Vacuum cleaner and method for controlling brush device of vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner and method includes identifying a reference load value corresponding to a current suction power mode from among a plurality of reference load values corresponding to a plurality of suction power modes. Based on a load value of the brush device obtained through a load detection sensor of the vacuum cleaner main body exceeding the identified reference load value, transmitting, to the brush device, a signal to set revolutions per minute (RPM) of a drum of the brush device to a first value. Based on the load value of the brush device obtained through the load detection sensor being less than or equal to the identified reference load value, transmitting, to the brush device, a signal to set the RPM of the drum of the brush device to a second value that is less than the first value.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT / KR2024 / 095434 designating the United States, filed on Feb. 22, 2024, in the Korean Intellectual Property Receiving Office and claiming priority to Korean Provisional Application No. 10-2023-0063800, filed on May 17, 2023, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0110130, filed on Aug. 22, 2023, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of each of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.BACKGROUND1. Field

[0002] The disclosure relates to a vacuum cleaner capable of controlling a brush device and a method of controlling a brush device of the vacuum cleaner.DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

[0003] A wireless vacuum cleaner is a type of vacuum cleaner with a built-in battery that is charged without having to connect a cord to an outlet. Such a wireless vacuum cleaner includes a suction motor that generates suction power and can suck foreign substances such as dust together with air from a vacuum cleaner head (brush) through the suction power generated by the suction motor and separate the sucked foreign substances from the air so as to collect dust.

[0004] Recently, the types of vacuum cleaner heads (brushes) that are connected to a main body of wireless vacuum cleaners have become more diverse. The brushes of wireless vacuum cleaners may be generally divided into main brushes used for cleaning floors and auxiliary brushes used for special purposes. The types of auxiliary brushes used for special purposes are becoming more detailed so as to be applied to various cleaning environments. Each brush may have a different mechanical structure and different motor specifications (e.g., power consumption, shape, etc.). Users may attach and detach various types of brushes to and from the main body or a pipe depending on the cleaning purposes or cleaning environments.SUMMARY

[0005] According to an aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a vacuum cleaner including a vacuum cleaner main body and a brush device connected to the vacuum cleaner main body, the vacuum cleaner including: a load detection sensor configured to detect a load of the brush device connected to the vacuum cleaner main body; at least one processor; and memory storing instructions for processing and controlling the at least one processor, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the vacuum cleaner to: identify a reference load value corresponding to a current suction power mode from among a plurality of reference load values corresponding to a plurality of suction power modes; based on a load value of the brush device obtained through the load detection sensor exceeding the identified reference load value, transmit a signal to the brush device to set revolutions per minute (RPM) of a drum of the brush device to a first value; and based on the load value of the brush device obtained through the load detection sensor being less than or equal to the identified reference load value, transmit, to the brush device, a signal to set the RPM of the drum of the brush device to a second value that is less than the first value setting.

[0006] The brush device may include an identification resistor indicating a type of the brush device and the identification resistor is positioned between power lines and a signal line within the brush device, and wherein a voltage value input to an input port of the at least one processor decreases as a value of the identification resistor increases.

[0007] The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the vacuum cleaner to: identify the type of the brush device including the identification resistor that corresponds to the voltage value input to the input port through the signal line; and based on the identified type of the brush device being a multi-brush that is used for both of a hard floor and a carpet, identify the reference load value corresponding to the current suction power mode from among the plurality of reference load values.

[0008] The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the vacuum cleaner to: based on the load value of the brush device obtained through the load detection sensor exceeding the identified reference load value, identify a state of a surface to be cleaned as the carpet; and based on the load value of the brush device obtained through the load detection sensor being less than or equal to the identified reference load value, identify the state of the surface to be cleaned as the hard floor.

[0009] The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the vacuum cleaner to: transmit, to the brush device through the signal line that is different from the power lines through which power is supplied from a battery, a signal to set to the RPM of the drum of the brush device to the first value or the second value; and receive, from the brush device through the signal line, a signal indicating a current RPM of the drum.

[0010] The reference load value may increase as strength of suction power of the current suction power mode increases.

[0011] The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the vacuum cleaner to: receive, from the brush device through the signal line, a data signal indicating the type of the brush device.

[0012] The first value may be between 3000 RPM and 4000 RPM, and wherein the second value may be between 1000 RPM and 2500 RPM.

[0013] The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the vacuum cleaner to, based on the load value of the brush device obtained through the load detection sensor being greater than or equal to a high load reference value for a certain period, adjust a suction power mode of the vacuum cleaner main body to a suction power mode that is one step lower than the current suction power mode.

[0014] The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the vacuum cleaner to: based on the load value of the brush device being greater than or equal to the high load reference value for a first period, identify whether the current suction power mode is a minimum suction power mode; based on the current suction power mode not being the minimum suction power mode, adjust the suction power mode of the vacuum cleaner main body to a second suction power mode that is one step lower than a first suction power mode that is the current suction power mode; and based on the current suction power mode being the minimum suction power mode, cut off power supply from a battery to the brush device.

[0015] The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the vacuum cleaner to: control an output interface to output a notification message requesting a check of a state of the brush device.

[0016] The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the vacuum cleaner to, based on the load value of the brush device obtained in the second suction power mode being less than the high load reference value for a second period, change the second suction power mode back to a first suction power mode.

[0017] The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the vacuum cleaner to, based on the load value of the brush device obtained in the second suction power mode being greater than or equal to the high load reference value for the first period, adjust the suction power mode of the vacuum cleaner main body to a third suction power mode that is one step lower than the second suction power mode.

[0018] The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the vacuum cleaner to: identify the type of the brush device; and select the high load reference value corresponding to the type of the brush device.

[0019] According to an aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a method of controlling, by a vacuum cleaner, a brush device, the vacuum cleaner including a vacuum cleaner main body and the brush device connected to the vacuum cleaner main body, the method including: identifying a reference load value corresponding to a current suction power mode from among a plurality of reference load values corresponding to a plurality of suction power modes; based on a load value of the brush device obtained through a load detection sensor of the vacuum cleaner main body exceeding the identified reference load value, transmitting, to the brush device, a signal to set revolutions per minute (RPM) of a drum of the brush device to a first value; and based on the load value of the brush device obtained through the load detection sensor being less than or equal to the identified reference load value, transmitting, to the brush device, a signal to set the RPM of the drum of the brush device to a second value that is less than the first value.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The above and other aspects and / or features of embodiments of the disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0021] FIG. 1 is a diagram for describing a vacuum cleaner capable of controlling a brush device, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a configurational block diagram for describing a function of a vacuum cleaner main body according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 3 is a diagram for describing operations of processors of a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 4 is a diagram for describing a brush device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a diagram for describing an operation of detecting a type of a brush device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 6 shows a table for describing an identification resistor of a brush device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 7 A is a configurational block diagram for describing signal-line communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 7B is a configurational block diagram for describing a function of a vacuum cleaner including an extension pipe, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 8 is a diagram for describing a circuit for signal-line communication of a vacuum cleaner, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 9 is a flowchart for describing a method of controlling a brush device of a vacuum cleaner, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 10A is a table for describing suction power modes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 10B is a table for describing reference load values corresponding to suction power modes, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 11 is a flowchart for describing a method of controlling, by a vacuum cleaner, RPM of a drum of a brush device, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG. 12 is a diagram for describing an artificial intelligence (AI) mode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] FIG. 13 is a flowchart for describing a method of changing, by a vacuum cleaner, a suction power mode, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] FIG. 14 is a diagram for describing high load reference values according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] FIG. 15 is a flowchart for describing a method of changing, by a vacuum cleaner, a suction power mode, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] FIG. 16 is a diagram for describing an operation of outputting, by a vacuum cleaner, a notification message, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] FIG. 17 is a flowchart for describing a method of changing, by a vacuum cleaner, a suction power mode, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] FIG. 18 is a diagram for describing an operation of changing, by a vacuum cleaner, a suction power mode, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The terms used in the present disclosure are briefly described, and an embodiment of the present disclosure is described in detail.

[0042] The terms used in the present disclosure have been selected from currently widely used general terms in consideration of the functions in the present disclosure. However, the terms may vary according to the intention of one of ordinary skill in the art, case precedents, and the advent of new technologies. Also, for special cases, meanings of the terms selected by the applicant are described in detail in the description section. Accordingly, the terms used in the present disclosure are defined based on their meanings in relation to the contents discussed throughout the specification, not by their simple meanings.

