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

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for controlling an autonomous cleaning robot (2) comprising the steps of measuring an amount of dust sucked up by the autonomous cleaning robot (2) during each cleaning operation of an 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 accumulated dust amount being calculated based on the amount of sucked up dust 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 accumulated dust amount with a predetermined threshold value; and automatically adjusting a cleaning frequency of the area to be cleaned based on the comparison of the estimated accumulated dust amount with the predetermined threshold value.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of autonomous cleaning robots, and in particular robot vacuum cleaners, capable of moving autonomously over a surface to be cleaned and making it possible to vacuum up dust and waste present on the surface to be cleaned, which may for example be tiles, parquet, laminate, carpet or a rug, and possibly to wash the surface to be cleaned simultaneously with a vacuuming operation. State of the art

[0002] Autonomous cleaning robots have become commonplace these days, allowing them to clean entire surfaces of a home without any user assistance as long as these surfaces are flat, i.e., on the same level. This saves users considerable time for other activities.

[0003] An autonomous cleaning robot is known to include: a main body comprising a lower face configured to be oriented towards a surface to be cleaned and a suction inlet opening into the lower face of the main body, the main body delimiting a suction chamber fluidly connected to the suction inlet, two drive wheels configured to roll on the surface to be cleaned and mounted to rotate on the main body respectively around two axes of rotation which are substantially parallel, a rotating cleaning brush housed in the suction chamber and mounted to rotate around a brush rotation axis, a suction unit which is housed at least partly in the main body and which is configured to generate an air flow through the suction inlet,a waste collection device comprising a waste collection container located upstream of the suction unit and configured to be traversed by the air flow generated by the suction unit and to retain waste transported by the air flow, a waste guide channel fluidly connecting the suction chamber to the waste collection container, and an electronic control unit configured to control the operation of the autonomous cleaning robot, and in particular to map a dwelling to be cleaned and divide the latter into several areas to be cleaned.

[0004] Such an autonomous cleaning robot may, for example, be provided with a user interface allowing a user to select the nature of each of the areas to be cleaned (for example, from the following non-exhaustive list of types of areas to be cleaned: bathroom, kitchen, dining room, bedroom, etc.) and possibly to select the type of floor for each of the areas to be cleaned (for example, between a hard floor and a soft floor). The electronic control unit may thus be configured to plan the successive cleaning operations for each of the areas to be cleaned, in particular depending on the nature of the areas to be cleaned and the type of floor in said areas to be cleaned.

[0005] However, the default settings defined for each nature and type of floor may not be appropriate for certain users, depending in particular on their frequency and use of the different rooms in their home, which may lead to unsatisfactory cleaning of their home.

[0006] Thus, in order to obtain optimal cleaning of the different rooms of one's home with such an autonomous cleaning robot, a user is required to modify the cleaning parameters associated with each area to be cleaned, and in particular the cleaning frequencies of said areas to be cleaned, which can be difficult and complex for certain users, especially since these manipulations can be repeated several times during the year since the use of certain rooms of a home varies during the year. Summary of the invention

[0007] The present invention aims to remedy all or part of these drawbacks.

[0008] The technical problem underlying the invention consists in particular in providing an autonomous cleaning robot which is of simple and economical structure, while having high cleaning performance without requiring user intervention.

[0009] To this end, the present invention relates to a method for controlling an autonomous cleaning robot configured to clean an area to be cleaned, the method comprising the following steps: measuring a quantity of dust sucked up by the autonomous cleaning robot during each cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, estimating a quantity of dust accumulated in the area to be cleaned since a last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, the estimated quantity of accumulated dust being calculated based on the quantity of dust sucked up 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, i.e. the time elapsed between the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned and the time of calculation of the estimated quantity of accumulated dust, compare the estimated accumulated dust quantity with a predetermined threshold value, automatically adjust a cleaning frequency of the area to be cleaned based on the comparison of the estimated accumulated dust quantity with the predetermined threshold value.

[0010] Such a configuration of the method according to the present invention makes it possible to automatically modify (i.e. without user intervention) the behavior of the autonomous cleaning robot as a function of the history of the quantities of dust sucked up during previous cleaning operations of an area to be cleaned, and in particular to optimize the cleaning frequency and the navigation of the autonomous cleaning robot as a function of the measurements of the quantity of dust that it has carried out during previous cleaning operations, and this in such a way as to prevent the quantity of dust or waste in an area to be cleaned from exceeding a certain threshold.

