SELF-MOVING SOIL TREATMENT EQUIPMENT

Description

field of technology

[0001] The invention relates to a self-propelled soil tillage implement comprising a drive device for moving the soil tillage implement within an environment, a communication interface for outputting information to a user of the soil tillage implement, an obstacle detection device for detecting obstacles within the environment, and a computing device configured to create an environmental map based on the obstacles detected by the obstacle detection device, to localize the soil tillage implement using the environmental map, and to transmit control commands to the drive device and the communication interface, wherein the computing device is further configured to define at least one obstacle within the environmental map that cannot be overcome automatically by the soil tillage implement as a transition obstacle.to identify the transition obstacle when moving through the environment by comparing currently detected obstacles with the transition obstacle stored in the environment map and, upon reaching the transition obstacle, to report a manual transport requirement to the user via the communication interface. State of the art

[0002] Self-propelled soil tillage machines, which locate and navigate within their surroundings using a mostly self-generated map, are well known in the art. These soil tillage machines can be, for example, household or industrially or commercially used cleaning machines, polishing machines, grinding machines, and others. These cleaning machines can be, for example, vacuum cleaners, mops, or combined vacuum-mopping machines. Self-propelled soil tillage machines typically have an obstacle detection system that can, for example, measure distances to obstacles in the surroundings. Based on the detected distances, the environmental map can be created, which essentially contains a floor plan of the surroundings with its spatial boundaries and obstacles.The obstacles can be the room boundaries themselves, or pieces of furniture or steps, platforms, landings and the like, whose location is not accessible for the floor cultivation device.

[0003] It is also known to plan one or more tillage activities of the tillage implement in advance, creating an operational plan that contains information about the time and / or location in the environment at which the tillage implement is to perform a tillage activity. As soon as a defined time is reached, the tillage implement starts moving to then carry out the pre-planned tillage activity.

[0004] Although such tillage equipment has proven itself in the state of the art, it is currently not capable of overcoming obstacles such as stairs to access another floor of a building. Therefore, established operational plans only refer to tillage activities on the same floor. The user is responsible for ensuring that several floors of the same building are adequately tilled, especially with regard to ensuring a uniform tillage result across the entire building area.

[0005] DE 10 2017 109 219 A1 further discloses a cleaning robot that prompts a user to be transported to another floor. A reminder is sent to the user, and the cleaning robot moves to a location near a staircase to shorten the user's route. Summary of the invention

[0006] Based on the aforementioned prior art, it is the object of the invention to further develop a soil cultivation device in such a way that the cultivation of several floors of a building can be ensured by only one soil cultivation device, in particular in such a way that the soil cultivation result is equally optimal on different floors of the building.

[0007] To achieve this object, it is proposed that the environmental map has a plurality of environmental sub-areas that are associated with different floors or elevation levels of a building, wherein the environmental sub-areas are logically connected to one another by defined transition points, wherein the linking is such that the computing device identifies the transition point of a first environmental sub-area as an adjacent location of the corresponding transition point of a second environmental sub-area and relates them to one another in order to orient the soil tillage implement in an environmental map formed from both environmental sub-areas, and wherein the output transport requirement includes a request to the user to carry the soil tillage implement to a defined transition location in the environment, which is a defined location of the respective floor or elevation level.

