Optimization of cleaning frequency of area to be cleaned using autonomous cleaning robot

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling an autonomous cleaning robot (2), the method comprising steps comprising: measuring the amount of dust drawn by the autonomous cleaning robot (2) during each cleaning operation of a region to be cleaned, estimating the amount of dust accumulated in the region to be cleaned since the last cleaning operation of the region to be cleaned, and calculating the amount of dust accumulated in the region to be cleaned. The estimated accumulated dust amount is calculated according to a sucked dust amount measured during the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned and a time elapsed since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned; comparing the estimated amount of accumulated dust with a predetermined threshold; and automatically adjusting the cleaning frequency of the to-be-cleaned area according to a comparison result of the estimated accumulated dust amount and a preset threshold value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of autonomous cleaning robots, in particular to the field of robotic vacuum cleaners that are capable of autonomously displacing over a surface to be cleaned, such as tiles, parquet, laminate, carpet or rugs, and allowing the suction of dust and debris present on the surface, which can optionally be washed while the vacuuming operation is in progress. Background Art

[0002] Autonomous cleaning robots are now commonplace and allow cleaning of entire surfaces of a home without any help from the user, as long as these surfaces are flat, i.e. on the same level. They thus free up a lot of time for the user to perform other activities.

[0003] An autonomous cleaning robot comprises, in a known manner:

[0004] a body comprising a lower surface configured to be oriented facing the surface to be cleaned, and a suction opening opening in the lower surface of the body, the body defining a suction chamber fluidly connected to the suction opening,

[0005] - two drive wheels configured to roll on the surface to be cleaned and mounted so as to be movable in rotation about two substantially parallel axes of rotation, respectively, on the body,

[0006] a rotating cleaning brush housed in the suction chamber and mounted so as to be movable in rotation about the axis of rotation of the brush,

[0007] a suction unit at least partially housed in the body and configured to generate an air flow through the suction opening,

[0008] a garbage collection device comprising a garbage collection container located upstream of the suction unit and configured to be passed through by the airflow generated by the suction unit and to hold garbage transported by the airflow, and

[0009] a waste guide channel which fluidly connects the suction chamber to the waste collection container, and

[0010] - an electronic control unit configured to control the operation of the autonomous cleaning robot, in particular to map the dwelling to be cleaned and to divide the dwelling to be cleaned into a plurality of areas to be cleaned.

[0011] Such an autonomous cleaning robot may, for example, be provided with a user interface that allows the user to select the nature of each area to be cleaned (e.g., from a non-exhaustive list of the nature of the areas to be cleaned: bathroom, kitchen, dining room, bedroom, etc.) and optionally the type of floor surface of each area to be cleaned (e.g., between hard floor and soft floor). Thus, the electronic control unit may be configured to plan a continuous cleaning operation for each area to be cleaned based on the nature of the area to be cleaned and the type of floor surface of the area to be cleaned.

[0012] However, the default settings defined for each property and each floor type may not be suitable for some users, particularly depending on their frequency of use and usage of the various rooms of their home, which may result in unsatisfactory cleaning of their home.

[0013] Therefore, in order to achieve optimal cleaning of the different rooms of a user's home with such an autonomous cleaning robot, the user must modify the cleaning parameters associated with each area to be cleaned, in particular the cleaning frequency of said area to be cleaned, which may be difficult and complicated for some users, especially since these maneuvers may be repeated many times a year, as the frequency of certain rooms in the home varies throughout the year. Summary of the Invention

[0014] The present invention aims to remedy all or part of these disadvantages.

[0015] The technical problem underlying the present invention is, inter alia, to provide an autonomous cleaning robot which has a simple and economical construction and which at the same time provides a high cleaning performance without requiring any user intervention.

[0016] To this end, the present invention relates to a control method for an autonomous cleaning robot configured to clean an area to be cleaned, the method comprising the following steps:

[0017] - measure the amount of dust picked up by the autonomous cleaning robot during each cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned,

[0018] - estimating the amount of dust accumulated in the area to be cleaned since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, the estimated accumulated dust amount being calculated based on the amount of dust sucked in measured during the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned and the time that has elapsed since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, that is, the time that has elapsed between the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned and the moment when the estimated accumulated dust amount is calculated,

[0019] - comparing the estimated amount of accumulated dust with a predetermined threshold,

[0020] - Automatically adjust the cleaning frequency of the area to be cleaned based on the comparison of the estimated amount of accumulated dust with a predetermined threshold.