[0011] The control method according to the present invention ensures efficient cleaning of an area to be cleaned regardless of the conditions of use of the area to be cleaned and this without requiring user intervention to modify the operating parameters of the autonomous cleaning robot.

[0012] The method may further have one or more of the following features, taken alone or in combination.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the invention, the area to be cleaned corresponds to a room of a dwelling, to a plurality of rooms of a dwelling or to a part of a room of a dwelling.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the invention, the estimation step is carried out only if the time elapsed since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned is greater than a predetermined duration.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the invention, the measurement step is carried out in real time.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the invention, the method is configured such that, if the estimated accumulated dust quantity is less than the predetermined threshold value, the method comprises a step of repeating the estimation step and the comparison step after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, and if the estimated accumulated dust quantity is greater than the predetermined threshold value, the adjustment step comprises a step of planning, i.e. scheduling, a subsequent cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the invention, the planning step consists of planning the subsequent cleaning operation such that said subsequent cleaning operation is carried out after the lapse of a predetermined minimum duration since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, or such that said subsequent cleaning operation is carried out during a subsequent authorized time slot (namely a subsequent time slot authorized by the user). Such a configuration of the method according to the present invention makes it possible to avoid carrying out, in the same area to be cleaned, too many cleaning operations during the same day or to carry out a cleaning operation during a time slot during which the area to be cleaned is generally occupied by a user or during which the user does not wish a cleaning operation to be carried out.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the invention, the planning step consists of immediately triggering the subsequent cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the invention, the method comprises, prior to the estimation step, a step consisting of 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 being calculated as a function of at least the quantity of vacuumed dust measured during the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned and a time interval between the last two cleaning operations of the area to be cleaned, and in which the estimated accumulated quantity of dust is calculated as a function of the calculated dust accumulation rate 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 time of calculation of the estimated accumulated quantity of dust.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the invention, the estimated amount of accumulated dust is equal to the calculated dust accumulation rate multiplied by the time elapsed since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned.

[0021] According to another embodiment of the invention, the estimated accumulated dust quantity is equal to an addition of an estimated residual dust quantity and the calculated dust accumulation rate multiplied by the time elapsed since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, the estimated residual dust quantity being equal to the vacuumed dust quantity measured during the previous cleaning operation multiplied by a suction efficiency coefficient whose value is between 0 and 1 and depends on the type of floor of the area to be cleaned and / or cleaning parameters of the autonomous cleaning robot during the previous cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned (and for example the rotation speed of a rotating cleaning brush equipping the autonomous cleaning robot, the rotation speed of a suction motor equipping the autonomous cleaning robot,i.e. the suction flow rate of the autonomous cleaning robot, and the speed of movement of the autonomous cleaning robot). Such a calculation of the estimated amount of accumulated dust makes it possible to take into account the suction efficiency of the autonomous cleaning robot, which is better on a hard floor, such as tiles or parquet, than on a soft floor, such as a carpet or rug, and therefore the fact that not all the dust present in the area to be cleaned has necessarily been vacuumed during the previous cleaning operation.,

[0022] In other words, the estimated accumulated dust quantity is calculated according to the following equation: qe = qr + (T x * t) where qe is the estimated accumulated dust quantity, qr is the estimated residual dust quantity, 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.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the invention, the step of calculating the dust accumulation rate in the area to be cleaned comprises the following steps: calculating, after each cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, a dust accumulation rate value which is equal to the quantity 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. between said cleaning operation and the cleaning operation which immediately preceded it, and calculating the dust accumulation rate based on all the previously calculated dust accumulation rate values.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the invention, the dust accumulation rate is equal to an average, for example a weighted average or an arithmetic average, of all the previously calculated dust accumulation rate values. Using a weighted average to calculate the dust accumulation rate makes it possible to smooth out excessively abrupt variations in the dust accumulation rate values.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the invention, if the last cleaning operation corresponds to a first cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, the calculated dust accumulation rate is equal to the quantity of vacuumed dust measured during the first cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned divided by a default time interval.

[0026] According to one embodiment of the invention, the method comprises a step of automatically adapting, prior to a cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, a suction power of the autonomous cleaning robot according to the estimated quantity of accumulated dust for the area to be cleaned. Thus, if the estimated quantity of accumulated dust is high, the suction power of the autonomous cleaning robot can be increased in order to ensure optimal cleaning of the area to be cleaned, and if the estimated quantity of accumulated dust is low, the suction power of the autonomous cleaning robot can be reduced in order to preserve the autonomy of the power supply battery of the autonomous cleaning robot.

