A collaborative cleaning system and device

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a collaborative cleaning system for performing designated cleaning tasks. The system includes a plurality of cleaning devices, and at least one cleaning device is communicatively connected to a processor unit, the processor unit includes a priority generation module for determining the priority of each registered cleaning device, a task planning module for generating a cleaning operation plan according to the priority assigned to each registered cleaning device; and a task execution module for sending instructions to execute the cleaning operation plan. The present disclosure also relates to a cleaning device for a collaborative cleaning system. At the same time, the present disclosure also relates to a system for performing designated tasks through a plurality of specific task devices, wherein the specific task devices generate corresponding control instructions for each device based on high-level control instructions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a system for collaborative cleaning and a device for collaborative cleaning. The present disclosure also relates to a system for performing a designated task by a plurality of task-specific devices. Background Art

[0002] The following discussion of the background of the present disclosure is intended to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the following discussion is not an admission or acknowledgement that any of the materials referred to were legally published, known or part of the common general knowledge of a person skilled in the art at the priority date of the present disclosure.

[0003] Cleaning often requires a combination of tasks to be performed in a coordinated manner. For example, the steps for cleaning an office area might include tasks such as: collecting trash from trash cans and dumpsters; rearranging furniture to facilitate cleaning; sweeping the floor to remove dust and debris, vacuuming the floor; scrubbing the floor with detergent; putting furniture back in place; and / or cleaning the desk. The order in which the different cleaning tasks are performed is sometimes critical to ensure cleaning efficiency and effectiveness.

[0004] Currently, there are various types of automatic cleaning machines that can perform different cleaning tasks, such as automatic floor scrubbing, floor vacuuming, sweeping, mopping and scrubbing. However, most commercially available cleaning machines can only perform one cleaning task at a time. During operation, only a few cleaning machines can perform at least one cleaning task at a time. For example, a road sweeper can sweep the road surface and use suction to remove dust, while an automatic scrubber can scrub and vacuum the floor at the same time. The cleaning operations that a cleaning machine can perform are limited, and it may not be able to clean relatively large and complex areas, such as office areas. In some cases, human intervention may be required to complete tasks that a cleaning machine cannot complete.

[0005] In another application scenario, multiple cleaning machines are arranged to perform different cleaning operations. However, in the existing system, multiple cleaning machines cannot perform cleaning operations in a coordinated and automated manner, and human intervention may still be required during the cleaning process.

[0006] In view of this, there is an urgent need for a better technical solution to alleviate the above technical problems, for example, to provide a system and device that can automatically and collaboratively clean. Summary of the invention

[0007] In the first aspect of the present disclosure, a system for performing a designated cleaning task is provided. The system includes: a plurality of cleaning devices, each cleaning device is used to perform at least one cleaning operation, at least one cleaning device is configured to be connected to a processor unit, wherein the processor unit includes: a priority generation module for determining priority information (or priority state, or priority, hierarchy state) of each cleaning device, the priority being generated based on at least one robot information received from the corresponding cleaning device; a task planning module for generating a cleaning operation plan based on the designated cleaning task and the priorities assigned to the plurality of cleaning devices; a task execution module for sending instructions to each cleaning device so that the cleaning device performs the designated cleaning task based on the cleaning operation plan.

[0008] In some embodiments, each cleaning device is capable of performing one or more of the following cleaning operations: sweeping, vacuuming, scrubbing, mopping, window cleaning, table cleaning garbage collecting, and arrangement of furniture for facilitating cleaning.

[0009] In some embodiments, the processor unit further comprises a robot registration module for selectively registering two or more cleaning devices for a designated cleaning task.

[0010] In some embodiments, the processor unit includes at least one cloud server.

[0011] In some embodiments, the cleaning operation plan includes one or more cleaning operation steps (cleaning operation layers).

[0012] In some embodiments, a cleaning operations plan defines one or more designated cleaning spaces within a designated cleaning area.

[0013] In some embodiments, the system further comprises a user device in data communication with the processor unit, the user device being configured to receive one or more user-defined parameters associated with the specified cleaning task,

[0014] In some embodiments, the task planning module is used to determine a cleaning operation plan based on one or more user-defined parameters received from a user device.

[0015] In some embodiments, the one or more user-defined parameters include one or more of the following information: one or more specified cleaning task information, one or more specified cleaning area location information, one or more specified cleaning area infrastructure information or environmental information, one or more specified cleaning task priority information, one or more specified cleaning area priority information, and user information.

[0016] In some embodiments, the processor unit also includes: a control manager for generating high-level control instructions for multiple cleaning devices based on one or more instructions received from a user device; an action generator for generating specific control instructions corresponding to each cleaning device based on the high-level control instructions, wherein the processor unit is used to send the specific control instructions to the corresponding cleaning device to perform the corresponding operation.

[0017] On the other hand, the present disclosure also provides a cleaning device for a collaborative cleaning system, comprising: a cleaning module capable of performing one or more cleaning operations, and a communication module for communicating with a processor unit of the collaborative cleaning system, wherein the processor unit comprises: a priority generation module for determining the priority of the cleaning device and selecting one or more cleaning devices to perform a specified cleaning task, wherein the priority is generated based on at least one robot information received from the corresponding cleaning system, a task planning module for generating a cleaning operation plan based on the priority of the cleaning apparatus and the priority of one or more other cleaning apparatuses; and a task execution module for sending instructions to the cleaning device and to one or more registered cleaning devices, so that the corresponding cleaning device performs the specified cleaning task based on the cleaning operation plan.

[0018] In some embodiments, the processor unit includes a robot registration module for selecting and registering a cleaning device, and selecting one or more other cleaning devices for performing a specified cleaning task.

[0019] In some embodiments, the processor unit includes at least one cloud server.

[0020] In some embodiments, the cleaning device is connected to one or more registered other cleaning devices.

[0021] In some embodiments, the cleaning device is capable of performing one or more of the following cleaning actions: sweeping, vacuuming, scrubbing, mopping, window cleaning, countertop cleaning, trash collection, and arranging furniture for easy cleaning.

[0022] In some embodiments, the cleaning operation plan includes one or more cleaning operation steps.

[0023] In some embodiments, a cleaning operations plan defines one or more designated cleaning spaces within a designated cleaning area.

[0024] In some embodiments, the processor unit is in data communication with the user equipment.

[0025] In some embodiments, the task planning module is configured to determine the cleaning operation plan based on one or more user-defined parameters received from the user device.

[0026] In some embodiments, the one or more user-defined parameters include one or more of the following: one or more specified cleaning tasks, geographic location information of one or more specified cleaning areas, infrastructure or environmental information of one or more specified cleaning areas, priority information of one or more specified cleaning tasks, priority information of one or more specified cleaning areas, and user information.

[0027] In some embodiments, the cleaning device includes one or more sensory sensors for measuring parameters related to the external environment and / or to the operating state of the cleaning device.

[0028] On the other hand, the present disclosure also provides a system for performing specified tasks, comprising: a plurality of task-specific devices, at least one of which is configured to communicate with a processor unit; and a user device for receiving one or more instructions from a user and communicating with the processor unit, wherein the processor unit comprises: a control manager for generating high-level control instructions based on one or more instructions received from the user device; and an action generator for generating control instructions specific to each device for each device from the high-level control instructions, wherein the processor unit is configured to send the control instructions specific to each device to the corresponding device for execution.

[0029] In some embodiments, the processor unit further includes an authentication manager for processing and authenticating robot information received from the plurality of task-specific devices.

[0030] In some embodiments, the authentication of the robot information comprises two-factor authentication.

[0031] In some embodiments, the processor unit further includes a data clustering unit for managing data inflow and outflow between the processor unit and the plurality of task-specific devices.

[0032] In some specific embodiments, the plurality of task-specific devices include one or more cleaning devices, each of which is capable of performing one or more of the following cleaning operations: sweeping, vacuuming, scrubbing, mopping, window cleaning, countertop cleaning, garbage collection, and arranging furniture for easy cleaning.

[0033] In some embodiments, the processor unit also includes: a priority generation module for determining the priority of each cleaning device, the priority being generated based on at least one robot information received from the corresponding cleaning device; and a task planning module for generating a cleaning operation plan based on a specified cleaning task and at least one priority information / state (the hierarchy state) assigned to multiple cleaning devices.

[0034] In some embodiments, the processor unit includes at least one cloud server.

[0035] In some embodiments, the system is configured to track and record the activities of multiple task-specific devices and / or users.