[0021] This configuration of the method according to the invention allows the behavior of the autonomous cleaning robot to be automatically modified (i.e. without user intervention) based on the history of the amount of dust sucked up during previous cleaning operations in the area to be cleaned, in particular to optimize its cleaning frequency and navigation based on dust amount measurements made by the autonomous cleaning robot during previous cleaning operations, thereby preventing the amount of dust or garbage in the area to be cleaned from exceeding a certain threshold.

[0022] Regardless of the usage status of the area to be cleaned, the control method according to the present invention can ensure effective cleaning of the area to be cleaned without requiring user intervention to modify the operating parameters of the autonomous cleaning robot.

[0023] The method may also have one or more of the following features, alone or in combination.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the area to be cleaned corresponds to a room of a residence, a plurality of rooms of a residence, or a part of a room of a residence.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the invention, the estimating step is performed only if the time elapsed since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned is greater than a predetermined duration.

[0026] According to one embodiment of the invention, the measuring step is performed in real time.

[0027] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method is configured such that if the estimated amount of accumulated dust is less than a predetermined threshold, the method includes a repetition step comprising repeating the estimation step and the comparison step after a predetermined time period has elapsed, and if the estimated amount of accumulated dust is greater than the predetermined threshold, the adjustment step includes a planning step comprising planning (i.e., arranging) subsequent cleaning operations for the area to be cleaned.

[0028] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the planning step includes planning the subsequent cleaning operation so that the subsequent cleaning operation is performed after a predetermined minimum duration has elapsed since the last cleaning operation on the area to be cleaned, or so that the subsequent cleaning operation is performed during a subsequent authorized time slot (i.e., a subsequent time slot authorized by the user). This configuration of the method according to the present invention allows avoiding performing too many cleaning operations on the same area to be cleaned on the same day, or performing cleaning operations during a time period when the area to be cleaned is generally occupied by the user or when the user does not want to perform a cleaning operation.

[0029] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the planning step comprises immediately triggering a subsequent cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned.

[0030] According to one embodiment of the present invention, before the estimating step, the method includes a calculating step, which includes, for example, calculating the dust accumulation rate in the area to be cleaned after each cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, and the dust accumulation rate is calculated based on at least the amount of dust sucked in during the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned and the time interval between the last two cleaning operations of the area to be cleaned, and wherein the estimated accumulated dust amount is calculated based on the calculated dust accumulation rate and the time elapsed since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, which is the time elapsed between the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned and the moment when the estimated accumulated dust amount is calculated.

[0031] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the estimated accumulated dust amount is equal to the calculated dust accumulation rate multiplied by the time elapsed since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned.

[0032] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the estimated accumulated dust amount is equal to the sum of the estimated residual dust amount and the calculated dust accumulation rate multiplied by the time elapsed since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, and the estimated residual dust amount is equal to the amount of dust sucked in measured during the previous cleaning operation multiplied by a suction efficiency coefficient, the value of the suction efficiency coefficient being between 0 and 1 and depending on the type of floor of the area to be cleaned and / or the cleaning parameters of the autonomous cleaning robot during the previous cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned (and, for example, depending on the rotation speed of the rotating cleaning brush equipped with the autonomous cleaning robot, the rotation speed of the suction motor equipped with the autonomous cleaning robot, i.e., the suction flow rate of the autonomous cleaning robot, and the displacement speed of the autonomous cleaning robot). This calculation of the estimated accumulated dust amount allows taking into account the suction efficiency of the autonomous cleaning robot, which is better on hard floors (such as tiles or parquet floors) than on soft floors (such as carpets or mats), and therefore takes into account the fact that not all dust present in the area to be cleaned during the previous cleaning operation is necessarily sucked in.

[0033] In other words, the estimated amount of accumulated dust is calculated according to the following equation: q e =q r +(T x *t), where q e is the estimated amount of accumulated dust, q r is the estimated amount of residual dust, T x is the calculated dust accumulation rate, and t is the time elapsed since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned.

[0034] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the step of calculating the dust accumulation rate in the area to be cleaned includes the following steps:

[0035] - after each cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, calculating a dust accumulation rate value equal to the amount of dust measured during said cleaning operation divided by the time interval between the last two cleaning operations of the area to be cleaned, i.e. the time interval between said cleaning operation and the cleaning operation immediately preceding it, and

[0036] - Calculates the dust accumulation rate based on all previously calculated dust accumulation rate values.

[0037] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the dust accumulation rate is equal to the average value of all previously calculated dust accumulation rate values, such as a weighted average value or an arithmetic mean value. Using a weighted average value to calculate the dust accumulation rate allows to eliminate overly sudden changes in the dust accumulation rate values.