[0027] The suction power of the autonomous cleaning robot can be adapted, for example, by varying the rotation speed of a rotating cleaning brush fitted to the autonomous cleaning robot, by varying the rotation speed of a suction motor fitted to the autonomous cleaning robot, by varying the number of times the autonomous cleaning robot passes over said area to be cleaned during the same cleaning operation, or by varying the speed of movement of the autonomous cleaning robot.

[0028] According to one embodiment of the invention, the method comprises a step of providing an autonomous cleaning robot comprising: a main body comprising a lower face configured to be oriented towards the area to be cleaned and a suction inlet opening into the lower face of the main body, the main body delimiting a suction chamber fluidly connected to the suction inlet, a rotating cleaning brush housed in the suction chamber and mounted to rotate about a brush rotation axis, a suction unit which is housed at least partly in the main body and which is configured to generate an air flow through the suction inlet, a waste collection device comprising a waste collection container located upstream of the suction unit and configured to be traversed by the air flow generated by the suction unit and to retain waste transported by the air flow, a waste guide channel fluidly connecting the suction chamber to the waste collection container,and a dust sensor configured to measure an amount of dust sucked up by the autonomous cleaning robot.

[0029] According to one embodiment of the invention, the dust sensor is configured to detect the number of dust particles carried by the air flow flowing through the waste guide channel, and the size of said particles.

[0030] According to one embodiment of the invention, the dust sensor is an optical sensor or a piezoelectric sensor.

[0031] According to one embodiment of the invention, the dust sensor is located between the suction chamber and the waste collection container.

[0032] According to one embodiment of the invention, the waste collection container is located at the rear of the suction chamber.

[0033] According to one embodiment of the invention, the control method comprises a step of mapping the area to be cleaned, and for example mapping a dwelling to be cleaned and dividing the dwelling to be cleaned into several areas to be cleaned.

[0034] According to one embodiment of the invention, the method comprises a step of adjusting the predetermined threshold value according to the type of area to be cleaned. For example, the predetermined threshold value may be different for a high traffic area and a low traffic area.

[0035] According to one embodiment of the invention, the method comprises a step of adjusting the predetermined threshold value according to the desired level of cleanliness. For example, a user may want one area to be cleaned, for example the bathroom, to be cleaner than another area to be cleaned, for example the entrance hall.

[0036] According to one embodiment of the invention, the autonomous cleaning robot is configured to clean several areas to be cleaned, the measuring step consisting of measuring, for each area to be cleaned, a quantity of dust sucked up by the autonomous cleaning robot during each cleaning operation of said area to be cleaned, the estimating step consisting of estimating, for each area to be cleaned, a quantity of dust accumulated in said area to be cleaned since a last cleaning operation of said area to be cleaned, the estimated quantity of accumulated dust for each area to be cleaned being calculated as a function of the quantity of dust sucked up measured during the last cleaning operation of said area to be cleaned and a time elapsed since the last cleaning operation of said area to be cleaned,i.e. the time elapsed between the last cleaning operation of said area to be cleaned and the time of calculating the estimated accumulated dust quantity for said area to be cleaned, the comparison step consisting of comparing, for each area to be cleaned, the estimated accumulated dust quantity for said area to be cleaned with a predetermined threshold value, and the adjustment step consisting of automatically adjusting a cleaning frequency of each area to be cleaned based on the comparison of the estimated accumulated dust quantity for said area to be cleaned with the predetermined threshold value.,

[0037] According to one embodiment of the invention, during a cleaning cycle of several areas to be cleaned, the method comprises a step consisting of treating as a priority the areas to be cleaned having the highest estimated quantities of accumulated dust.

