Floor cleaning system, floor cleaning device, and method for operating a floor cleaning system or a floor cleaning device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a floor cleaning system comprising a self-propelled and self-steering floor cleaning apparatus (10) for cleaning a floor surface (16), at least one controllable display unit (60, 120, 122) and at least one storage unit (46, 124, 126), the floor cleaning apparatus (10) comprising a running gear (22) for running on the floor surface (16), a control unit (24), a sensor unit (44), at least one cleaning unit (26) and an operating unit (56), wherein the surroundings can be detected by the sensor unit (44) and at least one cleaning path (68) on the floor surface (16) can be or is stored in the at least one storage unit (46, 124, 126) for positioning and / or navigating the floor cleaning apparatus (10), in particular during movement; The floor cleaning apparatus (10) is designed and configured to create a cleaning path (68) in a taught operating mode while being guided by an operator (66) at an operating unit (56), the cleaning path (68) can be stored in a storage unit (46, 124, 126, in particular at least one cleaning event (92) related to at least one cleaning unit (26) and / or at least one interaction event (90) related to the interaction of the floor cleaning apparatus (10) with the surroundings (18) can be or is stored in the cleaning path (68) in a location-specific manner, and the cleaning path (68) can be displayed on at least one display unit (60, 120, 122) in a manner associated with the at least one cleaning event (92) and / or the at least one interaction event (90). The present invention further relates to a floor cleaning apparatus and a method of operating a floor cleaning system or a floor cleaning apparatus.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a floor cleaning system comprising a self-propelled and self-steering floor cleaning device for cleaning a floor surface, at least one controllable display unit, and at least one storage unit. The floor cleaning device comprises a travel gear for traveling on the floor surface, a control unit, a sensor unit, at least one cleaning unit, and an operation unit. The surroundings can be detected by the sensor unit in order to position and / or navigate the floor cleaning device, particularly during movement. At least one cleaning path on the floor surface can be stored in or is stored in the at least one storage unit. The floor cleaning device is designed and configured to create a cleaning path in a teaching operation mode while being guided by an operator at the operation unit, and this cleaning path can be stored in the storage unit.

Background Art

[0002] The present invention further relates to a method for operating a floor cleaning system and a floor cleaning device.

[0003] Autonomous cleaning of the floor surface can be performed using the floor cleaning device of the floor cleaning system described at the beginning. The floor cleaning device is controlled by a control unit to travel on the floor surface and can remove dirt by at least one cleaning unit. In order to improve the cleaning efficiency, the cleaning liquid from the storage container can be made to wet the floor surface. The at least one cleaning unit can comprise, for example, a cleaning roller or a disk brush. The mixture of dirt and the cleaning liquid can be picked up from the floor surface by, for example, a suction strip and transferred to a waste liquid container.

[0004] An autonomous floor cleaning device is known to be able to cover a pre - stored cleaning path. The cleaning path is stored after being taught in a teaching operation mode (also called teach - in) while the floor cleaning device is being guided by an operator. For positioning and / or navigation purposes, the floor cleaning device can detect the surroundings using at least one signal from a sensor unit. In this way, the floor cleaning device can find and cover the stored surrounding route during a subsequent cleaning process in the teaching operation mode.

[0005] US 2012 / 0288936 A1 describes an autonomous floor cleaning device having a teaching operation mode.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a floor cleaning system, a floor cleaning device, and a method for operating a floor cleaning system, whereby additional information can be provided to the cleaning path, especially for controlling the cleaning result.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] In a floor cleaning system of the type described at the beginning, this object is achieved according to the present invention in that at least one cleaning event related to the at least one cleaning unit and / or at least one interaction event related to the interaction between the floor cleaning device and the surroundings can be stored in the cleaning path in a location - specific manner, or are stored, and the cleaning path can be displayed on the at least one display unit in a manner associated with the at least one cleaning event and / or the at least one interaction event.