[0036] Other aspects of the present disclosure will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, and specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be illustrated by the following description of specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] Various embodiments are described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0038] Figure 1 A collaborative cleaning system for operating multiple robots according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0039] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 A functional block diagram of a processor unit of a collaborative cleaning system, wherein the processor unit may be composed of a cloud server;

[0040] Figure 3 Shows Figure 1 The hardware structure of the robot, wherein one embodiment can be used in conjunction with a collaborative cleaning system in the form of an autonomous robot;

[0041] Figure 4 Shown by Figure 2 The task planning module of the processor unit generates a multi-level cleaning plan (or a multi-step cleaning plan, a multilayer cleaning strategy plan);

[0042] Figure 5 Shown based on Figure 4 Schematic diagram of multiple robots performing tasks including a multi-step cleaning plan ；

[0043] Figure 6 Shows Figure 1 The collaborative cleaning system can further provide different micro-servers;

[0044] Figure 7 Shows Figure 1 The collaborative cleaning system can be operated remotely;

[0045] Figure 8 A series of steps are shown to be implemented on the user equipment for operating Figure 7 The collaborative cleaning system in

[0046] Fig. 9 shows the user registration process on the user device;

[0047] Fig.10 and Fig.11 showing a user interface screen of a mobile application installed on a user device for user registration;

[0048] Fig.12 shows the registration process of the robot on the user's device;

[0049] Fig.13A and 13B showing a user interface screen of a mobile application for robot registration and control;

[0050] Fig.14 A collaborative cleaning system for operating multiple robots in another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0051] Fig.15A and 15B Shows the operation Fig.14 User interface screens of the collaborative cleaning system's mobile app shown in . Specific embodiments

[0052] In this specification, unless otherwise indicated to the contrary, the terms "including", "comprising", "having", etc. should not be interpreted as exhaustive, or in other words, should be understood as "including, but not limited to".

[0053] In this specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the term "comprising" will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not any other integer or group of integers.

[0054] Unless defined otherwise, all other technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this document belongs.

[0055] See also Figure 1-Figure 5 Various embodiments of the present invention as shown provide a system 10 (e.g., a plurality of cleaning devices 100) for performing a specified cleaning task. Figure 5As shown, the office area 20 is cleaned). The system includes a plurality of cleaning devices 100, each of which is capable of performing at least one cleaning operation, and the plurality of cleaning devices 100 are configured to be communicatively connected or communicate with a processor unit 200. The processor unit 200 includes a priority generation module 220, which is used to determine the priority state (or priority information, or priority) of each cleaning device 100 based on the robot information of the cleaning device 100. The processor unit 200 also includes a task planning module 230, which is used to generate a cleaning operation plan based on the priority of each cleaning device 100 and the priority of a specified cleaning task. The processor unit also includes a task execution module 240, which is used to send instructions to the corresponding cleaning device 100 and operate the cleaning device 100 based on the cleaning operation plan. The step of "determining the priority of each cleaning device 100" may include one or more steps of allocating, calculating, and obtaining. The system 10 enables multiple cleaning devices 100 to perform collaborative cleaning, also known as a collaborative cleaning system 10.

[0056] In some embodiments, each cleaning device 100 is a robot for performing one or more of the following cleaning operations: sweeping, vacuuming, scrubbing, mopping, window cleaning, countertop cleaning, and garbage collection. In some embodiments, multiple cleaning devices 100 may also include a robot for assisting one or more other cleaning devices 100 in performing the above cleaning actions. For example, a cleaning device 100 may be a robot configured to arrange furniture in a designated cleaning area for easy cleaning, or a robot configured to remove obstacles for another cleaning device 100. Hereinafter, a cleaning device 100 may also be referred to as a cleaning robot 100 or simply a machine 100.

[0057] The components of the cleaning device 100 or the cleaning robot 100 are as follows: Figure 3 shown.

[0058] In some embodiments, the cleaning device 100 includes a controller module 121 and a cleaning module 125 control, the controller module 121 controls the cleaning module 125 to perform one or more cleaning operations as described above, the power module 140 is used to provide and manage the power supplied to the electronic components of the cleaning device 100, the navigation module 136 is used to move the cleaning device 100 to a predetermined direction and / or to a predetermined position, and the communication module 139 is used to receive data from the processor unit 200 in the collaborative cleaning system or send data to the processor unit. Based on the cleaning operations that a specific cleaning device 100 can perform, the cleaning device 100 can be called a cleaning robot (not shown), a vacuum robot 100b, a scrubbing robot 100e, a mopping robot 100a, a window cleaning robot 100c, a countertop cleaning robot (not shown), a garbage collection robot 100d, and / or a cleaning assistant robot (not shown). The cleaning device 100 can be fully autonomous (i.e., capable of navigating and operating without human control) or semi-autonomous (i.e., capable of navigating and operating to a certain extent without human control).

[0059] In some embodiments, the cleaning module 125 may include a cleaning tool configured to perform a specific cleaning operation, and a motor (or engine) for driving the cleaning tool. For example, the cleaning module 125 corresponding to the scrubbing robot 100e may include one or more brushes installed at the bottom of the scrubbing robot 100e, and the motor (or engine) is used to drive the one or more brushes and adjust the speed of the brushes. It is understood that the cleaning module 125 can be adapted to perform different cleaning actions (e.g., scrubbing, sweeping, mopping, etc.).

[0060] In some embodiments, the navigation module 136 may include a traction motor for the cleaning device 100 on the propulsion wheel (on wheels), and a motor driver for driving the traction motor. The motor driver receives instructions from the controller module 121 and drives the traction motor to move at a specified speed and / or in a specified direction. The navigation module allows the cleaning device 100 to disperse in motion to perform cleaning tasks. The cleaning device 100 can move to a first cleaning area to perform a first cleaning task, and then move to a second cleaning area to perform a second cleaning task. The cleaning device 100 can also be controlled to move from a first position / area to a second position / area in a specified cleaning area. For example, the cleaning robot 100 can be controlled to move in a room / office along a predetermined machine path to clean the office floor (or floor, floor).

[0061] In some embodiments, the communication module 139 is configured to allow the cleaning device 100 to communicate data with the processor unit 200 in the collaborative cleaning system 10. In some embodiments, the communication module 139 is configured to connect to a network interface through an accessible processor unit of the collaborative cleaning system. It is understood that different communication protocols (including but not limited to 4G, Wi-FiTM and BluetoothTM wireless communication protocols) can be used to achieve data communication. In some embodiments, one or more wireless / wired network routers 40 can be used to establish communication lines between multiple cleaning devices 100 and a remote server 200, such as Figure 1 shown.

[0062] In some embodiments, the communication module 139 can also be configured to connect the cleaning device 100 to one or more other cleaning devices 100 for communication. In other words, the cleaning device can simultaneously connect the robot to the system for communication, and the robot to the robot for communication. The communication connection between the robot and the robot can promote information sharing between multiple cleaning devices. For example, an emergency stop message can be sent directly from one cleaning device 100 to another cleaning device 100, rather than being resent by the processor unit 200 of the system 10, which will reduce the response time of emergency braking. In some embodiments, navigation and operating instructions can be transmitted from the processor unit 200 to the cleaning device 100, and then the processor unit 200 will transmit the navigation and operating instructions to each of the remaining cleaning devices 100 respectively through the communication connection between the robot and the robot.

[0063] In some embodiments, the power module 140 may include a battery cell with one or more primary cells / batteries, or a battery cell including one or more secondary cells / rechargeable batteries. The power module 140 may include a power control circuit configured to regulate the supply power to the various electronic components of the cleaning device 100 so that the cleaning device 100 operates normally, and monitor the battery charge of the power module 140. In an embodiment using a rechargeable battery, the power module 140 may also include a charger circuit to connect the battery to an external power source for charging when the battery charge of the cleaning device 100 is low. Since the cleaning device 100 can operate on a portable battery, the movement of the cleaning device 100 is not limited by the power requirements and / or the length of the power cord.

[0064] In some embodiments, the power module 140 may include a battery management system (BMS) for managing the battery cells. The battery management system may be implemented in a centralized manner, a distributed manner, or a modular manner, and the battery management system is used to monitor the state of the battery cells by measuring various operating parameters of the battery cells, such as voltage, temperature, state of charge (SOC), state of health (SOH), state of safety (SOS), coolant flow, current in or out of the battery unit, and the like. In some specific embodiments, the battery management system is also configured to calculate second data (e.g., limits of charge and discharge currents, energy delivered since last charge cycle, internal resistance for determining the open circuit voltage of the battery). The second data may be connected to other components of the cleaning device 100 through internal communication (e.g., transmitted to the controller module 121), or may be connected to / transmitted to an external system such as a user terminal device 49.