[0043] In the present disclosure, expressions such as “at least one of a, b, or c” may denote “a”, “b”, “c”, “a and b”, “a and c”, “b and c”, “all of a, b, and c”, or modifications thereof.

[0044] When a part may “include” a certain component, unless specified otherwise, it may not be construed to exclude another component but may be construed to further include other components. Furthermore, terms such as “. . . portion” or “ . . . module” stated in the disclosure may signify a unit to process at least one function or operation and the portion or module may be embodied by hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0045] It is to be understood that combinations of the blocks and flowcharts in each flowchart may be performed by one or more computer programs comprising computer-executable instructions. The one or more computer programs may be entirely stored in a single memory, or may be divided and stored across a plurality of different memories.

[0046] It is to be understood that, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a,”“an,” and “the” include plural referents. Thus, for example, the phrase “a component surface” may refer to one or more of such surfaces.

[0047] All functions or operations described in the present document may be processed by a single processor or a combination of processors. A single processor or a combination of processors may include, as circuitry that performs processing, circuitry such as an application processor (AP), a communication processor (CP), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a neural processing unit (NPU), a microprocessor unit (MPU), a system-on-chip (SoC), or an integrated circuit (IC).

[0048] Embodiments are provided to further completely explain the disclosure to one of ordinary skill in the art to which the disclosure pertains. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto and it will be understood that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims. In the drawings, a part that is not related to a description is omitted to clearly describe the disclosure and, throughout the specification, similar parts are referenced with similar reference numerals.

[0049] FIG. 1 is a diagram for describing a vacuum cleaner capable of controlling a brush device 2000, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] In FIG. 1, a wireless vacuum cleaner 100 is described as an example, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, an embodiment of the present disclosure may be applied to a robot vacuum cleaner.

[0051] The wireless vacuum cleaner 100 may include a rechargeable battery and may refer to a vacuum cleaner that does not need a power cord for connection to an outlet during cleaning. The wireless vacuum cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be a stick-type vacuum cleaner including a vacuum cleaner main body 1000, a brush device 2000, and an extension pipe 3000. However, at least one of the components illustrated in FIG. 1 may not be an essential component. The wireless vacuum cleaner 100 may be implemented by using a greater number of components than those illustrated in FIG. 1 or may be implemented by using a smaller number of components. For example, the wireless vacuum cleaner 100 may be implemented by including the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 and the brush device 2000 and excluding the extension pipe 3000. Furthermore, the wireless vacuum cleaner 100 may further include a station (not shown) for dust discharge and battery charging of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000.

[0052] The vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may include a suction motor that forms vacuum inside the wireless vacuum cleaner 100, a dust collecting container (dustbin) that receives foreign substances sucked from a surface to be cleaned (e.g., floor, bedding, sofa, etc.), and a handle that a user can hold and move during cleaning. Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may include at least one processor 1010, a memory 1900, and a load detection sensor 1134. The configuration of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 is described in detail later with reference to FIG. 2.

[0053] The vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may include a mounting portion on which the extension pipe 3000 or the brush device 2000 is mounted. The extension pipe 3000 may be formed as a hollow pipe. The extension pipe 3000 may have a certain stiffness. Furthermore, the extension pipe 3000 may be formed as a flexible hose. The brush device 2000 may be detachably connected to one end portion of the extension pipe 3000. The other end portion of the extension pipe 3000 may be detachably connected to an extension pipe mounting portion of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000. The extension pipe 3000 may be configured to transfer the suction power generated through the suction motor of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 to the brush device 2000, and to move air and foreign substance sucked through the brush device 2000 to the vacuum cleaner main body 1000. The extension pipe 3000 may be formed in multiple stages between the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 and the brush device 2000. The extension pipe 3000 may include two or more extensions pipes.

[0054] The brush device 2000 connected to the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 or the extension pipe 3000 is a device that is in close contact with the surface to be cleaned so as to suck air and foreign substances on the surface to be cleaned. The brush device 2000 may be referred to as a vacuum cleaner head. The brush device 2000 may be rotatably coupled to the extension pipe 3000. The brush device 2000 may include a motor or a drum having a rotating brush attached thereto, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The type of the brush device 2000 may vary. For example, the brush device 2000 may be classified into a general brush (a hard floor brush), a carpet brush, a bedding brush, a pet brush, a mop brush, and a multi-brush (a brush that can be used on both of a carpet and a hard floor) depending on the purpose, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The brush device 2000 may have a different motor maximum output depending on the type, and may need a different electrical input depending on the characteristics of each purpose. In the following description, a case in which the brush device 2000 is a multi-brush including a circuit for driving a motor is described as an example, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0055] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000, the brush device 2000, and the extension pipe 3000 included in the wireless vacuum cleaner 100 may include a power line (e.g., a + power line and a − power line) and a signal line. The power line may be a line through which power supplied from a battery 1500 is transferred to the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 and the brush device 2000 connected to the vacuum cleaner main body 1000. The signal line may be a line which is different from the power line and through which a signal is transceived between the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 and the brush device 2000. The signal line may be implemented to be connected to the power line within the brush device 2000.

[0056] Referring to FIG. 1, the surface to be cleaned may vary. For example, the surface to be cleaned may include a hard floor and a carpet. When the surface to be cleaned includes a hard floor and a carpet, a user may connect a multi-brush that can be used for both of the hard floor and the carpet to the vacuum cleaner. Although the multi-brush is of a type to be used for both of the hard floor and the carpet brush, if the multi-brush is operated at the same revolutions per minute (RPM) (e.g., 3,800 RPM) on the hard floor and the carpet, noise or vibration is generated relatively severely on the hard floor compared with the carpet, and thus, the surface of the hard floor may be damaged (e.g., scratch, abrasion, etc.).

[0057] Accordingly, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may adaptively change the RPM of the drum of the multi-brush (hereinafter, referred to as a drum RPM) depending on the state of the surface to be cleaned. For example, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may decrease the drum RPM of the multi-brush on the hard floor so as to prevent damage to the surface of the hard floor or generation of severe noise or vibration, and increase the drum RPM of the multi-brush on the carpet, thereby increasing cleaning efficiency. Meanwhile, when the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 decreases the drum RPM of the multi-brush further on the hard floor rather than on the carpet, a friction load of the multi-brush on the hard floor is reduced so that the damage to the vacuum cleaner (in particular, a brush and a product connection portion) may be minimized. For example, the abrasion or damage to flannel (bristle) of the multi-brush may be minimized, and the abrasion or deformation of a brush drum rotating portion may be minimized. Furthermore, as vibration and friction loads are reduced, deformation, abrasion, or damage to the product connection portion may be minimized, and durability of the vacuum cleaner may be improved. The product connection portion may include a connection portion (a fastening portion) between the brush device 2000 and the extension pipe 3000, or a connection portion (a fastening portion) between the extension pipe 3000 and the vacuum cleaner main body 1000.

[0058] As the degree of adhesion of the brush device 2000 to the floor varies according to the strength of the suction power of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000, the wireless vacuum cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure differently applies a reference load value to distinguish a hard floor from a carpet for each suction power mode so as to increase a recognition rate between a hard floor and a carpet. A method of adaptively adjusting, by the vacuum cleaner main body 1000, the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 based on the suction power mode and the state of a surface to be cleaned (e.g., a hard floor or a carpet) is described in detail later with reference to FIG. 8.

[0059] Meanwhile, in the brush device 2000 having a low operation load, such as a hard floor brush, it may be difficult for overload to occur on a general hard floor, whereas in a carpet brush or a multi-brush that can be used for both of the hard floor and the carpet, as an operation load is great and the types of carpets vary, overload may occur even under general carpet usage condition. The general carpet usage condition may refer to a state in which no large foreign substance such as a sock is caught in the brush device 2000. In particular, as the length of bristle of a carpet increases and the density of bristle increases, a load current applied to the motor of the brush device 2000 increases accordingly, and thus overload may be easily occur in the carpet brush or the multi-brush. For example, for a carpet with long bristle, even when a user slightly gives a force to the brush device 2000 to adhere to the floor, overload may occur in the brush device 2000.

[0060] While monitoring the operating current of the brush device 2000, when a current of a threshold value (e.g., 4.9 A) or more flows in the brush device 2000 (hereinafter, referred to as an overload operating condition), in order to protect the motor of the brush device 2000, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may cut off the power supply to the brush device 2000 and output a notification message. When the power supply to the brush device 2000 is cut off, the operation of the brush device 2000 may be stopped. Accordingly, in the carpet brush or the multi-brush in which overload easily occurs, even under the general carpet usage condition, the operation is frequently stopped, which causes inconvenience in use. Furthermore, when the operation of the brush device 2000 is repeatedly stopped, damage to parts and failure due to the heat generation of the motor of the brush device 2000 may follow.