[0038] According to one embodiment of the present invention, if the last cleaning operation corresponds to the first cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, the calculated dust accumulation rate is equal to the amount of dust sucked in measured during the first cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned divided by the default time interval.

[0039] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method comprises an adaptation step, which consists in automatically adapting the suction power of the autonomous cleaning robot according to the estimated amount of accumulated dust in the area to be cleaned, before the cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned. Thus, if the estimated amount of accumulated dust is high, the suction power of the autonomous cleaning robot can be increased to ensure optimal cleaning of the area to be cleaned, and if the estimated amount of accumulated dust is low, the suction power of the autonomous cleaning robot can be reduced to maintain the autonomy of the power supply battery of the autonomous cleaning robot.

[0040] The suction force of the autonomous cleaning robot can be adjusted, for example, by changing the rotation speed of the rotating cleaning brush equipped by the autonomous cleaning robot, by changing the rotation speed of the suction motor equipped by the autonomous cleaning robot, by changing the number of times the autonomous cleaning robot passes over the area to be cleaned during a single cleaning operation, or by changing the displacement speed of the autonomous cleaning robot.

[0041] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method includes a providing step, the providing step including providing an autonomous cleaning robot, the autonomous cleaning robot comprising:

[0042] a main body comprising a lower surface configured to be oriented facing the area to be cleaned, and a suction opening opening in the lower surface of the main body, the main body defining a suction chamber fluidly connected to the suction opening,

[0043] - a rotating cleaning brush housed in the suction chamber and mounted so as to be movable in rotation about the axis of rotation of the brush,

[0044] a suction unit at least partially housed in the body and configured to generate an air flow through the suction opening,

[0045] a garbage collection device comprising a garbage collection container located upstream of the suction unit and configured to be passed through by the airflow generated by the suction unit and to hold garbage transported by the airflow, and

[0046] a waste guide channel which fluidly connects the suction chamber to the waste collection container, and

[0047] - A dust sensor configured to measure the amount of dust picked up by the autonomous cleaning robot.

[0048] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the dust sensor is configured to detect the amount of dust particles transported by the air flow flowing through the garbage guiding passage and the size of the particles.

[0049] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the dust sensor is an optical sensor or a piezoelectric sensor.

[0050] According to one embodiment of the invention, the dust sensor is located between the suction chamber and the waste collection container.

[0051] According to one embodiment of the invention, the waste collection container is located behind the suction chamber.

[0052] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the control method includes a mapping step, which includes drawing a map of the area to be cleaned, for example, drawing a map of a residence to be cleaned and dividing the residence to be cleaned into a plurality of areas to be cleaned.

[0053] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method comprises an adjustment step, which comprises adjusting the predetermined threshold value according to the type of area to be cleaned. For example, the predetermined threshold value may be different for high throughput areas and low throughput areas.

[0054] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method includes an adjustment step, which includes adjusting a predetermined threshold value according to a desired cleanliness level. For example, a user may want one area to be cleaned (e.g., a bathroom) to be cleaner than another area to be cleaned (e.g., a hallway).

[0055] According to one embodiment of the present invention, an autonomous cleaning robot is configured to clean multiple areas to be cleaned, a measuring step comprising measuring, for each area to be cleaned, the amount of dust sucked in by the autonomous cleaning robot during each cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, an estimating step comprising estimating, for each area to be cleaned, the amount of dust accumulated in the area to be cleaned since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, the estimated accumulated dust amount for each area to be cleaned being calculated based on the amount of sucked dust measured during the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned and the time elapsed since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, i.e., the time elapsed between the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned and the moment when the estimated accumulated dust amount for the area to be cleaned is calculated, a comparing step comprising comparing, for each area to be cleaned, the estimated accumulated dust amount for the area to be cleaned with a predetermined threshold, and an adjusting step comprising automatically adjusting the cleaning frequency of the area to be cleaned based on the comparison result of the estimated accumulated dust amount for each area to be cleaned with the predetermined threshold.

[0056] According to one embodiment of the present invention, during a cleaning cycle of a plurality of areas to be cleaned, the method comprises a processing step comprising prioritizing the area to be cleaned having the highest estimated amount of accumulated dust.