[0065] Preferably, the battery management system can protect the battery cells when the battery cells exceed the safe operating range (e.g., overcurrent, overvoltage during charging or undervoltage during discharging, overtemperature or undertemperature, ground fault or leakage). For example, the battery management system can include an internal switch (e.g., a relay or solid-state element) that turns on the internal switch if the battery operates outside the safe operating range. In other embodiments, battery management can require various components of the cleaning device to reduce or terminate battery use and / or actively control the operating environment so that operations beyond the safe operating range of the battery cells can be prevented. In some embodiments, the cleaning device 100 includes one or more perception sensors 133.

[0066] In some embodiments, the perception sensor 133 may include one or more external sensors for external perception and mapping. Specifically, the external sensor is configured to measure various parameters related to the external environment and / or objects in the environment. The external sensor includes but is not limited to the following sensors: two-dimensional range sensors, three-dimensional range sensors, infrared range sensors, ultrasonic distance and obstacle sensors, cliff detection sensors, infrared sensitive sensors, thermal sensors, tactile sensors, global positioning systems (GPS), ground penetrating radars (GPR), lasers for object detection and range sensing, inertial sensors, cameras and other imaging devices. The sensor information input by each sensor is processed into meaningful and actionable perception, and based on these sensor information, the cleaning device can change / adjust its operating state or behavior.

[0067] In some embodiments, the controller module 121 can operate to control the behavior of the cleaning device 100 based on the perception of the controller module or parameters obtained from the perception sensor 133. For example, the cleaning device can be controlled to bypass around objects / obstacles or stop moving when a person or a cliff is detected.

[0068] In some embodiments, the sensory sensors 139 on multiple cleaning devices form a vehicle-mounted positioning and mapping system, especially when using multiple distance sensors, GPS systems, and obstacle sensors. When the cleaning device 100 travels to a destination or performs a specific cleaning task, the sensory sensors can collect environmental / geographic information (e.g., moving distance, objects / obstacles in the cleaning area) so that the embedded computing system can calculate an optimized navigation path.

[0069] In some embodiments, the sensor 133 may also include one or more proprioceptive sensors. The proprioceptive sensors are used to measure parameters within the robot system, such as motion and direction information, odometer information, or information about the operating status of the cleaning device (such as battery power, wheel position, joint angle, etc.). The proprioceptive sensors include but are not limited to: encoders, potentiometers, inertial sensors (such as accelerometers and gyroscopes), compasses, etc.

[0070] In some embodiments, multiple cleaning devices 100 used in conjunction with the collaborative cleaning system 100 may be respectively equipped with different types of perception sensors 133. It is understood that the parameters detected by the perception sensors 133 of different cleaning devices 100 may be combined into a perception information, based on which the system may control the cleaning device 100 and / or generate a cleaning operation plan for the cleaning device 100.

[0071] In some embodiments, the cleaning device 100 may include a personality module 127 for adjusting the behavior of the cleaning device 100 according to the state of the device, for example, the position of the cleaning device 100, the current operating state of the cleaning device 100, the current power consumption of the cleaning device 100, or other states that can be detected by the perception sensor 133 of the cleaning device 100, or a user-defined state. In addition, the personality module on the cleaning device can be used to receive instructions from a personality generator on the processor unit 200 embedded in the system 100 to determine the personality (i.e., robot behavior) of a specific cleaning device 100.

[0072] Preferably, the cleaning device 100 is equipped with a complex computing system and advanced sensor components that allow for full perception and understanding of the cleaning device's internal cleaning state and external environment for autonomous cleaning and navigation. Figure 3 In the robot hardware architecture shown, the cleaning device 100 is capable of handling all internal states, and all operational activities performed by it can be accurately managed (managed) and uploaded to the processor unit 200. In some embodiments, the cleaning device 100 may also include a safety level trigger module 144, which can be used to automatically shut down the cleaning device 100 or activate an alarm system to send an alarm (e.g., an alarm sound, an alarm message) in an emergency. It is understandable that other functional modules can be incorporated or embedded in the cleaning device 100, for example, a display module for displaying information about the cleaning device 100 to the user, a control panel for controlling the operation of the cleaning device 100, and an audio unit for conveying audio messages to the user (e.g., sending an audio alarm in the event of abnormal robot function, low battery, and / or emergency stop).

[0073] In some embodiments, the cleaning device 100 may include a printed label with a QR code or a bar code, which is affixed to the body of the robot 100. Detailed information of the robot (such as the type of robot and the identity information of the robot) may be stored in the bar code or QR code system. In some embodiments, the cleaning device 100 is configured to display the robot detailed information and the QR code or bar code storing the robot detailed information.

[0074] In some embodiments, the plurality of cleaning devices 100 in the collaborative cleaning system 10 is a group of cleaning devices 100 including different types (or a combination of different types of cleaning devices 100). Figure 1 As shown, a plurality of cleaning devices 100 may include a mopping robot 100a, a vacuuming robot 100b, a window cleaning robot 100c, a garbage collection robot 100d, and a scrubbing robot 100e. It is understood that a plurality of cleaning devices 100 of the collaborative cleaning system 10 may include other types of cleaning devices 100, depending on the requirements of the designated cleaning area and the cleaning tasks to be performed. When the designated cleaning tasks are relatively complex (e.g., cleaning the entire office area), the different types of cleaning devices used in the collaborative cleaning system may work together to provide a comprehensive and more efficient machine cleaning solution. The collaborative cleaning system 10 of the present disclosure can achieve a higher level of automation and can reduce the need for manual participation.

[0075] The cleaning device 100 can be classified into different types according to the type of the cleaning area, such as but not limited to, a floor area, a window area, and a stair area. For example, a mopping robot 100a, a vacuuming robot 100b, a garbage collection robot 100d, and a scrubbing robot 100e can be classified as a floor cleaning robot type. And a window cleaning robot 100c will be classified as a window cleaning robot type. Different robot types use or are assigned different maps. During use, a floor cleaning robot that cleans a specific floor area will share the floor map of the specific floor area. Similarly, a window cleaning robot that cleans a specific window area will share the window map of the specific window area. Similarly, other robots (not shown) for cleaning stair areas will be classified as belonging to stair cleaning robot types.

[0076] In various embodiments, the cleaning device 100 is used to transmit a data signal about the robot information to the processor unit 200 after establishing a communication link. The robot information may include, but is not limited to, the location information (or geographic information) of the cleaning device 100, the current operating state of the cleaning device 100, and the current power consumption state, battery management data, operating time (or hours of operation), health status, error status, characteristics of the working environment (which may include data from external sensors and internal sensors), and fault diagnosis information. The location information of the cleaning device 100 may include, but is not limited to, three-dimensional coordinates, country, city in a particular county, and residential address, and the location of the cleaning device 100 can be determined based on the location information.

[0077] It is understood that data about multiple cleaning devices 100 can be transmitted to the processor unit 200 by using identity information, authentication, encryption and decryption. During the authentication process, the cleaning device 100 can generate a signal that is sent to the processor unit 200 to establish full-duplex communication. The signal is encrypted through a key generation process and sent to the receiving end. Then at the receiver end, the signal decryption is completed and a two-way handshake is performed. In the case where the two-way handshake process is successful, full-duplex communication is established between the device 100 and the processor unit 200.

[0078] In various embodiments, the processor unit 200 is used to communicate data with multiple cleaning devices 100. The processor unit 200 can be a computing system or computing environment through which the collaborative cleaning system 10 can be implemented. In particular, the processor unit 200 is used to manage incoming and outgoing robot information in one or more databases and provide a platform for running algorithms in the back end of the system 10.

[0079] In various embodiments, the processor unit 200 can be implemented on one or more computing devices (e.g., computers, mobile computing devices), one or more servers having one or more memory resources, or implemented by communicating with one or more memory resources. Servers can include physical computer servers and virtual servers, such as cloud servers. Computing devices and servers can include hardware components, such as microprocessors or processor circuits implemented in the form of integrated circuit (IC) chips, such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), which can be installed / embedded in various devices and equipment of the collaborative cleaning system 10. In other embodiments, some subsystems of the processor unit 200 can also be implemented on one or more user devices or control devices, such as through applications operating on the user devices or control devices.

[0080] In some embodiments, the processor unit 200 includes different functional modules / components. It is understood that the different functional modules / components can be set in a computing device / database server / microprocessor, or can be distributed in at least one database server used to form the processor unit 200.

[0081] In some embodiments, the processor unit 200 includes at least one cloud server 200', which is a virtual server running in a cloud computing environment. For example, as a non-limiting embodiment, the collaborative cleaning system 10 is implemented on a cloud server 200', and the cloud server has different functional modules such as Figures 1 to 5As shown in the examples below, it will be described in detail.