[0061] Accordingly, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, even when the carpet brush or the multi-brush satisfies the overload operating condition (e.g., 4.9 A or more), the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may not instantly stop the carpet brush or the multi-brush. Instead, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may reduce the strength of the suction power to forcibly decrease the load of the carpet brush or the multi-brush. In this case, as the carpet brush or the multi-brush may deviate from the overload operating condition, the operation of the carpet brush or the multi-brush is not stopped, and thus the user may continue to use the vacuum cleaner. Furthermore, damage to the motor or the drum of the brush device 2000 due to overload may be prevented. A method of adjusting, by the vacuum cleaner main body 1000, a suction power mode step by step in order to prevent the operation of the brush device 2000 from being frequently stopped is described in detail later with reference to FIG. 13.

[0062] In the following description, the configuration of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 is described in detail with reference to FIG. 2.

[0063] FIG. 2 is a configurational block diagram for describing a function of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0064] Referring to FIG. 2, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may include a suction power generation device (hereinafter, referred to as a motor assembly 1100) that generates suction power to suck foreign substances on the surface to be cleaned, a dust collecting container (1200; referred to as a dustbin) that accommodates the foreign substances sucked from the surface to be cleaned, a filter portion 1300, a pressure sensor 1400, the battery 1500 that supplies power to the motor assembly 1100, a communication interface 1600, a user interface 1700, a main processor 1800, and the memory 1900. However, at least one of the components illustrated in FIG. 2 may not be an essential component. The vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may be implemented by a greater number of components than the components illustrated in FIG. 2, or may also be implemented by a smaller number of components. For example, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may further include a motion sensor (not shown).

[0065] Hereinafter, each element is described below.

[0066] The motor assembly 1100 may include a suction motor 1110 that converts electrical power into mechanical rotational power, an impeller 1120 connected to the suction motor 1110 and rotates, and a printed circuit board (PCB) 1130 connected to the suction motor 1110. Here, the PCB may include a printed board assembly (PBA). The PBA may be one in which electronic parts are mounted on a PCB. The suction motor 1110 and the impeller 1120 that is connected to the suction motor 1110 and rotates may form vacuum inside the wireless vacuum cleaner 100. Here, vacuum refers to a state lower than the atmospheric pressure. The suction motor 1110 may include a brushless motor (hereinafter, referred to as a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor), but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0067] The PCB 1130 may include a processor (hereinafter, referred to as a first processor 1131) that controls the suction motor 1110 and controls communication with the brush device 2000, a first switch element 1132 that is connected to the signal line, a switch element 1133 (hereinafter, referred to as a PWM control switch element) that is used for the power supply to the brush device 2000, the load detection sensor 1134 that detects the load of the brush device 2000, and a moisture detection circuit 1139 that detects moisture introduced into the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 through a flow path 10, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The PWM control switch element 1133 may include a transistor, for example, a field effect transistor (FET), a bipolar junction transistor (BJT), or an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The load detection sensor 1134 may include a shunt resistor, a shunt resistor coupled with an amplification circuit (OP-AMP), a current detection sensor, or a magnetic detection sensor (non-contact method). In the following description, for convenience of explanation, a case in which the PWM control switch element 1133 includes an FET, and the load detection sensor 1134 includes a shunt resistor is described as an example. The moisture detection circuit 1139 may include a portion that is open while liquid is not introduced and has resistance formed according to the introduction of the liquid. The moisture detection circuit 1139 may have a voltage dividing circuit. The moisture detection circuit 1139 may be positioned between a + terminal and a − terminal that electrically connect the motor assembly 1100 to the battery 1500. The moisture detection circuit 1139 may be connected to an input port of the first processor 1131 and the + power line through which power is received from the battery 1500, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0068] The motor assembly 1100 may have an inverted motor structure in which the positions of the impeller 1120 and the PCB 1130 are inverted. In the inverted motor structure, with respect to an air flow direction, the PCB 1130 may be positioned below the suction motor 1110 and the impeller 1120 may be positioned above the suction motor 1110. Accordingly, the impeller 1120 may be closer to the filter portion 1300 than the PCB 1130 is.

[0069] The first processor 1131 may obtain data related to the state of the suction motor 1110 (hereinafter, referred to as state data) and data about the introduction of moisture, and transmit the state data of the suction motor 1110 and the data about the introduction of moisture to the main processor 1800. Furthermore, the first processor 1131 may transmit a signal (hereinafter, referred to as a first signal) to the brush device 2000 through the signal line, by controlling (e.g., turning on or turning off) the operation of the first switch element 1132 connected to the signal line. The first switch element 1132 may be an element capable of making the state of the signal line to be Low. For example, the first switch element 1132 may be an element capable of making the voltage of the signal line to be 0 V. The first signal may include data indicating at least one of a target RPM of rotating bristle of the brush device 2000 (hereinafter, referred to as a target drum RPM), a target trip level of the brush device 2000, or the power consumption of the suction motor 1110, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the first signal may include data for controlling a lighting device included in the brush device 2000. The first signal may be implemented by a preset bit number. For example, the first signal may be implemented by 5 bits, or implemented by 8 bits, or may have a transmission cycle of 10 ms per 1 bit, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0070] The first processor 1131 may detect a signal transmitted through the signal line in the brush device 2000 (hereinafter, referred to as a second signal). The second signal may include data indicating the current state of the brush device 2000, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the second signal may include data about conditions for the current operation (e.g., a current drum RPM, a current trip level, a current lighting device setting value, etc.). Furthermore, the second signal may further include data indicating the type of the brush device 2000. The first processor 1131 may transmit data indicating the current state of the brush device 2000 or data indicating the type of the brush device 2000, which is included in the second signal, to the main processor 1800.

[0071] The motor assembly 1100 may be positioned in the dust collecting container (dustbin, 1200). The dust collecting container 1200 may be configured to filter and collect dust or dirt in the air introduced through the brush device 2000. The dust collecting container 1200 may be provided to be detachable from the vacuum cleaner main body 1000.

[0072] The dust collecting container 1200 may collect foreign substances through a cyclone method for separating foreign substances by using a centrifugal force. The air from which foreign substances are removed through the cyclone method may be discharged to the outside of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000, and the foreign substances may be contained in the dust collecting container 1200. A multi cyclone may be arranged within the dust collecting container 1200. The dust collecting container 1200 may be provided such that foreign substances are collected to the lower side of the multi cyclone. The dust collecting container 1200 may include a dust collecting container door (also referred to as a cover of the dustbin 1200) that is provided to open the dust collecting container 1200 when the wireless vacuum cleaner 100 is coupled to the station. The dust collecting container 1200 may include a first dust collecting portion for collecting foreign substances that are primarily collected and are relatively large and a second dust collecting portion for collecting foreign substances that are collected by the multi cyclone and are relatively small. The first dust collecting portion and the second dust collecting portion may both be provided to be open to the outside when the dust collecting container door is open.

[0073] The filter portion 1300 may filter ultra-fine dust that has not been filtered by the dust collecting container 1200. The filter portion 1300 may include a discharge port through which the air having passed through the filter portion 1300 to be discharged to the outside of the vacuum cleaner. The filter portion 1300 may include a motor filter or a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0074] The pressure sensor 1400 may measure a pressure inside the flow path 10 (hereinafter, referred to as a flow path pressure). For the pressure sensor 1400 provided at a suction end (e.g., a suction duct 40), by measuring a static pressure, a flow rate change in a corresponding position may be measured. The pressure sensor 1400 may include an absolute pressure sensor or a relative pressure sensor. When the pressure sensor 1400 is an absolute pressure sensor, the main processor 1800 may sense a first pressure value before operating the suction motor 1110, by using the pressure sensor 1400. The main processor 1800 may sense a second pressure value after driving the suction motor 1110 at a target RPM, and use a difference between the first pressure value and the second pressure value as a pressure value inside the flow path 10. In this state, the first pressure value may be a pressure value due to internal / external influences, such as weather, an altitude, the state of a vacuum cleaner, or a dust inflow amount, the second pressure value may be the sum of a pressure value due to the internal / external influences, such as an altitude, the state of vacuum cleaner, or a dust inflow amount and a pressure value by the driving of the suction motor 1110, and the difference between the first pressure value and the second pressure value may be a pressure value by the driving of the suction motor 1110. Accordingly, when the difference between the first pressure value and the second pressure value is used as a pressure value inside the flow path 10, the internal / external influences other than the suction motor 1110 may be minimized.

