Cleaning result determination system and cleaning result determination method
The cleaning result determination system standardizes the evaluation of cleaning work quality by using a centralized management device with common criteria, addressing inconsistent quality assessments across different cleaning management devices.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023569002
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2021-12-24
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-23
- Estimated Expiration
- 2041-12-24
AI Technical Summary
In a scenario where multiple cleaning companies manage cleaning work for different buildings using autonomous cleaning robots, varying judgment criteria among these companies can lead to inconsistent quality of cleaning work, making it difficult to determine if the cleaning was performed as planned.
A cleaning result determination system and method that utilizes a centralized management device to communicate with multiple cleaning systems, using common criteria to evaluate the performance of cleaning robots across different management devices, ensuring consistent quality assessment.
Ensures consistent and standardized evaluation of cleaning work quality across multiple cleaning management devices, providing a unified assessment of cleaning performance based on common criteria.
Smart Images

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Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cleaning result determination system and a cleaning result determination method. [Background technology]
[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2020-130217 (Patent Document 1) discloses a controller that manages cleaning work by an autonomous vacuum cleaner (cleaning robot). The controller is capable of communicating with a weight sensor provided on the cleaning robot. The cleaning robot transmits weight information of the garbage measured by the weight sensor to the controller. The controller calculates the amount of residual dust that may be present in the building based on the weight information, and determines that cleaning is necessary if the calculated amount of residual dust is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-130217 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] For example, if a building management company outsources cleaning work for multiple buildings to multiple cleaning companies, each cleaning company's cleaning management device may manage the cleaning work using a cleaning robot. In such a case, if each cleaning management device sets its own judgment criteria and uses those judgment criteria to determine whether the cleaning work was performed successfully as planned, the judgment results may differ depending on the cleaning management device, even if the cleaning status is the same. As a result, there is a concern that the quality of the cleaning work will vary among the multiple cleaning management devices.
[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and the purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a cleaning result determination system and a cleaning result determination method that, in a situation where multiple cleaning management devices are made to perform cleaning work, make it possible to properly determine whether the cleaning work by each cleaning management device was performed normally as planned. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] A cleaning result determination system according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of first information processing devices, a second information processing device, and a third information processing device. Each of the plurality of first information processing devices manages cleaning work performed by an autonomous mobile cleaning robot. The second information processing device determines whether the cleaning work performed by each of the plurality of first information processing devices has been performed successfully. The third information processing device is communicatively connected to the plurality of first information processing devices and the second information processing device, and controls the plurality of first information processing devices. Each of the plurality of first information processing devices performs cleaning work using the corresponding cleaning robot in accordance with cleaning instructions from the third information processing device, and transmits cleaning performance data indicating the performance of the cleaning work performed by the cleaning robot to the second information processing device. The second information processing device determines whether the cleaning work has been performed successfully for each of the plurality of first information processing devices by comparing the cleaning performance data with a determination standard common to the plurality of first information processing devices.
[0007] A cleaning result determination method according to the present disclosure includes the steps of managing cleaning work performed by an autonomous mobile cleaning robot in each of a plurality of cleaning systems using a first information processing device, and determining whether the cleaning work was performed successfully in each of the plurality of cleaning systems using a second information processing device. The managing step includes the steps of having the first information processing device perform cleaning work using the cleaning robot in accordance with cleaning instructions from a third information processing device that controls the plurality of first information processing devices, and transmitting cleaning performance data indicating the performance of the cleaning work performed by the cleaning robot to the second information processing device by the first information processing device. The determining step includes the step of determining whether the cleaning work was performed successfully in each of the plurality of cleaning systems by the second information processing device by comparing the cleaning performance data with a determination criterion common to the plurality of cleaning systems. [Effects of the Invention]
[0008] According to the present disclosure, in a situation where multiple cleaning management devices are made to perform cleaning work, it is possible to properly determine whether the cleaning work by each cleaning management device was performed normally as planned. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a cleaning result determination system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a cleaning system. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a cleaning robot. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a server. [Figure 5] 10 is a diagram for explaining the procedure of the cleaning work determination process in the cleaning result determination system. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of information related to process ST4 among information managed in the server. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a contract information table. [Figure 8]FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cleaning schedule table. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cleaning record table. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a cleaning contract scope and a cleaning performance scope. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cleaning range table. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a dust concentration table. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of information related to process ST4 among information managed in the server. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a determination result table. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of information related to process ST5 among information managed in the server. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an aggregation result table. [Figure 17] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of process ST3 in FIG. 5. [Figure 18] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of process ST4 in FIG. 5. [Figure 19] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of process ST4 in FIG. 5. [Figure 20] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of process ST5 in FIG. 5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.
[0011] <Configuration of cleaning result judgment system> 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a cleaning result determination system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 1, cleaning result determination system 100 includes multiple cleaning systems 45A and 45B, a management device 55, and a cleaning result determination device 65.
[0012] Each of the multiple cleaning systems 45A, 45B is configured to clean a target floor 20 using a cleaning robot 10, which is an autonomous mobile vacuum cleaner. In the example of FIG. 1, two cleaning systems 45A, 45B are shown, but the number of cleaning systems may be two or more. Hereinafter, cleaning systems 45A, 45B may be collectively referred to as "cleaning system 45."
[0013] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a cleaning system 45. Referring to Fig. 2, the cleaning system 45 includes a cleaning robot 10, a plurality of wireless communication devices 30-1, 30-2, and 30-3, and a server 40. Hereinafter, the wireless communication devices 30-1, 30-2, and 30-3 may be collectively referred to as "wireless communication device 30."
[0014] The cleaning robot 10 is an autonomously mobile vacuum cleaner. The cleaning robot 10 is equipped with a battery and can move across the floor 20 to be cleaned using the power stored in the battery. A cleaning member that sucks up dirt is provided on the bottom or lower side of the cleaning robot 10, and the cleaning robot 10 can clean the floor 20 using the cleaning member while moving autonomously.
[0015] The cleaning robot 10 is provided with a wireless communication device 11. The wireless communication device 11 transmits a signal for detecting the position of the cleaning robot 10 using a communication method that complies with, for example, the BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy; "Bluetooth" is a registered trademark) communication standard. Instead of the BLE communication standard, a communication method that complies with the UWB (Ultra Wide Band) communication standard or the like may be used. The wireless communication device 11 also transmits an ID for identifying the cleaning robot 10, a signal indicating the start / end of cleaning by the cleaning robot 10, and the like to the server 40 using a communication method that complies with, for example, a wireless communication standard such as LTE (Long Term Evolution).
[0016] The wireless communication devices 30-1, 30-2, and 30-3 are installed, for example, at an appropriate distance from each other on the ceiling 35, and receive signals transmitted from the cleaning robot 10 and detect the reception strength thereof using a communication method conforming to the same communication standard as the wireless communication device 11 of the cleaning robot 10. The number of wireless communication devices 30 is not limited. The position of the cleaning robot 10 on the floor 20 can be determined from the reception strength of each wireless communication device 30. The wireless communication device 30 outputs the reception strength of the signal received from the cleaning robot 10 to the server 40. The wireless communication device 30 may be installed on a wall.
