System consisting of floor treatment apparatus that is exclusively guided manually and a floor treatment apparatus that is exclusively operated automatically, as well as method for operating a system of this type

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11484170-B2
Application number	US-202016741866-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2020
Priority date	Jan 18, 2019
Publication date	Nov 1, 2022
Grant date	Nov 1, 2022

Abstract

The invention pertains to a system consisting of a first floor treatment apparatus that is exclusively guided manually within an environment by a user and a second floor treatment apparatus that is exclusively operated automatically, wherein the second floor treatment apparatus is designed for orienting and localizing itself within an environment. The first floor treatment apparatus is designed for detecting a movement path of the first floor treatment apparatus during a movement of the first floor treatment apparatus that is manually guided by a user, as well as for transmitting information on the detected movement path to the second floor treatment apparatus by means of wireless communication. The second floor treatment apparatus is designed for receiving the information and for autonomously traveling along the movement path within the environment based on the received information.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system consisting of a first floor treatment apparatus ( 1 ) in a form of a first floor cleaning apparatus that is exclusively guided manually within an environment by a user and a second floor treatment apparatus ( 2 ) in a form of a second floor cleaning apparatus that is exclusively operated automatically, wherein the second floor treatment apparatus ( 2 ) is designed for orienting and localizing itself within the environment, wherein the first floor treatment apparatus ( 1 ) is designed for detecting a movement path ( 3 ) of the first floor treatment apparatus ( 1 ) during a movement of the first floor treatment apparatus ( 1 ) that is manually guided by the user, as well as for transmitting information on the detected movement path ( 3 ) to the second floor treatment apparatus ( 2 ) by means of wireless communication, wherein the second floor treatment apparatus ( 2 ) is designed for receiving the information and for autonomously traveling along the movement path ( 3 ) within the environment based on the received information.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first floor treatment apparatus ( 1 ) is designed for detecting a floor treatment activity in a form of a cleaning activity carried out by the first floor treatment apparatus ( 1 ) during a user-guided movement of the first floor treatment apparatus ( 1 ), as well as for transmitting information on the floor treatment activity to the second floor treatment apparatus ( 2 ) by means of wireless communication, wherein the second floor treatment apparatus ( 2 ) is designed for receiving the information and for automatically carrying out the floor treatment activity.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the first floor treatment apparatus ( 1 ) and the second floor treatment apparatus ( 2 ) have corresponding communication modules ( 4 ) for wireless communication of the information on the movement path ( 3 ) and/or the floor treatment activity.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first floor treatment apparatus ( 1 ) has a detection device ( 5 , 6 , 7 ) selected from the following group: camera, laser scanner ( 19 ), floor sensor for detecting a type of surface to be treated, dirt sensor for detecting a type or degree of a dirt accumulation on the surface to be treated, sensor for determining a power of a driving motor, distance sensor, inertial sensor, time sensor and contact sensor.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the first floor treatment apparatus ( 1 ) and/or the second floor treatment apparatus ( 2 ) has an evaluation device ( 8 ) that is designed for determining at least one of the following types of information from detection signals of the detection device ( 5 , 6 , 7 ): the movement path ( 3 ) of the first floor treatment apparatus ( 1 ) in the environment, an environment map ( 9 ), a treatment status ( 10 ) of a section ( 11 , 12 ) of the environment, a position of a treated section ( 11 , 12 ), an untreated section and/or a section that is not accessible to the first floor treatment apparatus ( 1 ), the floor type, the type of dirt accumulation, the degree of dirt accumulation, an accessory suitable for use by the first floor treatment apparatus ( 1 ) for floor treatment purposes, 3D environment information and obstacle information.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first floor treatment apparatus ( 1 ) has an actuation element ( 13 ) that can be actuated by the user and enables the user to mark sections ( 11 , 12 ) of the environment stored in an environment map ( 9 ) and/or positions of the movement path ( 3 ) during a movement of the first floor treatment apparatus ( 1 ) and/or during a floor treatment activity.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the first floor treatment apparatus ( 1 ) is designed for transmitting information on the marked sections ( 11 , 12 ) and/or positions to the second floor treatment apparatus ( 2 ), wherein the second floor treatment apparatus ( 2 ) has a control and evaluation device ( 8 ) that is designed for controlling a defined floor treatment activity of the second floor treatment apparatus ( 2 ) within the marked sections ( 11 , 12 ) or at the marked position or for avoiding the marked sections ( 11 , 12 ) or the position as a no-go area during the floor treatment activity.

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the floor treatment activity of the second floor treatment apparatus ( 2 ) defined for the marked sections ( 11 , 12 ) or the marked position differs from the floor treatment activity carried out by the first floor treatment apparatus ( 1 ) in the marked sections ( 11 , 12 ) or at the marked position.

9. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the defined floor treatment activity of the second floor treatment apparatus ( 2 ) comprises intensive cleaning or gentle cleaning of the marked sections ( 11 , 12 ) or the marked position.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second floor treatment apparatus ( 2 ) is designed for transmitting information concerning the environment to the first floor treatment apparatus ( 1 ) after the second floor treatment apparatus has traveled along the movement path ( 3 ) and/or after the second floor treatment apparatus has carried out the floor treatment activity, wherein said information is selected from the following group: an environment map ( 9 ) of the environment generated by the second floor treatment apparatus ( 2 ), a section ( 11 , 12 ) of the environment and/or a position of the movement path ( 3 ) to be cleaned manually by the first floor treatment apparatus ( 1 ) and a section ( 11 , 12 ) or position that contains a movable obstacle ( 14 ) to be removed by the user.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the first floor treatment apparatus ( 1 ) has a display unit ( 15 ) for displaying the information transmitted by the second floor treatment apparatus ( 2 ).

12. A method for operating the system according to claim 1 , wherein the first floor treatment apparatus ( 1 ) is exclusively guided manually within an environment by the user, wherein the second floor treatment apparatus ( 2 ) is exclusively operated automatically, and wherein the second floor treatment apparatus ( 2 ) orients and localizes itself within the environment, wherein the first floor treatment apparatus ( 1 ) detects the movement path ( 3 ) of the first floor treatment apparatus ( 1 ) during the movement of the first floor treatment apparatus ( 1 ) that is manually guided by the user and transmits information on the detected movement path ( 3 ) to the second floor treatment apparatus ( 2 ) by means of wireless communication, wherein the second floor treatment apparatus ( 2 ) receives the information and autonomously travels along the movement path ( 3 ) within the environment based on the received information, and/or wherein the first floor treatment apparatus ( 1 ) detects a floor treatment activity carried out by the first floor treatment apparatus ( 1 ) during the movement of the first floor treatment apparatus and transmits information on the floor treatment activity to the second floor treatment apparatus ( 2 ) by means of wireless communication, wherein the second floor treatment apparatus ( 2 ) receives the information and automatically carries out the floor treatment activity.

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

• A47L9/2805

  Parameters or conditions being sensed · CPC title

• A47L9/2852

  Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles · CPC title

• A47L9/281

  the amount or condition of incoming dirt or dust · CPC title

• A47L2201/04

  Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection · CPC title

• A47L5/24 Primary

  Hand-supported suction cleaners · CPC title