System consisting of ground handling equipment, objects, detection devices and control devices

Abstract

The invention relates to a system consisting of a ground processing device (1), an object (2) located in the surroundings of the ground processing device (1), a detection device (5) and a control device (7), wherein the object (2) has an object partial area (4) and a moving device (3) for automatically moving the object partial area (4), the detection device (5) is suitable for detecting the presence of the ground processing device (1) in a detection area (6) of the detection device (5), and the control device (7) is used to generate a control instruction (5) for the moving device (3) based on the detection result of the detection device (3). In order to prevent a collision with the ground processing device (1) when the object (2) has an automatic moving device (3), it is proposed that the control instruction is suitable for shutting down the moving device (3), so that the movement of the object partial area (4) is prevented even if the ground processing device (1) is present in the detection area (6).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system consisting of a ground processing device, an object located in the surrounding environment of the ground processing device, a detection device and a control device, wherein the object has an object local area and a moving device for automatically moving the object local area, the detection device is suitable for detecting the presence of the ground processing device in the detection area of ​​the detection device, and the control device is used to generate control instructions for the moving device based on the detection results of the detection device. Background Art

[0002] Floor treatment devices of the aforementioned type are known, for example, as cleaning devices such as vacuum cleaners or mopping devices or as polishing devices or lawn mowers or the like.

[0003] Furthermore, objects are known that have an automatic moving device, for example an electric door opener for a cabinet door or a door, wherein the moving device is used to automatically open a partial area of ​​the object on demand. The moving device is equipped with a detection device that can detect movements in the detection area of ​​the detection device, for example movements of a moving body part of a user or movements of a floor treatment device that is moved manually by the user or moves autonomously. The detection device assigned to the moving device can be an acoustic or optical detection device that acts, for example, by means of ultrasound or light. In this way, the user of the object can, for example, signal the opening of a drawer or a door by moving his foot.

[0004] The disadvantage of the above-described system is that the movement of other moving objects, such as ground handling equipment, can also be detected by the detection device of the system, and such ground handling equipment also causes the movement of the movable object partial area. When, for example, the autonomously moving ground handling equipment passes through the detection area of ​​the detection device, the control device of the system outputs a control command for manipulating the moving device of the object, which then causes an undesired movement of the object partial area. In particular, it is possible that the ground handling equipment is thus stuck or damaged by the moving object partial area. Summary of the invention

[0005] Therefore, based on the above-mentioned prior art, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to prevent the local area of ​​the automatically movable object from affecting or damaging the ground processing equipment.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problem, it is proposed that the control command for the mobile device is suitable for shutting down the mobile device, thereby preventing the movement of the object partial area even if there is a ground processing device in the detection area.

[0007] According to the invention, the system is configured to shut down the moving device for the movable object partial area in the event that the ground handling device enters the detection area of ​​the detection device or moves toward the movable object partial area. Although the detection device of the system detects, for example, the presence of the ground handling device in the environment of the object, in particular the movement of the ground handling device toward the object, the detection device does not cause the automatic movement of the object partial area in order to protect the ground handling device from damage caused by the moving object partial area. The control command of the control device shuts down the moving device, so that the moving device can no longer move the object partial area of ​​the object, and the moving device can no longer move the object partial area of ​​the object, regardless of whether the ground handling device passes through the detection area of ​​the detection device or the user moves his hand and / or foot to move the object partial area. Preferably, the detection device has such a detection area that covers the ground on which the ground handling device moves back and forth, so that the detection device can detect the movement of the ground handling device in the detection area. The detection device can have an ultrasonic sensor, a magnetic sensor, an optical sensor or other sensors.

[0008] The detection device of the system can be a local detection device of the object, but alternatively can also be an external detection device, which is preferably integrated into the system according to the invention via a home communication network. Likewise, the control device of the system can be a local control device of the ground processing device, or alternatively can also be an external control device relative to the ground processing device, which is, for example, an independent participant of the home communication network.