[0057] The present invention also relates to an autonomous cleaning robot configured to clean an area to be cleaned, the autonomous cleaning robot comprising:

[0058] a main body comprising a lower surface configured to be oriented facing the area to be cleaned, and a suction opening opening in the lower surface of the main body, the main body defining a suction chamber fluidly connected to the suction opening,

[0059] - a rotating cleaning brush housed in the suction chamber and mounted so as to be movable in rotation about the axis of rotation of the brush,

[0060] a suction unit at least partially housed in the body and configured to generate an air flow through the suction opening,

[0061] a waste collection device comprising a waste collection container located upstream of the suction unit and configured to be passed through by the air flow generated by the suction unit and to hold waste transported by the air flow,

[0062] a waste guide channel which fluidly connects the suction chamber to the waste collection container,

[0063] a dust sensor configured to measure the amount of dust picked up by the autonomous cleaning robot during each cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, and

[0064] - an electronic control unit configured to control the operation of the autonomous cleaning robot, the electronic control unit being configured to:

[0065] estimating the amount of dust accumulated in the area to be cleaned since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, the estimated accumulated dust amount being calculated based on the amount of dust sucked in measured during the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned and the time that has elapsed since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned,

[0066] comparing the estimated amount of accumulated dust to a predetermined threshold, and

[0067] Automatically adjust the cleaning frequency of the area to be cleaned based on the comparison of the estimated amount of accumulated dust with a predetermined threshold. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0068] In any case, the invention will be better understood with the help of the following description with reference to the schematic drawing showing, by way of non-limiting example, an embodiment of such a vacuum cleaner.

[0069] Figure 1 is a top perspective view of an autonomous cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0070] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A bottom-up perspective view of an autonomous cleaning robot.

[0071] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Bottom view of the autonomous cleaning robot.

[0072] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 Side view of an autonomous cleaning robot.

[0073] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 Longitudinal cross-sectional view of an autonomous cleaning robot.

[0074] Figure 6 It shows Figure 1 Illustration of the steps of the control method of the autonomous cleaning robot. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0075] In this document, “dust” refers to any type of small-sized particles or debris that can be picked up by an autonomous cleaning robot.

[0076] For the purposes of this document, a “dwelling” is any building capable of accommodating at least one occupant, designed to receive the public or used as an office.

[0077] In this document, the terms "front" and "rear" are defined relative to the main displacement direction of the autonomous cleaning robot.

[0078] Figures 1 to 5An autonomous cleaning robot 2 is shown, more particularly a robotic vacuum cleaner, which is configured to displace autonomously over a surface to be cleaned.

[0079] The autonomous cleaning robot 2 comprises a main body 3 comprising a lower surface 4 and a suction opening 5, the lower surface 4 being configured to be oriented facing the area to be cleaned, the suction opening 5 being arranged in a front portion 3.1 of the main body 3 and opening in the lower surface 4 of the main body 3. Advantageously, the suction opening 5 is elongated and extends along a direction of extension perpendicular to the main displacement direction D of the autonomous cleaning robot 2.

[0080] like Figure 5 As shown, the body 3 delimits a suction chamber 6 which opens in the lower surface 4 of the body 3 via a suction opening 5 .

[0081] according to Figures 1 to 5 In the embodiment shown, the body 3 has a D-shaped overall shape when viewed from above in a substantially vertical orientation. However, the body 3 may have a completely different shape, for example having a circular or rectangular overall shape.

[0082] The autonomous cleaning robot 2 further comprises a rotating cleaning brush 7 housed in the suction chamber 6 and mounted so as to be movable in rotation about a brush axis of rotation A1 extending transversely to the main displacement direction D, more specifically perpendicularly to the main displacement direction D. Advantageously, the brush axis of rotation A1 is substantially horizontal when the autonomous cleaning robot 2 rests on a horizontal surface.

[0083] according to Figures 1 to 5 In the embodiment shown, the rotary cleaning brush 7 comprises a brush body 8 having a central longitudinal axis and configured to be driven along a predetermined rotational direction and to rotate about a brush rotation axis A1 . Advantageously, the brush rotation axis A1 is coaxial with the central longitudinal axis of the brush body 8 .

[0084] The rotating cleaning brush 7 further comprises one or more bristle rows 9, for example two bristle rows, which are arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the brush body 8 and extend over at least part of the length of the brush body 8. According to a variant embodiment of the present invention, in addition to the bristle rows 9, or instead of the bristle rows 9, the rotating cleaning brush 7 may comprise one or more cleaning sheets, for example elastically deformable or rigid, arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the brush body 8.

[0085] The autonomous cleaning robot 2 further comprises a driving mechanism (not visible in the figure) configured to drive the brush body 8 to rotate around the brush rotation axis A1 .

[0086] like Figures 2 to 3As shown more specifically in FIG, the autonomous cleaning robot 2 includes two drive wheels 11 configured to roll over the surface to be cleaned. The two drive wheels 11 are mounted for rotational movement relative to the body 3 and have parallel, and advantageously collinear, axes of rotation. Advantageously, the axes of rotation of the drive wheels 11 extend perpendicular to the main displacement direction D.

