Robotic vacuum cleaner for autonomous cleaning of floor surfaces in a room

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a vacuum robot according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] The vacuum robot according to the invention for autonomously cleaning floor surfaces of a room comprises at least one means for recording data relating to the rebound of the vacuum robot's wheels and / or to an interruption of a connection to charging contacts. Furthermore, the vacuum robot has at least one means for recording data relating to the rotation of the vacuum robot about a horizontally oriented axis of rotation and / or to the wrapping state of the vacuum robot by a container, and at least one control device by means of which the recorded data is processed.

[0003] A large number of vacuum robots of the type described above are already known in the prior art, for example from EP 2 891 443 B1. Typically, vacuum robots of this type have a drive system arranged in the interior of the housing, by means of which wheels, which are usually arranged on an underside of the housing, can be driven to set the vacuum robot in motion. To further improve the cleaning of the floor surface, the known vacuum robots usually have a main brush, which is arranged in an area close to a suction mouth of the vacuum robot. The means for collecting data serve, for example, to detect obstacles in the room, such as furniture, walls, or other furnishings, so that they can be avoided accordingly. It is also detected if the vacuum robot has accidentally become stuck.Typically, the direction of travel of the vacuum robot is adjusted by means of the control device arranged in the interior of the housing depending on the spatial geometry detected by the sensors.

[0004] Robot vacuum cleaners are enjoying increasing popularity both in private households and for commercial use in spaces frequented by large groups of people or accessible to the public. Especially in the latter case, there is a risk of robot vacuum cleaners being stolen.

[0005] In the field of robotic lawn mowers, systems are known that lock the robotic lawn mower when it is lifted. They also trigger an alarm if the robotic lawn mower is removed from its working area without authorization.

[0006] JP H09 330484 A discloses a robot with an anti-theft device. The robot uses a sensor to measure its distance from the ground and thereby detect whether the robot is being lifted. US 2020 / 193071 A1, DE 10 2010 041309 A1, US 2013 / 335224 A1, and DE 10 2008 009208 A1 also disclose anti-theft devices for robots.

[0007] It is the object of the present invention to provide a vacuum robot in which the risk of theft is minimized.

[0008] The above object is achieved by a vacuum robot of the type described above with the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments emerge from the associated subclaims.

[0009] The vacuum robot according to the invention is characterized by a communication module for communicating with a local network. Depending on the data acquired by the control device, an alarm signal can be sent to the local network via the communication module. The alarm signal can be output via an external device connected to the local network. The charging and / or cleaning station of the vacuum robot can act as the external device. However, another vacuum robot connected to the local network can also act as the external device.

[0010] The vacuum robot according to the invention has many advantages. It features an alarm system that uses data from technical devices already available for conventional operation of the vacuum robot. For example, an alarm can be triggered if the corresponding devices detect a rebound of the wheels. This "rebound" is interpreted as a "lifting" of the vacuum robot, which eliminates the counterpressure on the wheels caused by gravity, causing them to rebound. The lifting of the vacuum robot, in turn, is interpreted as the result of an attempted theft.However, there is a risk that the robot vacuum cleaner may emit an acoustic signal incorrectly, as there are a variety of situations in which a robot vacuum cleaner must be lifted in an authorized manner, for example, if the robot vacuum cleaner needs to be moved to another room, if it has accidentally become stuck on an obstacle, or for cleaning and maintenance purposes.

[0011] For this reason, the invention advantageously provides that the acoustic signal is only emitted when two or more data acquisition means register irregularities. For example, a rebound of the wheels is detected, as is a rotation of the robot vacuum cleaner around a horizontally oriented axis of rotation. With this configuration, the acoustic signal can only be emitted after these two events have been detected. Certain detected irregularities can thus be considered sufficient events, the cumulative occurrence of which triggers the emission of the acoustic signal.

[0012] Of course, a different combination and number of recorded data is also conceivable that would trigger the emission of the acoustic signal. In particular, the recording of data that registers the wrapping state of the robot vacuum cleaner can provide important evidence of its theft, even though the wrapping of the robot vacuum cleaner is not a necessary condition in the sense of propositional logic for the occurrence of theft. Nevertheless, the wrapping state can be considered a sufficient condition for the emission of the acoustic signal. According to the present application, the wrapping state is understood to be a state in which the robot vacuum cleaner is surrounded, i.e., enveloped, on all sides or at least on several sides. This occurs, for example, when the robot vacuum cleaner is placed in a bag, a box, or another container.The wrapping state can be detected, for example, by means of a plurality of sensors, which are arranged, for example, distributed on the outside of the housing of the vacuum robot. Such sensors can, for example, detect when the vacuum robot is completely enclosed by a material that is either in direct contact with its housing and / or is located only a few centimeters, in particular less than 20 cm, from the housing.