[0009] In particular, it can be proposed that the ground handling device and the object have corresponding data communication devices for wireless communication with each other, and / or the system has a communication network with access points, wherein the access points and the data communication devices of the ground handling device and / or the data communication devices of the object are arranged to communicate with each other via a wireless communication connection. Thus, the system can be designed for differently configured communications between the ground handling device and the object. According to a first embodiment, the ground handling device and the object can communicate directly with each other via corresponding data communication devices, so that the control device of the ground handling device can directly transmit a control instruction for shutting down the mobile device to the mobile device of the object. According to a further embodiment, the system can have a communication network, in which one or more data communication devices of the ground handling device and one or more data communication devices of the object are included as participants. The communication network has access points, to which the data communication devices can transmit information and from which the data communication devices can receive information. Thus, the network communication between the ground handling device and the object is not carried out directly but via the access points of the network. The data communication devices of the ground handling device and / or the object can be, for example, WLAN modules, Bluetooth modules or ZigBee modules, etc. In principle, it is necessary to provide protocol compatibility between a plurality of data communication devices of the system.

[0010] It can be provided that the object has a local access point, or the system has a central access point, and the data communication device of the ground processing device can be connected to the local access point or the central access point in order to transmit the control command to the mobile device. Therefore, the access point of the communication network can be a local access point of the object or a central access point of the system, and the central access point is, for example, a server assigned to a home network. The data communication device of the ground processing device can be connected to the local access point or the central access point in order to transmit the control command to the mobile device of the object. In the case where the object has its own local access point, the data communication device of the ground processing device can be directly connected to the access point of the object and shut down the mobile device by transmitting the control command. In the case of a central access point, the data communication device of the ground processing device logs into the central access point and sends the control command to the mobile device of the object via a common home communication network, for example, via WLAN, Bluetooth or ZigBee, in order to shut down the mobile device.

[0011] In the case where the control device is an external device of the system and the external device is not in particular an element of the ground processing device, the control device can be, for example, part of a central server to which one or more ground processing devices transmit information. This information can in particular indicate the current operating state of the ground processing device. The control device receives this information and subsequently generates a control command for the object movement device to deactivate the movement function, so that the object partial area is not moved despite the presence of the ground processing device in the detection area of ​​the detection device.

[0012] It can be provided that the control instruction of the control device contains a time preset value for a time period during which the mobile device is shut down. According to this design, the mobile device is only deactivated during a predefined time period, so that it is automatically reactivated after the end of the time period, and when movement is detected in the detection area of ​​the detection device, the mobile device can move the object partial area in the usual way again. Alternatively, however, the control device of the system, for example the local control device of the ground handling device, can also transmit a control instruction for reactivating the mobile device to the mobile device of the object, and the automatic movement of the object partial area can be re-implemented using this control instruction.

[0013] Furthermore, parameters for adjusting the mobile device can be transmitted via the data communication device of the object. Such parameters of the mobile device can be, for example, the opening force exerted by the mobile device in addition to deactivation and reactivation. Furthermore, information can be transmitted to the detection device of the system, i.e., for example, via the data communication device assigned to the detection device. The transmitted parameter can be, for example, the detection accuracy of the detection device to be adjusted. If the object with the mobile device has both a detection device and a control device, the parameters to be adjusted can be transmitted from the data communication device of the ground processing device to the data communication device of the object in general, so that the mobile device and / or the detection device can be adjusted accordingly.

[0014] In the sense of the invention, the object of the system can be a door or a piece of furniture. Furthermore, the movable object part of the object can be a door leaf, a flap or a drawer. The moving device of the object thus assumes the function of a door opening device or a drawer opening device or the like.

[0015] Furthermore, it can be provided that the ground handling device has a sensor for detecting objects in the surroundings of the ground handling device. The sensor can be, for example, an obstacle sensor, which measures the distance to an object located in the surroundings of the ground handling device. Such a sensor can be, for example, an ultrasonic sensor or an optical sensor. Furthermore, the ground handling device can also be configured to receive a data communication signal from the object, which data communication signal provides information about whether the object has a movement device for a movable object local area.