[0038] The present invention further relates to an autonomous cleaning robot configured to clean an area to be cleaned, the autonomous cleaning robot comprising: a main body comprising a lower face configured to be oriented towards the area to be cleaned and a suction inlet opening into the lower face of the main body, the main body delimiting a suction chamber fluidly connected to the suction inlet, a rotating cleaning brush housed in the suction chamber and mounted to rotate about a brush rotation axis, a suction unit which is housed at least partly in the main body and which is configured to generate an air flow through the suction inlet, a waste collection device comprising a waste collection container located upstream of the suction unit and configured to be traversed by the air flow generated by the suction unit and to retain waste transported by the air flow, a waste guide channel fluidly connecting the suction chamber to the waste collection container,a dust sensor configured to measure a quantity of dust sucked up by the autonomous cleaning robot during each cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, and an electronic control unit configured to control the operation of the autonomous cleaning robot, the electronic control unit being configured to: estimate a quantity of dust accumulated in the area to be cleaned since a last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, the estimated quantity of accumulated dust being calculated as a function of the quantity of dust sucked up 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, compare the estimated quantity of accumulated dust with a predetermined threshold value,and automatically adjust a cleaning frequency of the area to be cleaned based on the comparison of the estimated accumulated dust quantity with the predetermined threshold value. Brief description of the figures

[0039] In any case, the invention will be better understood with the aid of the description which follows with reference to the appended schematic drawings representing, by way of non-limiting example, an embodiment of this vacuum cleaner. There figure 1 is a top perspective view of an autonomous cleaning robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. figure 2 is a perspective view from below of the autonomous cleaning robot of the figure 1 . There figure 3 is a bottom view of the autonomous cleaning robot of the figure 1 . There figure 4 is a side view of the autonomous cleaning robot of the figure 1 . There Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the autonomous cleaning robot of the figure 1 . There figure 6 is a diagram representing the steps of a control process of the autonomous cleaning robot of the figure 1 . Detailed description

[0040] In this document, “dust” means any type of small-sized particle or waste that can be vacuumed by the autonomous cleaning robot.

[0041] In this document, “housing” means any building capable of housing at least one inhabitant, intended to receive the public or for office use.

[0042] In this document, the terms “forward” and “backward” are defined relative to the main direction of travel of the autonomous cleaning robot.

[0043] THE figures 1 to 5 represent an autonomous cleaning robot 2, and more particularly a robot vacuum cleaner, configured to move autonomously over a surface to be cleaned.

[0044] The autonomous cleaning robot 2 comprises a main body 3 having a lower face 4 which is configured to be oriented towards the area to be cleaned, and a suction mouth 5 which is provided in a front part 3.1 of the main body 3 and which opens into the lower face 4 of the main body 3. Advantageously, the suction mouth 5 is elongated and extends in a direction of extension which is perpendicular to a main direction of movement D of the autonomous cleaning robot 2.

[0045] As shown on the Figure 5 , the main body 3 delimits a suction chamber 6 which opens into the lower face 4 of the main body 3 via the suction mouth 5.

[0046] According to the embodiment shown in the figures 1 to 5, the main body 3 has, seen from above in a substantially vertical orientation, a general D shape. However, the main body 3 could have a completely different shape, and for example have a general circular or rectangular shape.

[0047] The autonomous cleaning robot 2 further comprises a rotating cleaning brush 7 housed in the suction chamber 6 and mounted to rotate about a brush rotation axis A1 which extends transversely, and more particularly perpendicularly, to the main direction of movement D. Advantageously, the brush rotation axis A1 is substantially horizontal when the autonomous cleaning robot 2 rests on a horizontal surface.

[0048] According to the embodiment shown in the figures 1 to 5, the rotating cleaning brush 7 comprises a brush body 8 which has a central longitudinal axis and which is configured to be rotated in a predetermined direction of rotation and around the brush rotation axis A1. Advantageously, the brush rotation axis A1 is coaxial with the central longitudinal axis of the brush body 8.

[0049] The rotating cleaning brush 7 further comprises one or more rows of bristles 9, for example two rows of bristles, provided on an outer peripheral surface of the brush body 8 and extending over at least part of the length of the brush body 8. According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the rotating cleaning brush 7 could further comprise, or instead of the rows of bristles 9, one or more cleaning strips, for example elastically deformable or rigid, provided on the outer peripheral surface of the brush body 8.

[0050] The autonomous cleaning robot 2 also comprises a drive mechanism (not visible in the figures) which is configured to rotate the brush body 8 around the brush rotation axis A1.

[0051] As shown more particularly on the figures 2 And 3 , the autonomous cleaning robot 2 comprises two drive wheels 11 which are configured to roll on the surface to be cleaned. The two drive wheels 11 are mounted to be able to rotate relative to the main body 3, and have axes of rotation which are parallel, and advantageously collinear. Advantageously, the axes of rotation of the drive wheels 11 extend perpendicular to the main direction of movement D.