[0017] The server 40 manages the cleaning work performed by the cleaning robot 10. The server 40 receives the reception strength of the signal received by each wireless communication device 30 from each wireless communication device 30, and measures the position of the cleaning robot 10 on the floor 20 from the reception strength of each wireless communication device 30. Then, the server 40 generates cleaning performance data indicating the performance of the cleaning work performed by the cleaning robot 10 using the signals from the wireless communication devices 30. The server 40 corresponds to an example of a "first information processing device." The server 40 will be described in detail later.
[0018] 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the cleaning robot 10. Referring to FIG. 3, the cleaning robot 10 includes a wireless communication device 11, a camera 12, a control unit 13, a driving unit 14, a battery 15, a cleaning member 16, and a dust concentration meter 17.
[0019] 2, the wireless communication device 11 transmits a signal for detecting the position of the cleaning robot 10 using a communication method conforming to, for example, the BLE communication standard. The wireless communication device 11 also transmits various information to the server 40 using a communication method conforming to, for example, a wireless communication standard such as LTE, such as an ID for identifying the cleaning robot 10, a cleaning start signal indicating the start of cleaning by the cleaning robot 10, a cleaning end signal indicating the end of cleaning, the dust concentration measured by the dust concentration meter 17 before the start of cleaning, and the dust concentration measured by the dust concentration meter 17 after the end of cleaning.
[0020] The camera 12 captures an image of the surroundings of the cleaning robot 10 and outputs the captured image to the control unit 13. Instead of the camera 12, a laser rangefinder or the like may be provided that measures the distance between the cleaning robot 10 and an object present in the vicinity of the cleaning robot 10.
[0021] The control unit 13 controls the start and end of cleaning by the cleaning robot 10. Then, based on the image captured by the camera 12, the control unit 13 controls the drive unit 14 and the cleaning members 16 so that the cleaning robot 10 performs cleaning while moving autonomously. In addition, the control unit 13 acquires the dust concentration measured by the dust concentration meter 17 before the start and after the end of cleaning, and outputs the dust concentration to the wireless communication device 11.
[0022] The drive unit 14 generates a drive force for the cleaning robot 10 to move. The drive unit 14 includes, for example, wheels for the cleaning robot 10 to move and a motor for driving the wheels. The drive unit 14 (motor) can be operated by receiving a supply of power from the battery 15. The battery 15 supplies power for the drive unit 14 (motor) and other devices of the cleaning robot 10 to operate.
[0023] The cleaning member 16 is provided on the bottom surface of the cleaning robot 10 and serves to suck up dust on the floor. The cleaning member 16 includes, for example, a suction port, a blower for sucking dust through the suction port, a rotating brush provided at the suction port, and a motor for driving the rotating brush.
[0024] The dust concentration meter 17 is provided in a tank that stores the dust collected by the cleaning members 16, and measures the dust concentration in the tank. By measuring the dust concentration before and after the start and end of cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10, it is possible to determine whether the cleaning members 16 are operating normally, i.e., whether the cleaning function of the cleaning robot 10 is normal, depending on whether the dust concentration has changed (increased) before and after the cleaning work.
[0025] 1, management device 55 manages multiple cleaning systems 45A and 45B. For example, management device 55 may be owned by a customer who uses cleaning result determination system 100 according to the present embodiment. Multiple cleaning systems 45A and 45B may be owned by multiple contractors who are entrusted with cleaning work by the customer.
[0026] The management device 55 includes a server 50. The server 50 is communicatively connected to the server 40 of each cleaning system 45 via a communication network NW (typically, the Internet) and controls the servers 40 of the multiple cleaning systems 45. Specifically, the server 50 transmits cleaning instructions to each server 40, prompting the cleaning robot 10 to perform cleaning work. The cleaning instructions include cleaning contract information indicating cleaning conditions (cleaning area, frequency, date and time, etc.) determined based on a contract between a customer and a contractor. The server 50 corresponds to one embodiment of the "third information processing device."
[0027] The cleaning result determination device 65 is configured to determine whether cleaning work in multiple cleaning systems 45A, 45B has been performed normally in accordance with a pre-established contract. For example, the cleaning result determination device 65 may be owned by the administrator of the cleaning result determination system 100. The cleaning result determination device 65 includes a server 60. The server 60 is communicatively connected to the server 40 of each cleaning system 45 and the server 50 of the management device 55 via the communication network NW.
[0028] The server 60 receives cleaning performance data from each server 40. Based on the cleaning performance data from each server 40, the server 60 determines whether the cleaning work was performed properly in accordance with a pre-established contract for each cleaning system 45. In making this determination, the server 60 is configured to use common criteria among the multiple cleaning systems 45.
[0029] Server 60 transmits the determination result for each cleaning system 45 to the corresponding server 40. Server 60 also generates aggregated information that aggregates the determination results for the multiple cleaning systems 45, and transmits the aggregated information to server 50. Server 60 corresponds to one embodiment of the "second information processing device." Server 60 will be described in detail later.
[0030] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of servers 40, 50, and 60. Referring to Fig. 4, each server includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 71, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 72, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 73, an I / F (Interface) device 74, and a storage device 75. The CPU 71, RAM 72, ROM 73, I / F device 74, and storage device 75 exchange various types of data via a communication bus 76.
[0031] The CPU 71 loads and executes a program stored in the ROM 73 into the RAM 72. The program stored in the ROM 73 describes the processes to be executed by each server.
[0032] The I / F device 74 is an input / output device for exchanging signals or data among the servers 40, 50, and 60. The I / F device 74 included in the server 40 is configured to exchange signals or data with the wireless communication devices 30 and the cleaning robot 10 in addition to the servers 50 and 60. Specifically, the I / F device 74 in the server 40 receives, from each wireless communication device 30, the reception strength of a signal received by the wireless communication device 30. The I / F device 74 in the server 40 also receives, from the cleaning robot 10, an ID for identifying the cleaning robot 10, a signal indicating the start / end of cleaning by the cleaning robot 10, and the like, using a communication method conforming to a wireless communication standard such as LTE.
[0033] The storage device 75 is a storage that stores various types of information, and is, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD).
[0034] The storage device 75 of the server 40 stores information about the cleaning robot 10, information about the floor 20, cleaning contract information that defines cleaning conditions (cleaning area, frequency, date and time, etc.), location information and movement history (trajectory) of the cleaning robot 10, etc. The storage device 75 of the server 40 also stores cleaning performance data that indicates the performance of cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10, and the determination result received from the server 50.
[0035] The storage device 75 of the server 50 stores information about the cleaning systems 45A and 45B, cleaning contract information for each cleaning system 45, etc. The storage device 75 of the server 50 also stores the aggregated information received from the server 60.
[0036] The storage device 75 of the server 60 stores various updatable databases (DBs) for determining whether cleaning work has been performed normally in the cleaning systems 45A and 45B. The various DBs stored in the storage device 75 of the server 60 will be described in detail later.