[0009] In the floor cleaning system according to the invention, additional information about the at least one cleaning event and / or the at least one interaction event can be stored in the cleaning path (e.g., during a teach-in) or (e.g., in the case of a pre-stored cleaning path) is stored in the cleaning path. In addition to merely the driving direction and changes in the driving direction, the cleaning path in the floor cleaning system according to the invention includes additional information related to cleaning and / or interaction. The additional information can be displayed in a position-specific manner within the cleaning path on at least one display unit. In this way, the operator can determine not only where the floor cleaning device is or was located, but also what state the floor cleaning device was or is in with respect to cleaning and / or interaction.

[0010] The stored cleaning path may be stored in the storage unit by the operator in some other way than being taught via the floor cleaning device. For example, the cleaning path can be created externally and stored in the storage unit by the operator. For example, a comprehensive plan for cleaning is used as a basis for creating the cleaning path.

[0011] To create the cleaning path, for example, the cleaning path may be drawn so as to be entirely covered remotely. Alternatively or additionally, the cleaning path may be created partially, for example, by a route-based calculation so as to be partially covered when filling in a detoured area. Such semi-automatic creation is described in US 2012 / 0288936 A1.

[0012] It may be convenient if the cleaning path is displayable on the at least one display unit while the floor cleaning device is being guided by the operator in the teaching operation mode, in particular in a manner associated with the at least one cleaning event and / or the at least one interaction event. As a result, the operator can also visually check the route of the floor cleaning device and any events during the teaching operation mode.

[0013] Preferably, the operating unit comprises at least one operating element for triggering the at least one cleaning event and / or the at least one interaction event by the operator in the teaching operation mode. During the teaching operation mode, the operator can activate the operating element to trigger the desired event. The corresponding event can be stored in the cleaning path in a position-specific manner.

[0014] Preferably, a map of the surroundings is displayable on the at least one display unit, and this map can be created by the control device, for example, based on at least one signal of the sensor device. Advantageously, the cleaning path can be displayed in the map, preferably during the teaching operation mode. Thereby, the operator has the opportunity to see and control which sections of the floor surface have already been covered and which sections have not yet been covered in order to finish the cleaning path as needed.

[0015] By displaying the cleaning path on the map in the teaching operation mode, it becomes easier for the operator to guide the floor cleaning device efficiently. For example, this makes it easier for the operator to guide the floor cleaning device in a manner close to the edge or an obstacle on the floor surface. As a result of this visual assistance, in the case of, for example, serpentine movement or spiral movement, the operator can more easily cover parallel tracks while minimizing the overlap of adjacent tracks as much as possible.

[0016] The surroundings may be monitored in the teaching operation mode, and instructions for guiding the floor cleaning device may be output to the operator, for example, when entering a bottleneck. The instructions can be visual instructions and / or auditory instructions.

[0017] The taught cleaning path can be improved, for example, in a subsequent optimization step by the control unit, and the optimized cleaning path may be adopted as a basis for subsequent automatic execution by the floor cleaning device. During optimization, for example, collision avoidance, safety requirements, parallel courses of adjacent tracks, cleaning near the edges, avoidance of unrealistic or redundant movements, and / or adjustments regarding different types of criteria are performed.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least one cleaning event can be, for example, at least one of the following. - Turning the cleaning operation on or off, - Turning on, off, and / or changing the operating state of at least one cleaning unit, - Setting the input amount of cleaning liquid and / or cleaning chemicals, - The traveling speed of the floor cleaning device on the floor surface, especially during cleaning of the floor surface.

[0019] The floor cleaning device preferably comprises an indicating unit having an optical actuator and / or an acoustic actuator, and the at least one interaction event includes outputting an indication via the optical actuator and / or the acoustic actuator. For example, as the actuator, a signal lamp, a flashing lamp, a speaker, and / or a horn are provided. The floor cleaning device can interact with the surroundings, especially with people, via at least one actuator. For example, the floor cleaning device can be optically and / or acoustically recognized by the surroundings. Preferably, this is also possible when no person is detected by the floor cleaning device in the surroundings.

[0020] During and / or at the end of the cleaning process that is automatically executed while covering the cleaning path previously stored by the floor cleaning device, it is advantageous if the cleaning path can be displayed in a manner that is particularly associated with the at least one cleaning event and / or the at least one interaction event. This allows the covered cleaning path to be controlled according to the cleaning results even during or at the end of the autonomous execution of the operation.