[0008] The surroundings or surroundings map contain the positions of so-called transition obstacles, which the obstacle detection system of the soil tillage implement can detect as the soil tillage implement moves through the surroundings, namely by comparing them with known transition obstacles stored in the surroundings map. Upon reaching a transition obstacle, the soil tillage implement sends a message to a user of the soil tillage implement that the soil tillage implement needs to be transported to another location because it is not possible for the user to move to that location. The aforementioned configuration is particularly recommended when the soil tillage implement moves along a predefined path through the surroundings until it finally reaches the defined transition obstacle, which preferably forms the end of the planned path on a specific floor of a building.The computing device of the tillage implement can determine a transport requirement not only when a pre-planned path of travel has been fully traversed, but alternatively or additionally also when a specific point in time has been reached, a specific period of time has elapsed, or when a specific location or part of the environment has been fully tilled or all executable tillage activities have been completed. According to a particularly simple embodiment, the tillage implement can signal the transport requirement to the user simply by its presence at the position of the transition obstacle. If the user then happens to pass the transition obstacle and sees the tillage implement there, they can become aware of the transport requirement and carry the tillage implement to a known location within the environment, in particular to a location on another floor of the building.The tillage implement suggests a location to the user with the reported transport requirement where the tillage implement should be dropped off. The user can then follow this location suggestion. Such transfer locations can also be defined in advance by the user, so that the tillage implement only needs to issue a message such as "Please carry to the defined transfer location." In principle, it is also possible for the user to reject a transport requirement communicated by the tillage implement. To do so, the user can, for example, make an input on the tillage implement itself, in particular its communication interface or input device, such as a keyboard or touchscreen, or using an external device connected to the tillage implement's communication interface, such as a mobile phone or similar.If the user temporarily does not wish to use the inventive transfer function of the soil tillage implement, they can also optionally deactivate this function of the soil tillage implement. The computing device of the soil tillage implement can detect a transport of the soil tillage implement to a new location, in particular the defined transition location, in various ways. Firstly, it is possible for a user to report a transport of the soil tillage implement to a new location. This can be done, for example, via an operating device of the soil tillage implement, such as a keyboard or a touchscreen. Alternatively, the user can use an application installed on an external device.Alternatively, the computing device of the tillage implement can detect a base station at a new location in the environment and thus receive information about the area in which the tillage implement is located. Furthermore, the tillage implement can detect when the tillage implement lifts off a surface, as well as when it is placed back on a surface. This can be done, for example, by a contact sensor, which detects that contact between the tillage implement and the ground has been broken or re-established. Such sensors are known as "kidnap sensors." For example, an electrical contact can detect a shift in a wheel suspension triggered by the tillage implement lifting off the ground.When the tillage implement is set down again and the wheel is moved back toward the implement housing, the computing device can determine that it has been set down at a different location in the environment. Alternatively, a position sensor or acceleration sensor can be used to detect a transport process and its completion based on the detected movements.

[0009] The soil tillage implement's environmental map comprises several environmental sub-areas belonging to different floors or elevation levels of a building, with the environmental sub-areas being logically connected by defined transition points. Each defined transition point can, in particular, be part of a defined transition obstacle, so that the transition point spatially coincides with the transition obstacle. However, it is also possible, in principle, for the defined transition point to be defined at a location other than the position of the transition obstacle itself.The user of the soil tillage device arranges various levels of a building, which may be floors, platforms, or other different elevation levels, preferably in a logical order based on their absolute height above a reference plane, so that the computing device knows which environmental sub-areas, in particular floors or levels, are directly adjacent to one another. The environmental sub-maps belonging to the environmental sub-areas, in particular sub-area floor plans, can then be logically stacked based on their elevation levels. Levels are defined that are direct neighbors, and those that are located at a greater distance from one another, for example, a basement and a first floor of a building, which can only be reached by traversing a first floor.If the tillage implement now wishes to move to another level of the building, it moves to the defined transition point on the currently occupied level and, as already described, sends a message, in particular a push message, an email, or similar, to the user, preferably stating that the tillage implement wishes to be moved to a specific other level. The user can then deduce the tillage implement's transfer request based on the message, or alternatively, solely based on the position of the tillage implement.By logically linking a first transition point located on a first level of the building with a defined second transition point located on a second level of the building, the computing device of the soil tillage implement can assemble the surrounding sub-areas of the surrounding map as if they were located on one and the same level. Even when the soil tillage implement is moved from the first to the second level, or vice versa, the computing device of the soil tillage implement is aware at all times of the current position and orientation of the soil tillage implement in the environment. Otherwise, the navigation of the soil tillage implement in the multiple surrounding sub-areas of the surrounding map can be carried out for just one level, as is known in the prior art.The soil tillage device overcomes the transition obstacle, which can in particular be a step or a staircase between different levels of the environment, by means of manual intervention by the user.