[0037] <Operation of cleaning result determination system> Next, the operation of cleaning result determination system 100 according to this embodiment will be described.
[0038] 5 is a diagram for explaining the procedure of the cleaning work determination process in the cleaning result determination system 100. The cleaning work determination process mainly comprises the following steps.
[0039] Process ST1: Sending cleaning contract information to cleaning result determination device 65 Process ST2: Cleaning instruction to cleaning system 45 Process ST3: Sending cleaning performance data to cleaning result determination device 65 Process ST4: Determining cleaning work and transmitting the determination result to the cleaning system 45 Process ST5: Transmitting aggregated information to the management device 55 The procedures of the above processes ST1 to ST5 will be explained below. Note that arrows ST1 to ST5 shown in Fig. 5 respectively represent the exchange of data or signals based on the above processes ST1 to ST5.
[0040] (Process ST1) First, in the management device 55, the server 50 generates cleaning contract information based on the cleaning contract concluded between the customer and the contractor, and transmits the generated cleaning contract information to the server 60 of the cleaning result determination device 65. The cleaning contract information includes cleaning conditions (cleaning area, frequency, date and time, etc.) determined based on the contract. The cleaning contract information further includes information on the contractor, information on the cleaning systems 45 owned by the contractor, and information on the cleaning targets of the cleaning systems 45. As shown in FIG. 5 , when a customer outsources cleaning work to multiple contractors, cleaning contract information is generated for each cleaning system 45 and transmitted to the server 60. The server 60 stores the cleaning contract information received from each server 50 in the storage device 75.
[0041] The server 50 may further transmit to the server 60 data relating to the criteria used in the determination performed at the server 60 .
[0042] (Process ST2) Next, in management device 55, server 50 transmits cleaning instructions to servers 40 of each cleaning system 45. The cleaning instructions include cleaning conditions (cleaning area, frequency, date and time, etc.).
[0043] (Process ST3) In each cleaning system 45, the server 40 outputs the cleaning instruction received from the server 50 to the cleaning robot 10. The cleaning robot 10 performs cleaning work according to the cleaning instruction.
[0044] The server 40 manages the cleaning work performed by the cleaning robot 10. The server 40 measures the position of the cleaning robot 10 on the floor 20 based on the reception strength of the signal received by the wireless communication device 30. The server 40 receives various information from the wireless communication device 11 mounted on the cleaning robot 10, such as an ID for identifying the cleaning robot 10, a cleaning start signal, a cleaning end signal, the dust concentration measured by the dust concentration meter 17 before cleaning starts, and the dust concentration measured by the dust concentration meter 17 after cleaning ends.
[0045] The server 40 uses various information received from the wireless communication device 11 to generate cleaning record data indicating the results of cleaning work performed by the cleaning robot 10. This cleaning record data includes data on the results of cleaning time (cleaning time record data), data on the results of cleaning area (cleaning record area data), and data on the concentration of dust collected by the cleaning robot 10 (dust concentration record data). The cleaning record data will be explained in detail later. The server 40 transmits the generated cleaning record data to the server 60 of the cleaning result determination device 65.
[0046] (Process ST4) In the cleaning result determination device 65, the server 60 determines whether the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 was performed normally in accordance with the contract for each cleaning system 45, based on the cleaning performance data received from the server 40 of each cleaning system 45 and the cleaning contract information received from the server 50 of the management device 55. Then, the server 60 transmits the cleaning determination result to the server 40 of the corresponding cleaning system 45.
[0047] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of information related to process ST4 among the information managed by server 60. Fig. 6 shows information managed for determining cleaning work in cleaning system 45A.
[0048] 6, in cleaning system 45A, storage device 75 of server 40 stores cleaning record data including cleaning time record data 80, cleaning record range data 82, and dust concentration record data 84. Server 40 reads out the cleaning record data from storage device 75 and transmits it to server 60 of cleaning result determination device 65 when a predetermined condition is met or at predetermined intervals.
[0049] The cleaning time record data 80 is data on the cleaning time record, and includes the cleaning start time and cleaning end time. The cleaning start time and cleaning end time are the times when the server 40 receives a cleaning start signal and a cleaning end signal, respectively, from the cleaning robot 10.
[0050] The cleaning record range data 82 is data relating to the cleaning record of the cleaning range by the cleaning robot 10. The cleaning record range indicates the cleaning record area of the cleaning robot 10 based on the movement trajectory of the cleaning robot 10. The cleaning record range is created based on the movement trajectory of the cleaning robot 10, and is data for confirming the movement function of the cleaning robot 10.
[0051] The dust concentration record data 84 is data related to the dust concentration collected by the cleaning robot 10. The dust concentration record data 84 includes, for each cleaning area, data on the dust concentration at the start of cleaning and the time of measurement thereof, and the dust concentration at the end of cleaning and the time of measurement thereof.
[0052] In the management device 55, the storage device 75 of the server 50 stores cleaning contract information 90 and determination criterion data 92. The cleaning contract information 90 is information about the cleaning contract concluded between the customer and the contractor, and includes cleaning conditions (cleaning area, frequency, date and time, etc.) determined based on the cleaning contract, information about the contractor, information about the cleaning system 45 owned by the contractor, and information about the cleaning target of the cleaning system 45. The determination criterion data 92 is data about determination criteria used in the determination performed by the server 60, and includes threshold values used to determine the cleaning function of the cleaning robot 10 based on dust concentration, which will be described later.
[0053] The server 60 of the cleaning result determination device 65 includes a time DB 110, a drawing DB 120, and a dust concentration DB 130. These DBs are stored in the storage device 75 of the server 60.
[0054] The time DB 110 stores information about cleaning areas and cleaning dates and times. Specifically, the time DB 110 includes a contract information table 112, a cleaning schedule table 114, and a cleaning performance table 116. The contract information table 112 includes data about the contract terms stipulated in the contract between the client and the contractor. The contract information table 112 is created based on the cleaning contract information 90 received from the server 50 of the management device 55.
[0055] The cleaning schedule table 114 contains data on the cleaning schedule for the current cleaning day extracted from the contract information table 112. The cleaning record table 116 contains data on the actual cleaning times for the cleaning schedules in the cleaning schedule table 114. The cleaning record table 116 contains data on the actual cleaning times for the current cleaning day extracted from the cleaning time record data 80 received from the server 40 of the cleaning system 45A.
[0056] 7 to 9 are diagrams showing examples of the contract information table 112, cleaning schedule table 114, and cleaning record table 116 of the time DB 110, respectively.
[0057] 7, the contract information table 112 includes data such as the floors to be cleaned, the areas to be cleaned on each floor, and the cleaning frequency, cleaning days, cleaning start time, and cleaning end time for each area, as specified in the cleaning contract. For example, the first row of the contract information table 112 indicates that a contract has been concluded for cleaning a specific area 1 on the second floor using a cleaning robot between 2:15 and 3:45 on the first Saturday of every month.