[0016] The control device of the system can be particularly configured to determine whether the object has a mobile device based on the object data acquired by the sensor, and transmit a control instruction for shutting down the mobile device to the object if the object has a mobile device. According to this design, the control device of the system can specifically transmit a control instruction for only one of the multiple objects present in the environment, so that other, uninvolved objects of the system still have an enabled mobile device. Preferably, only the mobile device of the object in whose vicinity there is a ground processing device is shut down. Alternatively, the central control device of the system can be equipped with a sensor for detecting objects or a central memory, in which information about the locations of the environment where objects with movable object local areas are present is stored, so that when it is recognized that the ground processing device is close to the object with the mobile device, the control device accurately transmits a control instruction to the object, the control instruction having the content of shutting down the mobile device, so that when the ground processing device is close to the object, the movement of the object local area is prevented.

[0017] Finally, it is proposed that the ground processing device is an autonomous ground processing device, wherein the ground processing device has a navigation device, which is configured to create an environment map based on the object data of the detected object. In principle, the present invention is also applicable to systems with ground processing devices that are manually guided by a user, but the present invention is more advantageous in autonomous ground processing devices because in this case there is no user in the environment of the object to prevent the collision of the object local area with the ground processing device. The autonomous ground processing device has an environment map that is preferably created by itself, in which a floor plan of the environment and the objects present in the environment are recorded. In addition, the environment map can also contain information about whether the objects present in the environment have movable object local areas, which can be automatically moved by the mobile device. If the ground processing device moves through the surrounding environment on a predefined travel path, the control device of the system, in particular the control device of the ground processing device itself, can transmit a control instruction for shutting down the mobile device to such an object in the surrounding environment of which the ground processing device is traveling. Therefore, it is advantageously possible to prevent the collision of the moving object local area with the ground processing device. After the ground handling device subsequently leaves the object, the control device can then retransmit a control instruction for reactivating the mobile device to the mobile device. Alternatively, the control instruction initially transmitted to the mobile device already contains a time preset value for a time period during which the mobile device should be deactivated. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The present invention will be described in detail below based on embodiments. In the accompanying drawings:

[0019] Figure 1 A system having a ground handling device and an object having an object local area capable of being moved automatically is shown.

[0020] Figure 2 Further specific embodiments of the system according to the invention are shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Figure 1 A system consisting of a ground processing device 1 and an object 2 is shown. The ground processing device 1 is an autonomous cleaning device that has a navigation device 11 for automatic navigation and self-positioning in an environment. The navigation device 11 is equipped with a sensor 10 for detecting an object 2 in the environment. Here, the sensor 10 is, for example, part of a distance measuring device that can measure the distance relative to the object 2 in the environment. The navigation device 11 can create an environment map with the help of the measurement data of the sensor 10, which contains the object 2 and other obstacles of the ground processing device 1 in the environment. In addition, the ground processing device 1 has a data communication device 8, such as a WLAN module or a Bluetooth module.

[0022] The system shown may have additional (not shown) ground processing devices 1 and / or additional objects 2. The type of ground processing device 1 is not limited to the embodiment shown, and the ground processing device 1 may alternatively be a ground processing device 1 that is manually guided by a user. As ground processing devices 1, for example, cleaning devices, polishing devices, grinding devices or lawn mowers can be considered. However, the meaning of ground processing devices 1 can also be understood as service devices that can travel or travel autonomously, especially transport devices or monitoring devices, which do not perform actual ground processing. The illustrated embodiment of the present invention is not affected by this.

[0023] The object 2 present in the environment of the floor processing device 1 is, for example, a drawer cabinet with multiple drawers, which are movable object partial areas 4 of the object 2. The drawer at the bottom in the figure is, for example, equipped with a moving device 3, which can be automatically operated by a control device 7 of the object 2. The moving device 3 has, for example, a linear drive, which can move the drawer, that is, the movable object partial area 4, out of the cabinet body of the drawer cabinet to relieve the burden of the user opening the drawer cabinet. A plurality of detection devices 5, for example ultrasonic sensors or infrared sensors, are arranged at the bottom of the object 2, and the detection areas 6 of these detection devices 5 are directed downward from the detection device 5 to the ground. Usually, the user of the object 2 can, for example, move his foot into the detection area 6 of one of the detection devices 5 in order to open the movable object partial area 4, and then the detection device 5 sends a detection signal to the control device 7 of the object 2. The control device 7 evaluates the detection signal and recognizes that movement is detected in the detection area 6 of the detection device 5. Subsequently, the control device 7 generates a control command for the movement device 3 in order to cause the movement device 3 to move the object partial area 4 at least partially out of the object 2 , so that in this exemplary embodiment the drawer is opened.