[0075] The flow path pressure measured by the pressure sensor 1400 may be used to identify a current usage environment state of the brush device 2000 (e.g., the state of a surface to be cleaned (a hard floor, a carpet, a mat, a corner, etc.), the surface to be cleaned in a lifted state, etc.), or used to measure suction power that varies depending on the degree of contamination of the dust collecting container 1200 or the degree of dust capturing.

[0076] The pressure sensor 1400 may be positioned at a suction end (e.g., the suction duct 40). The suction duct 40 may be a structure which connects the dust collecting container 1200 to the extension pipe 3000, or the dust collecting container 1200 to the brush device 2000, so that a fluid including the foreign substances may be moved to the dust collecting container 1200. The pressure sensor 1400 may be positioned at an end portion of a straight part of the suction duct 40 (or an inflection point between a straight part and a curved part), considering the contamination of foreign substance / dust, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The pressure sensor 1400 may be positioned in the middle of the straight part of the suction duct 40. Meanwhile, when the pressure sensor 1400 is positioned in the suction duct 40, as the pressure sensor 1400 is positioned at a front end of the suction motor 1110 that generates suction power, the pressure sensor 1400 may be implemented by a negative pressure sensor.

[0077] Although, in the present disclosure, a case in which the pressure sensor 1400 is positioned in the suction duct 40 is described as an example, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The pressure sensor 1400 may be positioned at a discharge end (e.g., within the motor assembly 1100). When the pressure sensor 1400 is positioned at the discharge end, as the pressure sensor 1400 is positioned at a rear end of the suction motor 1110, the pressure sensor 1400 may be implemented by a positive pressure sensor. Furthermore, the pressure sensor 1400 may be provided as a plurality of pressure sensors within the vacuum cleaner.

[0078] The battery 1500 may be detachably mounted in the vacuum cleaner main body 1000. The battery 1500 may be represented as a battery pack or a battery module. The battery 1500 may be electrically connected to a charging terminal provided in the station. The battery 1500 may be charged by receiving power from the charging terminal. According to an embodiment, the battery 1500 may include a processor (e.g., a micro-computer, a microprocessor computer, or a microprocessor controller (MICOM)) that controls the voltage supplied to the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 and communicates with the main processor 1800. The battery 1500 may perform data communication with the main processor 1800. The battery 1500 may periodically transmit information about a battery charging state or an output voltage to the main processor 1800.

[0079] The battery 1500 may include a light-emitting diode (LED) display to indicate charging, discharge or state of a battery. For example, the processor of the battery 1500 may output a red color, an orange color, or a yellow color according to a charge rate through a LED display, and when charging is completed, output a green color through the LED display.

[0080] The communication interface 1600 may include a module for performing communication with an external device. For example, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may communicate with a station or a server device through the communication interface 1600. The communication interface 1600 may include a short-range communication unit or a long-range communication unit. The short-range communication interface may include a Bluetooth communication unit, a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) communication unit, a short-range wireless communication unit (NFC or near field communication interface), a Wi-Fi (WLAN) communication unit, a Zigbee communication unit, an Infrared (IrDA or Infrared Data Association) communication unit, a Wi-Fi direct (WFD) communication unit, an ultra wideband (UWB) communication unit, or an Ant+ communication unit, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The long-range communication unit may be used for the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 to remotely communicate with a server device. The long-range communication unit may include the Internet, a computer network (e.g., local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN)), or a mobile communication unit. The mobile communication unit may include a 3G module, a 4G module, a 5G module, a long-term evolution (LTE) module, a narrowband Internet of things (NB-loT) module, or an LTE-M module, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0081] The user interface 1700 may be provided at the handle. The user interface 1700 may include an input interface and an output interface. The vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may receive a user input related to the operation of the vacuum cleaner and output information related to the operation of the vacuum cleaner, through the user interface 1700. The vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may output, through the user interface 1700, information about the operation state, information about the remaining battery capacity, information about the docking state, information about the state of the dustbin 1200, information about the state of a dust bag, information about the introduction of moisture, information about the entanglement of foreign substances in the brush device 2000.

[0082] The input interface may include at least one of a motion input unit, a voice input unit (e.g., a microphone), or an operation input unit (e.g., a power button or a suction power strength adjustment button), but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The output interface may include an LED display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a touch screen, or a speaker, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0083] The vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may include the at least one processor 1010. The vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may include one processor or a plurality of processors. For example, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may include the main processor 1800 connected to the user interface 1700 and the first processor 1131 connected to the suction motor 1110. The at least one processor 1010 may control the overall operation of the vacuum cleaner. For example, the at least one processor 1010 may control the power consumption (the strength of the suction power or the suction power mode) of the suction motor 1110, the drum RPM of the brush device 2000, or the trip level of the brush device 2000.

[0084] The at least one processor 1010 according to the present disclosure may include at least one of a CPU, a GPU, an accelerated processing unit (APU), a many integrated core (MIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), and an NPU. The at least one processor 1010 may be implemented in the form of an integrated SoC including one or more electronic parts. The at least one processor 1010 may each be implemented by separate hardware (H / W). The at least one processor 1010 may be represented as a MICOM, an MPU, or a micro controller unit (MCU).

[0085] The at least one processor 1010 according to the present disclosure may be implemented by a single core processor or a multicore processor.

[0086] The memory 1900 may store a program for processing and controlling the at least one processor 1010, or pieces of data that are input / output. For example, the memory 1900 may store a previously trained artificial intelligence (AI) model (e.g., a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm, etc.), the state data of the suction motor 1110, the measurement value of the pressure sensor 1400, the state data of the battery 1500, the state data of the brush device 2000 (e.g., the drum RPM), error generation data (failure history data), the power consumption of the suction motor 1110 corresponding to the operating condition, the operation sequence of the suction motor 1110 corresponding to the suction power generation pattern, the type of the brush device 2000 corresponding to the voltage value input through the signal line, a trip level of each type of the brush device 2000, a PWM frequency for each type of the brush device 2000, an average input voltage for each type of the brush device 2000, a high load reference value (or a low load reference value) for each type of the brush device 2000, information about movement patterns (user gestures) predefined corresponding to a plurality of control commands, information about the introduction of moisture into the vacuum cleaner main body 1000, or a reference load value to distinguish the state of a surface to be cleaned (e.g., a hard floor or a carpet) (e.g., a plurality of reference load values corresponding to a plurality of suction power modes).

[0087] The memory 1900 may include an external memory and an internal memory. For example, the memory 1900 may include at least one type of storage media including a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory, etc.), random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk. The programs stored in the memory 1900 may be classified into a plurality of modules depending on the function thereof.

[0088] In the following description, the operations of processors of the vacuum cleaner are described in detail with reference to FIG. 3.

[0089] FIG. 3 is a diagram for describing operations of processors of the vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0090] Referring to FIG. 3, the main processor 1800 may check the states of parts in the vacuum cleaner by communicating with the battery 1500, the pressure sensor 1400, a motion sensor (not shown) (e.g., a gyro sensor or an acceleration sensor), or the first processor 1131 in the motor assembly 1100. In this state, the main processor 1800 may periodically communicate with the respective parts by using a universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter (UART) communication or an inter integrated circuit (I2C) communication, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the main processor 1800 may obtain data about the voltage state (e.g., normal, abnormal, fully charged, fully discharged, etc.) of a battery from the battery 1500 by using the UART. The main processor 1800 may obtain data about a flow path pressure from the pressure sensor 1400 by using the I2C communication. The main processor 1800 may obtain angular velocity data from a gyro sensor (not shown) through the UART communication, and obtain acceleration data from an acceleration sensor (not shown) through the I2C communication.

[0091] Furthermore, the main processor 1800 may obtain data about the strength of the suction power, the RPM of the suction motor 1110, the state (e.g., normal, abnormal, or etc.) of the suction motor 1110 from the first processor 1131 connected to the suction motor 1110 by using the UART communication. The suction power is an electrical force consumed to operate the wireless vacuum cleaner 100 and may be represented as power consumption. The main processor 1800 may obtain data related to the load of the brush device 2000 or data about the type of the brush device 2000 from the first processor 1131. The main processor 1800 may obtain data about the introduction of moisture in the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 from the first processor 1131.