[0010] The issued transport requirement includes the request to the user to carry the soil tillage implement to a defined transition point in the environment, wherein the communication interface is designed to issue the transport requirement as a voice signal, as a light signal, or as a message to an external terminal device of the user that is in communication connection with the communication interface of the soil tillage implement. The user can thus receive the message about the transport requirement in different ways. For example, the soil tillage implement can have a loudspeaker that transmits a voice message to the user. Furthermore, a display can also be provided on which the user receives a text message, image display, or similar. Alternatively, light-emitting diodes or other optical display elements can also be provided that transmit coded information about the transport requirement to the user.According to a special embodiment, the user can receive a notification on an external device, such as a mobile phone, tablet, laptop, or similar. The tillage implement and the external device can exchange data and information via a shared data communication network, such as a Wi-Fi network or the internet. It is particularly recommended that an application be installed on the user's external device that facilitates communication with the tillage implement.

[0011] It is further proposed that at least one waiting position be defined in the soil tillage implement's environmental map, at which the soil tillage implement waits for the user after determining the transport requirement and notifying the user. The waiting position can be located directly next to the transition obstacle stored in the environmental map or, in particular, coincide with the transition point that establishes a logical connection between two environmental sub-areas of the environmental map. As soon as the computing device of the soil tillage implement has detected a transport requirement, it can move to the waiting position and / or remain there and then issue the message to the user. The soil tillage implement waits at the waiting position known to the user in order to be moved by the user to another level of the environment.The soil tillage implement thus moves to a defined connection point between the surrounding areas when a level change is required.

[0012] In this context, it is advantageously proposed that the computing device be configured to terminate the waiting of the soil tillage implement at the waiting position if a period of time has elapsed since the start of the waiting period that exceeds a defined maximum time period. The defined maximum time period can preferably be defined by a user. Alternatively, however, the maximum time period can also be stored in a memory device of the soil tillage implement by the manufacturer of the soil tillage implement. The maximum time period determines the period during which the soil tillage implement remains active for transfer to a transition location and waits for the user.As soon as this maximum time period is exceeded without the user taking any action, the soil tillage device ends its waiting activity and, for example, enters an inactive rest state or moves on to further soil tillage activities at the same level of the environment. The soil tillage device can also, for example, return to a base station or charging station to receive service there. The defined maximum time period can preferably include waiting times between one and ten hours. This waiting time corresponds to the user's usual absence times in, for example, a home or office environment. The waiting activity of the soil tillage device can additionally or alternatively be limited if the battery of the soil tillage device falls below a defined battery charge level.The tillage implement thus limits the waiting time depending on the current charge capacity of the battery. If the charge capacity falls below a defined limit during a waiting time, the tillage implement aborts the waiting time and uses the remaining capacity of the battery preferentially, for example, to return to a base station to recharge the battery there.

[0013] The obstacle detection device of the soil tillage implement can be configured to detect the presence of the user in the vicinity of the soil tillage implement and report this to the computing device, wherein the computing device is configured to subsequently report the manual transport requirement to the user. According to this configuration, the transport requirement is only communicated to the user if the obstacle detection device has determined that a user is actually present in the vicinity of the soil tillage implement. The vicinity of the soil tillage implement can be defined such that the user is within sight or hearing distance of the soil tillage implement. According to this configuration, the soil tillage implement does not send a notification if the presence of a user cannot be detected.In particular, so-called "geofencing" can be used to determine whether a user's mobile device is in the vicinity of the soil tillage machine. Based on the presence of the user's external device, such as their personal mobile phone, it can be concluded that the user is currently in the vicinity, namely in the apartment or on the same floor. Furthermore, the soil tillage machine's computing device can also determine, based on the detection signals from the obstacle detection device, whether a moving object is located within the vicinity. Based on the movement or, if applicable, the speed of movement, it can be determined whether the "object" is a person.

