System comprised of a floor processing device guided manually, an exclusively automatically operated floor processing device and a computing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11460859-B2
Application number	US-202016837157-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2020
Priority date	Apr 11, 2019
Publication date	Oct 4, 2022
Grant date	Oct 4, 2022

Abstract

A system has a first floor processing device guided manually by a user within an environment, a second, exclusively automatically operated floor processing device, and a computing device. The first floor processing device has a detection device for detecting a parameter of the environment and/or a surface to be processed, and the second floor processing device has a navigation device for navigating and self-localizing in the environment. In order to enable an optimal floor processing of the environment with as little assistance by the user as possible, the computing device is set up, based on the parameter detected by the detection device of the first floor processing device, to determine whether a specific partial surface area of the surface to be processed is suitable for floor processing by the second floor processing device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a first floor processing device that is configured to be guided manually by a user within an environment, the first floor processing device having a detection device configured for detecting a parameter of the environment and/or a surface to be processed,
a second, exclusively automatically operated floor processing device, the second floor processing device having a navigation device configured for navigating and self-localizing in the environment, and
a computing device, which, based on the parameter detected by the detection device of the first floor processing device, is configured to determine whether a specific partial surface area of the surface to be processed is suitable for floor processing by the second floor processing device,
wherein the computing device is configured to calculate a metric characteristic for a specific partial surface area from at least one detected parameter, wherein the metric characteristic is also dependent on a parameter of the second floor processing device, wherein the parameter of the second floor processing device is a characteristic device parameter and/or processing parameter of the second floor processing device, wherein the lower the metric, the more likely the partial surface area is suitable for processing by the second floor processing device, and the higher the metric, the more likely the partial surface area is not suitable for processing by the second floor processing device, or wherein the higher the metric, the more likely the partial surface area is suitable for processing by the second floor processing device, and the lower the metric, the more likely the partial surface area is not suitable for processing by the second floor processing device, and wherein the metric expresses whether the respective partial surface area is suitable to be cleaned by means of the second floor processing device.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the parameter detected by the detection device of the first floor processing device is a parameter of the partial surface area that limits and/or prevents the floor processing and/or navigability of the partial surface area.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the parameter detected by the detection device of the first floor processing device is a floor type, a contamination type, a contamination level, a contamination frequency and/or a standing or hanging obstacle.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first floor processing device is set up to transmit information to the second floor processing device indicating that the determined partial surface area is suitable for floor processing by the second floor processing device and/or wherein the second floor processing device is set up to transmit information to the first floor processing device as to whether the determined partial surface area is suitable for floor processing by the second floor processing device.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the second floor processing device has a computing device that is set up to consider the information during a navigation by means of the navigation device and/or given an activity planned in advance based on an activity calendar, so that the second floor processing device processes the defined partial surface area.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first floor processing device has a user interface, which is configured to indicate to the user that a specific partial surface area of the surface to be processed is suitable for floor processing by the second floor processing device.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second floor processing device is set up, in an event that a floor processing operation by the second floor processing device fails, to transmit information to the first floor processing device that the specific partial surface area cannot be processed by the second floor processing device.

Assignees

• Vorwerk Co Interholding

Inventors

• Arnold Hans-Peter
• Buening Thomas
• Fleczok Benjamin
• Frielinghaus Robert
• Helmich Martin
• Hillen Lorenz
• Holz Christian
• Isenberg Gerhard
• Mosebach Andrej
• Ortmann Roman
• Schmitz Kevin
• Vitz Fabian
• Van Teeffelen Niklas
• Kemker Uwe
• Hackert Georg

Classifications

• A47L2201/00

  Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation · CPC title

• A47L11/4061

  Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated · CPC title

• G01C21/206 Primary

  specially adapted for indoor navigation · CPC title

• A47L11/4011

  Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor · CPC title

• A47L9/2826

  the condition of the floor · CPC title