[0092] Meanwhile, the first processor 1131 may obtain the state data (e.g., drum RPM, trip level, normal, abnormal, etc.) of the brush device 2000 from the brush device 2000 through a signal-line communication with the processor of the brush device 2000 (hereinafter, referred to as a second processor 2410). In this state, the first processor 1131 may transmit the state data of the brush device 2000 to the main processor 1800 through the UART communication. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first processor 1131 may transmit the state data of the suction motor 1110 and the state data of the brush device 2000 to the main processor 1800 at different periods. For example, the first processor 1131 may transmit the state data of the suction motor 1110 to the main processor 1800 once every 0.02 seconds, and the state data of the brush device 2000 to the main processor 1800 once every 0.2 seconds, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0093] The main processor 1800 may determine whether an error has occurred based on the state of the parts of the wireless vacuum cleaner 100, the state of the suction motor 1110, or the state of the brush device 2000, and periodically transmit data related to the occurrence of an error to the station through the short-range wireless communication (e.g., BLE communication).

[0094] When the first processor 1131 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 and the second processor 2410 of the brush device 2000 are connected to each other through the UART communication or the I2C communication, high impedance influence by an internal line of the extension pipe 3000 and damage (e.g., exceeding the maximum voltage of a Micom AD port) of a circuit device by electrostatic discharge (ESD) and / or over voltage may be mattered. Accordingly, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first processor 1131 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 and the second processor 2410 of the brush device 2000 may communicate with each other through a signal-line communication instead of the UART communication or the I2C communication. In this state, a circuit for the signal-line communication may include a voltage dividing circuit (hereinafter, referred to as a voltage divider) to prevent damage to a circuit device due to an over voltage, power noise, surge, electrostatic discharge (ESD), or electrical overstress (EOS). However, the communication between the first processor 1131 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 and the second processor 2410 of the brush device 2000 is not limited to the signal-line communication.

[0095] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when a noise reduction circuit is applied to the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 and the brush device 2000, the first processor 1131 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 and the second processor 2410 of the brush device 2000 may be communicated with each other by using the UART communication or the I2C communication. The noise reduction circuit may include at least one of a low pass filter, a high pass filter, a band pass filter, a damping resistor, and a division resistor, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when a level shifter circuit is applied to the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 or the brush device 2000, the first processor 1131 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 and the second processor 2410 of the brush device 2000 may communicated with each other by using the UART communication or the I2C communication. In the following description, for convenience of explanation, a case in which the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 and the brush device 2000 communicate with each other through the signal-line communication is mainly described as an example.

[0096] Meanwhile, the main processor 1800 may a user input about a setting button (e.g., an ON / OFF button or a + / − setting button) included in the user interface 1700, and control an output of the LCD. The main processor 1800 may identify a usage environment state (e.g., the state of a surface to be cleaned (a hard floor, a carpet, a mat, a corner, etc.), the surface to be cleaned in a lifted state, etc.) of the brush device 2000, by using a previously trained AI model (e.g., SVM algorithm), and determine operation information (e.g., the power consumption of the suction motor 1110, drum RPM, trip level, etc.) of the wireless vacuum cleaner 100 suitable for the usage environment state of the brush device 2000. In this state, the main processor 1800 may transmit the operation information of the wireless vacuum cleaner 100 suitable for the usage environment state of the brush device 2000 to the first processor 1131. The first processor 1131 may adjust strength (power consumption or RPM) of the suction power of the suction motor 1110 according to the operation information of the wireless vacuum cleaner 100, and transmit the operation information of the wireless vacuum cleaner 100 suitable for the usage environment state of the brush device 2000 to the second processor 2410 through the signal-line communication. In this case, the second processor 2410 may adjust the drum RPM, the trip level, or the lighting device (e.g., an LED display) according to the operation information of the wireless vacuum cleaner 100.

[0097] Meanwhile, when it is determined that moisture has been introduced into the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 through the moisture detection circuit 1139, the main processor 1800 may transmit a signal to stop the driving of the suction motor 1110 to the first processor 1131, thereby preventing damage to the circuit and insulation breakage.

[0098] The main processor 1800 may adjust the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 according to the state of a surface to be cleaned (e.g., a hard floor or a carpet). For example, when the surface to be cleaned is a carpet, the main processor 1800 may transmit a signal to set the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 to a first value (e.g., 3800 rpm) to the brush device 2000 through the signal-line communication. When the surface to be cleaned is a hard floor, the main processor 1800 may transmit a signal to set the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 to a second value (e.g., 2000 rpm) that is less than the first value to the brush device 2000 through the signal-line communication.

[0099] When the brush device 2000 is in an overload state, the main processor 1800 may lower the suction power mode by one step so as to prevent the circuit from being damaged and the operation of the brush device 2000 from being stopped due to the overload.

[0100] In the following description, the brush device 2000 is described in detail with reference to FIG. 4.

[0101] FIG. 4 is a diagram for describing the brush device 2000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0102] Referring to FIG. 4, the brush device 2000 may include a motor 2100, a drum 2200 having a rotating brush attached thereto, and a lighting device 2300, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The motor 2100 of the brush device 2000 may be provided within the drum 2200 or outside the drum 2200. When the motor 2100 is provided outside the drum 2200, the drum 2200 may receive power from the motor 2100 through a belt.

[0103] Referring to 410 of FIG. 4, the motor 2100 may be a planetary geared motor. The planetary geared motor may include a planetary gear 2101 coupled to a direct current (DC) motor. The planetary gear 2101 is used to adjust the RPM of the drum 2200 according to a gear ratio. In the planetary geared motor, the RPM of the motor 2100 and the RPM of the drum 2200 may be constant or may have a variable ratio. Referring to 420 of FIG. 4, the motor 2100 may be a BLDC motor, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In the BLDC motor, the RPM of the motor 2100 and the RPM of the drum 2200 may be identical.

[0104] The lighting device 2300 is used to illuminate a dark surface to be cleaned, illuminate a surface to be cleaned so as to facilitate identification of dust or foreign substances, or indicate the state of the brush device 2000, and may be provided on a front surface or an upper end of the brush device 2000. The lighting device 2300 may include an LED display, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the lighting device 2300 may be a laser. The lighting device 2300 may automatically operate as the motor 2100 is driven, or may operate under the control of the second processor 2410. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the color or brightness of the lighting device 2300 may be changed under the control of the second processor 2410.

[0105] Referring to 420 of FIG. 4, the brush device 2000 may further include a drive circuit (PCB) 2400. The drive circuit 2400 may include the second processor 2410, a power circuit (not shown), or a motor control circuit (e.g., an inverter) (not shown), and the power circuit may include an inrush current reduction circuit 2450, a voltage detection circuit2460, and a capacitor 2470, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The capacitor 2470 may be represented by an electrolytic capacitor. The drive circuit 2400 may include a circuit for signal-line communication with the vacuum cleaner main body 1000. For example, the drive circuit 2400 may include a switch element (hereinafter, referred to as a second switch element) (not shown) connected to the signal line, or an identification resistor (not shown) indicating the type of the brush device 2000. The drive circuit 2400 is described in detail later with reference to FIGS. 7 A to 8.

[0106] Meanwhile, there are various types of the brush device 2000. For example, the brush device 2000 may include a multi-brush 401, a hard floor brush 402, a wet brush 403, a turbo (carpet) brush 404, a bedding brush 405, a bristle brush (not shown), a crevice brush (not shown), or a pet brush (not shown), but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0107] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the type of the brush device 2000 may be distinguished by the identification resistor included in the brush device 2000. An operation of identifying, by the vacuum cleaner main body 1000, the type of the brush device 2000 coupled to the wireless vacuum cleaner 100 is described with reference to FIG. 5.

[0108] FIG. 5 is a diagram for describing an operation of identifying, by the vacuum cleaner main body 1000, the type of the brush device 2000, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0109] Referring to FIG. 5, the motor assembly 1100 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may include the first processor 1131 and the load detection sensor 1134 (e.g., a shunt resistor), and the brush device 2000 may include an identification resistor 2500. The identification resistor 2500 may be positioned between power lines 10 and 20 and a signal line 30. The identification resistor 2500 indicates the type of the brush device 2000 and may vary for each type of the brush device 2000. For example, the identification resistor 2500 of the multi-brush 401 (see FIG. 4) may be 330 KΩ, the identification resistor 2500 of the hard floor brush 402 (see FIG. 4) may be 2.2 MΩ, and the identification resistor 2500 of the turbo (carpet) brush 404 (see FIG. 4) may be 910 KΩ, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0110] The first processor 1131 may detect, by using the load detection sensor 1134, whether the brush device 2000 has been attached or detached. For example, when the brush device 2000 is not coupled to the wireless vacuum cleaner 100 (e.g., a handy mode or a handheld mode), the operating current of the brush device 2000 detected by the load detection sensor 1134 may be “0 A” (zero). In contrast, when the brush device 2000 is coupled to the wireless vacuum cleaner 100 (e.g., a brush mode), the operating current of the brush device 2000 detected by the load detection sensor 1134 may be 50 mA or more. Accordingly, the first processor 1131 may determine that the brush device 2000 is detached when the operating current of the brush device 2000 detected by the load detection sensor 1134 is 0 A, and may determine that the brush device 2000 is attached when the operating current of the brush device 2000 detected by the load detection sensor 1134 is 50 mA or more. Meanwhile, a reference operating current value for determining that the brush device 2000 has been coupled is not limited to 50 mA and may vary.