[0087] The two drive wheels 11 are configured to protrude from the lower surface 4 of the body 3 and are arranged on both sides of the middle longitudinal plane P of the body 3. Advantageously, the two drive wheels 11 are arranged symmetrically relative to the middle longitudinal plane P of the body 3 and are side wheels of the autonomous cleaning robot 2.

[0088] The two drive wheels 11 are advantageously motorized independently of one another. Thus, the autonomous cleaning robot 2 includes two rotation-driven mechanisms 12 housed within the main body 3. Each rotation-driven mechanism 12 is configured to rotate a corresponding one of the two drive wheels 11. Each rotation-driven mechanism 12 includes a drive motor rotationally coupled to the corresponding drive wheel 11 and, for example, disposed on a corresponding side of the main body 3. Control of the two drive motors enables the main body 3 to rotate left, right, or on its own, and to move forward or backward.

[0089] according to Figures 1 to 5 In the embodiment shown, the autonomous cleaning robot 2 comprises additional wheels 13 mounted so as to be freely rotatable relative to the main body 3 , for example two additional wheels 13 provided on the front part 3 . 1 of the main body 3 .

[0090] The autonomous cleaning robot 2 further includes a suction unit 14 housed in the main body 3 . The suction unit 14 includes a suction motor and a fan coupled to the suction motor and configured to generate an airflow through the suction port 5 .

[0091] The autonomous cleaning robot 2 also includes a garbage collection device 15 (see Figure 5 ) is removably mounted on the main body 3. The waste collection device 15 includes a waste collection container 16, which is located upstream of the suction unit 14. The waste collection container 16 is configured to be passed through by the airflow generated by the fan when the autonomous cleaning robot 2 is in operation and to retain waste transported by the airflow. The waste collection container 16 can be located, for example, behind the suction chamber 6.

[0092] The autonomous cleaning robot 2 further includes a trash guide channel 17 that fluidly connects the suction chamber 6 to the trash collection container 16. The trash guide channel 17 can, for example, have a generally cylindrical shape and be configured to extend vertically when the autonomous cleaning robot 2 is placed on a horizontal surface. However, the trash guide channel 17 can be configured to be tilted at an angle of less than or equal to 10°, for example, less than or equal to 5°, relative to the vertical direction when the autonomous cleaning robot 2 is placed on a horizontal surface.

[0093] The autonomous cleaning robot 2 further comprises a power supply battery 18 configured to supply power to the autonomous cleaning robot 2. Advantageously, the power supply battery 18 is rechargeable and housed in the main body 3.

[0094] The autonomous cleaning robot 2 also includes a dust sensor 19 (see Figure 5 ), such as an optical sensor or a piezoelectric sensor, which is configured to measure the amount of dust sucked up by the autonomous cleaning robot 2 during each cleaning operation of the surface to be cleaned. Advantageously, the dust sensor 19 is located between the suction chamber 6 and the garbage collection container 16 and is particularly configured to detect the number of dust particles transported by the air flow flowing through the garbage guide channel 17 and the size of said particles.

[0095] Especially Figure 2 As shown, the autonomous cleaning robot 2 further comprises a wet cleaning device 21, which is arranged in the rear portion 3.2 of the main body 3. Advantageously, the wet cleaning device 21 is arranged opposite the rotating cleaning brush 7 relative to the rotation axis of the driving wheel 11.

[0096] according to Figures 1 to 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the wet cleaning device 21 includes two mop supports 22, which are arranged side by side and located behind the rotation axis of the drive wheel 11. Advantageously, the two mop supports 22 are arranged on either side of the median longitudinal plane P of the main body 3 and are configured to extend substantially horizontally when the main body 3 is placed on a horizontal surface.

[0097] The wet cleaning device 21 further comprises two mops 23 respectively removably mounted on the two mop supports 22. The mops 23 are configured to contact the surface to be cleaned when the autonomous cleaning robot 2 is placed on the surface to be cleaned, and more specifically to exert a supporting force on the surface to be cleaned.

[0098] The autonomous cleaning robot 2 further includes a cleaning liquid tank 24 which is, for example, removably mounted on the main body 3 , and each mop 23 is configured to be supplied with cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid tank 24 .

[0099] The autonomous cleaning robot 2 further includes an electronic control unit 25 configured to control the operation of the autonomous cleaning robot 2. The electronic control unit 25 may be provided in the main body 3, for example.

