Autonomous traveler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020022551-A1
Application number	US-201616077943-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 14, 2016
Priority date	Feb 16, 2016
Publication date	Jan 23, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

One embodiment of a vacuum cleaner is provided and is capable of performing efficient autonomous traveling. The vacuum cleaner includes a main casing, driving wheels, a map generation part, a self-position estimation part, an information acquisition part and a control unit. The driving wheels enable the main casing to travel. The map generation part generates a map indicative of information on an area. The self-position estimation part estimates a self-position. The information acquisition part acquires external information on the main casing. The control unit controls the operation of the driving wheels based on the map generated by the map generation part to make the main casing autonomously travel. The control unit makes a search motion to perform when the information on the area at autonomous traveling is different from the information on the area indicated in the map generated by the map generation part.

First claim

1 . An autonomous traveler comprising:
a main casing; a driving part for enabling the main casing to travel; a map generation part for generating a map indicative of information on an area; a self-position estimation part for estimating a self-position; an information acquisition part for acquiring external information on the main casing; and a control unit for controlling an operation of the driving part based on the map generated by the map generation part to make the main casing autonomously travel, wherein when information on the area at autonomously traveling is different from the information on the area indicated in the map generated by the map generation part, the control unit makes a search motion performed.

2 . The autonomous traveler according to claim 1 , wherein
the map generation part reflects information acquired through the search motion in the map, and the control unit controls the operation of the driving part to change a traveling route of the main casing based on the map in which the information is reflected.

3 . The autonomous traveler according to claim 2 , wherein when the control unit changes the traveling route of the main casing, the autonomous traveler performs reporting.

4 . The autonomous traveler according to claim 1 , wherein the search motion is an operation in which the control unit controls the operation of the driving part so as to acquire a range of a different position that is different from the information on the area indicated in the map.

5 . The autonomous traveler according to claim 4 , wherein the search motion is an operation in which the control unit controls the operation of the driving part so that the main casing travels along a periphery of the different position that is different from the information on the area indicated in the map, thereby acquiring information by use of the information acquisition part.

6 . The autonomous traveler according to claim 1 , comprising a cleaning unit for cleaning a cleaning-object surface,
wherein the cleaning unit operates to perform cleaning at least when the search motion is performed by the control unit.

7 . The autonomous traveler according to claim 1 , wherein the information acquisition part acquires an arrangement position of an obstacle as information at least when the search motion is performed by the control unit.

8 . The autonomous traveler according to any claim 1 , wherein the information acquisition part acquires a shape of the obstacle as information at least when the search motion is performed by the control unit.

9 . The autonomous traveler according to claim 8 , wherein the information acquisition part includes:
a plurality of cameras disposed apart from one another on the main casing; a distance image generation part for generating, based on images picked up by the plurality of cameras, a distance image of an object positioned in a traveling direction side of the main casing; and a shape acquisition part for acquiring shape information on the picked-up object based on the distance image generated by the distance image generation part, to acquire the shape of the obstacle.

10 . The autonomous traveler according to claim 1 , wherein the information acquisition part acquires material of the cleaning-object surface as information at least when the search motion is performed by the control unit.

11 . The autonomous traveler according to claim 1 , wherein the information acquisition part acquires a step gap of the cleaning-object surface as information at least when the search motion is performed by the control unit.

12 . The autonomous traveler according to claim 1 , wherein the information acquisition part acquires a temperature of the obstacle as information at least when the search motion is performed by the control unit.

13 . The autonomous traveler according to claim 1 , comprising the cleaning unit for cleaning the cleaning-object surface,
wherein the information acquisition part acquires an amount of dust and dirt on the cleaning-object surface as information at least when the search motion is performed by the control unit.

14 . The autonomous traveler according to claim 1 , wherein the information acquisition part acquires a color tone of the cleaning-object surface as information at least when the search motion is performed by the control unit.

15 . A control method for an autonomous traveler, comprising the steps of acquiring external information at autonomous traveling, and performing a search motion when information on an area indicated in a previously-stored map is different from the acquired information.

Assignees

• Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corp

Inventors

• Watanabe Kota
• Izawa Hirokazu
• Furuta Kazuhiro
• Marutani Yuuki

Classifications

• A47L9/2884

  Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation · CPC title

• A47L9/2842

  Suction motors or blowers · CPC title

• A47L9/2894

  Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners · CPC title

• A47L2201/06

  Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning · CPC title

• A47L9/2805

  Parameters or conditions being sensed · CPC title