[0014] According to an advantageous embodiment, it is proposed that the computing device of the soil tillage implement be configured to plan a movement of the soil tillage implement in advance. In particular, the planning of one or more movements can be carried out by creating an operational plan that includes temporal and / or spatial specifications for performing soil tillage activities by the soil tillage implement. The operational plan can preferably include, on the one hand, time specifications for soil tillage activities and, on the other hand, time specifications for a change between two different levels of the environment.If a change of level is not possible because there is currently no user in the vicinity who can transport the soil tillage implement to a new transition location, other soil tillage activities are preferably stored in a memory of the soil tillage implement, in particular prioritized with reference to a sequence that the soil tillage implement performs, instead of performing corresponding soil tillage activities in a new level of the environment. The times or time windows for a change of level are preferably defined independently of the times or time windows for soil tillage activities. A notification of a transport requirement by the soil tillage implement can also be sent while a soil tillage activity is being carried out. Alternatively, the notification to the user can also be sent when the soil tillage implement is in a rest or standby state.

[0015] Finally, it can be provided that the computing device is configured, after locating the soil tillage implement at the defined transition location, to transmit a control command to the drive device, which causes the soil tillage implement to commence a soil tillage activity immediately or at a defined time or to travel to a base station marked on the surrounding area map. As soon as the soil tillage implement has thus recognized that it is located at the defined transition location, the computing device advantageously controls the further activities, in particular soil tillage activities, of the soil tillage implement in the new level within which the defined transition location is located.The predefined activities can stipulate that the tillage implement first travels to a base station located at the level of the transition location and waits there for a predefined start time for a tillage activity. If no base station is available, the tillage implement can also perform a tillage activity immediately or with a time delay. If the tillage activity is due immediately upon transition to the other level, the tillage implement preferably begins execution immediately. Short description of the drawings

[0016] The invention is explained in more detail below using exemplary embodiments. They show: Fig. 1 shows a soil tillage implement according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows an environment of the soil tillage implement with multiple levels; Fig. 3 shows an external terminal connected to the soil tillage implement for communication purposes, which displays a deployment plan for the soil tillage implement; Fig. 4 shows the external terminal when communicating a transport requirement to a user. Description of the embodiments

[0017] Figure 1shows a self-propelled soil tillage device 1, which here is embodied, by way of example, as an autonomous cleaning robot. The soil tillage device 1 has wheels 19 driven by a drive device 2, as well as a cleaning element 20, which here is, for example, a likewise rotatingly driven cleaning roller that rotates about a substantially horizontal axis. In order to be able to detect obstacles 6, 7 in the vicinity of the soil tillage device 1, the soil tillage device 1 has an obstacle detection device 5, here, for example, in the form of an optical distance sensor, in particular embodied as a 360-degree triangulation system, which can detect obstacles 6, 7 all around the soil tillage device 1. The obstacles 6, 7 can be room boundaries of rooms within a building or also pieces of furniture, decorative objects, steps, or the like.A computing device 8 of the soil tillage implement 1 evaluates the data detected by the obstacle detection device 5 and creates an environmental map 9 therefrom, which essentially corresponds to a floor plan of the environment. Using this environmental map 9, the computing device 8 can orient itself within the environment for self-localization and navigation of the soil tillage implement 1. Furthermore, the soil tillage implement 1 has a communication interface 3 for transmitting information to a user of the soil tillage implement 1. The communication interface 3 can, on the one hand, directly output a voice output or optical signal, or, on the other hand, transmit information data to an external terminal 14 of the user that is in data communication with the communication interface 3. The external terminal 14 can, for example, be a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a tablet, or the like.On the other hand, the user can use the external terminal 14 to transmit information or control commands to the communication interface 3 of the soil tillage implement 1. For example, the user can use the external terminal 14 to create an operational plan 16 for the soil tillage implement 1, which operational plan 16 includes specifications 17 that, for example, relate to time- and / or location-planned soil tillage activities. This and other information 4 from the soil tillage implement 1 or for the soil tillage implement 1 can be displayed as information 4 on a display 21 of the external terminal 14.