[0082] In various embodiments, the cloud server 200' includes a robot registration module 210 for receiving, storing and processing robot information received from a plurality of cleaning devices 100. Each cleaning device 100 in the system 10 has a unique ID, which can be stored in the robot ID field of the database of the cloud server 200. The cleaning device 100 currently available at a particular location will register its robot ID in the cloud server 200'. For example, when a total of 7 cleaning devices 100 are configured in an office, 5 of which are available, and the IDs of the five available robots will be registered in the cloud server 200'. In some embodiments, a database server located in the cloud (called an active machine register, Active Machine Register, or "AMR") will maintain the robot IDs of all available cleaning devices 100 connected to the cloud server 200'. A group of robots 100 in an available state will be further considered for performing a specified cleaning task. Robots that have been turned off or have already participated in a cleaning operation will not be available.

[0083] In some embodiments, the robot registration module 210 of the cloud server 200' may be configured to selectively register two or more of the plurality of cleaning devices 100 for performing a specified cleaning task. The selection of the cleaning device 100 will be described in the following embodiments. The selection of the cleaning device 100 may be based on the type of cleaning device 100 required for the specified cleaning task, and the robot information received from the available cleaning devices 100 as described above. For example, Figure 1 As shown, five available cleaning devices 100 are communicating data with the cloud server 200' and are registered in the robot registration module 210 or the AMR of the cloud server 200' as robot_ID#1, robot_ID#2, robot_ID#3, robot_ID#4, and robot_ID#5, respectively. Figure 5 As shown, in order to clean a floor area and a window area in the office 20, three of the five available cleaning devices 100, namely, the vacuum robot (robot_ID#2), the window cleaning robot (robot_ID#3) and the scrubbing robot (robot_ID#5), are selected and registered in the robot registration module 210 to perform the cleaning task.

[0084] In various embodiments, the robot information (including robot ID and other necessary information) of the cleaning device 100 registered for performing the cleaning task is transmitted from the robot registration module 210 to the priority generation module 220. This specific function module (priority generation module 220) is configured to determine or define the priority of each registered cleaning device 100, which can be stored as an electronic record marked with a "HierachRank" (i.e., priority) field, stored in a database that communicates data with the cloud server 200' or stored in a database that is part of the cloud server 200'. The priority involves the operation order of selecting different cleaning devices 100 for performing the cleaning task.

[0085] In various embodiments, the priority generation module 220 is configured to determine the priority of a particular cleaning device 100 based on robot information (or one or more robot characteristics), and / or infrastructure or environmental information of a designated cleaning area. The robot information includes the type of cleaning device, the operating state, the power consumption of the registered cleaning device 100, and other information as described above. The infrastructure or environmental information includes, but is not limited to, the following parameters: the type of floor surface of the designated cleaning area, the density of furniture in the designated cleaning area, and the coverage of the required cleaning area.

[0086] In various embodiments, the priority generation module 220 can use different operations research (OR) optimization and / or scheduling techniques to determine the priority of the robot. For example, the priority generation module 220 can implement an allocation model based on linear or nonlinear programming techniques to allocate priorities of different cleaning devices 100 so that the effectiveness and / or cleaning efficiency of one or more cleaning measures can be optimized.

[0087] In some embodiments, robot information / features may be a top most priority for robot priority generation. Figure 5 Taking the embodiment as an example, the group of robots 100 includes a vacuum robot 100b, a window cleaning robot 100b and a scrubbing robot 100e, the priority generation module 220 can list the scrubbing robot 100e as the first (i.e., priority = 1), the vacuum robot 100b as the second (i.e., priority = 2) and the window cleaning robot 100b as the third (i.e., priority = 3), as long as they are operating in a regular office space.

[0088] It will be appreciated that the priority generation module 220 may be configured or programmed to determine priorities based on other relevant information to further optimize the operating efficiency of the collaborative cleaning system 10, as well as configured or programmed to use other operations research techniques suitable for robot priority generation and cleaning process optimization.

[0089] In various embodiments, the collaborative cleaning system 10 includes a task planning module 230 as part of the cloud server 200', which generates a cleaning operation plan for each registered cleaning device 100 based on at least two information of priority and specified cleaning tasks. The cleaning operation plan includes a plurality of operational protocols for the cleaning device to perform cleaning tasks. For example, the cleaning operation plan can define an operation sequence / order between multiple registered cleaning devices 100, as well as various operating parameters of each registered cleaning device 100 (such as operating time period, coverage area, and robot navigation path). For example, for the scrubbing robot 100e, the cleaning operation plan will include information such as the path it must follow, the brushing pressure that must be applied on the ground, a suction curve (a profile of suction), etc. Figure 5 shown.

[0090] In various embodiments, a cleaning operation plan is generated by adopting a multi-level cleaning strategy (or a multi-step cleaning plan, or a multi-layer cleaning operation plan, i.e., a multi-layer cleaning strategy) through the task planning module 230. In other words, the cleaning operation plan includes a multi-level cleaning operation (or a multi-layer cleaning operation, multiple layers of cleaning operation,), or a plurality of cleaning operation steps. Each level of cleaning operation corresponds to a time period, during which a cleaning operation (e.g., sweeping the floor) will be performed. One or more cleaning devices 100 (e.g., one or more sweeping robots) capable of performing the same cleaning operation can be specified and controlled to perform a cleaning operation simultaneously, so as to speed up the execution of the task. Each level of cleaning operation can include a plurality of operating protocols specified for at least one cleaning device, such as operating parameters (such as operating time period, coverage area, and robot navigation path) for the cleaning device 100 to follow when performing a cleaning task.

[0091] In some embodiments, the task planning module 230 may consider using time information and space information to generate a multi-level cleaning strategy, especially when the designated cleaning area is relatively large. The task planning module 230 may divide the entire cleaning area into multiple cleaning spaces and set a cleaning operation plan for using different cleaning devices 100 to perform cleaning tasks in multiple cleaning spaces simultaneously. This can reduce the time required to complete the cleaning task.

[0092] The cleaning operation plan generated by the task planning module 230 is transmitted to the task execution module 240. Digital commands are transmitted to the corresponding cleaning device 100 to perform the cleaning task based on the multi-level cleaning operation plan. For example, the task execution module 240 instructs the scrubbing robot 100e to perform the cleaning action according to the scrubbing step (scrub layer) in the cleaning operation plan. Information including the path that the scrubbing robot must follow, the prescribed scrubbing pressure applied to the ground, and the suction curve is transmitted from the task planning module 230 to the task execution module 240 and sent to the registered scrubbing robot 100e, so that the scrubbing robot completes the scrubbing step defined based on the multi-level cleaning operation plan.

[0093] A non-limiting implementation of multi-stage cleaning strategy generation and task execution is as follows Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the robot registration module 210 has registered a scrubbing robot 100e (robot ID#5), a vacuuming robot 100b (robot ID#3) and a window cleaning robot 100c (robot ID#2) for performing the cleaning task of the office area 20, and the priority generation module 220 has defined the priorities of the three cleaning devices 100 as priority=1, priority=2, and priority=3, respectively. The task planning module 230 retrieves the necessary robot information and priority of each device, and generates a multi-level cleaning operation plan on this basis. More specifically, a primary cleaning operation step (or basic cleaning operation step, or primary cleaning operation layer, i.e., base cleaning operation layer) is generated in the cleaning device / robot 100 with a priority of 1. The consecutive robots in the priority sorting generate consecutive cleaning operation steps (or consecutive cleaning operation layers, consecutive cleaning operation layers) on the primary cleaning operation steps. The robot ranked last in the priority will form the topmost cleaning operation step (or advanced cleaning operation layer, or advanced cleaning operation step, the topmost cleaning operation layer).

[0094] like Figure 4 As shown, the entire designated cleaning area has been divided into two cleaning spaces according to the generated cleaning operation plan, one space has a window area (space 1), and the other space has no window area (space 2). The cleaning operation plan defines a multi-level cleaning strategy for two cleaning spaces (cleaning space 1 and cleaning space 2) respectively. The multi-level cleaning strategy for cleaning space 1 has three levels of operation steps (or three layers of operation, three operation layers), wherein the first level of operation steps or primary operation steps (a first operation layer or a base layer) are completed by the scrubbing robot 100e (priority = 1), the second level of operation steps or intermediate operation steps (a second operation layer or a middlelayer) are completed by the dust cleaning robot 100b (priority = 2), and the third level of operation steps or the highest level of operation steps (a third operation layer or a top layer) are completed by the window cleaning robot 100c. (priority = 3) is completed. It can be seen that the three-level operation steps are generated based on the priorities assigned to the three robots, that is, generated in the order of priority = 1 to priority = 3. For the cleaning space 2 without any window area, only the scrubbing robot 100e and the dust cleaning robot 100b are arranged. Similarly, according to the priority of the robots, the multi-level cleaning strategy of Space 2 forms two levels of cleaning operation steps (or two layers of cleaning operations), namely, the primary operation steps performed by the scrubbing robot 100e (priority = 1), and the highest level operation steps performed by the vacuum robot 100b (priority = 2).