[0111] When it is determined that the brush device 2000 has been coupled to the wireless vacuum cleaner 100, the first processor 1131 may identify the type of the brush device 2000 based on the voltage value input to the input port of the first processor 1131. For example, when the brush device 2000 includes an identification resistor A and the PCB 1130 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 includes a voltage divider (a resistor B and resistor C) connected to the signal line 30, the voltage input to the input port of the first processor 1131 may be expressed as follows.Cambria Math

[0112] The voltage value input to the input port of the first processor 1131 may decrease as the value of the identification resistor 2500 increases. When the resistor B and the resistor C are constant, the voltage value input to the input port varies depending on the identification resistor A value, the first processor 1131 may identify the type of the brush device 2000 corresponding to the identification resistor 2500 based on the voltage value input to the input port. FIG. 6 is referred to.

[0113] FIG. 6 shows Table 600 for describing an identification (ID) resistor of the brush device 2000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0114] Referring to Table 600 of FIG. 6, the identification resistor of the multi-brush 401 may be 330 KΩ, the identification resistor of the hard floor brush 402 may be 2.2 MΩ, and the identification resistor of the turbo (carpet) brush 404 may be 910 KΩ. In the state in which the voltage of the battery 1500 is 25.2 V, when the multi-brush 401 is coupled to the wireless vacuum cleaner 100, the voltage value input to the input port of the first processor 1131 may be 2.785 V, when the hard floor brush 402 is coupled to the wireless vacuum cleaner 100, the voltage value input to the input port of the first processor 1131 may be 0.791 V, and when the turbo (carpet) brush 404 is coupled to the wireless vacuum cleaner 100, the voltage value input to the input port of the first processor 1131 may be 1.563 V. Accordingly, in the state in which it is determined that the brush device 2000 is coupled to the wireless vacuum cleaner 100, and the voltage of the battery 1500 is 25.2 V, when the voltage value input to the input port is 2.785 V, the first processor 1131 may identify that the multi-brush 401 has been coupled to the wireless vacuum cleaner 100, when the voltage value input to the input port is 0.791 V, the first processor 1131 may identify that the hard floor brush 402 has been coupled to the wireless vacuum cleaner 100, and when the voltage value input to the input port is 1.563 V, the first processor 1131 may identify that the turbo (carpet) brush 404 has been coupled to the wireless vacuum cleaner 100.

[0115] In the following description, the configuration of the wireless vacuum cleaner 100 for the signal-line communication between the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 and the brush device 2000 is described with reference to FIGS. 7 A to 8.

[0116] FIG. 7 A is a configurational block diagram for describing the function of the wireless vacuum cleaner 100 for the signal-line communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0117] The PCB 1130 in the motor assembly 1100 for the signal-line communication may include the first processor 1131, an input circuit 1135, an output circuit 1136, and a power circuit 1138, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0118] The input circuit 1135 may be a circuit for identifying the type of the brush device 2000 through the identification resistor of the brush device 2000, or detecting (receiving) the second signal transmitted from the brush device 2000. The input circuit 1135 may include a voltage divider 1137 (hereinafter, referred to as a first voltage divider). The voltage divider 1137 is for dividing the voltage input from the signal line 30 to the input port of the first processor 1131. When the input circuit 1135 includes the voltage divider 1137, even when a noise voltage is applied to the signal line 30, the noise voltage is divided and input to the input port of the first processor 1131 (e.g., an analog to digital (AD) port or referred to as an analog to digital converter (ADC)).

[0119] The output circuit 1136 is a circuit for transmitting the first signal to the brush device 2000. The output circuit 1136 may include the first switch element 1132. The first switch element 1132 may be an FET or a BJT, and is an element that makes the voltage of the signal line 30 to 0 V (GND, Low) through a switching operation.

[0120] The first processor 1131 may control the operation of the first switch element 1132 connected to the signal line 30 to transmit the first signal to the brush device 2000 through the signal line 30, and may detect the second signal transmitted from the brush device 2000 through the signal line 30. The first processor 1131 may control the brush device 2000 by transmitting the first signal through the output circuit 1136. For example, the first processor 1131 may transmit the first signal to the brush device 2000, the first data including data indicating at least one of the target RPM of the drum 2200 of the brush device 2000, the target trip level of the brush device 2000, or the power consumption of the suction motor 1110, so as to control the drum RPM or the trip level of the brush device 2000.

[0121] The power circuit 1138 may be a circuit connected to the battery 1500 and supplies power to the motor assembly 1100. The power circuit 1138 may be a step-down converter, for example, a DC / DC converter.

[0122] The drive circuit 2400 of the brush device 2000 for the signal-line communication may include the second processor 2410, an input circuit 2420, an output circuit 2430, a power circuit 2440, and the identification resistor 2500, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0123] The input circuit 2420 is a circuit for detecting (receiving) the first signal transmitted from the vacuum cleaner main body 1000. The input circuit 2420 may include a switch element (e.g., a PNP transistor, a P-channel FET, etc.), but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The input circuit 2420 may include a second voltage divider.

[0124] The output circuit 2430 is a circuit for transmitting the second signal to the vacuum cleaner main body 1000. The output circuit 2430 may include a second switch element 2435. The second switch element 2435 may be an FET or a BJT, and is an element that makes the voltage of the signal line 30 to 0 V (GND, Low) through the switching operation.

[0125] The second processor 2410 may control the operation of the second switch element 2435 connected to the signal line 30 so as to transmit the second signal to the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 through the signal line 30, and detect the first signal transmitted from the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 through the signal line 30. The second processor 2410 may adjust the RPM of the drum 2200 at a target RPM or the trip level to a target trip level, according to the first signal. Furthermore, when the first signal includes data for controlling the lighting device 2300 included in the brush device 2000, the second processor 2410 may control the output or brightness strength of the lighting device 2300 based on the first signal. For example, when receiving the first signal indicating that an abnormality has occurred in the vacuum cleaner main body 1000, the second processor 2410 may control the lighting device 2300 to change to a color indicating the abnormality of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000. The second processor 2410 may control the lighting device 2300 so as to output a color corresponding to a current usage environment state (e.g., the state of a surface to be cleaned (a hard floor, a carpet, a mat, a corner, etc.), the surface to be cleaned in a lifted state, etc.) of the brush device 2000. When detecting foreign substances caught in the drum 2200, the second processor 2410 may change the color of the lighting device 2300 to a certain color (e.g., red).

[0126] FIG. 7B is a configurational block diagram for describing a function of the wireless vacuum cleaner 100 including the extension pipe 3000, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0127] The PCB 1130 of the motor assembly 1100 illustrated in FIG. 7B may correspond to the PCB 1130 of the motor assembly 1100 illustrated in FIG. 7 A, and the drive circuit 2400 of the brush device 2000 illustrated in FIG. 7B may correspond to the drive circuit 2400 illustrated in FIG. 7 A.

[0128] Referring to FIG. 7B, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 and the brush device 2000 may be connected to each other through the extension pipe 3000. In this state, the extension pipe 3000 may include the + power line 10, the − power line 20, and the signal line 30. Accordingly, even when the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 and the brush device 2000 are connected to each other through the extension pipe 3000, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 and the brush device 2000 may stably perform the signal-line communication.

[0129] Meanwhile, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the motor assembly 1100 may include a switch element (hereinafter, referred to as a pulse width modulation (PWM) control switch element 1133) for PWM control used to control the power of the battery 1500 supplied to the motor 2100 of the brush device 2000. The PWM control switch element 1133 is a component for controlling, by the first processor 1131 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000, the power supply to the brush device 2000, and may be represented by a third switch element. The PWM control switch element 1133 may be an FET, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0130] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first processor 1131 may control the power supply to the brush device 2000 by controlling the PWM control switch element 1133 according to the type of the brush device 2000. For example, in a case in which the brush device 2000 is the multi-brush 401 including the drive circuit 2400 (see 420 of FIG. 4), in order to keep supplying power to the brush device 2000, the first processor 1131 may continue to output a High signal to the PWM control switch element 1133. In this case, as the PWM control switch element 1133 continuously maintains an ON state, the drive circuit 2400 of the brush device 2000 may continue to receive power supply.