[0058] Referring to Figure 8, cleaning schedule table 114 is created from contract information table 112 by extracting cleaning schedule data for the day of cleaning from contract information table 112. For example, cleaning schedule table 114 includes data on cleaning schedules from midnight on the day of cleaning to midnight the following day. Figure 8 shows an example in which cleaning schedule table 114 is created by extracting cleaning schedule data for the first Saturday from contract information table 112 of Figure 7. Cleaning schedule table 114 is created once a day at a predetermined time (for example, closing time in the case of a shopping mall).
[0059] 9, the cleaning record table 116 is created in correspondence with the cleaning schedule table 114 and includes data on the actual cleaning times for the cleaning schedules in the cleaning schedule table 114. For example, the first row of the cleaning record table 116 shows that, for Area 1 on the second floor, cleaning work was started at 2:23 on Saturday, June 5th by the cleaning robot 10 with robot number A and finished at 3:35. The cleaning start time and cleaning end time are the times when the server 40 received a cleaning start signal and a cleaning end signal, respectively, from the cleaning robot 10 with robot number A.
[0060] The time determination result in the cleaning record table 116 indicates whether or not cleaning work was performed by the cleaning robot 10 within the scheduled cleaning time shown in the cleaning schedule table 114. Specifically, for each cleaning area, the time determination result indicates the determination result of whether or not a cleaning start signal and a cleaning end signal were received from the cleaning robot 10 within the scheduled cleaning time (from the cleaning start time to the cleaning end time in the cleaning schedule table 114).
[0061] For example, for area 1 on the second floor, the cleaning start signal and cleaning end signal are received from the cleaning robot 10 with robot number A at 2:23 and 3:35, respectively, for the scheduled cleaning time (2:15 to 3:45) shown in the cleaning schedule table 114. Therefore, the server 40 determines that the cleaning work was performed by the cleaning robot 10 within the scheduled cleaning time, and stores "normal" in the time determination result.
[0062] For area 3 on the second floor, no cleaning start signal or cleaning end signal was received from the cleaning robot 10 during the scheduled cleaning time (22:05 to 22:55) shown in the cleaning schedule table 114 (the cleaning start time and cleaning end time are blank in the cleaning record table 116). Therefore, the server 40 determines that cleaning work was not performed within the scheduled cleaning time, and stores "abnormal" in the time determination result.
[0063] For area 4 on the third floor, a cleaning start signal and a cleaning end signal were received from the cleaning robot 10 with robot number E at 2:00 and 2:55, respectively, for the scheduled cleaning time (1:55 to 2:45) shown in the cleaning schedule table 114. Because the cleaning end time (2:55) when the cleaning end signal was received is later than the scheduled cleaning end time (2:45), the server 40 determines that the cleaning robot 10 did not complete the cleaning work within the scheduled cleaning time, and in this case too, stores "abnormal" in the time determination result.
[0064] 6, the drawing DB 120 stores information about the cleaning range to be performed by the cleaning robot 10 for each cleaning area shown in the cleaning schedule table 114. The drawing DB 120 includes a cleaning range table 126. The cleaning range table 126 includes data about the actual cleaning range for each cleaning area scheduled for the cleaning day in the cleaning schedule table 114, relative to the scheduled cleaning range based on the cleaning contract.
[0065] Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of a cleaning contract scope and a cleaning performance scope. Referring to Figure 10, cleaning contract scope 122 indicates the area to be cleaned in the contract. In this example, it is shown that ranges 162, 166, and 168 corresponding to areas 1, 3, and 4, respectively, out of areas 1 to 4 on the second floor are the cleaning areas for that day as specified in the contract.
[0066] The cleaning history range 124 indicates the cleaning history area of the cleaning robot 10 based on the movement trajectory of the cleaning robot 10. The cleaning history range 124 is created corresponding to the cleaning contract range 122 and indicates the area where the cleaning robot 10 has moved. In this example, it is shown that the cleaning robot 10 has moved through ranges 172 and 178, which correspond to area 1 and area 4 on the second floor, respectively.
[0067] The cleaning history range 124 is created based on the movement trajectory of the cleaning robot 10, and is data for confirming the movement function of the cleaning robot 10. The cleaning history range 124 does not take into consideration the operating state of the cleaning members 16 of the cleaning robot 10 (the cleaning function of the cleaning robot 10). The operating state of the cleaning members 16 is managed in the dust concentration DB 130.
[0068] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the cleaning range table 126 of the drawing DB 120 shown in Fig. 6. Referring to Fig. 11, the cleaning range table 126 is created corresponding to the cleaning schedule table 114 (Fig. 8) of the time DB 110, and includes data such as the drawing number indicating the cleaning contract range, the drawing number indicating the cleaning history range, the cleaning date and time, and the determination result of the cleaning history range relative to the cleaning contract range, for each cleaning area scheduled for the day in the cleaning schedule table 114.
[0069] For example, the first row of the cleaning area table 126 indicates that for a specific area 1 on the second floor, the number of the drawing data indicating the cleaning contract area of the area is C-2F-1, and the number of the drawing data indicating the cleaning history area of the area by the cleaning robot 10 is A-2F-1. The drawing data of drawing number A-2F-1 indicating the cleaning history area is created based on the movement trajectory obtained from the position information of the cleaning robot 10 with robot number A that cleans the area.
[0070] Then, the server 40 compares the cleaning performance range of drawing number A-2F-1 with the cleaning contract range of drawing number C-2F-1, and if, for example, the cleaning performance range is greater than or equal to a predetermined percentage of the cleaning contract range, it stores "normal" in the cleaning range determination result.
[0071] Regarding the second row of the cleaning area table 126, since the cleaning robot 10 did not perform cleaning work on Area 3 on the second floor, there is no diagram showing the cleaning record area of that area. Therefore, the server 40 stores "Abnormal" in the cleaning area determination result.
[0072] 6 again, the dust concentration DB 130 stores information about the cleaning status (dust collection status) of the cleaning members 16 of the cleaning robot 10 for each cleaning area shown in the cleaning schedule table 114. The dust concentration DB 130 includes a dust concentration table 132. The dust concentration table 132 includes data about the concentration of dust collected by the cleaning robot 10 for each cleaning area scheduled in the cleaning schedule table 114 for the day of cleaning.
[0073] Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the dust concentration table 132 of the dust concentration DB 130 shown in Fig. 6. Referring to Fig. 12, the dust concentration table 132 is created corresponding to the cleaning schedule table 114 (Fig. 8) of the time DB 110, and includes data such as the dust concentration at the start of cleaning and the time of measurement thereof, the dust concentration at the end of cleaning and the time of measurement thereof, and the cleaning function judgment result based on the dust concentration, for each cleaning area for the day of cleaning scheduled in the cleaning schedule table 114.
[0074] For example, in the first row of the dust concentration table 132, for a predetermined area 1 on the second floor, when the cleaning robot 10 with robot number A starts cleaning, the dust concentration measured by the dust concentration meter 17 (10 CPM) in the dust tank and the measurement time (2:23) are stored as the start dust concentration and the start measurement time, respectively. Also, when cleaning ends, the dust concentration measured by the dust concentration meter 17 (15 CPM) and the measurement time (3:35) are stored as the end dust concentration and the end measurement time, respectively.