[0018] Figure 2shows an exemplary environment of the soil tillage implement 1, namely in the form of an environment map 9, which contains a floor plan with two different environmental sub-areas 10, 11 of a building. The first environmental sub-area 10 is a first level of the building. The second environmental sub-area 11 is correspondingly a second, higher level of the building. The two environmental sub-areas 10, 11 are connected to each other via a staircase 22. The environmental sub-areas 10, 11 are logically linked to each other using transition points 12 for integration into one and the same environmental map 9.The linking is such that the computing device 8 identifies the transition point 12 of the first environmental sub-area 10 as a neighboring location of the corresponding transition point 12 of the second environmental sub-area 11 and relates them to one another in order to orient the soil tillage implement 1 in the environmental map 9 formed from both environmental sub-areas 10, 11. Furthermore, a transition location 13 is defined in each of the environmental sub-areas 10, 11, which here corresponds to a waiting position 15 for the soil tillage implement 1. The significance of the transition location 13 and the waiting position 15 will be discussed below. Both the transition locations 13 and the waiting positions 15 can preferably be defined by the user of the soil tillage implement 1 in the environmental map 9, for example, by means of an input via the external terminal 14.The current position of the soil tillage implement 1 is also marked on the surrounding map 9. In . Figure 2 For example, the soil tillage implement 1 is located at the transition point 13 of the first environmental sub-area 10, which is simultaneously defined as the waiting position 15 for the soil tillage implement 1. So that the soil tillage implement 1 can recharge a battery, for example, a base station 18 is located in the environment, here, for example, in a room of the second environmental sub-area 11. Additional base stations 18 may also be located within the environment, for example, one base station 18 per environmental sub-area 10, 11.

[0019] The Figures 3 and 4show, by way of example, an external terminal 14 which is designed for communication with the soil cultivation device 1. An application is installed on the external terminal 14, with the aid of which information 4 can be exchanged between the soil cultivation device 1 and the user and displayed on a display 21.

[0020] Figure 3For example, shows a deployment plan 16 for soil tillage implement 1. The deployment plan 16 includes several actions of soil tillage implement 1 as specifications 17. Each of the specifications 17 defines a time and location for performing an activity. For example, specifications 17 are planned soil tillage activities, such as "clean room A" at 10:00 a.m. and "clean room B" at 1:00 p.m. In between these two, there is a specification 17 that specifies a "change to floor II" for soil tillage implement 1 at 11:00 a.m. For the change to floor II, namely, in this case, the second environmental sub-area 11, a time window can be defined within which the change must take place. Here, the maximum time period within which a change is possible is two hours, namely from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.If a change does not occur within this time frame, the execution of deployment plan 16 will be aborted. A user can then, for example, be informed about the termination of deployment plan 16.

[0021] Figure 4 shows a request to a user to carry the soil tillage device 1 to floor II so that the soil tillage device 1 can reach the second environmental sub-area 11 from the first environmental sub-area 10 in order to carry out the deployment plan 16, namely by the user overcoming the stairs 22.

[0022] According to one of several possible embodiments, the invention functions in such a way that the soil tillage device 1 first detects obstacles 6, 7 in each of the environmental sub-areas 10, 11. A separate sub-area map can then be created for each of the environmental sub-areas 10, 11. To create the environmental map 9, the user then arranges the environmental sub-areas 10, 11 in a logical order such that a sequence based on the elevation of the respective environmental sub-area 10, 11 is achieved. In doing so, the user also defines the transition points 12 between the environmental sub-areas 10, 11, which the computing device 8 uses for a logical integration of the two environmental sub-areas 10, 11 into the same environmental map 9.Preferably, in the area of ​​the transition points 12, the user further defines waiting positions 15, at which the soil tillage implement 1 can assume a defined waiting position in order to wait for the user to carry the soil tillage implement 1 from the first environmental sub-area 10 to the second environmental sub-area 11, or vice versa. The waiting position 15 is preferably not located directly in a user's passageway, but rather, for example, keeps access to the stairs 22 clear so that the user does not trip over the soil tillage implement 1 or step in front of it. Furthermore, a transition location 13 can additionally be defined, at which the user usually sets down the soil tillage implement 1. Such a transition location 13 can also be defined in both environmental sub-areas 10, 11. This transition location 13 can, in particular, coincide with the waiting position 15.Alternatively, the waiting position 15 and the transition location 13 can also be different locations on the respective floor. For example, a transition location 13, where the user places the soil tillage implement 1 on a new floor, can also be located at the base station 18 (or another location).