[0052] The two drive wheels 11 are configured to project from the lower face 4 of the main body 3, and are arranged on either side of the median longitudinal plane P of the main body 3. Advantageously, the two drive wheels 11 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the median longitudinal plane P of the main body 3, and are side wheels of the autonomous cleaning robot 2.

[0053] The two drive wheels 11 are advantageously motorized independently of each other. Thus, the autonomous cleaning robot 2 comprises two rotational drive mechanisms 12 housed in the main body 3 and each configured to rotate a respective drive wheel 11 among the two drive wheels 11. Each rotational drive mechanism 12 comprises a drive motor coupled in rotation to the respective drive wheel 11 and arranged for example in a respective lateral part of the main body 3. Depending on the control of the two aforementioned drive motors, the main body 3 can pivot to the left, to the right or on itself, move forward or even backward.

[0054] According to the embodiment shown in the figures 1 to 5, the autonomous cleaning robot 2 comprises additional wheels 13 mounted to rotate freely relative to the main body 3, and for example two additional wheels 13 arranged on the front part 3.1 of the main body 3.

[0055] The autonomous cleaning robot 2 further comprises a suction unit 14 which is housed in the main body 3. The suction unit 14 comprises a suction motor and a fan which is coupled to the suction motor and which is configured to generate an airflow through the suction mouth 5.

[0056] The autonomous cleaning robot 2 also includes a waste collection device 15 (see the Figure 5) removably mounted on the main body 3. The waste collection device 15 comprises a waste collection container 16 located upstream of the suction unit 14. The waste collection container 16 is configured to be traversed by the air flow generated by the fan when the autonomous cleaning robot 2 is in operation, and to retain waste transported by the air flow. The waste collection container 16 may for example be located at the rear of the suction chamber 6.

[0057] The autonomous cleaning robot 2 further comprises a waste guide channel 17 fluidly connecting the suction chamber 6 to the waste collection container 16. The waste guide channel 17 may for example have a generally cylindrical shape, and be configured to extend vertically when the autonomous cleaning robot 2 rests on a horizontal surface. However, the waste guide channel 17 could be configured to be inclined relative to the vertical by an angle of inclination less than or equal to 10°, and for example less than or equal to 5°, when the autonomous cleaning robot 2 rests on a horizontal surface.

[0058] The autonomous cleaning robot 2 also comprises a power battery 18 configured to electrically power the autonomous cleaning robot 2. Advantageously, the power battery 18 is rechargeable and is housed in the main body 3.

[0059] The autonomous cleaning robot 2 also has a dust sensor 19 (see Figure 5 ), such as an optical sensor or a piezoelectric sensor, configured to measure a quantity of dust sucked up by the autonomous cleaning robot 2 during each cleaning operation of a surface to be cleaned. Advantageously, the dust sensor 19 is located between the suction chamber 6 and the waste collection container 16, and is configured in particular to detect the number of dust particles transported by the air flow flowing through the waste guide channel 17, and the size of said particles.

[0060] As shown in particular on the figure 2, the autonomous cleaning robot 2 further comprises a wet cleaning device 21 which is arranged in a rear part 3.2 of the main body 3. Advantageously, the wet cleaning device 21 is arranged opposite the rotating cleaning brush 7 with respect to the axes of rotation of the drive wheels 11.

[0061] According to the embodiment shown in the figures 1 to 5 , the wet cleaning device 21 comprises two mop supports 22 which are arranged side by side and which are located behind the rotation axes of the drive wheels 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 rests on a horizontal surface.

[0062] The wet cleaning device 21 further comprises two mops 23 removably mounted respectively on the two mop supports 22. The mops 23 are configured to be in contact with the surface to be cleaned, and more particularly to exert a pressing force on the surface to be cleaned, when the autonomous cleaning robot 2 rests on the surface to be cleaned.

[0063] The autonomous cleaning robot 2 also comprises a cleaning liquid reservoir 24 which is mounted, for example removably, on the main body 3, and each mop 23 is configured to be supplied with cleaning liquid by the cleaning liquid reservoir 24.

[0064] The autonomous cleaning robot 2 further comprises an electronic control unit 25 configured to control the operation of the autonomous cleaning robot 2. The electronic control unit 25 may, for example, be arranged in the main body 3.

