Vacuum cleaner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020121147-A1
Application number	US-201816604583-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 22, 2018
Priority date	May 23, 2017
Publication date	Apr 23, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner includes a main casing, a driving wheel, a control unit, a camera, a self-position estimation part, an obstacle detection part, and a mapping part. The camera captures an image in a traveling direction side of the main casing. The self-position estimation part estimates a position of the main casing on a basis of the image captured by the camera. The obstacle detection part detects an obstacle on a basis of the image captured by the camera. A timing in which either of processing by the self-position estimation part or processing by the obstacle detection part is executed during the main casing's traveling, as well as a timing when the both types of processing are executed simultaneously during the same, are set. The vacuum cleaner can autonomously traveling while reducing a load of image processing.

First claim

1 . A vacuum cleaner comprising:
a main body; a travel driving part configured to allow the main body to travel; a controller configured to make the main body travel autonomously by controlling driving of the travel driving part; a camera configured to capture an image in a traveling direction side of the main body; a self-position estimation part configured to estimate a position of the main body on a basis of the image captured by the camera; an obstacle detection part configured to detect an obstacle on a basis of the image captured by the camera; and a mapper configured to generate a map of a traveling area, on a basis of the image captured by the camera, the position of the main body estimated by the self-position estimation part, and the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection part, wherein a timing in which either of each processing by the self-position estimation part or the obstacle detection part is executed during the main body's travelling, as well as a timing in which both types of the processing are simultaneously executed during the same, are set.

2 . The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the processing by the self-position estimation part and the processing by the obstacle detection part are executed by use of identical image data captured by the camera.

3 . The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2 , wherein
each of the processing by the self-position estimation part and the processing by the obstacle detection part are executed by use of data of ranges set to correspond to respective parts in the identical image data captured by the camera.

4 . The vacuum cleaner according to claim 3 , wherein
the self-position estimation part executes the processing by use of data corresponding to an upper part in the image data captured by the camera, and the obstacle detection part executes the processing by use of data corresponding to a lower part in the image data.

5 . The vacuum cleaner according to claim 4 , wherein
the obstacle detection part executes the processing by use of data on a specified range which, in the image data captured by the camera, corresponds to a lower part in an up-and-down direction and is centered around a central part in a widthwise direction.

6 . The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein
a frequency in execution of the processing by the self-position estimation part differs from a frequency in execution of the processing by the obstacle detection part.

7 . The vacuum cleaner according to claim 6 , wherein
the frequency in the execution of the processing by the obstacle detection part is higher than the frequency in the execution of the processing by the self-position estimation part.

Assignees

• Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corp

Inventors

• Izawa Hirokazu
• Marutani Yuuki
• Watanabe Kota

Classifications

• A47L2201/02

  Docking stations; Docking operations · CPC title

• A47L11/4011

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

• A47L9/2842

  Suction motors or blowers · CPC title

• A47L2201/04

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

• A47L9/2852 Primary

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