[0075] The dust concentration determination result in the dust concentration table 132 indicates whether the cleaning function of the cleaning robot 10 was operating normally during the cleaning work based on the change (increase) in dust concentration before and after the cleaning work. Specifically, the server 40 calculates the change (increase) in dust concentration from the start of cleaning to the end of cleaning for each cleaning area. Then, if the change (increase) in dust concentration exceeds a threshold, the server 40 determines that the cleaning function of the cleaning robot 10 was normal and stores "normal" in the dust concentration determination result.
[0076] In the example of the first line of the dust concentration table 132, it is determined that the change in dust concentration (a 5 CPM increase) from the start to the end of cleaning exceeds the threshold, and the dust concentration determination result is stored as "normal." Note that in the example of the second line, since no cleaning work was performed, there is no measured dust concentration value, and the dust concentration determination result is "abnormal."
[0077] Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of information related to process ST4 among the information managed by server 60. Referring to Fig. 13, server 60 further includes cleaning result determination DB 140. Cleaning result determination DB 140 is stored in storage device 75 of server 60 together with the above-mentioned time DB 110, drawing DB 120, and dust concentration DB 130.
[0078] The cleaning result determination DB 140 stores information related to the determination results of the cleaning work. Specifically, the cleaning result determination DB 140 stores information related to the determination results of the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 for each cleaning area shown in the cleaning schedule table 114. The cleaning result determination DB 140 includes a determination result table 142. The determination result table 142 includes data on the determination results of whether the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 was performed normally in accordance with the contract for each cleaning area scheduled for the cleaning day in the cleaning schedule table 114.
[0079] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the determination result table 142 of the cleaning result determination DB 140 shown in Fig. 13. Referring to Fig. 14, the determination result table 142 is created corresponding to the cleaning schedule table 114 (Fig. 8) of the time DB 110, and includes the time determination result, cleaning range determination result, and dust concentration determination result for each cleaning area scheduled in the cleaning schedule table 114 for the day of cleaning.
[0080] The time determination result is obtained from the cleaning record table 116 of the time DB 110 and indicates whether the cleaning work was performed by the cleaning robot 10 within the scheduled cleaning time. The cleaning range determination result is obtained from the cleaning range table 126 of the drawing DB 120 and indicates whether the cleaning robot 10 moved within the cleaning contract range, i.e., whether the movement function of the cleaning robot 10 was normal. The dust concentration determination result is obtained from the dust concentration table 132 of the dust concentration DB 130 and indicates whether the cleaning member 16 of the cleaning robot 10 was operating during the cleaning work, i.e., whether the cleaning function of the cleaning robot 10 was normal.
[0081] The determination result table 142 further includes cleaning determination result data indicating the final determination result of whether the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 was performed normally in accordance with the contract for each cleaning area scheduled in the cleaning schedule table 114 on the day of cleaning. The cleaning determination result is determined based on the time determination result, cleaning area determination result, and dust concentration determination result. Specifically, if the time determination result, cleaning area determination result, and dust concentration determination result are all "normal" for each cleaning area, the server 40 stores "normal" in the cleaning determination result. On the other hand, if at least one of the time determination result, cleaning area determination result, and dust concentration determination result is "abnormal," the server 40 stores "abnormal" in the cleaning determination result.
[0082] In this way, in the cleaning result determination device 65, the server 60 determines whether the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 has been performed normally based on the cleaning range determination result indicating whether the movement function of the cleaning robot 10 is normal or not and the dust concentration determination result indicating whether the cleaning function by the cleaning robot 10 is normal or not.
[0083] After creating determination result table 142 for cleaning system 45A, server 60 creates determination result table 142 for cleaning system 45B according to a similar procedure. Therefore, cleaning result determination DB 140 stores multiple determination result tables 142 corresponding to the multiple cleaning systems 45A and 45B, respectively.
[0084] Server 60 reads determination result table 142A corresponding to cleaning system 45A from cleaning result determination DB 140 and sends it to server 40 of cleaning system 45A. Server 60 also reads determination result table 142B stored in cleaning result determination DB 140 and sends it to server 40 of cleaning system 45B. By doing so, each cleaning system 45 can check whether cleaning robot 10 has performed the cleaning work in accordance with the contract by referring to determination result table 142 received from server 60. It can also be checked whether the movement function and cleaning function of cleaning robot 10 are normal.
[0085] (Process ST5) Returning to FIG. 5, in the cleaning result determination device 65, the server 60 generates aggregated information that aggregates the determination results of cleaning work in multiple cleaning systems 45, and transmits the generated aggregated information to the server 50 of the management device 55.
[0086] 15 is a diagram showing an example of information related to process ST5 among information managed in server 60. Referring to FIG.
[0087] The aggregated information DB 150 is stored in the storage device 75 of the server 60 together with the time DB 110, the drawing DB 120, the dust concentration DB 130, and the cleaning result determination DB 140 described above.
[0088] Cleaning result determination DB 140 stores information related to the determination results of cleaning work in cleaning systems 45A and 45B. Cleaning result determination DB 140 includes determination result table 142A and determination result table 142B. Determination result table 142A is determination result table 142 created for cleaning system 45A, and determination result table 142B is determination result table 142 created for cleaning system 45B. As described in process ST4, server 60 reads determination result table 142A stored in cleaning result determination DB 140 and sends it to server 40 of cleaning system 45A. Server 60 also reads determination result table 142B stored in cleaning result determination DB 140 and sends it to server 40 of cleaning system 45B.
[0089] The aggregated information DB 150 stores aggregated information that aggregates the determination results of cleaning work in multiple cleaning systems 45. The aggregated information DB 150 includes an aggregated result table 152. The aggregated result table 152 includes, for each cleaning system 45, determination result data on whether the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 was performed normally in accordance with the contract.
[0090] Fig. 16 is a diagram showing an example of aggregation result table 152 of aggregated information DB 150 shown in Fig. 15. Referring to Fig. 16, aggregation result table 152 includes determination result table 142A and determination result table 142B. Note that information on the corresponding cleaning system 45 is added to each determination result table 142.
[0091] 16, the determination result table 142A and the determination result table 142B have a common configuration. That is, both the determination result tables 142A and 142B use the cleaning time by the cleaning robot 10, the cleaning area by the cleaning robot 10, and the concentration of dust collected by the cleaning robot 10 as determination criteria. Then, a cleaning determination result indicating a final determination result is determined based on the time determination result, cleaning area determination result, and dust concentration determination result based on these determination criteria.
[0092] In this way, by using judgment criteria common to multiple cleaning systems 45 to judge whether the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 in each cleaning system 45 was performed normally, it is possible to ensure consistency in the cleaning judgment results of multiple cleaning systems 45.
