements of the robot vacuum cleaner do not reach the corner 4, leaving dirt and dust there, which can be seen as disadvantageous by the user.
To improve or completely avoid such deficient corner cleaning, robot vacuum cleaners are used which have a D shape rather than a round shape. Such robot vacuum cleaners have a straight edge at the front, the outer housing corners of which can reach into a corner. However, such projecting housing corners mean that rotational movement of the robot vacuum cleaner can result in collisions with the wall. There is also a risk that regions of the floor surface may not be cleaned.
To avoid such regions not being cleaned, it is possible during corner cleaning to shorten the path the robot vacuum cleaner covers when moving backward (step 3), as shown by way of example in
The rearward movement in the curve in steps 3 and 4, however, causes the robot vacuum cleaner 1 to strike the first wall 2 in the region 6 and pushes it along it, with the result that over time the robot vacuum cleaner can leave marks on the wall.
Alternatively it is known in step 3 to move the robot vacuum cleaner rearward only a very short distance (see
In the inventive operating method an alternative controller strategy is selected for wall following mode and in particular when cleaning corners, ensuring that the front housing corner of the robot vacuum cleaner always remains an appropriate, adequate but not too great distance from the second wall, while the robot vacuum cleaner is generally aligned parallel to the second wall. This prevents collisions between the front housing corner and the second wall, while at the same time ensuring optimal overlap between the front housing corner and the wall.
The robot center point is located centrally between the drive wheels 8a, 8b and is a different distance from side and frontal housing walls and the housing corners. The robot vacuum cleaner 1 is not configured symmetrically in the front region due to the one-sided configuration of the side brush 10. In particular, the nozzle 9 is not aligned centrally due to the right-side arrangement of the side brush 10. The side brush axle 11 of the side brush 10 is close to the front right housing corner of the robot vacuum cleaner and in particular is at a similar frontal, side and diagonal distance from the housing wall of the robot vacuum cleaner. The side brush axle 11 is located in the center of the side brush 10, so the cleaning or active range is always almost identical in directions of the housing wall of the front right housing corner.
In wall following mode a cascaded controller is deployed for speed, direction or rotation and distance control, a travel speed and direction or orientation angle being predetermined for the robot vacuum cleaner therein. The latter is determined by measuring or estimating the distance between the robot vacuum cleaner 1 and the wall. If the distance is longer than a setpoint value, the direction angle changes in a direction toward the wall. If the distance is shorter than the setpoint value, the direction angle changes in a direction away from the wall. A PID controller structure can reduce any tendency to overshoot and achieve the most stationary distance value possible without further offsetting the setpoint value.
According to the invention a front point of the front right housing corner, in particular the side brush axle 11, is used as an input value for the controller. The sequence for corner cleaning is shown in
The forward movement of the side brush axle 11 is brought about in particular by the drive of the right drive wheel while the alignment of the robot vacuum cleaner 1 is predominantly controlled by the left drive wheel of the robot vacuum cleaner 1. The interaction between the movements of the two drive wheels produces the movement of the robot vacuum cleaner shown in
Distance control by way of the side brush axle only takes place here in step 105. In all the other steps distance control takes place by way of the robot center. Alternatively, distance control by way of the side brush axle can also take place in any steps, in which the robot moves along one of the walls, in other words in steps 101b, 105, 106b, as shown in the right-hand flow diagram in
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2022 209 066.7 | Aug 2022 | DE | national |
