Floor treatment system and method

Abstract

A floor treatment system (1000) comprises a robotic support frame (200) configured to couple (C) with, and support (S), a stand-alone hand-guided floor treatment device (100) to form, in combination, a semi-autonomous floor treatment device (300). The floor treatment system (1000) enables treating a first floor area (A1) by a user (U) operating the hand-guided floor treatment device (100) without the robotic support frame (200); treating a second floor area (A2) by the user operating the hand-guided floor treatment device (100) coupled to the robotic support frame (200); and treating a third floor area (A3) autonomously by the treatment device (300) without the user.

Description

In some embodiments, the robotic support frame 200 is configured to send a control signal and / or information to the hand-guided floor treatment device 100. Preferably, the robotic support frame 200 is capable of controllably turning off the hand-guided floor treatment device 100, e.g. when finished with its autonomous operation. It may be relatively easy to adapt an existing hand-guided floor treatment device 100 to include a control mechanism for turning on / off power and / or start / stop operation. For example, the power may be turned off by inserting a controllable switch somewhere in the power supply of the hand-guided floor treatment device 100. Alternatively, or additionally, the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 may be provided and / or retrofitted with a (wireless) control interface and / or control port for receiving control signals and / or information. For example, an existing hand-guided floor treatment device 100 may be controlled using a retrofit control element 151 as described in further detail below with reference to FIG 5A. Besides turning on / off the power and / or start / stop operation, these or other control elements or interfaces may allow also other or further control signals to be sent to the hand-guided floor treatment device 100, e.g. controlling one or more aspects of the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 such as a scrubbing intensity (e.g. rotation and / or reciprocating motion velocity), water supply (e.g. on / off or amount of liquid per unit time), water suction (e.g. on / off and / or intensity), steering (e.g. controlling rotation of left / right side brushes), et cetera. In other or further embodiments, the robotic support frame 200 is configured to receive a control signal and / or information from the hand-guided floor treatment device 100. For example, the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 may control one or more aspects of the autonomous operation. Alternatively, or additionally, the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 may send status information about its operation, which may be used in the autonomous operation of the robotic support frame 200. For example, an amount of (remaining) cleaning liquid and / or (recovered) waste liquid may be signaled to the robotic support frame 200. One or more of the mechanical, electrical, and data connections between the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 and robotic support frame 200 may be integrated and / or co-dependent. For example, a power cable (e.g. plug and / or socket) may be included in the mechanical connection elements such that an electrical contact is formed when establishing the mechanical connection. Alternatively, or additionally, a data cable may be included in the mechanical connection such that a data contact is formed when establishing the mechanical connection. Forming a mechanical connection may also trigger forming a wireless connection between the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 and robotic support frame 200. In some embodiments, the robotic support frame 200 comprises at least one actuator 220 configured to actuate the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 and / or floor. In one embodiment, the at least one actuator 220 comprises a motor for driving a respective one or more wheels 231 of the robotic support frame 200. Alternatively, or in addition to controlling wheels on the robotic support frame 200, it may also be envisaged to control a propulsion exerted by the hand-guided floor treatment device 100, e.g. (partial) propulsion and / or engagement by the at least one tool. In another or further embodiment, the at least one actuator 220 is configured to determine a steering of the robotic support frame 200. In a preferred embodiment, e.g. as illustrated in FIGs 2A and 2B, the robotic support frame 200 comprises a left wheel 23 IL and a right wheel 231R, each having an independent driving capability. For example, a left side motor 220L may drive the left wheel 23IL and a right side motor 220R may drive the right wheel 231R. Steering may be effected by driving the wheels with different velocity and / or torque. The robotic support frame 200 may also have further wheels, e.g. a front support wheel as shown in FIGs 1A and IB. FIG 3A illustrates further aspects in top-down view of the semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300 with a top part 212 of the frame structure holding a guide part 120 of the hand-guided floor treatment device. FIG 3B illustrates further aspects in a view of a bottom part 211 of the frame structure holding a bottom part 120 of the hand-guided floor treatment device. In some embodiments, e.g. as shown, the robotic support frame 200 comprises a set of rollers 211w arranged around a perimeter of the frame structure. Advantageously, the rollers 211w may prevent the robotic support frame 200 from bumping into surrounding walls and / or obstacles. For example, the rollers 211w are arranged to maintain a minimum distance “Dw” between the sides of the frame (e.g. the side wheels 231), and surrounding walls (not shown). In other or further embodiments, the robotic support frame 200 comprises a resilient structure, e.g. bumper, which may soften any possible impact of the frame into surrounding objects. FIGs 4A and 4B illustrate a preferred embodiment for establishing a coupling “C” and / or support “S” between a hand-guided floor treatment device 100 and a robotic support frame 200 to form a semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300. In some embodiments, the robotic support frame 200 comprises a support bracket 260 configured to couple with and / or support part of the hand-guided floor treatment device 100. For example, the support bracket 260 forms part of, or couples to, the frame structure 210. It will be understood that aspects of the coupling and / or support as described with reference to FIGs 4A and 4B may be combined with any of the embodiments described herein. Conversely, it will be understood that the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 and the robotic support frame 200, as shown in FIGs 4A and 4B, may have the same or similar features as described with any of the embodiments described herein. For example, while not explicitly indicated here, the robotic support frame 200 may comprise a similar controller 250, one or more sensors 241 - 245, one or more motors 220, battery 270, et cetera. In some embodiments, the support bracket 260 comprises coupling means 261 configured to reversibly couple “C” with, and decouple from, a respective part 161 of the hand-guided floor treatment device 100. In one embodiment, the support bracket 260 defines an opening or hole 260h configured to accommodate at least part of the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 inside a perimeter of the support bracket 260. In another or further embodiment, the coupling means 261 is formed by an inner profile of the support bracket 260 forming an opening or hole 260h configured to fit around a respective part of the hand-guided floor treatment device 100, preferably a bottom side of the guide part 120. In some embodiments, the support bracket 260 comprises a support structure 212,262 configured to support “S” a guide part 120 of the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 in an upright configuration. For example, the inner circumference of the support bracket 260 is shaped to fit around and / or support a bottom part of the guide part 120. In one embodiment, the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 comprises a coupling means 161, e.g. particular shape or outer profile at the bottom of the guide part 120, which fits the inner profile of the support bracket 260, or vice versa. For example, the outer profile of the guide part 120 is provided with indentations and / or protrusions, which are complementary to 22 protrusions and / or indentations provided along the inner profile of the support bracket 260. In some embodiments, the outer profile at the lower portion of the guide part 120 may additionally function to allow space for folding up the bottom part 110 with respect to the guide part 120. For example, indentations and / or protrusions on the guide part 120 may match corresponding protrusions and / or indentations on the bottom part 110. In some embodiments, the support bracket 260 comprises a U-shaped frame part configured to form a partially open perimeter around a respective part of the hand-guided floor treatment device 100, in particular around the guide part 120. In other or further embodiments, the support bracket 260 has an open side 260o, allowing the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 to be pushed from said open side 210o into the support bracket 260, preferably without lifting the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 off the floor. Preferably, the open side 260o widens towards the entry side, e.g. forming a funnel. This may allow more easily finding the entrance, e.g. when pushing the bottom side of the guide part 120 and / or pole connecting the bottom side to the bottom part of the hand-guided floor treatment device 100, into the support bracket 260. In some embodiments, the support bracket 260 comprises or forms a closing mechanism 262 configured to selectively open up the open side 260o of the support bracket 260 for bringing the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 inside the frame structure 210, or close off the open side 260o of the support bracket 260 for supporting S the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 by the closing mechanism 262 with the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 inside the frame structure 210. In some embodiments, the support bracket 260 is moveable for selectively fixating or releasing the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 to / from the robotic support frame 200. In one embodiment, the support bracket 260 is connected to a rest of the frame structure 210 via a hinge mechanism 263. For example, the hinge mechanism 263 allows the support bracket 260 to be pivoted down, for allowing the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 to be pushed inside and / or released; and pivoted up for fixating the hand-guided floor treatment device 100, preferably fixating the guide part 120 against pivoting. In some embodiments, the support bracket 260 is provided with a biasing means providing a restoring force pushing the support bracket 260 upwards. For example, the hinge mechanism 263 is provided with springs to pivot the support bracket 260 upwards. In this way, the support bracket 260 may automatically fixate the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 when it is brought inside the support bracket 260. Alternatively, the user may pull up the support bracket 260, e.g. by hand or foot. In other or further embodiments, the support bracket 260 is provided with a user operable control means for controlling the closing mechanism 262. Preferably, the control means comprises a foot pedal 262f. For example, the user may push the foot pedal down to easily release the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 from the robotic support frame 200, without having to bend over. Similarly, the foot pedal may also be pushed down to open the closing mechanism 262 and allow the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 to be pushed inside. Alternatively, or additionally, the support bracket 260 may be pushed down automatically, when