Adaptive speed control of rotating side brush

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016309975-A1
Application number	US-201315101510-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 19, 2013
Priority date	Dec 19, 2013
Publication date	Oct 27, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of controlling rotating side brushes of a robotic cleaning device and a robotic cleaning device performing the method. The robotic cleaning device has a main body, a propulsion system arranged to move the robotic cleaning device across a surface to be cleaned, and a controller arranged to control the propulsion system to move the robotic cleaning device across the surface to be cleaned in accordance with navigation information. The robotic cleaning device has an opening arranged in a bottom side of the main body via which debris is removed from the surface to be cleaned, and at least one rotating side brush adjacent to the opening. The controller registers a speed with which the robotic cleaning device moves across the surface to be cleaned, and controls a rotational speed of the rotating side brush on the basis of the registered speed of movement of the robotic cleaning device.

First claim

1 . A robotic cleaning device comprising:
a main body; a propulsion system arranged to move the robotic cleaning device across a surface to be cleaned; a controller arranged to control the propulsion system to move the robotic cleaning device across the surface to be cleaned; an opening in a bottom side of the main body via which debris is removed from the surface to be cleaned; and at least one rotating side brush arranged adjacent to the opening; the controller being arranged to register a speed with which the robotic cleaning device moves across the surface to be cleaned, and further to control a rotational speed of the at least one rotating side brush on the basis of the registered speed of movement of the robotic cleaning device.

2 . The robotic cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one rotating side brush is arranged at a periphery of the main body.

3 . The robotic cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is arranged to decrease the rotational speed of the at least one rotating side brush when the registered speed of movement of the robotic cleaning device decreases, and to increase the rotational speed of the at least one rotating side brush when the registered speed of movement of the robotic cleaning device increases.

4 . The robotic cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is arranged to control the rotation of the at least one rotating side brush such that a circumferential rotational speed of the at least one rotating side brush is relative to the speed of movement of the robotic cleaning device over the surface to be cleaned.

5 . The robotic cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is arranged to control the rotation of the at least one rotating side brush such that the speed of rotation does not fall below a lower threshold value regardless of the speed of movement of the robotic cleaning device over the surface to be cleaned.

6 . The robotic cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is arranged to control the rotation of the at least one rotating side brush such that circumferential rotational speed of the at least one rotating side brush is substantially equal to or higher than the speed of movement of the robotic cleaning device over the surface to be cleaned.

7 . The robotic cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is arranged to control direction of rotation of the at least one rotating side brush such that a point on a periphery of the side brush being distal with respect to the opening moves in a same direction as a direction of movement of the robotic cleaning device.

8 . The robotic cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one rotating side brush comprises:
two rotating side brushes arranged laterally on each side of the opening.

9 . A method of controlling rotation of at least one rotating side brush of a robotic cleaning device, the method comprising:
controlling movement of the robotic cleaning device across a surface to be cleaned; registering a speed with which the robotic cleaning device moves across the surface to be cleaned; and controlling a rotational speed of the at least one side brush on the basis of the speed of movement of the robotic cleaning device.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the controlling of the rotational speed of the at least one side brush comprises:
decreasing the rotational speed of the at least one rotating side brush when the registered speed of movement of the robotic cleaning device decreases; and increasing the rotational speed of the at least one rotating side brush when the registered speed of movement of the robotic cleaning device increases.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the controlling of the rotational speed of the at least one side brush comprises:
controlling the rotation of the at least one rotating side brush such that a circumferential rotational speed of the at least one rotating side brush is relative to the speed of movement of the robotic cleaning device over the surface to be cleaned.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the controlling of the rotational speed of the at least one side brush comprises:
controlling the rotation of the at least one rotating side brush such that circumferential rotational speed of the at least one rotating side brush is equal to or higher than the speed of movement of the robotic cleaning device over the surface to be cleaned.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the controlling of the rotational speed of the at least one side brush comprises:
controlling a direction of rotation of the at least one rotating side brush such that a point on a periphery of the side brush being distal with respect to an opening on the bottom of the robotic cleaning device moves in a same direction as a direction of movement of the robotic cleaning device.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the controlling of the rotational speed of the at least one side brush comprises:
controlling the rotation of the at least one rotating side brush such that the speed of rotation does not fall below a lower threshold value regardless of the speed of movement of the robotic cleaning device over the surface to be cleaned.

15 . A computer program comprising computer-executable instructions for causing a device to perform the steps recited in claim 9 when the computer-executable instructions are executed on a processing unit included in the robotic cleaning device.

16 . A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium having the computer program according to claim 15 embodied therein.

Assignees

• Electrolux Ab

Inventors

• Lindhé Magnus
• Klintemyr Andreas
• Haegermarck Anders
• Forsberg Petter

Classifications

• A47L11/4038

  Disk shaped surface treating tools · CPC title

• A47L9/2805 Primary

  Parameters or conditions being sensed · CPC title

• A47L2201/04

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

• A47L11/4069

  Driving or transmission means for the cleaning tools · CPC title

• A47L11/4041

  Roll shaped surface treating tools · CPC title