[0065] The electronic control unit 25 is more particularly configured to: determining a time interval between each pair of successive cleaning operations of an area to be cleaned, calculating, for example after each cleaning operation of an area to be cleaned, a dust accumulation rate in said area to be cleaned, the dust accumulation rate for an area to be cleaned being calculated as a function of at least the quantity of vacuumed dust measured during the last cleaning operation of said area to be cleaned and a time interval between the last two cleaning operations of said area to be cleaned, estimating, for each area to be cleaned, a quantity of dust accumulated in said area to be cleaned since a last cleaning operation of said area to be cleaned,the estimated accumulated dust quantity for each area to be cleaned being calculated as a function of the dust accumulation rate calculated for said area to be cleaned and the time elapsed since the last cleaning operation of said area to be cleaned, i.e. the time elapsed between the last cleaning operation of said area to be cleaned and the time of calculation of the estimated accumulated dust quantity for said area to be cleaned, comparing, for each area to be cleaned, the estimated accumulated dust quantity for said area to be cleaned with a predetermined threshold value, and automatically adjusting a cleaning frequency of each area to be cleaned as a function of the comparison of the estimated accumulated dust quantity for said area to be cleaned with the respective predetermined threshold value.

[0066] The electronic control unit 25 may for example be configured to carry out, for each area to be cleaned, an estimation of the quantity of dust accumulated in said area to be cleaned and a comparison of the estimated quantity of accumulated dust for said area to be cleaned with the respective predetermined threshold value, each time a trigger condition is met, for example each time a predetermined period of time since the last estimation has elapsed.

[0067] Advantageously, the electronic control unit 25 is configured to calculate, after each cleaning operation of an area to be cleaned, a dust accumulation rate value for said area to be cleaned which is equal to the quantity of dust measured during said cleaning operation divided by the time interval between the last two cleaning operations of said area to be cleaned, i.e. between said cleaning operation and the cleaning operation which immediately preceded it, and to calculate the dust accumulation rate in said area to be cleaned as a function of all the dust accumulation rate values ​​previously calculated for said area to be cleaned.

[0068] The dust accumulation rate in an area to be cleaned is advantageously equal to an average, for example a weighted average or an arithmetic average, of all the dust accumulation rate values ​​previously calculated for said area to be cleaned. However, if the last cleaning operation carried out for an area to be cleaned corresponds to a first cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, the dust accumulation rate calculated for said area to be cleaned is then equal to the quantity of vacuumed dust measured during the first cleaning operation of said area to be cleaned divided by a default time interval, for example equal to two days.

[0069] According to one embodiment of the invention, when estimating the quantity of dust accumulated in an area to be cleaned, said quantity of accumulated dust is equal to the dust accumulation rate calculated for said area to be cleaned multiplied by the time elapsed since the last cleaning operation of said area to be cleaned.

[0070] According to another embodiment of the invention, when estimating the quantity of dust accumulated in an area to be cleaned, said quantity of accumulated dust is equal to an addition of an estimated quantity of residual dust for said area to be cleaned and the calculated dust accumulation rate for said area to be cleaned multiplied by the time elapsed since the last cleaning operation of said area to be cleaned.The estimated quantity of residual dust for each area to be cleaned is for example equal to the quantity of vacuumed dust measured for said area to be cleaned during the previous cleaning operation of said area to be cleaned multiplied by a suction efficiency coefficient whose value is between 0 and 1 and depends on the type of floor of said area to be cleaned and furthermore on the cleaning parameters of the autonomous cleaning robot 2 during the previous cleaning operation of said area to be cleaned, and for example on the rotation speed of the rotating cleaning brush 7 equipping the autonomous cleaning robot 2, the rotation speed of the suction motor equipping the autonomous cleaning robot 2 (i.e. the suction flow rate of the autonomous cleaning robot 2), and the movement speed of the autonomous cleaning robot 2.

[0071] The electronic control unit 25 is further configured to: if the estimated accumulated dust quantity for an area to be cleaned is less than the respective predetermined threshold value, carrying out a new estimation of the accumulated dust quantity in said area to be cleaned and a new comparison of said accumulated dust quantity with the respective predetermined threshold value after the lapse of a predetermined period of time from the carrying out of the comparison step, and if the estimated accumulated dust quantity for an area to be cleaned is greater than the respective predetermined threshold value, planning, i.e. scheduling, a subsequent cleaning operation of said area to be cleaned.