[0095] The multi-stage cleaning operation plan is then transmitted to the task execution module 240. The window cleaning robot 100c and the vacuuming robot 100b operate simultaneously in the time period from T0 to T1 to clean space 1 and space 2. After completing the vacuuming task in space 2, the vacuuming robot 100b moves to space 1 and continues to operate according to the vacuuming task in space 1, and the time range is from T2 to T3. At the same time, the scrubbing robot 100e operates based on the scrubbing task in space 2, and the time range is from T2 to T3. After completing the scrubbing task in space 2, the scrubbing robot 100e moves to space 1 and continues to operate according to the scrubbing task in space 1, and the time range is from T4 to T5. In this way, the robot's resources (i.e., the number of cleaning devices 100 used) and the time spent cleaning the office area 20 are optimized.

[0096] In various embodiments, the collaborative cleaning system 10 further includes a user terminal device 49 configured to communicate data with the cloud server 200'. The user terminal device 49 may be any type of external computing device suitable for communicating with the cloud server 200', such as Figure 1 The personal computer 51 shown in the embodiment or Figure 6 The mobile computing device 53 shown in the embodiment. The user terminal device 49 may include a communication module that is configured to send data signals to the cloud server 200' through different types of wired or wireless communications, for example, through a cable network, or using Wi-FiTM and BluetoothTM wireless communication protocols. It is understood that the system 10 can be configured to communicate through a network interface based on different types of wireless or wired network devices and protocols. It is also understood that the system 10 may include multiple user terminal devices 49, allowing users to access the system 10 at different locations.

[0097] In various embodiments, the user terminal device 49 includes a user interface configured to receive information and instructions from the user. The user interface may be a web page interface, or an interface of a software program installed on the personal computer 51 or the mobile computing device 53. In an embodiment in which the mobile computing device 53 is used as the user terminal device 49, the user interface may be an application program interface of a mobile application 56 on the mobile computing device 53. A non-limiting example of the interface design of the mobile application 56 is as follows: Fig. 9 and Fig.10 shown.

[0098] In various embodiments, the user terminal device 49 is configured to receive instructions from the user and send the instructions to the cleaning device 100, which also communicates data with the cloud server 200'. The cleaning device 100 can be in multiple operating modes. For example, the user can turn on and off the cleaning device 100 by inputting instructions from the user terminal device 49, or set the cleaning device 100 to a power saving mode. In various embodiments, the user terminal device 49 is also configured to display relevant information of the collaborative cleaning system 10, and relevant information of multiple cleaning devices 100 connected to the collaborative cleaning system 10. Remote control and / or monitoring of the collaborative cleaning system 10 can be achieved through the user terminal device 49, and one of the user terminal devices 49 can be used to dynamically add and control multiple cleaning devices 100. In addition, the cleaning process of the system 10 can be further improved by configuring other functions for the user terminal device 49, as described in the embodiments below.

[0099] In various embodiments, the collaborative cleaning system 10 is configured to perform a designated cleaning task based on one or more user-defined parameters received from the user terminal device 49. Specifically, for robot priority generation and subsequent multi-level cleaning strategy planning, the priority generation module 220 and the task planning module 230 are configured to consider one or more user-defined parameters in addition to robot information or robot features.

[0100] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the cloud server 200' may also include a user input register (or UIR) 260 for receiving, storing and processing one or more user-defined parameters. Based on the user-defined parameters, the robot will dynamically plan the order of cleaning tasks performed by multiple cleaning devices 100. The user-defined parameters may include but are not limited to the type of one or more cleaning tasks to be performed by the system, geographic location information (such as location) of one or more designated cleaning areas, infrastructure or environmental information of one or more designated cleaning areas, priority information of one or more designated cleaning tasks of one or more designated cleaning areas, and user information (such as identification information). For example, a user can indicate that the collaborative cleaning system 10 gives priority to the area to be cleaned and the type of cleaning action to be performed by inputting such parameters on the user terminal device 49. The priority information is transmitted to and stored at the user input register 260. The priority generation module 220 and the subsequent task planning module 230 retrieve this information from the user input register 260 for robot priority generation and multi-level cleaning strategy planning.

[0101] In some embodiments, the user-defined parameters may define one or more excluded zones that do not need to be cleaned during the cleaning task. For example, such excluded zones may be silent zones, dangerous zones, spaces that should be enclosed or restricted, etc. The user may define these spaces as special spaces before activating the system 10 to perform a cleaning task. These excluded spaces may be common among different cleaning robot types.

[0102] Fig.14 Shows Fig.10 A more detailed version of the system 10 is shown in FIG. 200 . The cloud server 200 ′ includes a robot activity analyzer module 205 (or robot activity analyzer). The robot activity analyzer module 205 provides Figure 6The activity analysis microserver (or activity analyzer) shown. The robot activity analyzer module 205 manages and monitors the activities of each cleaning device 100. These activities include but are not limited to cleaning operations, point-to-point movement operations, mixed operations, and robot health status monitoring alarms. The robot registration module 210 receives information about the cleaning device 100 through the robot activity analyzer module 205.

[0103] The UIR 260 may include a task instruction register 265. The task instruction register 265 receives a task instruction from the user terminal device 49. The task instruction may include high-level information / variables, such as but not limited to the robot, the cleaning area, and the cleaning time. The task instruction register 265 stores this information. There are two ways to generate and receive task instructions for the task instruction register 265. One way to generate task instructions is to generate them through an application running on the user terminal device 49. When the user runs the application to start a cleaning operation / task, the application will display a location map selected by the user, or corresponding to the operator, or more specifically, will display a map of the location of the user terminal device 49 held by the user. Fig.15A A first user interface (UI) screen (i.e., first UI screen) 602 presented to a user is shown. The first UI screen 602 includes a map 604 and three area indicia 606, 608, 610, which indicate different ground areas for cleaning. In Figure 15, the ground areas for cleaning are a cafe, a reception area, and a lobby. The user can select to clean the corresponding area by selecting the corresponding area indication 606, 608, 610, and then display the second UI screen 612. The map 604 can include a selected area of ​​an enlarged map (not shown) in the second UI screen 612. The second UI screen 612 includes three selection indications 614, 616, 618, which cover the map 604 to allow the user to select whether to continue cleaning the previously selected area and how to clean it. The user can select the "cancel" indication 614 to cancel the cleaning operation, select the "team" indication 616 to continue the cleaning operation using the group of robots, or select the "yes" indication 618 to continue the cleaning operation using a single robot. If the user selects the "collaboration" indication 616 on the UI screen 612, Fig.15A The third UI screen 620 shown will be displayed on the user terminal device 49. The third UI screen 620 shows that the robot "Siti" has been selected, and two other robots "Wong Yong" and "Jianwan" are available for selection. If the user selects both of the available robots and selects the "confirm" indication 622, then Fig. 15BThe fourth UI screen 630 shown will be displayed on the user terminal device 49. The fourth UI screen 630 displays all robots selected to join the group of robots for cleaning. At this stage, the user can cancel the cleaning operation by selecting the "cancel" indication 632, or continue the cleaning operation by selecting the "confirm" indication 634. If the user continues to perform the cleaning operation by selecting the "confirm" indication 634, the collected information, i.e., the area to be cleaned and the selected robot, will be sent to the task instruction register 265 through the app command router 491 on the user terminal device 49. The task instruction register 265 then forwards the received information to the priority generation module 220 for immediate processing. When the cleaning operation plan is available, information about which spaces in the cleaning area the individual robots will be arranged in is displayed to the user through a suitable UI screen 640 on the user terminal device 49.

[0104] Another method of generating task instructions is to run generation on the user terminal device 49 through the robot task scheduler 492. Through the robot task scheduler 560, the operator can create a predetermined cleaning schedule for one or more workplaces. Each plan will include a cleaning area and a start time for cleaning the area. The robot task scheduler 492 sends the cleaning schedule to the task instruction register 265. The task instruction register 265 monitors the start time and automatically starts the corresponding cleaning operation when the current time reaches the start time of the cleaning plan. The predetermined schedule does not contain any robot information. The cleaning operation will involve any available robot in the cleaning area when the cleaning operation starts.