the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 is pushed into the support bracket 260. In one embodiment, the support bracket 260 has a structure around the opening 260o which, when pushed from the side by the lower part of the guide part 120, tends to force the support bracket 260 down. For example, the support bracket 260 has an extended structure facing the hand-guided floor treatment device 100, e.g. at the backside of the robotic support frame 200. Preferably, the extended structure has a downward slope towards the point of entry. In this way, the lower side of the guide part 120 may easily push down the support bracket 260 when the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 is pushed into the robotic support frame 200. While the present figures illustrate a preferred mechanism for easily coupling and uncoupling the hand-guided floor treatment device 100, it will be understood that also other or further mechanisms may be envisaged. For example, instead of pivoting the support bracket 260 downward, the support bracket or other accommodating space / structure may be fixed and the guide part 120 pivoted upward. In some embodiments, the support bracket 260 and guide part 120 may be provided with respective magnetic and / or magnetizable parts. These may improve coupling, e.g. alternatively, or in addition, to biasing means. Alternatively, or in addition to a support bracket, it can also be envisaged to support the hand-guided floor treatment device 100, e.g. guide part 120, with a structure enclosing the guide part. In one embodiment, the guide part 120 is supported by one or more arms extending from the robotic support frame 200. In another or further embodiment, the robotic support frame 200 is provided with a pair of extendable and / or rotatable arms which may be manually and / or automatically actuated to enclose around a part of the hand-guided floor treatment device 100, e.g. around the guide part 120. For example, the arms may be held together by a clasping mechanism or magnets, or any other securing mechanism. FIGs 5A - 5C illustrate a perspective view, front view, and side view, respectively, of another embodiment of a floor treatment system 1000 comprising a robotic support frame 200 configured to couple with, and support, a stand-alone hand-guided floor treatment device 100 to form, in combination, a semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300. FIGs 6A - 6F illustrate respective sensor ranges. In one embodiment, the robotic support frame 200 comprises a LIDAR device 241. As illustrated in FIGs 6A and 6B, the LIDAR device 241 may be used to provide a relatively wide scan of the environment around the robotic support frame 200. For example, this may allow mapping of the 25 environment, e.g. determining reference markers such as wall and / or obstacles during manual and / or autonomous modes of operation. In another or further embodiment, the robotic support frame 200 comprises one or more (depth) cameras 242. In general, one or more cameras 242 may be used to recognize objects and / or further map the environment and / or prevent collision / falling. As illustrated in FIGs 6C and 6D, the cameras may be facing forward. This may allow determining further features of the environment in the forward direction. Also other or further cameras may be provided, e.g. facing sideways. In some embodiments, the cameras may be facing downwards and / or upwards. For example, the downwards and / or upwards facing camera(s) may be used as edge detector(s), e.g. to prevent the semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300 from falling down stairs and / or bumping into tables. In other or further embodiments, one or more cameras may also be used alternatively, or in addition, to the LIDAR device 241 for mapping the environment. In another or further embodiment, the robotic support frame 200 comprises one or more ultrasonic sensors 243. In general, one or more ultrasonic sensors 243 may be used to detect the presence object and / or persons in the immediate proximity to the semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300. As illustrated in FIG 6E, the ultrasonic sensors 243 may be placed around the frame to provide detection on all sides. For example, if a person or object is detected in proximity, a steering and / or propulsion may be adjusted to avoid collision. In another or further embodiment, the robotic support frame 200 comprises one or more sing point laser sensors 244. These may work similar as a LIDAR, but in a fixed direction. As illustrated in FIG 6F, the laser sensors 244 may be pointing downward, e.g. used as edge detectors. For example, the laser sensors 244 may be used in addition, or alternative, to the cameras 242. In another or further embodiment, the robotic support frame 200 comprises one or more collision sensors 245. In general, collision sensor(s) 245 may be used to detect collision of the frame with an object or person. For example, the collision sensor(s) 245 may be embedded in a (resilient) bumper arranged around a circumference of the robotic support frame 200 Preferably, upon detection of a collision, propulsion may be halted and / or the propulsion may be reversed (driving backwards). In some embodiments, the robotic support frame 200 comprises a user interface, e.g. button 251. For example, the user interface may be operable to switch the robotic support frame 200 between different modes of operation, such as manual or autonomous mode. In some embodiments, the floor treatment system 1000 comprises a retrofit control element 151 configured to control the hand-guided floor treatment device 100. In one embodiment, the retrofit control element 151 is configured to receive control instructions from the robotic support frame 200 and exert control over one or more aspects of the hand-guided floor treatment device 100. Advantageously, the retrofit control element 151 can be used to provide retrofit control over any existing hand-guided floor treatment device 100. In one embodiment, the retrofit control element 151 comprises an actuator configured to actuate a control element of the