[0023] Starting from its initial location in the first environmental sub-area 10, namely the lower floor of the building, the floor processing device 1 first carries out instructions 17 of the deployment plan 16, namely, for example, the cleaning of a room, which is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. After the cleaning of this room has been completed, the computing device 8 of the floor processing device 1 extracts the information that the floor processing device 1 should move to floor II at 11:00 a.m., namely to the higher second environmental sub-area 11. Since the floor processing device 1 cannot move independently from the first environmental sub-area 10 to the second environmental sub-area 11, since the stairs 22 must be overcome for this, the floor processing device 1 sends a request to the user via its communication interface 3 to carry the floor processing device 1 to floor II. For this purpose, the Figure 4Information 4 shown on the display 21 of the user's external terminal 14, namely the request "Please carry Robo to floor II." Alternatively, the information 4 regarding the transport requirement can also be transmitted to the user via email or output via voice or optical signal output via the communication interface 3 of the soil tillage device 1. To ensure that the user can easily locate the soil tillage device 1 for transport, the soil tillage device 1 has moved by means of the drive device 2 to the defined waiting position 15 known to the user, namely in the area in front of the staircase. The user also recognizes, based on the presence of the soil tillage device 1 at the waiting position 15, that the soil tillage device 1 is to be carried to the second environmental sub-area 11.According to an alternative embodiment, it would also be possible for the display of information 4 on the user's external terminal 14 to be omitted entirely, and for the soil tillage implement 1 to indicate the need for manual transport by being located at the waiting position 15. If the user then happens to come across the path, he can carry the soil tillage implement 1 into the respective other environmental sub-area 10, 11.

[0024] After the user has carried the soil tillage implement 1 into the new environmental sub-area 11, namely, in this case, the higher-lying second environmental sub-area 11, it can continue executing the pre-planned deployment plan 16. Preferably, the user parks the soil tillage implement 1 at the designated transition point 13 of the second environmental sub-area 11, so that the computing device 8 can immediately continue navigation based on the environmental map 9 and does not have to first locate itself within the environmental map 9. The soil tillage implement 1 can then complete the next cleaning task or, for example, wait until the next specification 17 at 1:00 p.m. and then perform the soil tillage activity "Clean Room B." If no further specification 17 is open in the deployment plan 16, the soil tillage implement 1 can, for example, travel to the base station 18 and wait there for another task or control command from the user.

[0025] According to another alternative embodiment, the transition locations 13 in the environmental sub-areas 10, 11 can be defined by the user setting down the soil tillage implement 1 at a specific location on the respective floor, thereby automatically defining this location as the transition location 13. In this case, the soil tillage implement 1 then locates itself within the environmental map 9. For transporting the soil tillage implement 1 between the environmental sub-areas 10, 11, the user or the manufacturer can factory-define a waiting time during which the soil tillage implement 1 remains at the waiting position 15 and waits for the user to carry the soil tillage implement 1 into the desired environmental sub-area 10, 11. This waiting time defines a maximum time period from the point in time at which the soil tillage implement 1 assumes the waiting position 15. This defined maximum time period can, for example, last from one to several hours.Preferably, the maximum time period corresponds to a typical maximum absence period of the user. It can also be provided that the user defines certain time periods during which (exclusively) a change between the environmental sub-areas 10, 11 may take place. This can prevent the soil tillage device 1 from waiting in vain for transport by the user, for example, at night. Such a time period can be defined, for example, during the user's presence times between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. The time periods defined for a change of level can be defined independently of the other planned cleaning tasks of the deployment plan 16.