[0100] The electronic control unit 25 is more specifically configured to:

[0101] - determine the time interval between each pair of consecutive cleaning operations on the area to be cleaned,

[0102] - calculating, for example, after each cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, a dust accumulation rate in the area to be cleaned, the dust accumulation rate in the area to be cleaned being calculated based on at least the amount of dust sucked in during the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned and the time interval between the last two cleaning operations of the area to be cleaned,

[0103] - estimating, for each area to be cleaned, the amount of dust accumulated in the area to be cleaned since the last cleaning operation in the area to be cleaned, the estimated accumulated dust amount for each area to be cleaned being calculated based on the dust accumulation rate calculated for the area to be cleaned and the time elapsed since the last cleaning operation in the area to be cleaned, i.e., the time elapsed between the last cleaning operation in the area to be cleaned and the moment when the estimated accumulated dust amount for the area to be cleaned was calculated,

[0104] - for each area to be cleaned, comparing the estimated accumulated dust amount for said area to be cleaned with a predetermined threshold value, and

[0105] - Automatically adjusting the cleaning frequency of each area to be cleaned according to the comparison result of the estimated accumulated dust amount for each area to be cleaned and the corresponding predetermined threshold value.

[0106] The electronic control unit 25 can, for example, be configured to perform an estimation of the amount of dust accumulated in each area to be cleaned each time a trigger condition is met, for example each time a predetermined time period has passed since the last estimation, and compare the estimated amount of accumulated dust for the area to be cleaned with a corresponding predetermined threshold.

[0107] Advantageously, the electronic control unit 25 is configured to calculate, after each cleaning operation in the area to be cleaned, a dust accumulation rate value for the area to be cleaned, which value is equal to the amount of dust measured during the cleaning operation divided by the time interval between the last two cleaning operations in the area to be cleaned, that is, the time interval between the cleaning operation and the cleaning operation immediately preceding it, and to calculate the dust accumulation rate in the area to be cleaned based on all dust accumulation rate values previously calculated for the area to be cleaned.

[0108] The dust accumulation rate in the area to be cleaned is advantageously equal to the average value of all dust accumulation rate values previously calculated for the area to be cleaned, for example a weighted average value or an arithmetic mean value. However, if the last cleaning operation performed on the area to be cleaned corresponds to the first cleaning operation for the area to be cleaned, then the dust accumulation rate calculated for the area to be cleaned is equal to the amount of dust picked up measured during the first cleaning operation for the area to be cleaned divided by a default time interval, which is, for example, equal to two days.

[0109] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when estimating the amount of dust accumulated in the area to be cleaned, the accumulated dust amount is equal to the dust accumulation rate calculated for the area to be cleaned multiplied by the time elapsed since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned.

[0110] According to another embodiment of the present invention, when estimating the amount of dust accumulated in the area to be cleaned, the accumulated dust amount is equal to the sum of the estimated residual dust amount for the area to be cleaned and the dust accumulation rate calculated for the area to be cleaned multiplied by the time elapsed since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned. The estimated residual dust amount for each area to be cleaned is, for example, equal to the amount of dust sucked in measured for the area to be cleaned during the previous cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned multiplied by a suction efficiency coefficient, the value of which is between 0 and 1 and depends on the type of floor of the area to be cleaned, and also depends on the cleaning parameters of the autonomous cleaning robot 2 during the previous cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, for example, the rotation speed of the rotating cleaning brush 7 equipped with the autonomous cleaning robot 2, the rotation speed of the suction motor equipped with the autonomous cleaning robot 2 (that is, the suction flow rate of the autonomous cleaning robot 2), and the displacement speed of the autonomous cleaning robot 2.

[0111] The electronic control unit 25 is further configured to:

[0112] - if the estimated accumulated dust amount for the area to be cleaned is less than the corresponding predetermined threshold, then after a predetermined period of time has passed since the comparison step was performed, a new estimate of the accumulated dust amount in the area to be cleaned is made and the accumulated dust amount is newly compared with the corresponding predetermined threshold, and

[0113] If the estimated accumulated dust amount for the area to be cleaned is greater than a corresponding predetermined threshold, then planning, ie arranging, a subsequent cleaning operation of said area to be cleaned.

[0114] Advantageously, the electronic control unit 25 is further configured to automatically adjust the suction force of the autonomous cleaning robot 2 according to the estimated amount of accumulated dust in the area to be cleaned before the cleaning operation is performed on the area to be cleaned. The suction force of the autonomous cleaning robot 2 can be adjusted, for example, by changing the rotation speed of the rotating cleaning brush 7, by changing the rotation speed of the suction motor equipped with the autonomous cleaning robot 2, by changing the number of times the autonomous cleaning robot 2 passes over the area to be cleaned during a single cleaning operation, or by changing the displacement speed of the autonomous cleaning robot 2.