[0093] Here, assume that in each of cleaning systems 45A and 45B, server 40 determines whether the cleaning work was performed normally based on its own set criteria. In this case, even if both cleaning determination results are "normal," the condition of floor 20 after cleaning may differ between cleaning systems 45A and 45B.
[0094] In this embodiment, as described above, the cleaning work performed by each cleaning system 45 is judged using a common judgment standard, so that each cleaning system 45 can properly judge whether the cleaning work performed by the cleaning robot 10 was performed normally as planned. This makes it possible to maintain a consistent quality of cleaning work among multiple cleaning systems 45.
[0095] <Flowchart> 17 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of process ST3 (transmission of cleaning performance data to the cleaning result determination device 65) in FIG. 5. The series of processes shown in this flowchart is executed by the server 40 when the cleaning robot 10 performs cleaning work. In detail, the series of processes is executed for each cleaning robot 10 and for each cleaning area as the cleaning robot 10 performs cleaning work. Each piece of data acquired from the cleaning robot 10 includes the ID of the sending cleaning robot 10, and the server 40 identifies the sending cleaning robot 10 by the ID included in each piece of acquired data.
[0096] 17, the server 40 acquires from the cleaning robot 10 a measurement value of the dust concentration in the dust tank measured by the dust concentration meter 17 in the cleaning robot 10 before the cleaning by the cleaning robot 10 starts (step S10). The server 40 stores the time when the measurement value of the dust concentration was acquired and the measurement value in the storage device 75 of the server 40 as the start measurement time and start dust concentration corresponding to the cleaning robot 10 that sent the measurement value.
[0097] Next, the server 40 acquires a cleaning start signal from the cleaning robot 10, which indicates the start of cleaning by the cleaning robot 10 (step S20). Then, the server 40 identifies the time when the cleaning start signal is acquired as the cleaning start time by the cleaning robot 10 (step S30). The identified cleaning start time is stored in the storage device 75 of the server 40.
[0098] Next, the server 40 acquires the position information of the cleaning robot 10 (step S40). In detail, the server 40 acquires the reception strength of the signal received from the cleaning robot 10 by each wireless communication device 30 from each wireless communication device 30, and acquires the position of the cleaning robot 10 from the reception strength of each wireless communication device 30 by a known method.
[0099] Then, the server 40 generates a movement trajectory of the cleaning robot 10 using the position information of the cleaning robot 10 (step S50). This generation of the movement trajectory of the cleaning robot 10 is repeatedly executed until cleaning by the cleaning robot 10 is completed.
[0100] Next, the server 40 determines whether or not a cleaning end signal indicating the end of cleaning by the cleaning robot 10 has been received from the cleaning robot 10 (step S60). If the server 40 has not received a cleaning end signal (NO in step S60), the server 40 returns the process to step S40.
[0101] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S60 that the cleaning end signal has been acquired (YES in step S60), the server 40 identifies the time when the cleaning end signal was acquired as the cleaning end time of the cleaning robot 10 (step S70). The identified cleaning end time is stored in the storage device 75 of the server 40.
[0102] Next, the server 40 acquires from the cleaning robot 10 the measurement value of the dust concentration in the dust tank measured by the dust concentration meter 17 in the cleaning robot 10 after the cleaning by the cleaning robot 10 is completed (step S80). The server 40 stores the time when the measurement value of the dust concentration was acquired and the measurement value in the storage device 75 of the server 40 as the end measurement time and end dust concentration corresponding to the cleaning robot 10 that sent the measurement value.
[0103] Next, the server 40 identifies a cleaning history range (FIG. 10) indicating the range of cleaning performed by the sending cleaning robot 10 from the movement trajectory generated in step S50 (step S90). This cleaning history range is stored in the storage device 75 of the server 40 as drawing data.
[0104] Finally, server 40 generates cleaning record data using the data acquired in steps S10 to S80 and stored in storage device 75. The cleaning record data includes cleaning time record data 80 including the cleaning start time and cleaning end time, cleaning record range data 82 including the cleaning record range, and dust concentration record data 84 including the start measurement time and start dust concentration and the end measurement time and end dust concentration. Server 40 transmits the generated cleaning record data to server 60 of cleaning result determination device 65 (step S100).
[0105] 18 and 19 are flowcharts showing an example of the procedure for process ST4 in FIG. 5 (determining cleaning work and transmitting the determination result to cleaning system 45). The series of processes shown in this flowchart are executed by server 60 for each cleaning system 45 when predetermined conditions are met. The following describes any one cleaning system 45 out of the multiple cleaning systems 45.
[0106] 18, first, contract information table 112 (FIG. 7) is created in time DB 110 from cleaning contract information 90 provided by server 50 of management device 55 (step S110). For example, contract information table 112 is created by server 60 extracting predetermined items from cleaning contract information 90.
[0107] Next, the server 60 creates a cleaning schedule table 114 (FIG. 8) for the day of cleaning from the contract information table 112 (step S120). For example, once a day at a predetermined time, the server 60 extracts cleaning schedule data from midnight on the day of cleaning to midnight the next day from the contract information table 112 and creates the cleaning schedule table 114.
[0108] After the cleaning schedule table 114 is created, a series of processes from step S130 to step S260 in Fig. 19 are executed for each cleaning area in the cleaning schedule table 114. The following describes any one cleaning area included in the cleaning schedule table 114.
[0109] Server 60 determines whether cleaning performance data has been received from server 40 of cleaning system 45 (step S130). Server 60 can identify cleaning system 45 to be determined based on information from server 40 that sent the signal.
[0110] When it is determined in step S130 that cleaning record data has been received (YES in step S130), the server 60 stores the cleaning time record data 80 in the time DB 110, stores the cleaning record range data 82 in the drawing DB 120, and stores the dust concentration record data 84 in the dust concentration DB 130.
[0111] Specifically, the server 60 stores the time at which the cleaning start signal is received as the cleaning start time in the cleaning record table 116 (FIG. 9) (step S140). Furthermore, the server 60 stores the measured value of the dust concentration before cleaning starts as the start dust concentration corresponding to the cleaning robot 10 in the dust concentration table 132 (FIG. 12) of the dust concentration DB 130 (step S150). The server 60 also stores the time at which the measured value of the dust concentration is received as the start measurement time corresponding to the cleaning robot 10 in the dust concentration table 132.
[0112] Next, the server 60 stores the cleaning record range, which indicates the range of cleaning performed by the cleaning robot 10, in the cleaning range table 126 (FIG. 11) of the drawing DB 120 (step S160). More specifically, the server 60 stores the drawing data of the cleaning record range in the storage device 75 of the server 60, and also stores the drawing number of the drawing data in the cleaning range table 126 of the drawing DB 120. The cleaning record range is identified in step S90 of FIG. 17.
[0113] Furthermore, the server 60 stores the time when the cleaning end signal is received as the cleaning end time in the cleaning record table 116 (step S170). Furthermore, the server 60 stores the measured value of the dust concentration after cleaning is completed as the end dust concentration corresponding to the cleaning robot 10 in the dust concentration table 132 (step S180). The server 60 also stores the time when the measured value of the dust concentration is received as the end measurement time corresponding to the cleaning robot 10 in the dust concentration table 132.