[0021] For example, after completion of the cleaning process, a cleaning report can be created and stored in the at least one storage unit, and the cleaning path is part of the cleaning report in a manner that is particularly associated with the at least one cleaning event and / or the at least one interaction event.

[0022] It is advantageous if the previously stored cleaning path can be displayed in the control unit together with the actually covered cleaning path during the cleaning process. In this case, preferably, if there is a deviation between the cleaning paths, it should be made visualizable on the display unit. In this way, for example, the obstacle avoidance operation of the floor cleaning device can be detected. The deviation between the cleaning paths can indicate, for example, a poorly taught cleaning path, a change in the position of an obstacle on or above the floor surface, and / or an insufficient calibration of the sensor unit.

[0023] It is advantageous if the control unit can calculate the coincidence between the actually covered cleaning path and the previously stored cleaning path. This allows determining the extent to which it was possible to actually provide the desired cleaning by calculating the coverage and driving along the cleaning path.

[0024] The at least one cleaning event and / or interaction event can be displayed on the display unit in various ways. For example, an event is marked by a marker element on or adjacent to the path at the time it occurs. Optionally, an explanation regarding the type of the event may be provided. The event may be displayed, for example, as coloring or highlighting of the route of the cleaning path over the time when the event is occurring.

[0025] Preferably, the cleaning path can be displayed on the display unit such that the at least one cleaning event and / or at least one interaction event can be optionally displayed. In the present case, this can be understood to mean, in particular, that the operator can select whether a cleaning event and / or interaction event is displayed on the display unit and, in some cases, which cleaning event and / or interaction event is displayed on the display unit. For example, a plurality of virtual layers each containing information regarding at least one event may be displayed on the display unit. The operator may be enabled to specifically display the content of one layer or a plurality of layers.

[0026] It may be advantageous if the cleaning path can be displayed on the display unit such that at least one of the following is highlighted - the section of the cleaning path where the cleaning operation is being or has been performed, - the section of the cleaning path where at least one cleaning unit is operating or has operated.

[0027] Highlighting can be performed, for example, by coloring the route of the cleaning path.

[0028] The cleaning path can be displayed on the display unit such that the area of the floor surface covered by the at least one cleaning unit is highlighted, and it may be advantageous if the highlighting can be performed, for example, by coloring. For example, based on the predetermined position information and known expansion of the at least one cleaning unit, it may be determined which area on the floor surface is covered by the cleaning unit. This can be visualized for the operator to facilitate the teach-in of the cleaning path and / or to determine which area of the floor surface has already been cleaned or has not yet been cleaned.

[0029] The at least one display unit is, for example, a touch-sensitive display unit. For example, a touch-sensitive screen (touch screen) may be provided. The operator can preferably perform an input via the touch-sensitive display unit. The operating element may be implemented, for example, as a so-called "soft key".

[0030] Gesture control may be provided on the touch-sensitive display unit. For example, it can be seen that this is advantageous if the cleaning path can be displayed on the display unit enlarged and / or reduced.

[0031] The floor cleaning device comprises at least one display unit. This at least one display unit is preferably arranged on the operating unit and may, for example, form part of the operating unit or the entire operating unit.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least one display unit may be arranged far away from the floor cleaning device such that image information can be transmitted from the floor cleaning device to the display unit via a communication unit. In this way, it is possible to control the cleaning result, for example, at a remote station, especially after automatic cleaning.

[0033] For example, the floor cleaning system includes a data processing device having the display unit. The data processing device may be designed centrally or, for example, spatially distributed via a cloud service.

[0034] The floor cleaning device may be provided with at least one storage unit. In this way, the cleaning route can be locally stored in the floor cleaning device.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least one storage unit is arranged far away from the floor cleaning device, and the information to be stored or stored can be transmitted between the floor cleaning device and the storage unit via a communication unit and / or vice versa. For example, storing in a manner far away from the floor cleaning device allows the cleaning route to be covered by different floor cleaning devices in a technically simple manner, and for this purpose, it is not necessary for the cleaning route to be stored in a plurality of floor cleaning devices. This is advantageous, for example, when exchanging floor cleaning devices or in the case of maintenance and / or failure of the floor cleaning device.