[0072] Advantageously, the electronic control unit 25 is also configured to automatically adapt, prior to a cleaning operation of an area to be cleaned, the suction power of the autonomous cleaning robot 2 as a function of the estimated quantity of accumulated dust for said area to be cleaned. The suction power of the autonomous cleaning robot 2 can be adapted for example by varying the rotation speed of the rotating cleaning brush 7, by varying the rotation speed of the suction motor equipping the autonomous cleaning robot 2, by varying the number of passes of the autonomous cleaning robot 2 over said area to be cleaned during the same cleaning operation, or by varying the movement speed of the autonomous cleaning robot 2.

[0073] A method for controlling the autonomous cleaning robot 2 according to the present invention may for example comprise: a provision step S1 consisting of providing an autonomous cleaning robot 2 according to the present invention, a mapping step S2 consisting of mapping a dwelling to be cleaned and dividing the dwelling to be cleaned into several areas to be cleaned, each area to be cleaned being able to correspond to a room, to a plurality of rooms or even to a part of a room of the dwelling, a measurement step S3 consisting of measuring, in real time and for each area to be cleaned, a quantity of dust sucked up by the autonomous cleaning robot 2 during each cleaning operation of said area to be cleaned, a calculation step S4 consisting of calculating, after each cleaning operation of an area to be cleaned, a dust accumulation rate in said area to be cleaned, an estimation step S5 consisting of estimating, for each area to be cleaned,an amount of dust accumulated in said area to be cleaned since a last cleaning operation of said area to be cleaned, a comparison step S6 consisting of comparing, for each area to be cleaned, the estimated amount of accumulated dust for said area to be cleaned with a predetermined threshold value which may be identical for all the areas to be cleaned or which may be adjusted according to the type of area to be cleaned (the predetermined threshold value may for example be different for a high traffic area and a low traffic area, or be different according to the level of cleanliness desired by the user), an adjustment step S7 consisting of automatically adjusting a cleaning frequency of each area to be cleaned according to the comparison of the estimated amount of accumulated dust for said area to be cleaned with the respective predetermined threshold value.

[0074] According to one embodiment of the invention, the step S4 of calculating the dust accumulation rate in an area to be cleaned comprises the following steps: calculating, after each cleaning operation of said area to be cleaned, a dust accumulation rate value which is equal to the quantity of dust measured during said cleaning operation divided by the time interval between the last two cleaning operations of said area to be cleaned, i.e. between said cleaning operation and the cleaning operation which immediately preceded it, and calculating the dust accumulation rate as a function of all the previously calculated dust accumulation rate values.

[0075] Advantageously, the method is configured such that: if the estimated accumulated dust quantity for an area to be cleaned is less than the predetermined threshold value, the method comprises a step of repeating the estimation step and the comparison step after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, if the estimated accumulated dust quantity for an area to be cleaned is greater than the predetermined threshold value, the adjustment step S7 comprises a planning step of planning, i.e. scheduling, a subsequent cleaning operation of said area to be cleaned.

[0076] According to one embodiment of the invention, the planning step consists of planning the subsequent cleaning operation of an area to be cleaned such that said subsequent cleaning operation is carried out after the lapse of a predetermined minimum duration since the last cleaning operation of said area to be cleaned, or such that said subsequent cleaning operation is carried out during a subsequent authorized time slot.

[0077] According to another embodiment of the invention, the planning step consists of immediately triggering the subsequent cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned.

[0078] Advantageously, the method may comprise an adaptation step consisting of automatically adapting, prior to a cleaning operation of an area to be cleaned, the suction power of the autonomous cleaning robot 2 as a function of the estimated quantity of accumulated dust for said area to be cleaned.

[0079] According to one embodiment of the invention, during a cleaning cycle of several areas to be cleaned, the method comprises a treatment step consisting of treating as a priority the areas to be cleaned having the highest estimated quantities of accumulated dust.

[0080] According to one embodiment of the invention, the method could comprise a comparison step consisting in comparing, for each area to be cleaned, the time elapsed since the last cleaning operation of said area to be cleaned (i.e. the time elapsed between the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned and the time of said comparison) with a predetermined duration, and the method could be configured such that the step of estimating the quantity of dust accumulated in said area to be cleaned is carried out only if the time elapsed since the last cleaning operation of said area to be cleaned is greater than a predetermined duration and such that the method comprises a step consisting in repeating the step of comparing the time elapsed since the last cleaning operation of said area to be cleaned with the predetermined duration after the lapse of a predetermined period of time.