[0131] In contrast, in a case in which the brush device 2000 is a general brush that does not include the drive circuit 2400 (see 410 of FIG. 4), as the first processor 1131 alternatively outputs a High signal and a Low signal to the PWM control switch element 1133, the PWM control switch element 1133 may repeat the ON state and an OFF state. In this case, the PWM control switch element 1133 may satisfy an output required according to the characteristics of purpose of each brush device 2000 by controlling the power of the battery 1500 supplied to the motor 2100. In other words, the first processor 1131 may adjust a duty value (hereinafter, referred to as Duty) of the PWM control switch element 1133 to be high for a first brush device that requires a high output and supply power to the first brush device, and adjust the duty value to be low for a second brush device that requires a low output and supply power to the second brush device, thereby adjusting the output of the motor 2100. Here, the duty value may refer to a duty ratio (duty cycle) of a pulse width when the cycle is constant, in particular, a ratio between a section (On duty section) in which power is transmitted and a section (Off duty section) in which power is cut off. As the duty value increases, the total time for flowing a current in the motor 2100 increases, and thus the average power supplied to the brush device 2000 may increase as well.

[0132] Furthermore, in the wireless vacuum cleaner 100 employing the battery 1500, as the wireless vacuum cleaner 100 is discharged, the voltage supplied by the battery 1500 tends to decrease. When the motor 2100 of the brush device 2000 is driven with a constant duty value, as a cleaning time elapses, the voltage of the battery 1500 drops so that the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 is reduced. Accordingly, the first processor 1131 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may control compensating for a phenomenon that the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 decreases, by increasing the duty value (a section in which the PWM control switch element 1133 is turned on and thus power is supplied during a single cycle) as the voltage of the battery 1500 decreases.

[0133] In the following description, for convenience of explanation, a case in which the wireless vacuum cleaner 100 includes the extension pipe 3000, and the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 includes the PWM control switch element 1133, is described as an example, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. An example of a circuit for the signal-line communication of the wireless vacuum cleaner 100 is described in detail with reference to FIG. 8.

[0134] FIG. 8 is a diagram for describing a circuit for the signal-line communication of the wireless vacuum cleaner 100, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 8, for convenience of explanation, a case in which A is 330 KΩ, B is 330 KΩ, and C is 82 KΩ is described as an example.

[0135] The first processor 1131 may identify the type of the brush device 2000 based on the voltage input to the input port (AD port). For example, as the AD port input voltage of the first processor 1131 is 2.785 V (Cambria Math), the first processor 1131 may identify that the multi-brush 401 having the identification resistor 2500 of 330 KΩ (A) corresponding to 2.785 V that is the AD port input voltage has been connected (see Table 600 of FIG. 6).

[0136] When the brush device 2000 coupled to the wireless vacuum cleaner 100 is identified as the multi-brush 401 including the drive circuit 2400, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may perform a signal-line communication with the brush device 2000.

[0137] The first processor 1131 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may receive a signal by using the input port and transmit a signal by using the output port. For example, when the first processor 1131 outputs a Low signal through the output port, the first switch element 1132 may be turned off. As the first switch element 1132 is turned off, the voltage of the signal line 30 may be about 14 V (Cambria Math) so as to be a High state. When the voltage of the signal line 30 is about 14 V, which is greater than 5 V, a PNP transistor 2425 may be turned OFF, and a Low signal (0 V) may be input to the input port of the second processor 2410. Reversely, when the first processor 1131 outputs a High signal through the output port, the first switch element 1132 may be turned on. As the first switch element 1132 is turned on, the voltage of the signal line 30 changes to 0 V (GND) so as to be a Low state. When the voltage of the signal line 30 is 0 V, the PNP transistor 2425 is tuned ON, and a High signal (about 4.8 V) may be input to the input port of the second processor 2410. In other words, when the first processor 1131 outputs a Low signal through the output port, the Low signal may be input to the input port of the second processor 2410, and when the first processor 1131 outputs a High signal through the output port, the High signal may be input to the input port of the second processor 2410.

[0138] The second processor 2410 of the brush device 2000 may receive a signal by using the input port and transmit a signal by using the output port. For example, when the second processor 2410 outputs a High signal through the output port, the second switch element 2435 may be turned on. As the second switch element 2435 is turned on, the voltage of the signal line 30 may be changed to 0 V (GND) so as to be a Low state. When the voltage of the signal line 30 is 0 V, a Low signal (0 V) may be input to the input port of the first processor 1131. Reversely, when the second processor 2410 outputs a Low signal through the output port, the second switch element 2435 may be turned off. As the second switch element 2435 is turned off, the voltage of the signal line 30 may be about 14 V (Cambria Math) so as to be a High state. When the voltage of the signal line 30 is about 14 V, 2.785 V may be input to the input port of the first processor 1131. In this state, as the PCB 1130 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 includes the voltage divider 1137, the high voltage (14 V) of the signal line 30 is divided so that 2.785 V may be input to the input port of the first processor 1131. In other words, when the second processor 2410 outputs a High signal through the output port, the Low signal (0 V) may be input to the input port of the first processor 1131, and when the second processor 2410 outputs a Low signal through the output port, 2.785 V (about 2.8 V) may be input to the input port of the first processor 1131.

[0139] In FIG. 8, a case in which the drive circuit 2400 of the brush device 2000 includes the PNP transistor 2425 as a switch element is described as an example, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, instead of the PNP transistor 2425, a P-channel FET may be used as a switch element.

[0140] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the first processor 1131 receives a signal from the second processor 2410, as the PCB 1130 for the signal-line communication of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 includes the voltage divider 1137, stable signal transmission is possible by minimizing the noise effect of the signal line 30.

[0141] Meanwhile, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one processor 1010 (e.g., the main processor 1800 or the first processor 1131) of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may transmit a signal to adjust the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 based on the state of a surface to be cleaned (e.g., a hard floor or a carpet) to the second processor 2410 of the brush device 2000 through the signal-line communication. In the following description, a method of adjusting, by the vacuum cleaner main body 1000, the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 depending on the state of the surface to be cleaned is described in detail with reference to FIG. 9.

[0142] FIG. 9 is a flowchart for describing a method of controlling a brush device of a vacuum cleaner, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0143] In operation S910, the vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may identify a reference load value corresponding to a current suction power mode from among a plurality of reference load values stored in the memory 1900.

[0144] The reference load value is a value used as a reference for distinguishing whether a surface to be cleaned is a hard floor or a carpet, and may include the operating current value of the brush device 2000. The reference load value may be defined based on an experimental value. The load value of the brush device 2000 may vary depending on the state of the surface to be cleaned. For example, the load value of the brush device 2000 on a carpet may be greater than the load value of the brush device 2000 on a hard floor. Accordingly, the reference load value may be a value between a first load value of the brush device 2000 on a hard floor and a second load value of the brush device 2000 on a carpet.

[0145] Meanwhile, as the strength of the suction power (power consumption) of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 increases, the load value of the brush device 2000 increases accordingly, and thus the reference load value may be defined for each suction power mode. For example, a plurality of reference load values corresponding to a plurality of suction power modes, respectively, may be stored in the memory 1900.

[0146] Referring to FIG. 10A, the suction power mode of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may include a jet mode, a super power mode, a power mode, and a normal mode, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The suction power mode of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may be divided into five or more or into three or less. The suction power in a jet mode may be 140 W, the suction power in a super power mode may be 90 W, the suction power in a power mode may be 40 W, and the suction power in a normal mode may be 18 W. In other words, the suction power in a jet mode may be the strongest, and the suction power in a normal mode may be the weakest.

[0147] Referring to FIG. 10B, information about reference load values defined for each suction power mode may be stored in the memory 1900. The reference load value may increase as the strength of the suction power of a corresponding suction power mode increases. For example, reference load values corresponding to the jet mode and the super power mode may be 0.7 A, a reference load value corresponding to the power mode may be 0.6 A, and a reference load value corresponding to the normal mode may be 0.5 A, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0148] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in order to increase a recognition rate for the state of a surface to be cleaned (e.g., a hard floor and a carpet), the at least one processor 1010 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may identify a reference load value corresponding to a current suction power mode from among the plurality of reference load values stored in the memory 1900. For example, the main processor 1800 may select 0.7 A as the reference load value when the current suction power mode is a jet mode, and 0.6 A as the reference load value when the current suction power mode is a power mode.

