Robot cleaner, information providing system, and method for providing information

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9943206-B2
Application number	US-201615167862-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2016
Priority date	Jun 26, 2015
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

A robot cleaner is provided. The robot cleaner includes a communication unit configured to communicate with the robot cleaner using a near field wireless communication (NFC) and a processor configured to detect a state of the robot cleaner among a plurality of predefined states. The processor is also configured to, in response to NFC tagging being performed with the mobile terminal, control the communication unit to transmit information corresponding to the detected state to the mobile terminal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robot cleaner, comprising:
a communication unit configured to communicate with a mobile terminal using a near field wireless communication (NFC); and
a processor configured to detect a state of the robot cleaner among a plurality of predefined states, and in response to an NFC tagging being performed with the mobile terminal, control the communication unit to transmit information comprising the detected state to the mobile terminal,
wherein the plurality of predefined states comprises at least one of a standby state, a cleaning state, a state in which a battery is being charged, a state in which a component needs to be replaced, or an error state.

2. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to control the communication unit to transmit information regarding an application exclusive for the robot cleaner to the mobile terminal.

3. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to update its firmware using a new firmware received from the mobile terminal.

4. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to control the communication unit to transmit, to the mobile terminal, at least one of state information of a dust bin that collects dust, state information of a dust filter, or state information of a battery charge.

5. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to control the communication unit to transmit, to the mobile terminal, address information of a webpage providing customer support information regarding errors in the robot cleaner.

6. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to control the communication unit to transmit, to the mobile terminal, different information according to information received from the mobile terminal.

7. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to, in response to receiving information indicating that a user of the mobile terminal has not yet left a house, control the communication unit to transmit information regarding a cleaning reservation set in the robot cleaner to the mobile terminal, and in response to receiving information indicating that the user of the mobile terminal has returned home, control the communication unit to transmit information regarding a cleaning history to the mobile terminal.

8. The robot cleaner as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a dust sensor configured to detect a concentration of dust in a cleaned space,
wherein the processor is configured to control the communication unit to transmit, to the mobile terminal, information regarding a concentration of dust in the cleaned space.

9. An information providing system, comprising:
a robot cleaner having a near field communication (NFC) module; and
a mobile terminal configured to communicate with the robot cleaner using a near field wireless communication by NFC-tagging the robot cleaner,
wherein the robot cleaner is configured to detect a state of the robot cleaner among a plurality of predefined states, and
wherein the mobile terminal is configured to display a screen which provides information corresponding to the detected state of the robot cleaner,
wherein the plurality of predefined states comprises at least one of a standby state, a cleaning state, a state in which a battery is being charged, a state in which a component needs to be replaced or an error state.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the mobile terminal is configured to:
determine whether a user has left a house based on location information positioning the mobile terminal,
in response to determining that the user has not yet left the house, display a reservation setting screen to reserve cleaning by the robot cleaner, and
in response to determining that the user has returned home, display information regarding history of cleaning performed by the robot cleaner.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the mobile terminal is configured to display the reservation setting screen to designate an area to be cleaned and information regarding cleaning history which differs by area, using information regarding a map of an indoor area where the robot cleaner is disposed.

12. A method for providing information regarding a robot cleaner, the method comprising:
detecting a state of the robot cleaner among a plurality of predefined states; and
in response to a near field communication (NFC) tagging being performed with a mobile terminal, transmitting, to the mobile terminal, information corresponding to the detected state;
wherein the plurality of predefined states comprises at least one of a standby state, a cleaning state, a state in which a battery is being charged, a state in which a component needs to be replaced or an error state.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting to the mobile terminal information regarding an application exclusive for the robot cleaner.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising:
receiving a new firmware from the mobile terminal; and
updating a firmware installed in the robot cleaner to the received new firmware.

15. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting at least one of state information of a dust bin, state information of a filter for filtering dust, or state information of battery charging.

16. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting address information of a webpage that provides customer support information regarding errors in the robot cleaner.

17. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting different information according to information received from the mobile terminal.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the transmitting comprises, in response to receiving information indicating that a user of the mobile terminal has not yet left a house, transmitting information regarding a cleaning reservation set in the robot cleaner, and in response to receiving information indicating that the user of the mobile terminal has returned to the house, transmitting information regarding cleaning history.

19. The method as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising:
detecting a concentration of collected dust,
wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting information regarding a concentration of dust in an area cleaned.

20. The method as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising:
detecting a charge state of a battery of the robot cleaner; and
in response to detecting that the charge state of the battery is low, automatically returning the robot cleaner to a charging position.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yang Hee-Kyung
• Eom Ji
• Jang Ji-Hye

Classifications

• H04W4/008

  Electricity · mapped topic

• A47L9/2857 Primary

  User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays · 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

• A47L11/4011 Primary

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

• G05D1/0022

  characterised by the communication link (data switching networks in general H04L12/00) · CPC title