[0081] Of course, the present invention is in no way limited to the embodiments described and illustrated, which have been given only as examples. Modifications remain possible, in particular from the point of view of the constitution of the various elements or by substitution of technical equivalents, without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an autonomous cleaning robot (2) configured to clean an area to be cleaned, the method comprising the following steps: - measuring a quantity of dust sucked up by the autonomous cleaning robot (2) during each cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, - estimating a quantity of dust accumulated in the area to be cleaned since a last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, the estimated accumulated quantity of dust being calculated as a function of the quantity of sucked up dust 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 accumulated quantity of dust with a predetermined threshold value, - automatically adjusting a cleaning frequency of the area to be cleaned as a function of the comparison of the estimated accumulated quantity of dust with the predetermined threshold value.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein: - if the estimated amount of accumulated dust is less than the predetermined threshold value, the method comprises a step of repeating the estimation step and the comparison step after the lapse of a predetermined period of time, - if the estimated amount of accumulated dust is greater than the predetermined threshold value, the adjustment step comprises a step of planning a subsequent cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the scheduling step comprises scheduling the subsequent cleaning operation such that said subsequent cleaning operation is performed after a predetermined minimum time has elapsed since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, or such that said subsequent cleaning operation is performed during a subsequent authorized time slot.

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

5. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which comprises, prior to the estimation step, a step consisting of calculating a dust accumulation rate in the area to be cleaned, the dust accumulation rate being calculated as a function of at least the quantity of vacuumed dust measured during the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned and a time interval between the last two cleaning operations of the area to be cleaned, and in which the estimated quantity of accumulated dust is calculated as a function of the calculated dust accumulation rate and the time elapsed since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the estimated accumulated dust quantity is equal to the calculated dust accumulation rate multiplied by the time elapsed since the last cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned.

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

8. Method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, in which the step of calculating the dust accumulation rate in the area to be cleaned comprises the following steps: - calculating, after each cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, a dust accumulation rate value which is equal to the quantity of dust measured during said cleaning operation divided by the time interval between the last two cleaning operations of the area to be cleaned, and - calculating the dust accumulation rate as a function of all the previously calculated dust accumulation rate values.

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

10. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which comprises a step of automatically adapting, prior to a cleaning operation of the area to be cleaned, a suction power of the autonomous cleaning robot (2) as a function of the estimated quantity of accumulated dust for the area to be cleaned.

11. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, which comprises a step of providing an autonomous cleaning robot (2) comprising: - a main body (3) having a lower face (4) configured to be oriented towards the area to be cleaned and a suction mouth (5) opening into the lower face (4) of the main body (3), the main body (3) delimiting a suction chamber (6) fluidly connected to the suction mouth (5), - a rotating cleaning brush (7) housed in the suction chamber (6) and mounted to rotate about a brush rotation axis, - a suction unit (14) which is housed at least partly in the main body (3) and which is configured to generate an air flow through the suction mouth (5),- a waste collection device (15) comprising a waste collection container (16) located upstream of the suction unit (14) and configured to be traversed by the air flow generated by the suction unit (14) and to retain waste transported by the air flow, - a waste guide channel (17) fluidly connecting the suction chamber (6) to the waste collection container (16), and - a dust sensor (19) configured to measure a quantity of dust sucked up by the autonomous cleaning robot (2)., 12. Autonomous cleaning robot (2) configured to clean an area to be cleaned, the autonomous cleaning robot (2) comprising: - a main body (3) having a lower face (4) configured to be oriented towards the area to be cleaned and a suction mouth (5) opening into the lower face (4) of the main body (3), the main body (3) delimiting a suction chamber (6) fluidly connected to the suction mouth (5), - a rotating cleaning brush (7) housed in the suction chamber (6) and mounted to rotate about a brush rotation axis, - a suction unit (14) which is housed at least partly in the main body (3) and which is configured to generate an air flow through the suction mouth (5),- a waste collection device (15) comprising a waste collection container (16) located upstream of the suction unit (14) and configured to be traversed by the air flow generated by the suction unit (14) and to retain waste transported by the air flow, - a waste guide channel (17) fluidly connecting the suction chamber (6) to the waste collection container (16), - a dust sensor (19) configured to measure a quantity of dust sucked 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: • estimate a quantity 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 vacuumed dust 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 value, and • automatically adjusting a cleaning frequency of the area to be cleaned based on the comparison of the estimated amount of accumulated dust with the predetermined threshold value.,

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