[0026] According to a further, particularly preferred embodiment, the display of a manual transport requirement can depend on the user's presence actually being detected in the vicinity of the soil tillage implement 1. This configuration can prevent the user from receiving requests to transport the soil tillage implement 1 even though they are not currently in the vicinity of the soil tillage implement 1 and are therefore not able to carry the soil tillage implement 1 from one environmental sub-area 10, 11 to another environmental sub-area 11, 10. The user's presence can be determined, for example, by means of geofencing, in which the user's external terminal 14 is detected in the vicinity of the soil tillage implement 1.Alternatively, the obstacle detection device 5 of the soil tillage implement 1 can detect a moving object in the vicinity of the soil tillage implement 1 and assume this object is the user. As soon as the presence of the user is thus assumed, information about a transport requirement can be transmitted to the user from the communication interface 3 of the soil tillage implement 1. List of reference symbols

[0027] 1Soil tillage implement 2Drive device 3Communication interface 4Information 5Obstacle detection device 6Obstacle 7Transition obstacle 8Computing device 9Environmental map 10Environmental sub-area 11Environmental sub-area 12Transition point 13Transition location 14External terminal device 15Waiting position 16Deployment plan 17Specification 18Base station 19Wheel 20Cleaning element 21Display 22Stairs

Claims

1. A self-propelled floor processing device (1) with a drive unit (2) for moving the floor processing device (1) within an environment, a communication interface (3) for outputting a message (4) to a user of the floor processing device (1), an obstacle detection unit (5) for detecting obstacles (6, 7) within the environment and a computing device (8), which is arranged to create an area map (9) based on the obstacles (6) detected by the obstacle detection unit (5), to localise the floor processing device (1) using the area map (9) and to transmit control commands to the drive unit (2) and the communication interface (3), wherein the computing device (8) is furthermore set up to define at least one obstacle (6) within the area map (9), which cannot be overcome automatically by the floor processing device (1), as a transition obstacle (7), to identify the transition obstacle (7) during a movement through the environment on the basis of a comparison of currently detected obstacles (6) with the transition obstacle (7) stored in the area map and to report a manual transport request to the user by means of the communication interface when the transition obstacle (7) is reached, characterised in that the area map (9) has a plurality of environmental areas (10, 11) which are associated with different storeys or height levels of a building, the environmental areas (10, 11) being logically connected to one another by defined transition points (12), wherein the linking is such that the computing device (8) identifies the transition point (12) of a first environmental area (10) as the neighbouring location of the corresponding transition point (12) of a second environmental area (11) and relates them to each other in order to position the floor processing device (1) in a environmental area (10, 11), and wherein the issued transport request contains a request to the user to carry the floor processing device (1) to a defined transition location (13) of the environment, which is a defined location of the respective floor or the respective height level.

2. The floor processing device (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that a transition point (12) is part of a defined transition obstacle (7).

3. The floor processing device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the transition obstacle (7) is a step or a staircase.

4. The floor processing device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the communication interface (3) is designed to transmit the transport request as a voice signal, as a light signal or as a message to an external terminal (14) of the user which is in communication with the communication interface (3) of the soil tillage implement.

5. The floor processing device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one waiting position (15) is defined in the area map (9), at which the floor processing device (1) waits for the user after the transport requirement has been determined and reported to the user.

6. The floor processing device (1) according to claim 5, characterised in that the computing device (8) is designed to terminate a wait of the floor processing device (1) at the waiting position (15) if a period of time has elapsed since the start of the wait which exceeds a defined maximum period of time.

7. The floor processing device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the obstacle detection device (5) is designed to detect a presence of the user in the vicinity of the floor processing device (1) and to report it to the computing device (8), the computing device (8) being designed to then report the manual transport request to the user.

8. The floor processing device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the computing device (8) is set up to plan a movement of the floor processing device (1) in advance, in particular by creating a deployment plan (16) which has temporal and / or local specifications (17) for carrying out floor processing operation by the floor processing device (1).

9. The floor processing device (1) according to one of claims 4 to 8, characterised in that the computing device (8) is designed to transmit a control command to the drive unit (2) after localisation of the floor processing device (1) at the defined transition location (13), which command causes the floor processing device (1) to start a floor processing operation immediately or at a defined time or to travel to a base station (18) marked in the area map (9).