[0105] On the other hand, the present disclosure also relates to a system for controlling multiple task-specific apparatuses. The system includes multiple task-specific apparatuses, at least one of which is configured to be communicatively connected to a processor unit. The system also includes a user device for receiving one or more instructions from a user and being communicatively connected to the processor unit. The processor unit includes: a control manager for generating high-level control instructions based on one or more instructions received from the user device; and an action generator for generating a control instruction specific to the device (or a control instruction specific to each / corresponding device / equipment, a device-specific control command) for each specific task device from the high-level control instruction. The processor unit is also configured to send the corresponding control instruction (or a control instruction specific to each / corresponding device, an apparatus-specific control command) to the corresponding specific task device for execution.

[0106] In various embodiments, each specific task device can be an autonomous or semi-autonomous machine and / or an operable robot capable of performing a specified task. The specified task may include but is not limited to a cleaning task. The specific task device may include but is not limited to: a cleaning device 100 as described above. Multiple specific task devices may include multiple devices that are operable to perform different tasks. For example, multiple specific task devices may include one or more cleaning devices 100, one or more cooking devices, one or more smart lighting devices, etc. The system 10 provides a unified platform through which users can practice controlling multiple specific task devices.

[0107] like Figure 7-Figure 1 5, the present disclosure also provides a system 10 that can control multiple different types of cleaning devices 100 through a user device 49. It is understood that the above cleaning device 100 and system 10 can be used to remotely control the cleaning device 100, that is, a remote operation system 10 is provided. Similar functional modules / components / equipment in the cleaning device 100 and the collaborative cleaning system 10 are Figure 7 to Figure 1 5 have the same or similar reference numbers. The functional modules / components / equipment of the cleaning device 100 and the collaborative cleaning system 10 described above can also be applied to the remote operation system 10.

[0108] In various embodiments, the system 10 includes a plurality of cleaning devices 100. Each cleaning device 100 is capable of performing at least one cleaning action, and the plurality of cleaning devices 100 are communicatively connected to a processor unit 200. The system 10 also includes a user terminal device 49, which is configured to receive one or more instructions from a user and is configured to communicate with the processor unit 200. The user can control the operation of the plurality of cleaning devices 100 through a specially designed software interface / mobile application 56.

[0109] For remote control from the user terminal device 49, the processor unit 200 of the system 10 incorporates additional functional modules / subsystems. Figure 6 FIG. 4 shows a functional block diagram of a system 10 including a user terminal device 49 for controlling a plurality of cleaning devices 100. Figure 6 As shown in the system structure of the non-limiting embodiment, the user terminal device 49 is presented in the form of a mobile computing device 53 (such as a mobile phone) and is installed with a specially designed mobile application 56, and the processor unit 200 exists in the form of a cloud server 200'. The mobile application 56 provides a software interface for the user to control and manage multiple cleaning devices 100. A non-limiting example of the software interface of the mobile application 56 is shown as follows: Fig.10 , Fig.11 , Fig.13A and 13B shown.

[0110] In various embodiments, the processor unit 200 includes: a control manager 430 for generating high-level control instructions based on one or more instructions received from the user terminal device 49; an action generator 440 for generating specific control instructions corresponding to each cleaning device 100 (or control instructions specific to each / corresponding device / equipment) from the high-level control instructions (based on the robot information of the corresponding cleaning device). The processor unit 200 is configured to send one or more control instructions specific to each / corresponding device / equipment to the corresponding cleaning device 100 for execution. The steps of "generating high-level control instructions" and "or control instructions specific to each / corresponding device / equipment" may include one or more steps of allocation, calculation, and deriving.

[0111] In various embodiments, the control manager 430 is configured to receive one or more instructions (or indications) from the user terminal device 49, more specifically, to receive instructions from the software interface / application on the user terminal device 49. The instructions may include instructions for navigating one or more cleaning devices to one or more intended destinations, one or more user-defined parameters for the cleaning devices to follow when performing tasks, and the user-defined parameters may include priority information of tasks (e.g., cleaning of cleaning space 1 takes precedence over cleaning space 2) and operating parameters (e.g., operating time period, coverage area, robot navigation path of the cleaning device, etc.). The control manager 430 generates high-level control instructions for the corresponding cleaning device 100 based on the user instructions. In some embodiments, the robot information of the corresponding cleaning device 100 is also taken into account when generating the high-level control instructions. The high-level control instructions describe the operation of each cleaning device 100 in a relatively abstract manner, thereby representing the conceptual functions / goals of different cleaning devices 100 in a structured manner. For example, high-level control instructions can be generated to describe the overall goals and cleaning operation plans of different cleaning devices 100.

[0112] In various embodiments, the activity generator 440 is configured to generate control commands specific to each device / equipment for each cleaning device 100 from the high-level control command. The specific control command (the device-specific control command) describes in detail the operation and action to be performed by each cleaning device 100. The specific control command can be generated using a low-level programming language, such as a programming language containing basic microprocessor instructions. The specific control command of the device can be transmitted to the corresponding cleaning device 100 and executed by the cleaning device. The cleaning device 100 does not need or rarely needs to further process the specific control command of the device.

[0113] The control instructions specific to each device / equipment are generated based on the robot information embedded in the high-level control instructions of the corresponding cleaning device and user instructions. As described above, the robot information may include, but is not limited to, the identity information of the cleaning device 100 (i.e., the robot ID), the geographic location information of the cleaning device 100, the current operating state of the device 100, and the current power consumption state, battery management data, operating hours, health status, error status, characteristics of the working environment (which may include external sensor and internal sensor data), and fault diagnosis information.

[0114] In some embodiments, the processor unit 200 further includes an authentication manager 410 for processing and authenticating robot information of a corresponding cleaning device 100. The authentication manager 410 may be connected to a robot database 420, which is configured to store robot information of a plurality of cleaning devices 100. The authentication manager 410 may search and retrieve (or retrieve) robot information of a specific cleaning device 100 for authentication. Authentication may include multiple factors. The details of this multiple authentication will be described later. Once the authentication manager 410 completes the authentication, the robot information and instructions from the user may then be transmitted to the control manager 430 to generate high-level instructions.

[0115] The robot database 420 stores robot information, infrastructure information, and user information. The robot information includes, but is not limited to, the unique serial number of the cleaning device 100 and the corresponding data required for the operation of the cleaning device. For example, if the robot is a ground automatic cleaning robot, the robot information may include its serial number and settings for cleaning. Such settings include the amount of water required for cleaning, the amount of cleaning liquid required, etc. The infrastructure information includes information related to the machine operating environment. For example, if the machine is a ground automatic cleaning robot, the robot's infrastructure information may include a ground map, the cleaning path that the robot needs to take, the cleaning space within the cleaning area, the restricted area that the robot should not enter, the time period for cleaning the cleaning area, etc.

[0116] In various embodiments, authentication of robot information includes two-factor authentication, such as Fig.12 Steps 510 to 530 and Fig.13A shown.

[0117] In the first step 510, the user uses the user terminal device 49 to read the robot information through the UI screen 700. The robot information may be embedded in a barcode or a QR code of a printed label attached to the cleaning device 100, or a QR code or a barcode displayed on a digital display unit of the cleaning device 100. Then, the scanned robot information is sent from the user terminal device 49 to the processor unit 200. The system generates a password (or a passphrase) based on the robot information received from the user terminal device. In particular, a pre-assigned serial number embedded in the QR code or barcode can be transmitted to the processor unit 200 of the system 10 as a cloud service request. Once the authentication manager 410 of the processor unit 200 receives the serial number of the cleaning device 100 from the user terminal device 49, the authentication manager 410 generates a one-time password, which may be valid only for a specified time. The password can be sent to the cleaning device 100 to be displayed on the display unit of the cleaning device 100. Alternatively, the pass phrase may be sent to the user terminal device 49 for display to the user, or may be sent to the user's registered email address or the user's registered telephone.

[0118] In a further step 520, the user interface will automatically update to display a new page 710 for the user to enter the password generated by the authentication manager 410. The user enters the password on the software interface. The user terminal device 49 sends the entered password to the processor unit 200. If the user enters the correct password on the user terminal device 49, that is, the user enters the matching password generated by the authentication manager 410, the authentication manager 410 registers the robot's detailed information in the robot database 420 and allows the user to control the specific cleaning device 100.