[0013] The acoustic signal can advantageously be provided as a continuous tone, which is only deactivated once the robot vacuum cleaner is returned to its original position or manually acknowledged, for example, by entering a security code. In the above example, the robot vacuum cleaner would have to be returned to its original horizontal position, where the wheels rest on the ground and deflect again due to the robot's weight.

[0014] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the vacuum robot has at least one means for acquiring data relating to movement in the environment of the vacuum robot, so that the approach of a person to the vacuum robot is registered. Such a sensor can be formed, in particular, by an ultrasonic sensor. Information relating to the approach of a person can be provided as an additional condition for the emission of an acoustic signal. The more states detected by the vacuum robot before the emission of the acoustic signal due to a deviation from a "normal state," the lower the number of acoustic signals emitted erroneously. According to the present application, a "normal state" of the vacuum robot is understood to mean a state of the vacuum robot in which the data acquiring means do not register any abnormalities or deviations.

[0015] A preferred embodiment of the invention provides at least one means for acquiring data relating to an acceleration profile of the vacuum robot in the room and / or a signal strength of a wireless LAN reception. Advantageously, the means for acquiring data relating to an acceleration profile can be configured to detect a movement corresponding to a human walking movement. This can then be interpreted as an additional indication of a theft attempt and used as an additional condition for the emission of an acoustic signal. A decrease or even complete loss of wireless LAN reception can also indicate a theft attempt.

[0016] According to a particularly advantageous further development of the vacuum robot according to the invention, a locking device for locking the vacuum robot on the software or hardware side is further provided, wherein the locking device can be controlled by the control device as a function of the detected data, so that the vacuum robot can be locked. The locking device is particularly advantageous because the vacuum robot can no longer be used once it has been triggered. Theft of the vacuum robot is therefore not an issue, since even in the event of a successful escape, the vacuum robot is unusable. In this regard, it can preferably be provided that the locking is reversible, so that an authorized person can cancel the locking. If the locking is on the software side, it can be canceled, for example, by entering a code.Advantageously, it can be provided that the detection of certain events leads to the emission of an acoustic signal, while only the detection of additional further events leads to the locking of the robot vacuum cleaner. This creates a two-stage theft detection system. It can be assumed that theft attempts can be thwarted if the robot vacuum cleaner emits an acoustic signal, as the thief fears that the signal will attract attention. In the event that the thief is not disturbed by the acoustic signal and continues with the theft, further events are detected and the locking device is activated. For example, it can be provided that the acoustic signal is emitted when the control device detects that the wheels of the robot vacuum cleaner are rebounding and that the robot vacuum cleaner is rotating around a horizontal axis.If an acceleration corresponding to a human walking or running movement is detected and the wireless LAN reception is lost, the robot vacuum cleaner is blocked.

[0017] Advantageously, the at least one means for acquiring data can be formed by at least one distance sensor and / or at least one camera and / or at least one gyro sensor and / or at least one acceleration sensor and / or at least one contact sensor and / or at least one wireless LAN module. Ultrasonic, infrared, radar, lidar sensors, or other sensors can serve as distance sensors, for example.

[0018] The underlying problem is also solved by a method for detecting a theft attempt of a vacuum robot for autonomously cleaning floor surfaces of a room with the features of claim 6. Advantageous embodiments of the method according to the invention arise from the associated subclaims. The method according to the invention is characterized in that data relating to a rebound of wheels of the vacuum robot and / or data relating to an interruption of a connection with charging contacts are recorded, data relating to a rotation of the vacuum robot about a horizontally oriented axis of rotation and / or data relating to enclosing small distances are recorded, wherein the recorded data are processed by a control device, wherein the control device detects a theft attempt depending on the recorded data.The method according to the invention can be carried out particularly easily using the robot vacuum cleaner according to the invention. The resulting advantages have already been explained above.

[0019] According to an advantageous further development of the method according to the invention, data relating to a movement in an environment of the vacuum robot are also recorded.