[0036] The floor cleaning system may be provided with a data processing device (central and / or cloud service) having the storage unit.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the floor cleaning device may be designed as a scrubber vacuum.

[0038] The present invention also relates to a floor cleaning device according to the present invention, which is a floor cleaning device of the above type of floor cleaning system. Advantageous embodiments of the floor cleaning device according to the present invention result from the above description.

[0039] As described at the beginning, the present invention also relates to a method. The method according to the present invention for operating a floor cleaning system or a floor cleaning device uses a floor cleaning system or a floor cleaning device of the above type, and the cleaning path can be displayed on the at least one display unit in a manner associated with the at least one cleaning event and / or the at least one interaction event, thereby solving the initially set problem.

[0040] The following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, in conjunction with the drawings, helps to explain the present invention in more detail.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0041]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0042] FIG. 1 shows an advantageous embodiment of a floor cleaning device according to the present invention, which is generally designated by reference numeral 10. The floor cleaning device 10 can itself form a floor cleaning system according to the present invention in a preferred embodiment, which is characterized by reference numeral 12.

[0043] Alternatively or additionally, the floor cleaning device 10 may be part of another floor cleaning system 14 according to the invention schematically shown in FIG. 10 in a preferred embodiment.

[0044] The floor cleaning device 10 is designed to be self-propelled and self-steering and in particular forms a cleaning robot. The autonomous cleaning of the floor surface 16 within the surroundings 18 can be carried out using the floor cleaning device 10. In particular, it is possible to cover a pre-stored cleaning path and clean the floor surface 16 with the floor cleaning device 10. The cleaning path can be taught or specified in a teaching operation mode (teach-in).

[0045] As can be seen in particular from FIGS. 1, 2, and 10, the floor cleaning device 10 comprises a housing 20 with a running gear 22 arranged below.

[0046] Position and orientation information are relevant for the intended use of the floor cleaning device 10, and the floor cleaning device 10 can stand on the floor surface 16 via the running gear 22.

[0047] The floor cleaning device comprises a control unit 10 for controlling all processes. The floor cleaning device 10 comprises a cleaning unit 26 for cleaning the floor surface 16. In this example, the cleaning unit 26 comprises a floor cleaning head 28 having a roller brush (not shown), a side broom 30, a suction strip 32, and a suction unit 34 for applying a negative pressure to the suction strip 32.

[0048] The floor cleaning device 10 comprises a storage container 36 for cleaning liquid, in particular water, and a storage container 38 for cleaning chemicals.

[0049] The floor surface 16 is wetted with a mixture of water and cleaning chemicals. The dirt is removed by the cleaning unit 26 and transferred via the suction strip 32 under the action of the suction unit 34 into a waste liquid container 40.

[0050] The floor cleaning device 10 comprises a rechargeable, in particular battery 42 for the power supply.

[0051] The floor cleaning device 10 further comprises a sensor unit 44, and the sensor unit 44 may comprise, for example, at least one stereo camera system, lidar system, and / or ultrasonic system. The control unit 24 can position and / or navigate the floor cleaning device 10 in its surroundings 18 based on at least one signal of the sensor unit 44.

[0052] The floor cleaning device 10 further comprises a storage unit 46. In particular, a plurality of cleaning paths can be stored and memorized in the storage unit 46.

[0053] The floor cleaning device 10 further comprises an indication unit 48. In this example, the indication unit comprises at least one acoustic actuator 50 designed as a horn or a speaker, for example, and at least one optical actuator 52 designed as a flashing light, for example.

[0054] The floor cleaning device 10 can interact with its surroundings via the indication unit 48. In this example, this can be understood to mean in particular that auditory and / or visual indications directed especially at people are output via the actuators 50 and / or 52.

[0055] The floor cleaning device 10 further comprises a communication unit 54, and information can be transmitted wirelessly and / or wired from and to the floor cleaning device 10 via the communication unit 54.