[0119] In a further step 530, the user confirms the connection with one or more cleaning devices 100 by repeating steps 510 and 520. More specifically, after successful authentication using the one-time password, the user interface updates to a new page 720 for the user to confirm which cleaning device 100 to control. Fig.13A and Fig. 13B It can be seen that one or more cleaning devices 100 may be added to allow remote control by a user. Fig.13A The UI screen 730 in FIG. 7 shows the cleaning devices 100 “Robot A”, “Robot B” and “Robot C”, which are connected to the user end through steps 510 , 520 and added by the user through the UI screens 620 , 630 .

[0120] In various embodiments, the system 10 may be used to control any number of cleaning devices 100. In the above step 530, the user may select any applicable cleaning device 100 from the robot list based on the cleaning task to be performed to form a robot combination (or work team).

[0121] In a further step 540, the user can access the console / control interface 735 of a particular cleaning device 100 and run the robot operation. The user can select a move indicium 736 in the control interface 735 to control the movement of the cleaning device 100. Such operation will present the user with the console / control interface 740. The console / control interface 740 may include one or more navigation consoles for navigating the cleaning device 100 to a desired direction or to a desired destination. For example, Fig. 13B As shown, the console 740 displays necessary buttons, sliders and navigation buttons for the user to remotely control the navigation and task operations of the cleaning device 100 through the cloud engine. Therefore, there is no need to make a direct data connection between the cleaning device 100 and the user terminal device 49, such as using Bluetooth or WIFI. The console 740 also includes a sensor on / off control indication 742 for controlling the switch of the sensor of the cleaning device 100, such as a distance sensor. In some specific embodiments, when the distance sensor detects that the channel width may be narrow for the automatic passage of the cleaning device 100, the cleaning device 100 may not be allowed to continue the cleaning operation. The user can turn off the distance sensor and switch to using the navigation button to operate the cleaning device 100 in order to resume the cleaning operation. The console 740 also includes a cleaning setting indication 744. When the cleaning setting indication 744 is selected, a specific UI screen 750 for controlling the setting parameters of the cleaning device is displayed on the user terminal device 49 for adjusting the control parameters. If the map indication 737 in the control interface 735 is selected, the map 760 will be displayed on the user terminal device 49 to display the location of the cleaning device 100.

[0122] In a further step 550, the user can exit the console / control interface of the cleaning device 100 after completing a cleaning task. The user can switch between different consoles / control interfaces in the software interface to control and navigate each cleaning device 100 in the robot list. The user can also remove one or more cleaning devices 100 from a work team, that is, disconnect the connection between the cleaning device 100 and the user terminal device 49. For example, when one or more cleaning devices complete a cleaning task, they are removed from the work team to which they belong, and the one or more cleaning devices 100 are formed into a new work team, and the same steps as described above are used to perform a new cleaning task.

[0123] In various embodiments, the system 10 is configured to monitor and track robot information (e.g., device health status, error status, operating status, etc.) and operational activities of multiple cleaning devices 10 from a user terminal device 49. In addition to the console, the software interface may also provide an interface for real-time monitoring of the tasks performed by the cleaning devices 100, the operating status of the cleaning devices 100, and the environmental / geographic location information measured by the perception sensors of the cleaning devices 100. The software interface also allows the user to locate each cleaning device 100 on a map (which may be pre-installed in the mobile application, or may be populated based on information collected by the perception sensors of one or more cleaning devices 100) and monitor their respective movements, motions, and operational statuses. Fig. 13B In the example shown, when operating the cleaning device 100, the user can refer to the map 760, which highlights / indicates the real-time location of the cleaning device 100 (for example, implemented by a GPS system installed on the cleaning device). The user can manually control the cleaning device 100 to navigate to different locations. Alternatively, the user can enter a destination on the console or map and control the cleaning device 100 to automatically move to the destination.

[0124] In various embodiments, the processor unit 200 further includes a data clustering unit 450 for managing sensor data input and control command output between the cleaning device 100 and the processor unit 200. The data clustering unit 450 routes the information received from the cleaning device 100 to consecutive sectors (or consecutive clusters, i.e., sectors or clusters) in one or more disks / databases in the processor unit 200. The data clustering unit 450 manages the space allocation on the processor unit 200 by reducing the load (overhead) of the data system structure. For example, when sensor data is received from the cleaning device 200, the data clustering unit 450 can retrieve / separate the sensor data from other information received by the cleaning device 100. Similarly, the control instructions corresponding to each device generated by the action generator 440 are transmitted to the corresponding cleaning device 100 through the data clustering unit 450.

[0125] In some embodiments, the data cluster unit 450 can be connected to a data logger 460, which receives raw sensor data from the cleaning device 100 through the data cluster unit 450, analyzes the sensor data, and processes the sensor data into meaningful, actionable perception information. The data logger 460 can update the robot perception information in the robot database 420 to be applied to one or more other micro servers (e.g., for generating robot personality / characteristics).

[0126] In various embodiments, each user of the collaborative cleaning system 10 registers a user account with a unique user ID. In order for the user to access and control the cleaning device 100, a registration and verification (or login) step is required. Figure 8 As shown, generating this unique user ID requires personal name information and personal identification number (NRIC) corresponding to the user's respective country / region, and the ID will be valid for life. A user has only one ID, and the ID will be permanently bound to the user. In daily work, each robot may be assigned to a dedicated cleaner. Therefore, the security of the system is improved. Figure 8 A non-limiting example of a user operation flow is shown, which includes the following steps: (a) User Login: The user enters his / her registered account information to log in to the system in a secure manner. (b) User Information Interface (UserProfile Screen): After the user logs in to the system, he / she can go to the user file interface (user profile portal) to enter and / or check relevant user information. For a new user, he / she may need to enter the necessary user information before continuing. (c) Start Menu / Operation Screen: Information on the available cleaning devices in the system is displayed on the operation screen. For a specific cleaning task, the user can activate / add one or more cleaning devices 100. (d) Robot Operation: The user can then go to the robot operation page, which is a control interface / user interface used to enter instructions or define any operating parameters before activating the cleaning device 100 to perform a cleaning task.

[0127] In addition to tracking the status / activity of the robot, the system 10 can also be configured to manage and track the historical activities of a specific user. As previously mentioned, each cleaning device 100 has been set up and assigned to at least one user / cleaner. Therefore, the system 10 tracks the relevant robot information and operation activities of one or more cleaning devices 100 that have been operated or assigned to a specific user.

[0128] The monitoring and tracking of robot information and user historical activities can be achieved through multiple embedded microservers, such as Figure 6 For example, the report generation micro server, the operation health status monitoring micro server and the activity analyzer can be embedded or programmed in the user terminal device 49 and the backend cloud server 200 ', such as Figure 6 In particular, the activity analysis microserver is configured to obtain robot information (such as operating status) of each cleaning device 100 and user activities / instructions sent through the mobile application 56. After the cleaning task is executed, the activity analyzer will create an activity record paired with the user ID.

[0129] In various embodiments, the cleaning device 100 and corresponding user activities are continuously recorded and uploaded to the cloud server 200' for further processing. User history information, such as the execution of each cleaning operation, emergency records, and cleaning operation instructions, can be tracked. For example, Figure 6 As shown, the core database 310 at the back end of the system 10 can be configured to retrieve and process user history information, and the file storage server 320 can be used to store system related information, including user history information. In this way, user history information can be tracked by a unique user ID. This helps to cultivate the reliability and sense of responsibility of users (who may be cleaners using the system 10 to perform cleaning tasks), that is, how they should cooperate with the robot 100 assigned to them.

[0130] In some embodiments, reference Figure 8 and Fig.10 A points reward system is also programmed on the system 10 to record and track the performance of each user. When cleaners complete certain tasks (such as robot cleaning maintenance) more actively, they will be rewarded with badges, and when cleaners complete tasks more passively, they will be given red flags. User points are collected and constantly compared among the global user group, and a ranking system is introduced to display the best performing users and reward them.

[0131] More specifically, users can earn rewards based on the following: (a) Maintenance Points: Users or cleaners should perform weekly maintenance on the cleaning device 10 after receiving notifications from the mobile application or software program. The maintenance sequence may include, but is not limited to, cleaning the recovery water tank, defect inspection and replacement of brushes and scrapers, electrical system inspection, etc. Upon completion, the user will be rewarded with maintenance points. (b) Rescue Points: When the cleaning device 100 encounters any warning or emergency situation, the user will be notified through the mobile application notification or software program. When the user handles the robot, rescue points will be awarded, and these points vary depending on the severity of the emergency situation. (c) Startup Points: If the user is able to turn on the robot and successfully navigate the robot from the docking / home position to the first cleaning area of ​​the day or the first designated cleaning space and run the cleaning operation. (d) Opinion Points: Users are highly encouraged to provide opinions and feedback, and rewards will be given for corresponding good and constructive opinions. Include a section in the mobile application or software program for users to provide their considerations and feedback on how to improve the performance of the robot. (e) Technician review points: Users are rewarded based on the review evaluation given by the technicians who perform regular maintenance on the robot. At the end of each maintenance, the technicians can know whether the cleaner has managed the robot well.