hand-guided floor treatment device 100. Alternatively, or additionally, the retrofit control element 151 may also control parts of the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 using other control signals, e.g. connected to a control port of the hand-guided floor treatment device 100. In another or further embodiment, the retrofit control element 151 comprises communication unit configured to receive control signals (preferably wirelessly) from the robotic support frame 200. Similarly, the robotic support frame 200 may comprise a corresponding communication unit to send control signals to the retrofit control element 151. Control signals may also be sent from the retrofit control element 151 to the robotic support frame 200. In another or further embodiment, the retrofit control element 151 comprises a controller configured to control the actuator based on the received control signals. Preferably, the retrofit control element 151 comprises its own battery. In this way, the retrofit control element 151 may operate independently of any power from the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 and / or robotic support frame 200. In the embodiment shown, the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 comprises a control lever 12 Ih arranged on the handle part 121. The retrofit control element 151 may be arranged to fit over at least part of the control lever 12 Ih and configured to actuate the control lever 12 Ih based on control signals received from the robotic support frame 200. For example, the control lever 12 Ih may be pressed, causing the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 to activate one or more aspects of the floor treatment. For example, the control lever 12 Ih may be released, causing the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 to deactivate one or more aspects of the floor treatment. Of course also other or further (retrofit) control elements may be envisaged, adapted to control any existing control elements of the hand-guided floor treatment device 100. For example, a retrofit control element may be configured to push an existing button and / or flip an existing switch of the hand-guided floor treatment device 100. Preferably, the retrofit control element 151 receives control instructions wirelessly from the robotic support frame 200. This may allow easily coupling / decoupling the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 to / from the robotic support frame 200 without having to connect any wires. Alternatively, the retrofit control element 151 may be connected with wiring to the robotic support frame 200. For example, the retrofit control element 151 may be easily removable. Preferably, the control lever 12 Ih or other existing control element of the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 is still operable by a user while the retrofit control element 151 is placed. For example, the control lever 12 Ih may be partially covered by the retrofit control element 151 and partially accessible; or the user may actuate the control lever 12 Ih or other existing control of the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 through the retrofit control element 151; or the retrofit control element 151 may be removable. It will be understood that aspects of the control and / or sensors as described with reference to FIGs 5 and 6 may be combined with any of the embodiments described herein. For example, any one or more of the sensors 241 - 245 and / or retrofit control element 151 may be used in any of the embodiments described herein. Conversely, it will be understood that the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 and the robotic support frame 200, as shown in these figures, may have the same or similar features as described with any of the embodiments described herein. For example, the robotic support frame 200 as shown in FIGs 5 and 6 may have a similar support bracket 260 as shown in FIGs 4A and 4B; and / or similar coupling structure 261, and / or support structure 212,262 as shown in FIGs 1-3. For example, FIG 5C illustrates part of a foot pedal 262f, which may be similar to that of FIGs 4A and 4B. FIGs 7A - 70 illustrate various ways of using the floor treatment system 1000. For example, FIG 7A illustrates a user “U” treating a first floor area “Al” by operating the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 without the robotic support frame 200. For example, FIG 7B illustrates the user “U” treating a second floor area “A2” by operating the treatment system 300 comprising the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 coupled to the robotic support frame 200. For example, FIG 70 illustrates the semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300 autonomously cleaning a third floor area “A3” without requiring the user “U”. In some embodiments, the hand-guided floor treatment device 100, separate from the robotic support frame 200, is configured as an exclusively manually operable floor treatment device requiring constant user operation for manually treating a first floor area “Al”. In other or further embodiments, the robotic support frame 200 is configured to couple “C” with the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 to transform the exclusively manually operable floor treatment device into a semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300. For example, the semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300 is capable of a manual mode of operation “Mm” and an autonomous mode of operation “Ma”. In the manual mode of operation “Mm”, a user operates the device to treat a second floor area “A2”. In the autonomous mode of operation “Ma” the device autonomously treats a third floor area “A3” without a user manually operating the device. Aspects of the present disclosure may be embodied as a method of using of the floor treatment system 1000 as described herein. In one embodiment, the use comprises treating a first floor area “Al” by a user “U” operating (e.g. hand-guiding) the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 without the robotic support frame 200. In another or further