[0056] The floor cleaning device 10 further has an operation unit 56, and the operation unit 56 is arranged on the rear side with respect to the forward direction 58. A controllable display unit 60 is provided, and the controllable display unit 60 may be part of the operation unit 56 or may at least partially form the operation unit 56. This is schematically shown by the dashed line 62 in FIG. 10.

[0057] In this example, the display unit 60 is designed to be touch-sensitive, and in particular, preferably, a touch screen 64 having an image display that is colored. The touch screen 64 allows for receiving user input and preferably supports gesture control.

[0058] Figures 3 and 4 show the image content of the display unit 60 while the operator 66 operates the floor cleaning device 10 in the teach-in operation mode. The purpose of the teach-in is to generate a cleaning path 68 within the surrounding area 18, and the cleaning path 68 is stored in the storage unit 46 and can be automatically covered by the floor cleaning device 10 at a later point in time to perform the cleaning of the floor surface 16.

[0059] The operator 66 can guide the floor cleaning device 10 via the grip element 67 of the operation unit 56 during the teach-in. The travel gear 62 can be affected via a drive lever arranged on the grip element 67.

[0060] Figures 3 and 4 show a map 70 of the surrounding area 18 automatically created by the floor cleaning device 10 during the teach-in, and the map section is enlarged by the user in Figure 4 compared to the display according to Figure 3.

[0061] Furthermore, an operation element 72 for selecting the cleaning mode, an operation element 73 for turning the side broom 30 on / off, an operation element 74 for turning the floor cleaning head 28 on / off, an operation element 75 for turning the suction unit 34 on / off, and an operation element 76 for turning the indication unit 48 on / off are shown on the display unit 60.

[0062] Furthermore, a display element 77 for displaying the water supply amount, a display element 78 for displaying the battery capacity, a display element 79 for displaying the water measurement, and a display element 80 for displaying the measurement of the cleaning chemical are shown on the display unit 60.

[0063] The cleaning path 68 can be stored via the operating element 81. The recording of the cleaning path 68 can be interrupted via the operating element 82.

[0064] As initially explained, according to the invention, at least one cleaning event and / or at least one interaction event, in particular related to at least one cleaning unit 26, can be stored in the cleaning path 68 in a location-specific manner. Preferably, these events can also be shown in an instructional operation mode on the display unit 60. This is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In this example, the event is shown via the marker element 84 on the display unit 60. The marker element 84 may be provided with text, for example, to explain to the operator 66.

[0065] The floor cleaning device 10 within the surroundings 18 is initially moved from the starting point 86 over an area that is initially designed to be relatively free of obstacles up to the narrow area 88. To warn the surroundings 18, the operator 66 has triggered an interaction event of the indicating unit 48 via the operating element 76, and this interaction event is stored in the cleaning path 68. The interaction event is shown at the reference sign 90 in a location-specific manner.

[0066] After the first empty trip, the cleaning of the floor surface 16 is started by the operator 66 actuating the cleaning unit 26 via the operating elements 73 to 75 (cleaning event 92). The symbol 94 identifies the current position of the floor cleaning device 10 within the surroundings 18 along the cleaning path 68.

[0067] The rendering of the map 70 allows the operator 66 to determine which sections of the floor surface 16 are still not covered. Based on this, the operator 66 is assisted in creating the cleaning path 68. The areas that are still not covered can be approached in a targeted manner. The tracks of the cleaning path 68 can be placed adjacent to each other for the purpose of cleaning the entire surface and can achieve the smallest possible overlap at the same time. Cleaning near the edges or obstacles is also assisted by rendering the map.

[0068] Cleaning events and interaction events triggered by the operator 66 during the teach-in are stored as part of the cleaning path 68, along with the covered route.

[0069] During automatic cleaning while covering the cleaning path 68, events are triggered by the floor cleaning device 10 as specified by the operator 66 in a position-specific manner. Further, the cleaning path 68 including the events can be displayed on the display unit 60 after completion of the cleaning, and preferably also during the cleaning. This will be discussed below with reference to FIGS. 5 to 9. Preferably, after completion of the cleaning, a cleaning report can be created and stored in the storage unit 46, and the cleaning result can be controlled based on the cleaning report.