[0115] The control method of the autonomous cleaning robot 2 according to the present invention may, for example, include:

[0116] - providing step S1, comprising providing an autonomous cleaning robot 2 according to the present invention,

[0117] - a mapping step S2, comprising drawing a map of the residence to be cleaned and dividing the residence to be cleaned into a plurality of areas to be cleaned, each area to be cleaned corresponding to a room, a plurality of rooms or a part of a room in the residence,

[0118] - a measuring step S3, comprising measuring in real time for each area to be cleaned the amount of dust sucked by the autonomous cleaning robot 2 during each cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned,

[0119] - a calculation step S4, consisting in calculating the dust accumulation rate in the area to be cleaned after each cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned,

[0120] an estimation step S5 comprising estimating, for each area to be cleaned, the amount of dust accumulated in said area to be cleaned since the last cleaning operation of said area to be cleaned,

[0121] a comparison step S6, comprising, for each area to be cleaned, comparing the estimated accumulated dust amount for the area to be cleaned with a predetermined threshold value, wherein the predetermined threshold value may be the same for all areas to be cleaned or may be adjusted according to the type of area to be cleaned (the predetermined threshold value may be different for high-throughput areas and low-throughput areas, or may be different according to the cleaning level desired by the user, for example);

[0122] An adjustment step S7 comprises automatically adjusting the cleaning frequency of each area to be cleaned according to a comparison result of the estimated accumulated dust amount for each area to be cleaned with a corresponding predetermined threshold.

[0123] According to one embodiment of the present invention, step S4 of calculating the dust accumulation rate in the area to be cleaned includes the following steps:

[0124] - after each cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, calculating a dust accumulation rate value which is equal to the amount of dust measured during the cleaning operation divided by the time interval between the last two cleaning operations of the area to be cleaned, i.e. the time interval between the cleaning operation and the cleaning operation immediately preceding it, and

[0125] - Calculates the dust accumulation rate based on all previously calculated dust accumulation rate values.

[0126] Advantageously, the method is configured such that:

[0127] - if the estimated accumulated dust amount for the area to be cleaned is less than a predetermined threshold, the method comprises a repetition step comprising repeating the estimation step and the comparison step after a predetermined period of time has elapsed,

[0128] If the estimated accumulated dust amount for the area to be cleaned is greater than a predetermined threshold, the adjustment step S7 comprises a planning step, which involves planning, ie scheduling, subsequent cleaning operations for said area to be cleaned.

[0129] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the planning step comprises planning a subsequent cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned so that the subsequent cleaning operation is performed after a predetermined minimum duration has passed since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, or so that the subsequent cleaning operation is performed during a subsequent authorized time slot.

[0130] According to another embodiment of the invention, the planning step comprises immediately triggering a subsequent cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned.

[0131] Advantageously, the method may comprise an adaptation step consisting in automatically adapting the suction power of the autonomous cleaning robot 2 according to an estimated amount of accumulated dust for the area to be cleaned, before a cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned.

[0132] According to one embodiment of the present invention, during a cleaning cycle of a plurality of areas to be cleaned, the method comprises a processing step comprising prioritizing the area to be cleaned having the highest estimated amount of accumulated dust.

[0133] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method may include a comparison step, which includes, for each area to be cleaned, comparing the time elapsed since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned (that is, the time elapsed between the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned and the moment of the comparison) with a predetermined duration, and the method may be configured so that the step of estimating the amount of dust accumulated in the area to be cleaned is performed only if the time elapsed since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned is greater than the predetermined duration, and so that the method includes a repetition step, which includes repeatedly comparing the time elapsed since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned with the predetermined duration after a predetermined time period has passed.