embodiment, the use comprises coupling the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 to the robotic support frame 200. In another or further embodiment, the use comprises treating a second floor area “A2” by the user operating (e.g. handguiding) the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 coupled to the robotic support frame 200. In this case, the semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300 may be configured in a manual mode of operation “Mm”. In another or further embodiment, the use comprises treating a third floor area “A3” autonomously by the treatment device 300 without the user. In this case, the semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300 may be configured in an autonomous mode of operation “Ma”. For example, the user “U” can leave the device 300, e.g. to perform other (treating) tasks, while the device autonomously treats the area “A3”. In another or further embodiment, the use comprises uncoupling the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 from the robotic support frame 200. In another or further embodiment, the use 30 comprises (further) treating fourth area without the robotic support frame 200. Of course this routine may be repeated. In some embodiments, it may also be envisaged to omit some steps. For example, the semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300 may start treating a respective area “A3” autonomously without the user immediately after the hand-guided floor treatment device 100 is coupled to the robotic support frame 200. For example, the semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300 may determine a specific area to be cleaned without requiring a user to teach the device. In a preferred embodiment, the area “A3”, to be treated by the treatment system 300 autonomously, is based on the area “A2”, treated previously by the user operating the treatment system 300. In some embodiments, a user may teach the treatment system 300 an area to be treated by performing a full treatment operation, i.e. treat the entire area. Once the treatment system 300 has been taught the full area to be treated, the treatment system 300 may autonomously repeat the treatment operation of the same area. For example, the area may be treated autonomously (without the user) at a next treatment cycle (e.g. the next day or week) based on a stored path or area, as performed previously by the user. This method of semi-autonomous treatment may be referred to as “teach and repeat”. While the teach and repeat method may save time in the subsequent treatment operation, it is still relatively labor intensive, because the user has to meticulously perform the full treatment operation for each new area. In other or further embodiments, the treatment system 300 may operate fully autonomously, e.g. fully independent of the user “U”. While a fully autonomous treatment system 300 can alleviate the user’s work efforts, user control over the treatment operation may be limited. For example, the fully autonomous treatment system may not benefit from specific insights of the user “U” in charge of the treatment operation. Without user guidance, the fully autonomous treatment system may treat some areas unnecessarily and / or neglect treating of other areas. Accordingly, there is a need for a treating system 300 capable of operating semi-autonomously, e.g. allowing a user to easily determine an area to be treated, without requiring the user to fully treat the area themselves. Preferably, the user may teach the treatment system 300 by performing a partial treatment operation of one subarea “A2” of a total area to be treated; and the treatment system 300 may determine another subarea “A3” of the total area to be treated. In a preferred embodiment, the area “A3” to be treated by the treatment system 300 autonomously, is different from the area “A2” treated by the user operating the treatment system 300. Most preferably, a relatively large fraction of the area “A3” is exclusively part of the area “A3”, and not part of the area “A2”. For example, the area “A3” is larger than the area “A2” by at least a factor two, three, five, or more. The larger the autonomously treated area “A3” compared to the manually treated area “A2”, the more user time and / or effort may be saved. For example, advantageous embodiments of semi-autonomous treatment are disclosed in the following figures, wherein the floor treatment device 300 determines, e.g. infers, a further area “A3” to be treated autonomously, based on a previous different area “A2” treated by the user. FIGs 8A - 8C illustrate operation of the semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300 for treating an extended area. In some embodiments, the semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300 infers the area “A3” to be treated autonomously based on interpolating and / or extrapolating the area “A2” already treated by the user, and / or based on a path “P” traversed by the semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300 during the treatment of the second floor area “A2”, wherein the third floor area “A3” is different from the second floor area “A2”. In one embodiment, the semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300 is configured to determine a path “P” traversed during the treatment of the second floor area “A2” while the semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300 is switched to a manual mode of operation “Mm”. For example, a controller of the robotic support frame 200 is configured to record the path “P” based on sensor input of one or more sensors, such as LIDAR. In another or further embodiment, the semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300 is configured to determine the third floor area “A3” to be treated autonomously based on the path “P”. In a preferred embodiment, e.g. as shown, the semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300 is configured to autonomously treat a further area “A3” corresponding to an area enclosed by a path “P” traversed by the semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300 while treating a previous area “A2”. For example, the