Autonomously traveling floor washer, cleaning schedule data structure, storage medium, method for creating cleaning schedule, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9931010-B2
Application number	US-201415022310-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 1, 2014
Priority date	Sep 18, 2013
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

In an autonomously traveling floor washer, a position estimating unit estimates position data. When a manual operation teaching mode is being executed, a taught data obtaining unit obtains taught position data and a taught cleaning condition at a taught data obtaining time. A cleaning schedule generation unit generates a cleaning schedule. When an autonomous cleaning mode is executed, a cleaning reproduction unit calculates and outputs a reproduced travel control command and a reproduced cleaning condition in an elapsed time based on the cleaning schedule. An elapsed time determining unit determines the taught data obtaining time and the elapsed time.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An autonomously traveling floor washer that autonomously travels and cleans by reproducing a taught cleaning condition and a taught travel route, the autonomously traveling floor washer comprising:
a cleaning unit that cleans a floor surface in accordance with a cleaning condition;
a traveling unit that travels in accordance with an operator's operation or a travel control command;
a position estimating unit that estimates position data including information regarding a position and a direction of the traveling unit on the travel route in a predetermined coordinate system;
a cleaning condition teaching unit that accepts an input of the cleaning condition by the operator and outputs the cleaning condition to the cleaning unit;
a travel route teaching unit that accepts an operation of moving the traveling unit by the operator;
a taught data obtaining unit that obtains taught position data as the position data estimated by the position estimating unit and a taught cleaning condition as the cleaning condition taught by the cleaning condition teaching unit at a taught data obtaining time when a manual operation teaching mode is executed in which the operator's operation teaches the cleaning condition and the travel route;
a cleaning schedule generation unit that generates and stores a cleaning schedule in which the taught position data and the taught cleaning condition are associated with the taught data obtaining time;
a cleaning reproduction unit that calculates a reproduced cleaning condition and a reproduced travel control command at a predetermined elapsed time from start of execution of an autonomous cleaning mode based on the taught data obtaining time, the taught cleaning condition, and the taught position data stored in the cleaning schedule, and to output the reproduced cleaning condition and the reproduced travel control command to the cleaning unit and the traveling unit, respectively, when the autonomous cleaning mode is executed in which autonomous traveling and cleaning is performed; and
an elapsed time determining unit that determines the taught data obtaining time and the predetermined elapsed time; wherein
the elapsed time from start of execution of the autonomous cleaning mode is determined based on the position data estimated by the position estimating unit.

2. The autonomously traveling floor washer according to claim 1 , wherein
the cleaning unit includes a washing liquid supplying unit that supplies washing liquid to the floor surface, a floor surface washing unit including a washing member to be pressed to the floor surface while rotating to wash the floor surface, and a sucking unit that sucks the washing liquid on the floor surface; and
a supply amount of the washing liquid supplied from the washing liquid supplying unit, a floor surface washing power of the floor surface washing unit, and a washing liquid sucking power of the sucking unit are arbitrarily adjustable as the cleaning condition.

3. The autonomously traveling floor washer according to claim 1 , further comprising a display unit that displays the cleaning condition.

4. The autonomously traveling floor washer according to claim 1 , further comprising a squeegee unit attached to be capable of arbitrarily setting whether to contact with the floor surface or to be spaced away from the floor surface; wherein
the squeegee unit is spaced away from the floor surface when traveling backward.

5. The autonomously traveling floor washer according to claim 1 , further comprising a cleaning schedule modifying unit that modifies the taught cleaning condition, the taught position data, and the taught data obtaining time of the cleaning schedule.

6. The autonomously traveling floor washer according to claim 1 , wherein the elapsed time from start of execution of the autonomous cleaning mode is the taught data obtaining time associated with the taught position data closest to the position data estimated by the position estimating unit.

7. The autonomously traveling floor washer according to claim 1 , wherein the elapsed time from start of execution of the autonomous cleaning mode is time calculated by linear interpolation of the two taught position data closest to the position data estimated by the position estimating unit.

8. A method of autonomous cleaning for causing an autonomously traveling floor washer to autonomously travel and clean in accordance with a cleaning schedule, the autonomously traveling floor washer including a traveling unit and a cleaning unit that cleans a floor surface, the cleaning schedule being a schedule in which a taught cleaning condition and a taught position data are stored and associated with taught data obtaining time, the taught cleaning condition being a cleaning condition taught by an operator, the taught position data being position data on a travel route taught by the operator, and the taught data obtaining time being time at which the taught position data and the taught cleaning condition are obtained, the method of autonomous cleaning including:
estimating a position of the autonomously traveling floor washer;
determining elapsed time from start of execution of an autonomous cleaning mode based on the estimated position of the autonomously traveling floor washer, the autonomous cleaning mode being a mode in which the autonomously traveling floor washer autonomously travels and cleans;
calculating a reproduced cleaning condition and a reproduced travel control command at the elapsed time based on the taught data obtaining time, the taught cleaning condition, and the taught position data; and
controlling the traveling unit based on the reproduced travel control command and controlling the cleaning unit based on the reproduced cleaning condition.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing thereon a program for causing a computer to execute the method of autonomous cleaning according to claim 8 .

Assignees

• Murata Machinery Ltd

Inventors

• Tanaka Shoji
• Nakano Tsuyoshi
• Itou Yoshinori

Classifications

• A47L11/4011 Primary

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

• A47L11/4008

  Arrangements of switches, indicators or the like · CPC title

• A47L2201/04

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

• A47L11/4044

  Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees · CPC title

• A47L11/305

  the tools being disc brushes · CPC title