[0132] In some embodiments, the software program or mobile application 56 on the user terminal device 49 can be further configured to collect and track the user's qualifications. The qualification tracking portal (or qualification tracking interface, i.e., The qualification tracking portal) can be called "Academy Certification Track". The portal website (or interface, portal) introduces an ecosystem about the cleaning industry, in which all cleaners' skill sets on different types / series of cleaning robots are verified and certified. In addition, it also provides users with training to improve their skills, and can send / issue certificates to users when they meet the prescribed requirements related to specific aspects of the operation of the collaborative cleaning system 10.

[0133] The Academy Certification Track provides training to users / cleaners and tracks their qualifications in the following areas: (a) Robot Control and Use (Robot Type / Family Specific): During this track, the user will receive training on how to efficiently and safely operate the robot during his / her daily use. The training includes an introduction to the robot's functions, the use of the mobile application or user interface, and robot maintenance operations. (b) Cleaning Deployment and Marketing (Robot Type / Family Specific): Users will receive training on how to perform field assessments, generate field analysis reports, and perform robot deployments. (c) Service and Repair (Robot Type / Family Specific): Depending on the type of robot from different families, users will receive training on how to perform periodic maintenance and parts repair. (d) Other aspects related to the Collaborative Cleaning System 10, such as sales and marketing, cloud management, etc.

[0134] The system 10 disclosed in the present invention has at least the following beneficial technical effects: (a) First, the system 10 provides a solution for the collaborative cleaning operation of multiple robots with an optimized cleaning task execution order. (b) Compared with the existing cleaning machine deployment system, the collaborative cleaning system disclosed in the present invention can be remotely controlled, can achieve a relatively higher level of automation, and minimizes the need for human participation in operating the collaborative cleaning system 10. (c) The collaborative cleaning system managed by cloud computing can be embedded with various microservers, such as a personality generator, which allows the robot behavior to be dynamically adjusted based on the data of the perception sensors and the user-defined parameters to further improve the efficiency and effectiveness of cleaning, etc.

[0135] Further, a networked user device with a specially designed software interface / mobile application has the following additional benefits: (d) Multiple cleaning devices and user devices are connected via an Internet interface. Therefore, no robot-user device direct connection (e.g., via Bluetooth™ / WI-FI™) is required. (b) The software interface / mobile application can be used to control homogeneous and heterogeneous robots; it also allows users to flexibly add and remove cleaning devices for specific task combinations. (c) The software interface / mobile application allows users to connect to any number of robots. In particular, in an embodiment where a cloud-based server is used as a processor unit, the capacity of the server and the number of cleaning devices / robots that can be controlled by the user device based on the server capacity are unlimited. (d) A simple two-factor authentication process using a QR code / barcode scan and a password ensures a secure connection between the cleaning robot and the user device through the processor unit / cloud server. (e) The software interface / mobile application integrates the tracking of robot activities and user behavior into one platform, which is conducive to cultivating user reliability and responsibility.

[0136] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that variations and combinations of the above-described features, rather than substitutions or alternatives, may be combined into further embodiments that fall within the intended scope of the present disclosure. In particular: (a) the system may be used to remotely control any number of cleaning devices of any type, not limited to those shown in the accompanying drawings; (b) although the present disclosure is described in the context of operation of a cleaning device, it may also be applied to control any other type of autonomous or semi-autonomous machine / robot with compatible hardware and software operating systems. The machines / robots may be either isomorphic (i.e., of the same type) or heterogeneous (i.e., of different types). (c) The subsystems and microservers of the processor unit 200 may run on different computing devices, servers, and resource recorders (recording resources), which may be located in back-end physical / virtual server systems, such as Figure 1 and Figure 6 As shown. In addition or alternatively, some subsystems and microservers can be computing systems of one or more cleaning devices on a user device and / or a computing system board. For example, in some embodiments, the cleaning device can move and draw a route based on information input by a sensor. Alternatively, route drawing or part of the route drawing function can be implemented on a backend database server or a user device.

[0137] Logo

[0138] 10 system, 20 cleaning area, 40 router, 49 user terminal device (or user device), 51 personal computer, 53 mobile device, 56 mobile application, 100 cleaning device, 100a mopping robot, 100b vacuuming robot, 100c window cleaning robot, 100d garbage collection robot, 100e scrubbing robot, 121 control module, 125 cleaning module, 127 personalization module, 133 perception sensor, 136 navigation module, 139 communication module, 140 power supply management module (or power supply module), 144 security level trigger module, 200 processor unit, 200' cloud server, 2 10 is a robot registration module, 220 a priority generation module, 230 a task planning module (or a multi-level task generator), 240 a task execution module, 251 a scrubbing step / primary step, 253 a vacuuming step / intermediate step, 257 a window cleaning step / advanced step, 260 a user input register (UIR), 310 a core database, 320 a dynamic database, 330 a file storage server, 410 an authentication manager, 420 a robot / machine database, 430 a control manager, 440 an action generator, 450 a data cluster unit, 460 a data recorder, and 510-550 control steps for one or more cleaning devices.

Claims

1. A system for performing a specified task, comprising: a plurality of task-specific devices, at least one of the task-specific devices being configured to communicate with the processor unit; and a user device for receiving one or more instructions from a user and communicatively connected to the processor unit, the plurality of task-specific devices including one or more cleaning devices; The processor unit includes: a control manager for generating high-level control instructions based on one or more instructions received from a user device; an action generator for generating control instructions specific to each device for each device from the high-level control instructions, wherein the processor unit is configured to send the control instructions specific to each device to the corresponding device for execution; and An authentication manager configured to process and authenticate robot information using a generated password and a password provided by a user; wherein the user reads the robot information using a user device through a UI screen; the robot information is embedded in a barcode or a QR code of a printed label attached to a cleaning device, or a QR code or a barcode displayed on a digital display unit of the cleaning device; a password is generated based on the robot information received from the user device; when the user enters a matching password generated by the authentication manager, the authentication manager registers the robot's detailed information in a robot database and allows the user to control a specific task device; A robot registration module for selectively registering a plurality of specific task devices, each of which has a robot ID; the selection of the cleaning device is based on the type of cleaning device required for the specified cleaning task; A priority generation module, configured to determine priority information of each registered specific task device, wherein the priority information is generated according to at least one of the robot information or the environment information; the robot information is a first consideration factor for priority generation, and the robot information includes the type, operation status, and power consumption of the registered cleaning device; A task planning module, used to generate a cleaning operation plan based on at least the priority information assigned to each registered specific task device, a specific cleaning task and one or more user-defined parameters, wherein the one or more user-defined parameters include one or more of the following: one or more specified cleaning tasks, geographic location information of one or more specified cleaning areas, infrastructure or environmental information of one or more specified cleaning areas, priority information of one or more specified cleaning tasks, priority information of one or more specified cleaning areas, and user information; the cleaning operation plan includes multiple layers of cleaning operations, wherein each layer of cleaning operations includes multiple operation protocols specified for at least one specific task device; wherein the multiple layers of cleaning operations are generated based on time information and spatial information.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The step of providing the generated password to the user includes sending the generated password to a specific task device.

3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The step of providing the generated password to the user includes: sending the generated password to the user's user registration email address; and sending the generated password to the user's user registration number.

4. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The processor unit further includes a data cluster unit for managing data inflow and outflow between the processor unit and a plurality of task-specific devices.

5. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The plurality of task-specific devices include one or more cleaning devices, each of which is capable of performing one or more of the following cleaning operations: sweeping, vacuuming, scrubbing, mopping, window cleaning, countertop cleaning, garbage collection, and arranging furniture for easy cleaning.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that The processor unit includes at least one cloud server.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that The system is configured to track and record the activities of a plurality of task-specific devices and / or users.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein: The robot ID is transmitted from the robot registration module to the priority generation module for defining a priority field for each registered specific task device.

9. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The multi-layer cleaning operation includes a primary layer, an intermediate layer and an advanced layer, and each operation protocol includes an operation time period defined for each layer, as well as a coverage area and a robot navigation path.

10. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The system further includes: a task execution module, which is used to send instructions to corresponding specific task devices to execute cleaning tasks according to the cleaning operation plan of each layer.

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