[0024] In order that the ground handling device 1 entering the detection area 6 of the detection device 5 does not also cause a movement of the object partial area 4, which in some cases could lead to damage or jamming of the ground handling device 1, the ground handling device 1 is configured to inform the control device 7 of the object 2 that the movement device 3 should not be operated. For this purpose, the ground handling device 1 has a control device 7, which generates a control command for the object 2, which is suitable for shutting down the movement device 3 of the object 2, so that even if the ground handling device 1 enters the detection area 6 of the detection device 5 of the object 2, no movement of the object partial area 4 occurs. The control device 7 of the ground handling device 1 can transmit, by means of the control command, for example, a preset value for a time period, during which the movement device 3 of the object 2 should be deactivated. The control device 7 of the ground handling device 1 can calculate the time period based on the expected stay time of the ground handling device 1 in the area of ​​the detection device 5, that is, calculate the time period during which the movement device 3 should be deactivated based on the time period during which there is a possible risk of collision between the ground handling device 1 and the movable object partial area 4.

[0025] Another embodiment of the invention can provide that the control device 7 of the ground handling device 1 has access to an environment map of the environment, which also serves as a navigation basis for the navigation device 11. In this case, the control device 7 of the ground handling device 1 can, for example, know in advance when the travel path of the ground handling device 1 is predetermined that the ground handling device 1 will enter the detection area 6 of the detection device 5 and, if necessary, determine when the ground handling device 1 will enter the detection area 6. Preferably, information is stored in the environment map as to whether an object 2 has a movable object subarea 4 that may collide with the ground handling device 1, which information is associated with the respective object 2. In this case, the control device 7 of the ground handling device 1 can transmit a control command in advance to the object 2 having the movable object subarea 4, which control command shuts down the movement device 3 of the respective object 2.

[0026] Independently of the environment map of the ground handling device 1, the sensor 10 of the ground handling device 1 can detect whether the object 2 has a mobile device 3 when approaching the object 2, for example, even if the ground handling device 1 is a ground handling device 1 manually guided by a user. For example, the data communication device 8 of the ground handling device 1 can receive information from the adapted data communication device 8 of the object 2 whether the object 2 has a mobile device 3 for the object partial area 4. According to one embodiment, the object 2 can, for example, have an optical coding, which can be read by the sensor 10 of the ground handling device 1 and provide information about whether a movable object partial area 4 is present. Alternatively, the ground handling device 1 can also send a query to the data communication device 8 of the object 2 via wireless data communication, which query is answered with a corresponding response. In this case, the object 2 can have, for example, an RFID chip, which, when stimulated by the query signal of the ground handling device 1, sends a corresponding response signal, which can in turn be evaluated by the control device 7 of the ground handling device 1.

[0027] The data communication device 8 of the ground processing equipment 1 can transmit the control command to the data communication device 8 of the object 2 so as to shut down the mobile device 3. According to one embodiment, the data communication device 8 of the object 2 can also provide ( Figure 1 The data communication device 8 of the ground processing device 1 can log in to the local access point (not shown), in particular with an ID and, if necessary, a password. According to this embodiment, not any ground processing device 1 or other device, but only an authorized ground processing device 1 can transmit control instructions to the data communication device 8 of the object 2. In this way, it is possible to avoid the undesired deactivation of the mobile device 3 of the object 2.