[0134] Of course, the present invention is by no means limited to the embodiment described and illustrated, which is provided as an example only. In particular, some modifications may be made in the composition of various elements or by replacing them with equivalent technologies without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an autonomous cleaning robot (2), wherein the autonomous cleaning robot is configured to clean an area to be cleaned, the method comprising the following steps: - measuring the amount of dust sucked by the autonomous cleaning robot (2) during each cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, - estimating an amount of dust accumulated in the area to be cleaned since a last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, the estimated amount of accumulated dust being calculated based on the amount of sucked dust measured during the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned and the time elapsed since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, - comparing said estimated amount of accumulated dust with a predetermined threshold, - automatically adjusting the cleaning frequency of the area to be cleaned according to the comparison result of the estimated accumulated dust amount and the predetermined threshold.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: - if the estimated accumulated dust amount is less than the predetermined threshold, the method comprises a repetition step comprising repeating the estimating step and the comparing step after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, If the estimated amount of accumulated dust is greater than the predetermined threshold, the adjusting step comprises a planning step, which involves planning a subsequent cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The planning step includes planning the subsequent cleaning operation so that the subsequent cleaning operation is performed after a predetermined minimum duration has elapsed since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, or so that the subsequent cleaning operation is performed during a subsequent authorized time slot.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The planning step includes immediately triggering the subsequent cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising a calculation step before the estimating step, the calculation step comprising calculating a dust accumulation rate in the area to be cleaned, the dust accumulation rate being calculated based on at least the amount of dust sucked in during the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned and the time interval between the last two cleaning operations of the area to be cleaned, and wherein, The estimated accumulated dust amount is calculated based on the calculated dust accumulation rate and the time that has elapsed since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The estimated accumulated dust amount is equal to the calculated dust accumulation rate multiplied by the time that has passed since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The estimated accumulated dust amount is equal to the sum of the estimated residual dust amount and the calculated dust accumulation rate multiplied by the time elapsed since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, and the estimated residual dust amount is equal to the sucked dust amount measured during the previous cleaning operation multiplied by a suction efficiency coefficient, the value of the suction efficiency coefficient is between 0 and 1 and depends on the floor type of the area to be cleaned and / or the cleaning parameters of the autonomous cleaning robot (2) during the previous cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned.

8. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein The step of calculating the dust accumulation rate in the area to be cleaned comprises the following steps: - after each cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, calculating a dust accumulation rate value, the dust accumulation rate value being equal to the amount of dust measured during the cleaning operation divided by the time interval between the last two cleaning operations of the area to be cleaned, and - calculating said dust accumulation rate based on all said previously calculated dust accumulation rate values.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein The dust accumulation rate is equal to an average of all previously calculated dust accumulation rate values.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising an adaptation step, which comprises automatically adapting the suction power of the autonomous cleaning robot (2) according to the estimated dust accumulation amount for the area to be cleaned before the cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising a providing step, said providing step comprising providing an autonomous cleaning robot (2), said autonomous cleaning robot (2) comprising: a body (3) comprising a lower surface (4) configured to be oriented facing the area to be cleaned, and a suction opening (5) opening in the lower surface (4) of the body (3), the body (3) defining a suction chamber (6) fluidically connected to the suction opening (5), - a rotating cleaning brush (7) housed in said suction chamber (6) and mounted so as to be movable in rotation about the brush's axis of rotation, a suction unit (14) at least partially housed in the body (3) and configured to generate an air flow through the suction opening (5), - a garbage collection device (15) comprising a garbage collection container (16) located upstream of the suction unit (14) and configured to be passed through by the air flow generated by the suction unit (14) and to hold garbage transported by the air flow, and - a refuse guiding channel (17) which fluidically connects the suction chamber (6) to the refuse collecting container (16), and - A dust sensor (19) configured to measure the amount of dust picked up by the autonomous cleaning robot (2).

12. An autonomous cleaning robot (2) configured to clean an area to be cleaned, the autonomous cleaning robot (2) comprising: a body (3) comprising a lower surface (4) configured to be oriented facing the area to be cleaned, and a suction opening (5) opening in the lower surface (4) of the body (3), the body (3) defining a suction chamber (6) fluidically connected to the suction opening (5), - a rotating cleaning brush (7) housed in said suction chamber (6) and mounted so as to be movable in rotation about the brush's axis of rotation, a suction unit (14) at least partially housed in the body (3) and configured to generate an air flow through the suction opening (5), - a garbage collection device (15) comprising a garbage collection container (16) located upstream of the suction unit (14) and configured to be passed through by the air flow generated by the suction unit (14) and to retain garbage transported by the air flow, - a refuse guide channel (17) which fluidically connects the suction chamber (6) to the refuse collection container (16), - a dust sensor (19) configured to measure the amount of dust picked up by the autonomous cleaning robot (2) during each cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, and - an electronic control unit (25) configured to control the operation of the autonomous cleaning robot (2), the electronic control unit (25) being configured to: estimating an amount of dust accumulated in the area to be cleaned since a last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, the estimated amount of accumulated dust being calculated based on an amount of dust sucked in measured during the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned and a time elapsed since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, comparing the estimated amount of accumulated dust with a predetermined threshold, and Automatically adjusting the cleaning frequency of the area to be cleaned based on a comparison result of the estimated amount of accumulated dust with the predetermined threshold.

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