previous area “A2” is determined by the user operating the semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300 in the manual mode of operation “Mm” and the further area “A3” is determined (without the user) by the semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300 in the autonomous mode of operation “Ma”. Preferably, the path “P” is automatically recognized (e.g. by a controller of the robotic support frame 200) as forming a (partial) circumference defining an at least partially enclosed area. Accordingly, it may be automatically determined that the area “A3” to be treated autonomously corresponds to the at least partially enclosed area. Alternatively, the user may send a signal to the robotic support frame 200, e.g. via its control interface, to start a specific cleaning routine. As will be appreciated, the manual tracing of a circumference of an area to be treated, by actually cleaning the circumference, may provide an effective and efficient way for the user to set a specific area to be treated with minimal effort, especially for larger areas. In some embodiments, the semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300 is configured to return to an initial point “Pi” of the path “P” when finished with the autonomous treatment of the area “A3”. For example, the initial point “Pi” may be the point where the device was switched to the manual mode of operation “Mm”. In other or further embodiments, the semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300 is configured to return to an final point “Pi” the path “P” when finished with the autonomous treatment of the area “A3”. For example, the initial point “Pf’ may be the point where the device was switched to the autonomous mode of operation “Ma”. Of course the points “Pi”, “Pf’ may also coincide when the user traces a complete circumference, although this is not necessary. Returning to a specific point after completing the autonomous treatment may be advantageous to allow the user to find and / or pick up apparatus at a predetermined and / or predictable location. For example, during an autonomous mode of operation Ma, the semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300 is configured to return to a starting location, at which location a manual mode of operation Mm was stopped and the autonomous mode of operation Ma was initiated. This may allow the user to stop manual cleaning at any location, allow the machine to continue cleaning whatever remaining area may be autonomously determined by the machine (e.g. based on any of the criteria described herein); and allow the user to simply pick up the machine where they left it. FIGs 9A - 9C illustrate operation of the semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300 for treating a hall-way or alley. In a preferred embodiment, e.g. as shown, the semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300 is configured to autonomously treat a further area “A3” corresponding to an area surrounding a path “P” traversed by the semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300 while treating an initial area “A2”. For example, the surrounding area “A3” to be treated lies on one or both sides of the path “P” traced by a user “U”. For example, the area “A3” to be treated is determined based on surrounding walls “W”, or based on a specific width around the path “P”. In one embodiment, the path “P” or second floor area “A2” is determined by the user “U” operating the semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300 in the manual mode of operation “Mm” while traversing a hallway from an initial point “Pi” of the path to a final point “Pf’ of the path “P”. In another or further embodiment, the area “A3” is determined (without the user) by the semi-autonomous floor treatment device 300 in the autonomous mode of operation “Ma” by determining an area between the initial point “Pi” and the final point “Pf’, and one or more walls along the path “P” Preferably, the path “P” is automatically recognized (e.g. by a controller of the robotic support frame 200) as forming a path along a hallway. For example, sensors on the robotic support frame 200 may detect the walls “W” of the hallway. Accordingly, it may be automatically determined that the area “A3” to be treated autonomously corresponds to the area in the hallway between the initial and final points “Pi”, “Pf’. As will be appreciated, the user can easily set a desired part of the hallway without having to treat the whole area manually. For the purpose of clarity and a concise description, features are described herein as part of the same or separate embodiments, however, it will be appreciated that the scope of the invention may include embodiments having combinations of all or some of the features described. Alternatively, or in addition to teaching the robotic support frame an area to be autonomously treated by a user performing a treatment operation, the area to be autonomously treated may also be taught in other ways. For example, a map of the area to be treated by be sent to, and / or retrieved by a communication unit of the robotic support frame. For example, the robotic support frame may recognize an area and start autonomous treatment based on an earlier treatment operation. The various elements of the embodiments as discussed and shown offer certain advantages, such as easily switching between different ways of cleaning an area. It is appreciated that this disclosure offers particular advantages to floor cleaning, and in general can be applied for any floor treatment device or system. In interpreting the appended claims, it should be understood that the word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of other elements or acts than those listed in a given claim; the word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements; any 5 reference signs in the claims do not limit their scope; several "means" may be represented by the same or different item(s) or implemented structure or function; any of the disclosed devices or portions thereof may be combined together or separated into further portions unless specifically stated otherwise.