[0020] Advantageously, the invention further provides that data relating to the acceleration of the robot vacuum cleaner and / or the signal strength of a wireless LAN reception are recorded. Depending on the recorded data, the control device detects a theft attempt and triggers the alarm device to emit a further acoustic signal and / or triggers a locking device to lock the robot vacuum cleaner, rendering the robot vacuum cleaner unusable. This results in the same advantages as with the corresponding robot vacuum cleaner described above.

[0021] An embodiment of the invention is shown purely schematically in the drawings and is described in more detail below. It shows: Figure 1 shows a flow diagram of the method according to the invention.

[0022] An embodiment shown in the figure relates to a method according to the invention for detecting a theft attempt of a vacuum robot for autonomously cleaning floor surfaces of a room. Figure 1 shows a flow chart with the individual steps of the method according to the invention, whereby the relationships between detected data and the resulting reactions of the vacuum robot become clear.

[0023] The robot vacuum has various means of collecting data. If an irregularity in the data is detected and certain criteria are met, theft is suspected, and the robot vacuum emits an acoustic signal intended to prevent theft.

[0024] First, the robot vacuum cleaner has a means for recording data relating to movement in the robot vacuum cleaner's environment. This means can be in the form of a lidar sensor or a camera, for example. In this way, it is possible to determine whether a person or a thief is approaching the robot vacuum cleaner by registering an irregularity in the data. However, this is merely an insufficient condition. Therefore, if an irregularity is detected in this data, it is not immediately concluded that the robot vacuum cleaner is at risk of theft, since it regularly happens that a person approaches the robot vacuum cleaner without the intention of stealing it. However, the data can be used to increase the accuracy of the method by incorporating the data when two or more additional sufficient conditions are met.

[0025] Furthermore, the robot vacuum cleaner has a means for recording data relating to the rebound of the robot's wheels. This means can, for example, be in the form of wheel sensors that detect the rebound of the wheels. An irregularity is detected when the robot vacuum cleaner is lifted by a person. If an irregularity in this data is detected, it is also not immediately concluded that the robot vacuum cleaner is at risk of theft, since the robot vacuum cleaner will be lifted even if it is simply stuck, for example. Accordingly, although this is a necessary condition, the control device, on its own, does not consider it sufficient to confirm a theft attempt.

[0026] Furthermore, the vacuum robot has a means for recording data relating to a rotation of the vacuum robot about a horizontally oriented axis of rotation and / or a means for recording data relating to surrounding small distances. The means relating to a rotation of the vacuum robot can, for example, be in the form of a gyro sensor. The means relating to the small distances can, for example, be in the form of a contact sensor or an IR sensor. In this way, it can be detected if the vacuum robot is, for example, placed in a bag by a thief in order to conceal the theft. For reasons of space, this is typically done by rotating the vacuum robot about a horizontally oriented axis of rotation.

[0027] The vacuum robot further comprises a means for acquiring data relating to its acceleration. This means can be embodied, for example, in the form of at least one acceleration sensor. This can be used to determine whether the vacuum robot is being carried away by a person, as the acceleration sensors detect an acceleration typical of a walking movement. Alternatively or additionally, the vacuum robot can also comprise a means for acquiring data relating to the signal strength of a wireless LAN reception. This allows a regression of the signal strength of the wireless LAN reception to be used to deduce the distance of the vacuum robot from a predetermined area of ​​use.

[0028] If a thief decides to steal the robot vacuum, this can be detected using the means described above: The thief will first approach the robot vacuum. Such an approach to the robot vacuum can be detected using the means for recording data relating to movement in the robot vacuum's environment. Approaching the robot vacuum is not a sufficient condition for theft to have occurred.

[0029] In a second step, the thief will lift the robot vacuum. The device for capturing data related to the rebound of the robot vacuum's wheels can detect a corresponding movement of the robot vacuum. Lifting the robot vacuum is one of two sufficient conditions for confirming the theft of the robot vacuum.

[0030] The thief will then position the robot vacuum in a vertical orientation for easy transport and, if necessary, place it in a bag. This can be detected by the device for capturing data relating to rotation or close proximity of the robot vacuum. This is also a sufficient condition.

[0031] The above data is always processed by a control device on the robot vacuum. If the lifting of the robot vacuum and the rotation or wrapping of the robot vacuum are detected by these devices, theft is suspected. Detection of an approach to the robot vacuum can be used to support this. If both sufficient conditions and, if applicable, the insufficient condition are met, the control device deduces a theft attempt and activates an alarm device on the robot vacuum. The alarm device then emits an acoustic signal in the form of a clearly audible continuous tone, intended to encourage the thief to abort the theft attempt.