[0114] 19, the server 60 compares the drawing data of the cleaning history range indicated by the cleaning history range drawing number with the drawing data of the cleaning contract range indicated by the cleaning contract range drawing number in the cleaning history range table 126 of the drawing DB 120 (step S190). Then, the server 60 stores the cleaning history range determination result (FIG. 11) in the cleaning history range table 126 based on the comparison result (step S200). For example, if the cleaning history range is equal to or greater than a predetermined percentage of the cleaning contract range, the server 60 stores "normal" in the cleaning history range determination result. On the other hand, if the cleaning history range is smaller than the predetermined percentage, the server 60 stores "abnormal" in the cleaning history range determination result.
[0115] The server 60 also compares the cleaning record time (cleaning start time / cleaning end time) in the cleaning record table 116 of the time DB 110 with the cleaning contract time (cleaning start time / cleaning end time) in the cleaning schedule table 114 (step S210). The server 60 then stores the cleaning time determination result based on the comparison result in the time determination result (FIG. 9) in the cleaning record table 116 (step S220). For example, if the cleaning record time (from the cleaning start time to the cleaning end time in the cleaning record table 116) is included in the cleaning contract time (from the cleaning start time to the cleaning end time in the cleaning schedule table 114), the server 60 stores "normal" in the time determination result. On the other hand, if the cleaning end time in the cleaning record is later than the cleaning end time in the cleaning contract, the server 60 stores "abnormal" in the time determination result.
[0116] Furthermore, the server 60 calculates the change (increase) in dust concentration before and after the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 (step S230). Specifically, the server 60 calculates the change in dust concentration before and after cleaning by subtracting the starting dust concentration from the ending dust concentration in the dust concentration table 132. Then, the server 60 stores the dust concentration determination result based on the change in dust concentration before and after cleaning in the dust concentration determination result ( FIG. 12 ) in the dust concentration table 132 (step S240). For example, if the increase in dust concentration before and after cleaning exceeds a threshold value, the server 60 stores "normal" in the dust concentration determination result. On the other hand, if the increase in dust concentration before and after cleaning is equal to or less than the threshold value, the server 60 stores "abnormal" in the dust concentration determination result.
[0117] Next, the server 60 stores the cleaning range determination result from the cleaning range table 126, the time determination result from the cleaning record table 116, and the dust concentration determination result from the dust concentration table 132 in the determination result table 142 (FIG. 14) of the cleaning result determination DB 140 (step S250).
[0118] Then, the server 60 determines a final cleaning result, indicating whether the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 was performed normally in accordance with the contract, based on the cleaning area determination result, the time determination result, and the dust concentration determination result in the determination result table 142 (step S260). Specifically, if the cleaning area determination result, the time determination result, and the dust concentration determination result are all "normal," the server 60 determines the cleaning result of the cleaning robot 10 as "normal." On the other hand, if at least one of the cleaning area determination result, the time determination result, and the dust concentration determination result is "abnormal," the server 60 determines the cleaning result as "abnormal." This final determination result is stored in the cleaning determination result in the determination result table 142. Note that the determination of the cleaning result in step S260 is performed, for example, when the cleaning end time is the final time or after a predetermined time has elapsed since that time.
[0119] Next, server 60 reads out determination result table 142 stored in cleaning result determination DB 140 and transmits it to server 40 of cleaning system 45 (step S270). The transmission of the determination result in step S270 is performed in response to a request from server 40, for example.
[0120] 20 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of process ST5 (transmission of aggregated information to management device 55) in FIG. 5. A series of processes shown in this flowchart is executed by server 60 when a predetermined condition is met.
[0121] 20, first, server 60 generates aggregation result table 152 (FIG. 16) by aggregating the cleaning work determination results in multiple cleaning systems 45 managed by management device 55. Server 60 stores generated aggregation result table 152 in aggregation information DB 150 (step S300).
[0122] Next, server 60 reads out aggregation result table 152 stored in aggregation information DB 150 and transmits it to server 50 of management device 55 (step S310). The transmission of the aggregation information in step S310 is performed in response to a request from server 50, for example.
[0123] As described above, in this embodiment, the server 60 of the cleaning result determination device 65 uses a common determination criterion to determine whether cleaning work has been performed by the cleaning robot 10 in each of the multiple cleaning systems 45 managed by the management device 55. This allows for a fair determination of whether cleaning work has been performed normally by the cleaning robot 10 for each cleaning system 45. This allows for consistent quality of cleaning work across the multiple cleaning systems 45.
[0124] In this embodiment, aggregated information that aggregates multiple determination results for multiple cleaning systems 45 is sent to management device 55. This allows management device 55 to acquire multiple determination results all at once. In addition, it is possible to compare the determination results between multiple cleaning systems 45.
[0125] Furthermore, regarding the above-mentioned determination criteria, the server 60 determines whether or not the cleaning work has been performed by the cleaning robot 10, taking into consideration not only the determination result of the movement function of the cleaning robot 10 but also the determination result of the cleaning function of the cleaning robot 10. This allows the server 60 to reliably determine whether or not the cleaning work has been performed normally by the cleaning robot 10.
[0126] In this embodiment, the server 60 determines whether the cleaning robot 10 performed the cleaning work at the normal time based on the scheduled time and the actual time of the cleaning work, and determines whether the cleaning work was performed normally based on the determination results of the movement function, the cleaning function, and the time of the cleaning work. This allows the server 60 to more reliably determine whether the cleaning robot 10 performed the cleaning work normally.
[0127] Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is determined whether the cleaning members 16 of the cleaning robot 10 are operating, i.e., whether the cleaning function of the cleaning robot 10 is normal, based on the dust concentration measured by the dust concentration meter 17. More specifically, it is determined whether the cleaning function of the cleaning robot 10 is normal based on the change (increase) in dust concentration before and after cleaning measured using the dust concentration meter 17. Since the dust concentration meter 17 can measure the change in the amount of dust before and after cleaning even if the amount of dust collected by cleaning is minute, according to this embodiment, it is possible to more reliably determine whether the cleaning function is operating based on the measurement result of the collected dust.
[0128] In the above embodiment, the dust concentration measured by the dust concentration meter 17 is used to confirm that the cleaning member 16 of the cleaning robot 10 is operating and to determine whether the cleaning function of the cleaning robot 10 is normal, but other parameters may be used to confirm that the cleaning member 16 is operating.
[0129] For example, a dust weight meter that measures the weight of dust collected by the cleaning members 16 and stored in the tank of the cleaning robot 10 may be mounted on the cleaning robot 10, and the weight of dust measured by the dust weight meter may be used to confirm whether the cleaning members 16 are operating properly. By measuring the weight of dust before and after the start and end of cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10, it can be determined whether the weight of dust has increased before and after the cleaning work to determine whether the cleaning members 16 are operating normally, i.e., whether the cleaning function of the cleaning robot 10 is normal.