Claims

1. A floor treatment system (1000) comprising a robotic support frame (200) configured to couple (C) with, and support (S), a stand-alone hand-guided floor treatment device (100) to form, in combination, a semi-autonomous floor treatment device (300).

2. The system (1000) according to claim 1, wherein the robotic support frame (200) comprises coupling means (261) configured to reversibly couple (C) with, and decouple from, a respective part (161) of the hand-guided floor treatment device (100).

3. The system (1000) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the robotic support frame (200) comprises a support structure (212,262) configured to support (S) a guide part (120) of the hand-guided floor treatment device (100) in an upright configuration.

4. The system (1000) according to any of the preceding claims, comprising the hand-guided floor treatment device (100) having a bottom part (110), a guide part (120) having a handle part (121), and a joint arrangement (130) between the bottom part (110) and the guide part (120), allowing the guide part (120) to be pivoted with respect to the bottom part (110) when the hand-guided floor treatment device (100) is separate from the robotic support frame (200), wherein the robotic support frame (200) is configured to support (S) the guide part (120) against pivoting when forming the semi-autonomous floor treatment device (300).

5. The system (1000) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the robotic support frame (200) comprises a frame structure (210) defining an inner frame spacing (210s,210b,260o) configured to accommodate the hand-guided floor treatment device (100) inside a perimeter of the framestructure (210).

6. The system (1000) according to claim 5, wherein the frame structure (210) comprises one or more U-shaped frame parts (211,212) configured to form a partially open perimeter around respective parts (110,120) of the hand-guided floor treatment device (100).

7. The system (1000) according to claim 6, wherein the frame structure (210) has an open side (210o), allowing the hand-guided floor treatment device (100) to be pushed from said open side (210o) into the frame structure (210) without lifting the hand-guided floor treatment device (100) off the floor (F).

8. The system (1000) according to claim 7, wherein the robotic support frame (200) comprises a closing mechanism (262) configured to selectively open up the open side (2 lOo) of the robotic support frame (200) for bringing the hand-guided floor treatment device (100) inside the frame structure (210), orclose off the open side (210o) of the robotic support frame (200) for supporting (S) the hand-guided floor treatment device (100) by the closing mechanism (262) with the hand-guided floor treatment device (100) inside the frame structure (210).

9. The system (1000) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the frame structure (210) has a bottom-side opening (210b) for allowing the hand-guided floor treatment device (100) to directly contact and treat the floor (F) beneath while forming part of the semi-autonomous floor treatment device (300).

10. The system (1000) according to claim 9, comprising the hand-guided floor treatment device (100) with at least one tool (111) configured to engage the floor (F), both when the hand-guided floor treatment device (100) is separated from the robotic support frame (200), and when the hand-guided floor treatment device (100) is combined with the robotic support frame (200) to form the semi-autonomous floor treatment device (300).

11. The system (1000) according to claim 10, wherein the hand-guided floor treatment device (100) comprises a bottom part (110) with one or more pairs of counter-rotating and / or counter-reciprocating tools (111) for treatment of the floor (F).

12. The system (1000) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the hand-guided floor treatment device (100), when separated from the robotic support frame (200), is configured as an exclusively manually operable floor treatment device, requiring a user (U) to manually operate the hand-guided floor treatment device (100) while treating a first floor area (Al);wherein the semi-autonomous floor treatment device (300) is configured to selectively switch betweena manual mode of operation (Mm), in which the semi-autonomous floor treatment device (300) is manually operable to treat a second floor area (A2) while a user (U) manually operates the semi-autonomous floor treatment device (300); andan autonomous mode of operation (Ma), in which the semi-autonomous floor treatment device (300) is configured to treat a third floor area (A3) autonomously, without manual operation.

13. The system (1000) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the robotic support frame (200) comprises one or more sensors (241-245) configured to sense and / or map an environment both during a manual mode of operation (Mm) and during an autonomous mode of operation (Ma), at least one motor (220) connected to a propulsion and / or steering means (23 IL,231R), and a controller (250) configured to control the at least one motor (220) to propel and / or steer the semi-autonomous floor treatment device (300) during the autonomous mode of operation (Ma) based in part on the previous sensing and / or mapping of the environment during the manual mode of operation (Mm), and based in part on the current sensing and / or mapping of the environment during the autonomous mode of operation (Ma).

14. The system (1000) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the semi-autonomous floor treatment device (300) is configured to autonomously treat a floor area (A3) different from a floor area (A2) treated during a manual mode of operation (Mm), based on inference from a path (P) traversed during the manual mode of operation (Mm).