[0032] It's conceivable that the thief will abort the theft attempt simply because of the acoustic signal and release the robot vacuum. In such a case, the acoustic signal is deactivated via the control unit as soon as the robot vacuum returns to the floor being cleaned.

[0033] If the person does not abandon the theft attempt and moves the robot vacuum towards the exit of a room in which the robot vacuum was initially located, the means for recording data relating to the robot vacuum's acceleration can be used to detect a walking movement by the person. Alternatively or additionally, the further means for recording data relating to the signal strength of a wireless LAN reception can also be used. From this information, it is deduced that the person is carrying the robot vacuum away. In this case, the acoustic signal emitted by the robot vacuum is not interrupted, so that those around the thief are alerted to the theft attempt. Here, too, it is conceivable that the thief is deterred from committing the theft by the acoustic signal.

[0034] As soon as the thief has left the room or the associated building, the theft is complete. In such a case, the control unit activates the robot vacuum in such a way that it is locked. The locking can be done via software and / or hardware. Further use of the robot vacuum is then no longer possible.

[0035] However, the robot vacuum is only locked once the person has removed it from the room or building. Before that, the robot vacuum initially emits only an acoustic signal, which is intended to deter the thief from attempting to steal it. The robot vacuum thus has a two-stage process for detecting a theft attempt.

[0036] In an alternative embodiment, the robot vacuum is locked if the acoustic signal has been emitted for a specified or configurable period of time. Furthermore, the robot vacuum can be locked if the characteristic states of the robot vacuum have not been reset to their normal state for a specified or configurable period of time. This approach is useful if the robot vacuum is not connected to a local network during operation.

[0037] Subsequent unlocking of the robot vacuum cleaner is only possible by authorized personnel.

Claims

1. Robotic vacuum cleaner for autonomously cleaning floor surfaces of a room, comprising - at least one means for capturing data relating to a deflection of wheels of the robotic vacuum cleaner and / or relating to an interruption of a connection to charging contacts, and - at least one means for capturing data relating to a rotation of the robotic vacuum cleaner about a horizontally oriented axis of rotation and / or relating to a translational movement of the robotic vacuum cleaner in a perpendicular direction with respect to the direction of movement thereof during vacuum operation and / or relating to an envelopment state of the robotic vacuum cleaner by means of a container, - at least one control device by means of which the captured data are processed, - a communication module for communication with a local network, wherein, via the communication module, depending on the captured data, the control device transmits an alarm signal to the local network, via the communication module.

2. Robotic vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, characterised by at least one means for capturing data relating to a movement in the surroundings of the robotic vacuum cleaner.

3. Robotic vacuum cleaner according to either claim 1 or claim 2, characterised by at least one means for capturing data relating to an acceleration profile of the robotic vacuum cleaner in space and / or relating to a signal strength of a wireless LAN reception.

4. Robotic vacuum cleaner according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterised by at least one locking device for locking the robotic vacuum cleaner on the software side or the hardware side, the locking device being controllable by the control device depending on the captured data, so that the robotic vacuum cleaner can be locked.

5. Robotic vacuum cleaner according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the at least one means for capturing data is formed by at least one distance sensor and / or by at least one camera and / or by at least one gyro sensor and / or by at least one acceleration sensor and / or by at least one contact sensor and / or by at least one wireless LAN module.

6. Method for detecting a theft attempt of a robotic vacuum cleaner for autonomously cleaning floor surfaces of a room, wherein - data relating to a deflection of wheels of the robotic vacuum cleaner and / or data relating to an interruption of a connection to charging contacts are captured, - data relating to a rotation of the robotic vacuum cleaner about a horizontally oriented axis of rotation and / or data relating to a translational movement of the robotic vacuum cleaner in a perpendicular direction with respect to the direction of movement thereof during vacuum operation and / or data relating to small surrounding distances are captured, - wherein the captured data are processed by means of a control device, wherein the control device detects a theft attempt depending on the captured data and controls a communication module for transmitting an alarm signal.

7. Method according to claim 6, characterised in that data relating to a movement in the surroundings of the robotic vacuum cleaner are captured.

8. Method according to either claim 6 or claim 7, characterised in that data relating to an acceleration of the robotic vacuum cleaner and / or relating to a signal strength of a wireless LAN reception are captured and the control device detects a theft attempt depending on the captured data and controls the alarm device for outputting an acoustic signal and / or controls a locking device for locking the robotic vacuum cleaner, so that the robotic vacuum cleaner becomes unusable.