[0070] The following example is described based on a cleaning path 68 different from the cleaning path 68 according to FIGS. 3 and 4. The same applies to the surroundings 18 and thus the map 70. In this example, the difference between the cleaning paths 68 serves to illustrate that different cleaning paths can be trained and gradually reduced.

[0071] Rendering the cleaning report 96 on the display unit 60 according to FIG. 5 includes displaying the map 70 in which the cleaning path 68 is shown therein, and preferably marker elements 84 that can optionally be displayed or hidden by the operator.

[0072] Further, display elements 77 and 78, a display element 98 having information about the travel time, and a display element 100 having information about the covered distance are shown. The display element 102 can show, for example, the residual water volume profile 104 and the residual battery capacity profile 106 over time.

[0073] As can be seen particularly from FIGS. 6 to 9, a plurality of events were triggered for the cleaning path 68 based on the previous saving.

[0074] Starting from the starting point 86, an empty trip was made first. While driving around the obstacle 108, an interaction event 90 was triggered to warn people within the surrounding area 18. A cleaning event 92 was triggered at the same point, during which the cleaning unit 26 was put into operation. Another cleaning event 92 was triggered, and during that time, the cleaning unit 26 was stopped.

[0075] After a subsequent empty trip, another cleaning event 92 was triggered, during which the cleaning unit 26 was put into operation again. The cleaning unit 26 was stopped during another cleaning event 92. The trip from the starting point 86 to the end point corresponding to it in this example was made as an empty trip.

[0076] The events and their identifications can optionally be displayed on the display unit 60 by the operator 66, for example, they can be displayed in such a way as to cross-fade the route 110, or they can be shown next to the route 110. In addition to the marker element 84, the display can include, for example, an explanation 112 of the event.

[0077] Each display mode can be selected by the operator 66. For this purpose, for example, the corresponding operation element 114 can be selected on the display unit 60. Preferably, virtual layers with different information about the cleaning event and / or the interaction event can be selectively displayed or masked out via the operation element 114.

[0078] In particular, it is possible to show which cleaning unit 26 was operated in which section of the cleaning path 68. This is done, for example, by highlighting the cleaning path 68 or showing the cleaning unit 26 on the cleaning path 68. The highlighting can include coloring.

[0079] Figure 7 shows in the form of a highlight 116 which section of the cleaning path 68 the floor cleaning head 28 was turned on in. Further, which section of the floor surface 16 was covered by the floor cleaning head 28 is shown.

[0080] Figure 8 shows the corresponding situation for the side broom 30 by the highlighting 116. It can also be seen which section of the floor surface 16 is covered by the side broom 30.

[0081] Figure 9 shows, in the form of the highlighting 116, which section of the cleaning path 68 the suction unit 34 was operating in.

[0082] The examples of FIGS. 7 - 9 show that the floor cleaning head 28, the side broom 30, and the suction unit 34 are each simultaneously activated and deactivated during each cleaning event 92. Of course, depending on the teach - in, the events can also be triggered by the operator 66 for different types of cleaning units 26 at different times.

[0083] It can also be seen from FIGS. 6 - 9 that there is a deviation 118 between the learned cleaning path 68 and the covered cleaning path 68, where the floor cleaning device 10 has deviated from the predetermined cleaning path 68. The deviation 118 can be caused, for example, by the floor cleaning device 10 performing an avoidance operation to drive around an obstacle. When the deviation and / or particularly large deviations accumulate, the operator 66 may, in some cases, change the cleaning path 68, teach a new cleaning path, and / or inspect the floor cleaning device 10.

[0084] The speed of the floor cleaning device 10 may be displayed within the cleaning path 68. For example, the speed of the floor cleaning device 10 can be determined based on the coloring of the route 110.

[0085] Figure 10 shows a floor cleaning system 14 having display units 120, 122 and storage units 124, 126. The display unit 120 is shown, by way of example, as the display unit of a data processing device 128. The data processing device 128 may be a cloud service. The data processing device 128 further comprises a storage unit 124.