15. The system (1000) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein during a manual mode of operation (Mm), the semi-autonomous floor treatment device (300) records a path (P) traversed by the device, and wherein during an autonomous mode of operation (Ma), the semi-autonomous floor treatment device (300) is configured to determine a treatment area (A3) based on extrapolating and / or interpolating the path (P) traversed during the manual mode of operation (Mm).

16. The system (1000) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the semi-autonomous floor treatment device (300) is configured to recognize that a path (P) traversed during a manual mode of operation (Mm) forms at least a partial boundary of an area, and is configured to determine that thearea enclosed by the path (P) is to be treated autonomously during an autonomous mode of operation (Ma).

17. The system (1000) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein during an autonomous mode of operation (Ma), the semi-autonomous floor treatment device (300) is configured to return to a starting location, at which location a manual mode of operation (Mm) was stopped and the autonomous mode of operation (Ma) was initiatedr.

18. The system (1000) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the semi-autonomous floor treatment device (300) is configured to autonomously generate a treatment plan for the autonomous mode of operation (Ma) based on environmental features detected during the manual mode of operation (Mm).

19. The system (1000) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the semi-autonomous floor treatment device (300) is configured to determine an area (A3) to be treated autonomously based on a combination of a path (P) traversed during the manual mode of operation (Mm) and based on fixed and / or variable surrounding environmental obstacles, such as walls (W) or people, detected by its sensors (241-245) during autonomous mode of operation (Ma).

20. The system (1000) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the semi-autonomous floor treatment device (300) is configured to autonomously treat an area (A3) determined by extending a path (P) traversed during the manual mode of operation (Mm) to cover additional areas inferred from mapping data collected during the manual mode of operation (Mm).

21. The system (1000) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the semi-autonomous floor treatment device (300) is configured to infer an area (A3) to be treated autonomously based on a shape and size of the area partially treated during the manual mode of operation (Mm).

22. The system (1000) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the semi-autonomous floor treatment device (300) is configured to utilize data collected during the manual mode of operation (Mm) to autonomously navigate environments during the autonomous mode of operation (Ma).

23. The system (1000) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the robotic support frame (200) is configured to communicate wirelessly with the hand-guided floor treatment device (100) to control operation of the hand-guided floor treatment device (100) during an autonomous mode of operation (Ma).

24. The system (1000) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the robotic support frame (200) comprises at least one battery (270) configured to power the robotic support frame (200) independently of the hand-guided floor treatment device (100).

25. The system (1000) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the robotic support frame (200) is configured to receive power from the hand-guided floor treatment device (100) when coupled thereto; and / or configured to supply power to the hand-guided floor treatment device (100) when coupled thereto.

26. The system (1000) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the hand-guided floor treatment device (100) comprises a retrofit control element (151) configured to receive control signals from the robotic supportframe (200) and to control operation of the hand-guided floor treatment device (100) during the autonomous mode of operation (Ma), wherein the retrofit control element (151) comprises an actuator configured to actuate a control element (12 Ih) of the hand-guided floor treatment device (100) based on control signals received from the robotic support frame (200).

27. The system (1000) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the robotic support frame (200) is configured to automatically switch between a manual mode of operation (Mm) and an autonomous mode of operation (Ma) based on detecting whether a user (U) is operating the hand-guided floor treatment device (100).

28. The system (1000) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the robotic support frame (200) comprises at least one moveable support structure, such as a bracket and / or support arm, connected to the frame structure (210) via a connection mechanism, such as a pivotable and / or translatable mechanism, wherein the connection mechanism enables the support structure to be moved between a support configuration, in which the support structure is configured to support a guide part (120) of the hand-guided floor treatment device (100), and an open configuration, in which the hand-guided floor treatment device (100) can be engaged or disengaged from the robotic support frame (200).

29. Use of the floor treatment system (1000) according to any of the preceding claims, the use comprisingtreating a first floor area (Al) by a user (U) operating the hand-guided floor treatment device (100) without the robotic support frame (200);treating a second floor area (A2) by the user operating the hand-guided floor treatment device (100) coupled to the robotic support frame (200); andtreating a third floor area (A3) autonomously by the semi-autonomous 5            floor treatment device (300) without the user.

30. The use according to the preceding claim, wherein the semi-autonomous floor treatment device (300) determines the third floor area (A3) to be treated autonomously based on interpolating and / or extrapolating10 the second floor area (A2) already treated by the user, and / or based on a path (P) traversed by the semi-autonomous floor treatment device (300) during the treatment of the second floor area (A2), wherein the third floor area (A3) is different from the second floor area (A2).

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