[0130] In addition, for example, whether the cleaning member 16 is operating normally, i.e., whether the cleaning function of the cleaning robot 10 is normal, may be determined based on the operation of the motor that sucks up dust, the operation of the rotating brush of the cleaning member 16 provided at the suction port, the operation of the motor that drives the rotating brush, the measurement value of a differential pressure gauge that detects the differential pressure before and after the filter, etc.
[0131] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The technical scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not by the description of the above embodiments, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]
[0132] 10 cleaning robot, 11, 30 wireless communication device, 12 camera, 13 control unit, 14 drive unit, 15 battery, 16 cleaning material, 17 dust concentration meter, 20 floor, 35 ceiling, 40, 50, 60 server, 45, 45A, 45B cleaning system, 55 management device, 65 cleaning result determination device, 71 CPU, 72 RAM, 73 ROM, 74 I / F device, 75 storage device, 76 communication bus, 80 cleaning time performance data, 82 cleaning performance range data, 84 dust concentration performance data, 90 cleaning contract information, 92 judgment criteria data, 100 cleaning result determination system, 110 time DB, 112 contract information table, 114 cleaning schedule table, 116 cleaning performance table, 120 drawing DB, 122 cleaning contract range, 124 cleaning performance range, 126 cleaning range table, 130 Dust concentration DB, 132 dust concentration table, 140 cleaning result judgment DB, 142, 142A, 142B judgment result table, 150 aggregated information DB, 152 aggregated result table, NW communication network.
Claims
1. a plurality of first information processing devices each managing a cleaning operation by an autonomous mobile cleaning robot; a second information processing device that determines whether the cleaning work has been normally performed by each of the plurality of first information processing devices; a third information processing device that is communicatively connected to the plurality of first information processing devices and the second information processing device and controls the plurality of first information processing devices; the third information processing device transmits cleaning contract information including cleaning conditions regarding the cleaning area, cleaning frequency, and cleaning date and time, which are determined based on a contract concluded between a customer and a contractor entrusted with cleaning work by the customer, to the second information processing device, and transmits cleaning instructions including the cleaning conditions to each of the plurality of first information processing devices; Each of the plurality of first information processing devices performing the cleaning task by the corresponding cleaning robot in accordance with the cleaning instruction from the third information processing device; transmitting cleaning performance data indicating the performance of the cleaning work performed by the cleaning robot to the second information processing device; The second information processing device A cleaning result determination system that determines whether the cleaning work was performed normally or not for each of the plurality of first information processing devices by comparing the cleaning performance data with determination criteria common to the plurality of first information processing devices based on the cleaning contract information received from the third information processing device.
2. The cleaning result determination system according to claim 1 , wherein the second information processing device generates aggregated information that aggregates a plurality of determination results corresponding to the plurality of first information processing devices, and transmits the aggregated information to the third information processing device.
3. The cleaning result determination system according to claim 1 , wherein the second information processing device further transmits each determination result to the corresponding first information processing device.
4. 4. The cleaning result determination system according to claim 1, wherein the determination criteria include at least one of a determination criterion for the movement function of the cleaning robot, a determination criterion for the cleaning function of the cleaning robot, and a determination criterion for the time at which the cleaning work is performed.
5. 5. The cleaning result determination system of claim 4, wherein the cleaning performance data includes at least one of a cleaning performance range based on the movement trajectory of the cleaning robot, a parameter indicating that the cleaning member of the cleaning robot is operating, and an actual time when the cleaning work was performed.
6. The criteria include a contract range defined by a contract as a criterion for the mobility function, The cleaning result determination system according to claim 5 , wherein the second information processing device determines whether the mobility function is normal by comparing the cleaning result range with the contract range.
7. the determination criteria include a contract time determined by the contract as a determination criterion for the implementation time, 7. The cleaning result determination system according to claim 5, wherein the second information processing device determines whether the cleaning work was performed at a normal time by comparing the actual time with the contract time.
8. the parameters include a metric result of dust collected by the cleaning member; 8. The cleaning result determination system according to claim 5, wherein the second information processing device determines whether the cleaning function is normal by comparing the dust measurement value at the end of the cleaning work with the dust measurement value at the start of the cleaning work.
9. A cleaning result determination method for determining whether cleaning work has been performed normally in a plurality of cleaning systems, comprising: managing cleaning work by an autonomous mobile cleaning robot in each of the plurality of cleaning systems using a first information processing device; determining, by a second information processing device, whether the cleaning work has been normally performed in each of the plurality of cleaning systems; The managing step includes: a step of transmitting cleaning contract information, including cleaning conditions regarding the cleaning area, cleaning frequency, and cleaning date and time, determined based on a contract concluded between a customer and a contractor entrusted with cleaning work by the customer, from a third information processing device that controls the plurality of first information processing devices to the second information processing device; transmitting a cleaning instruction including the cleaning condition from the third information processing device to each of the plurality of first information processing devices; performing the cleaning work by the cleaning robot using the first information processing device in accordance with a cleaning instruction from the third information processing device; transmitting cleaning performance data indicating a performance of the cleaning work performed by the cleaning robot from the first information processing device to the second information processing device; The determining step includes: A cleaning result determination method including a step of determining, for each of the plurality of cleaning systems, whether the cleaning work was carried out normally by the second information processing device by comparing the cleaning performance data with determination criteria common to the plurality of cleaning systems based on the cleaning contract information received from the third information processing device.
10. The cleaning result determination method of claim 9, further comprising a step of generating aggregated information by the second information processing device that aggregates multiple determination results corresponding to each of the multiple cleaning systems and transmitting the aggregated information to the third information processing device.
11. The cleaning result determination method according to claim 9 or 10, further comprising the step of transmitting each determination result by the second information processing device to the corresponding first information processing device.
12. 12. The cleaning result determination method according to claim 9, wherein the determination criteria include at least one of a determination criterion for a movement function of the cleaning robot, a determination criterion for a cleaning function of the cleaning robot, and a determination criterion for a time at which the cleaning work is performed.
13. 13. The cleaning result determination method according to claim 12, wherein the cleaning performance data includes at least one of a cleaning performance range based on a movement trajectory of the cleaning robot, a parameter indicating that a cleaning member of the cleaning robot is operating, and an actual time when the cleaning work was performed.
14. The criteria include a contract range defined by a contract as a criterion for the mobility function, The cleaning result determination method according to claim 13, wherein the determining step includes a step of determining by the second information processing device whether the mobility function is normal by comparing the cleaning performance range with the contract range.
15. the determination criteria include a contract time determined by the contract as a determination criterion for the implementation time, 15. The cleaning result determination method according to claim 13, wherein the determining step includes a step of determining by the second information processing device whether the time at which the cleaning work was performed is normal by comparing the actual time with the contract time.
16. the parameters include a metric result of dust collected by the cleaning member; 16. The cleaning result determination method according to claim 13, wherein the determining step includes a step of determining by the second information processing device whether the cleaning function is normal by comparing the dust measurement value at the end of the cleaning work with the dust measurement value at the start of the cleaning work.
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