[0086] The portable accessory device 130, such as a smartphone or a tablet computer, includes a display unit 122 and a storage unit 126.

[0087] For example, image information as part of the cleaning report 96 can be transmitted by the floor cleaning device 10 to the display on the display units 120 and / or 122 via the communication unit 54. This is particularly suitable for viewing and evaluating the cleaning report 96. The cleaning report 96 can be stored, for example, in the storage units 124, 126.

[0088] Preferably, the cleaning path 68 can be stored in the storage units 124, 126, and the related data can be transmitted to the floor cleaning device 10 via the communication unit 54. Conversely, for example, when learning the cleaning path 68, the information can be stored by the floor cleaning device 10 in the storage units 124, 126.

Explanation of Signs

[0089] 10…Floor cleaning device 12, 14…Floor cleaning system 16…Floor surface 18…Surroundings 20…Housing 22…Traveling gear 24…Control unit 26…Cleaning unit 28…Floor cleaning head 30…Side broom 32…Suction strip 34…Suction unit 36, 38…Storage container 40…Dirty liquid container 42…Battery 44…Sensor unit 46…Storage unit 48…Indicator unit 50, 52…Actuator 54…Communication unit 56…Control unit 58…Forward direction 60…Display unit 62…Dashed line 64…Touch screen 66…Operator 67…Grip element 68…Cleaning path 70…Map 72, 73, 74, 75, 76…Operation elements 77, 78, 79, 80…Display elements 81, 82…Actuating elements 84…Marker element 86…Starting point 88…Narrow area 90…Interaction event 92…Cleaning event 94…Symbol 96…Cleaning report 98, 100, 102…Display elements 104, 106…Profiles 108…Obstacle 110…Route 112…Explanation 114…Control element 116…Highlight 118…Deviation 120, 122…Display units 124, 126…Storage units 128…Data processing device 130…Accessory device

Claims

1. A self-propelled and self-steering floor cleaning device (10) for cleaning a floor surface (16), at least one controllable display unit (60, 120, 122), and at least one storage unit (46, 124, 126), A floor cleaning system comprising: The floor cleaning device (10) includes a travel gear (22) for traveling on the floor surface (16), a control unit (24), a sensor unit (44), at least one cleaning unit (26), and an operation unit (56). In order to position and / or navigate the floor cleaning device (10) during movement, the surroundings are detectable by the sensor unit (44), At least one cleaning path (68) on the floor surface (16) can be stored or is stored in the at least one storage unit (46, 124, 126), The floor cleaning device (10) is designed and configured to create a cleaning path (68) in a teaching operation mode while being guided by an operator (66) at the operation unit (56), and the cleaning path (68) can be stored in the storage unit (46, 124, 126). At least one interaction event (90) related to the interaction between the floor cleaning device (10) and the surroundings (18) can be stored or is stored in the cleaning path (68) in a location-specific manner. The cleaning path (68) can be displayed on the at least one display unit (60, 120, 122) in a manner associated with the at least one interaction event (90). The floor cleaning device (10) includes an indicating unit (48) having an optical actuator (52) and / or an acoustic actuator (50), and the at least one interaction event (90) includes an output of an indication via the optical actuator (52) and / or the acoustic actuator (50). A floor cleaning system.

2. The floor cleaning system according to claim 1, characterized in that the cleaning path (68) can be displayed on the at least one display unit (60, 120, 122) while the floor cleaning device (10) is being guided by the operator (66) in the teaching operation mode.

3. The floor cleaning system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the operation unit (56) comprises at least one operation element (72, 73, 74, 75, 76) for triggering the at least one interaction event (90) by the operator (66) in the teaching operation mode.

4. The map (70) of the surroundings (18) can be displayed on the at least one display unit (60, 120, 122), and the cleaning path (68) can be displayed within the map (70). The floor cleaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that.

5. At least one cleaning event (92) can be stored or is stored in the cleaning path (68) in a position-specific manner, and the cleaning path (68) can be displayed on the at least one display unit (60, 120, 122) in a manner associated with the at least one cleaning event (92). The floor cleaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that.