[0028] Figure 2A further embodiment of the system according to the invention is shown, in which the system has a ground handling device 1, an object 2 and a central access point 9 of the system, which is integrated in a server, for example. The central access point 9 is equipped with a control device 7. The data communication device 8 of the object 2 and the data communication device 8 of the ground handling device 1 are both wirelessly connected to the access point 9 of the system for wireless data communication, for example via WLAN or ZigBee. In order to shut down the mobile device 3 of the object 2, in this embodiment, the data communication device 8 of the ground handling device 1 first sends a control command to the central access point 9, which then forwards the control command to the data communication device 8 of the object 2. Alternatively, the ground handling device 1 can also first only transmit information about the current operating state and / or the location of the ground handling device 1 to the access point 9, and then the control device 7 of the access point 9 edits the control command for the mobile device 3 of the object 2 in such a way that the function of the mobile device 3 can be deactivated. According to this embodiment, the control device 7 of the access point 9 can have an environment map in which the locations of the objects 2 with the movable object local areas 4 are recorded and can therefore determine which objects 2 are present in the travel path of the ground processing device 1.

[0029] Furthermore, embodiments of the system can provide that the user can set parameters of the moving device 3 of the object 2 via the data communication device 8 or the access point 9 of the object 2, such as, for example, the force required to move the local area 4 of the object, or the time period during which the moving device 3 is deactivated, or the accuracy of the detection device 5, which determines when a detection signal is identified as a ground processing device 1 present in the detection area 6 of the corresponding detection device 5. In summary, the communication between the ground processing device 1 and the object 2 can thus take place directly or via a central access point 9 of the system, which is part of a domestic communication network into which the ground processing device 1 and the data communication device 8 of the object 2 are incorporated.

[0030] Reference numerals list

[0031] 1 Ground handling equipment

[0032] 2 Objects

[0033] 3 Mobile devices

[0034] 4 Local area of ​​the object

[0035] 5 Detection device

[0036] 6 Detection area

[0037] 7 Control Devices

[0038] 8 Data communication device

[0039] 9 Access Points

[0040] 10 Sensors

[0041] 11 Navigation Device

Claims

1. A system comprising a ground processing device (1), an object (2) located in the surroundings of the ground processing device (1), a detection device (5) and a control device (7), wherein: The object (2) has an object local area (4) and a moving device (3) for automatically moving the object local area (4), the detection device (5) is suitable for detecting the presence of the floor processing equipment (1) in the detection area (6) of the detection device (5), and the control device (7) is used to generate a control instruction (5) for the moving device (3) based on the detection result of the detection device (3), characterized in that the control instruction is suitable for shutting down the moving device (3), thereby preventing the movement of the object local area (4) even if the floor processing equipment (1) is present in the detection area (6), wherein the object (2) is a door or a piece of furniture, and the movable object local area (4) is a door leaf, a flap or a drawer.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The detection device (5) is a detection device (5) of the object (2).

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The control device (7) is the control device (7) of the ground processing equipment (1).

4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The ground processing device (1) and the object (2) have corresponding data communication devices (8) for wireless communication with each other, and / or the system has a communication network with an access point (9), wherein the access point (9) and the data communication device (8) of the ground processing device (1) and / or the data communication device (8) of the object (2) are configured to communicate with each other via a wireless communication connection.

5. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The object (2) has a local access point (9), or the system has a central access point (9), and the data communication device (8) of the ground processing equipment (1) can be connected to the local access point (9) or the central access point (9) to transmit control instructions to the mobile device (3).

6. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The control instruction contains a time preset value regarding a time period, and the mobile device (3) is shut down during the time period.

7. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The ground processing device (1) has a sensor (10) for detecting an object (2) in the surroundings of the ground processing device (1).

8. The system according to claim 7, characterized in that The control device (7) is configured to determine whether the object (2) has a mobile device (3) based on the object data acquired by the sensor (10), and to transmit a control instruction for shutting down the mobile device (3) to the object (2) if the object (2) has a mobile device (3).

9. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The ground processing device (1) is an autonomous ground processing device (1), wherein the ground processing device (1) has a navigation device (11) which is configured to create a surroundings map based on object data of detected objects (2).

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