6. The floor cleaning system according to claim 5, characterized in that the operation unit (56) comprises at least one operation element (72, 73, 74, 75, 76) for triggering the at least one cleaning event (92) by the operator (66) in the teaching operation mode.

7. The at least one cleaning event (92) is - associating the at least one cleaning event (92) with the at least one cleaning unit (26), - turning the cleaning operation on or off, - changing the on, off, and / or operating state of at least one cleaning unit (26), - turning the floor cleaning device (10) on, off, and / or changing the cleaning mode, - setting the input amount of cleaning liquid and / or cleaning chemicals, - setting and / or changing the traveling speed of the floor cleaning device (10) on the floor surface (16) during the cleaning of the floor surface (16). being at least one of The floor cleaning system according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that.

8. The floor cleaning system according to claim 5, 6, or 7, characterized in that the cleaning path (68) can be displayed on the display unit (60, 120, 122) such that the at least one cleaning event (92) can be optionally displayed.

9. The floor cleaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the cleaning path (68) is displayable during and / or at the end of a cleaning process that is automatically executed while covering a cleaning path (68) previously stored by the floor cleaning device (10).

10. After completion of the cleaning process, a cleaning report (96) can be created and stored in the at least one storage unit (46, 124, 126), and the cleaning path (68) is part of the cleaning report (96). The floor cleaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that

11. The floor cleaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that a previously stored cleaning path (68) can be displayed by the control unit (24) together with the cleaning path (68) actually covered during the cleaning process.

12. The floor cleaning system according to claim 11, characterized in that if there is a deviation (118) in the cleaning path (68), it can be visualized on the display unit (60, 120, 122).

13. The floor cleaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the control unit (24) can calculate the coincidence between the actually covered cleaning path (68) and the previously stored cleaning path (68).

14. The floor cleaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the cleaning path (68) can be displayed on the display unit (60, 120, 122) such that at least one interaction event (90) can be optionally displayed.

15. The cleaning path (68) is - a section of the cleaning path (68) where a cleaning operation is being or has been performed, - a section of the cleaning path (68) where at least one cleaning unit (26) is operating or has operated displayed on the display unit (60, 120, 122) such that at least one of them is highlighted. The floor cleaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that

16. ​ The floor cleaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the cleaning path (68) can be displayed on the display unit (60, 120, 122) such that the area of the floor surface (16) covered by the at least one cleaning unit (26) is highlighted.

17. The floor cleaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that at least one display unit (60, 120, 122) is a touch-sensitive display unit (60, 120, 122).

18. The floor cleaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the cleaning path (68) can be displayed on the display unit (60, 120, 122) in an enlarged and / or reduced manner.

19. The floor cleaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the floor cleaning device (10) comprises at least one display unit (60, 120, 122).

20. At least one display unit (60, 120, 122) is arranged far away from the floor cleaning device (10), and image information can be transmitted from the floor cleaning device (10) to the display unit (60, 120, 122) via a communication unit (54). The floor cleaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

21. The floor cleaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that the floor cleaning device (10) comprises at least one storage unit (46, 124, 126).

22. At least one storage unit (46, 124, 126) is arranged far away from the floor cleaning device (10), and information to be stored or stored can be transmitted from the floor cleaning device (10) to the storage unit (46, 124, 126) and / or vice versa via a communication unit (54). The floor cleaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 21.

23. The floor cleaning system (14) comprises a data processing device (128) having the display unit (60, 120, 122), and / or the floor cleaning system (10) comprises a data processing device (128) having the storage unit (46, 124, 126). The floor cleaning system according to claim 20 or 22.

24. The floor cleaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 23, characterized in that the floor cleaning device (10) is designed as a scrubber vacuum.

25. A floor cleaning device of the floor cleaning system according to the present invention according to any one of claims 1 to 24.

26. A method of operating a floor cleaning system of the floor cleaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 24 or the floor cleaning device according to claim 25, wherein the cleaning path is displayed on the at least one display unit in a manner associated with the at least one interaction event.

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