[0149] Meanwhile, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one processor 1010 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may identify the reference load value only when the type of the brush device 2000 connected to the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 is a specific brush. For example, when the brush device 2000 connected to the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 is the multi-brush 401 (see FIG. 4) that can be used for both of a hard floor and a carpet or the carpet brush 404 (see FIG. 4), the at least one processor 1010 may identify a reference load value corresponding to a current suction power mode from among the plurality of reference load values. As the pet brush or the wet brush 403 (see FIG. 4) is not likely to be used for a carpet, when the brush device 2000 connected to the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 is the pet brush or the wet brush 403, the at least one processor 1010 may not identify the reference load value corresponding to the current suction power mode.

[0150] In operation S920, the vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may determine whether the load value of the brush device 2000 exceeds the reference load value corresponding to the current suction power mode.

[0151] The at least one processor 1010 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may monitor in real time the load value of the brush device 2000. For example, the first processor 1131 of the suction motor 1110 may measure the load value of the brush device 2000 through the load detection sensor 1134 (see FIG. 2), and periodically transmit the load value of the brush device 2000 to the main processor 1800. In this state, the main processor 1800 may determine whether the load value of the brush device 2000 exceeds the reference load value corresponding to the current suction power mode.

[0152] In operation S930, when the load value of the brush device 2000 exceeds the reference load value corresponding to the current suction power mode (Yes in S920), the vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may transmit a signal to set the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 to a first value, to the brush device 2000.

[0153] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first value may be a predefined maximum RPM, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the first value may be one of values between 3000 RPM and 4000 RPM, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In the following description, a case in which the first value is 3800 RPM is described as an example.

[0154] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the load value of the brush device 2000 obtained through the load detection sensor 1134 exceeds the reference load value, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may identify the state of a surface to be cleaned as a carpet. The reference load value is used to distinguish a carpet from a hard floor, and the load value of the brush device 2000 on the carpet may be greater than the reference load value.

[0155] In order to increase cleaning efficiency on a carpet, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may transmit a signal to set the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 to the first value (e.g., the maximum RPM (3800 RPM)) to the brush device 2000 through the signal-line communication. In this state, the brush device 2000 may set the drum RPM to the first value (e.g., the maximum RPM (3800 RPM)) according to the signal received from the vacuum cleaner main body 1000.

[0156] In operation S940, when the load value of the brush device 2000 is a reference load value corresponding to the current suction power mode or less (No in S920), the vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may transmit a signal to set the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 to a second value that is less than the first value, to the brush device 2000.

[0157] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second value may be a predefined minimum RPM, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the second value may be one of values between 1000 RPM and 2500 RPM, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In the following description, a case in which the second value is 2000 RPM is described as an example.

[0158] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the load value of the brush device 2000 obtained through the load detection sensor 1134 is the reference load value or less, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may identify the state of a surface to be cleaned as a hard floor. The reference load value is used to distinguish a carpet from a hard floor, and the load value of the brush device 2000 on the hard floor may be less than the reference load value.

[0159] In order to prevent damage to the surface of the hard floor and noise, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may transmit a signal to set the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 to a second value (e.g., 2000 RPM) less than the first value (e.g., 3800 RPM) to the brush device 2000 through the signal-line communication. In this state, the brush device 2000 may set the drum RPM to the second value (e.g., 2000 RPM) according to the signal received from the vacuum cleaner main body 1000.

[0160] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may identify whether the surface to be cleaned is a hard floor or a carpet, based on the load value of the brush device 2000, and may adaptively change the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 depending on the state of the surface to be cleaned. For example, when the brush device 2000 is on a carpet, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 controls the drum RPM to the maximum RPM (e.g., 3800 RPM), thereby increasing cleaning efficiency. In contrast, when the brush device 2000 is on a hard floor, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may control the drum RPM to the minimum RPM (e.g., 2000 RPM), thereby preventing noise generation and damage to the surface of the hard floor. In this state, by reducing the friction load of the brush device 2000 on the hard floor, abrasion or damage of the drum flannel (bristle) of the brush device 2000 may be minimized, the abrasion or deformation of the drum rotating portion may be minimized, and the deformation, abrasion, or damage of the product connection portion may be minimized. Accordingly, the durability lifespan of the vacuum cleaner may be increased. The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described effects, and other various effects that are not described in the disclosure may be clearly understood from the following descriptions (and accompanying drawings) by one skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs.

[0161] In the following description, an operation of adaptively controlling the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 by selecting, by the vacuum cleaner main body 1000, a different reference load value according to the suction power mode is described in detail with reference to FIG. 11.

[0162] FIG. 11 is a flowchart for describing a method of controlling, by a vacuum cleaner, the RPM of the drum of the brush device 2000, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0163] In operation S1101, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may determine that the operation mode is an AI mode. The AI mode may be a mode in which the strength of the suction power of the suction motor 1110 or the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 is automatically adjusted depending on the usage environment state of the brush device 2000 (e.g., a hard floor, a carpet, a mat, a corner, a lifted state, etc.). The suction power is an electrical force (input power) consumed to operate the wireless vacuum cleaner 100, and the strength of the suction power of the suction motor 1110 may be represented as the power consumption of the suction motor 1110.

[0164] In operation S1102, when the operation mode is an AI mode (Yes in S1101), the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may adjust the strength of the suction power or the drum RPM depending on the usage environment state of the brush device 2000. For example, the at least one processor 1010 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may identify the current usage environment state (e.g., a hard floor, a carpet, a mat, a corner, a lifted state, etc.) of the brush device 2000, by applying the data about the flow path pressure and the data related to the load of the brush device 2000 to the AI model. The at least one processor 1010 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may adjust the strength of the suction power of the suction motor 1110 or transmit a signal to change the drum RPM to the brush device 2000, based on the current usage environment state of the brush device 2000.

[0165] For example, when the state of a surface to be cleaned is changed from a hard floor to a carpet, in order to increase cleaning performance, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may increase the strength of the suction power of the suction motor 1110 and also increase the drum RPM of the brush device 2000. In contrast, when the state of a surface to be cleaned is changed again from the carpet to the hard floor, in order to increase the usage time of the battery 1500, reduce operation noise, and reduce damage due to the friction of the surface to be cleaned, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may reduce the strength of the suction power of the suction motor 1110 again and also reduce the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 again. When the brush device 2000 is in a lifted state from the surface to be cleaned (an idle state), in order to increase the usage time of the battery 1500 and reduce the operation noise, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may reduce the strength of the suction power of the suction motor 1110 at its maximum, and also reduce the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 at its maximum. The operation of the vacuum cleaner in the AI mode is described in detail later with reference to FIG. 12.

[0166] In operation S1103, when the operation mode is not an AI mode (No in S1101), the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may identify the current suction power mode of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000. In FIG. 11, a case in which the suction power mode of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 includes a jet mode, a super power mode, a power mode, and a normal mode is described as an example.

[0167] In operation S1104, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may determine whether the current suction power mode is a jet mode or a super power mode. The jet mode may be a mode having the greatest suction power, and the super power mode may be a mode having the greatest suction power next to the jet mode.

[0168] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the current suction power mode is a jet mode or a super power mode, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may select 0.7 A as a reference load value for distinguishing a hard floor from a carpet.

[0169] In operation S1105, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may compare the load value of the brush device 2000 obtained through the load detection sensor 1134 with 0.7 A that is the reference load value corresponding to the jet mode or the super power mode.

[0170] In operation S1106, when the load value of the brush device 2000 is greater than 0.7 A (Yes in S1105), the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may identify the state of a surface to be cleaned as a carpet, and transmit a signal to set the drum RPM to 3800 RPM, to the brush device 2000. In this state, the brush device 2000 may set the drum RPM to 3800 RPM.

[0171] In operation S1107, when the load value of the brush device 2000 is 0.7 A or less (No in S1105), the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may identify the state of a surface to be cleaned as a hard floor, and to prevent damage to the hard floor and noise, transmit a signal to set the drum RPM to 2000 RPM to the brush device 2000. In this state, the brush device 2000 may change the drum RPM to 2000 RPM.

[0172] In operation S1108, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may determine whether the current suction power mode is a power mode. The power mode may be a mode having suction power less than the super power mode.

[0173] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the current suction power mode is a power mode, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may select 0.6 A as a reference load value for distinguishing a hard floor from a carpet.

[0174] In operation S1109, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may compare the load value of the brush device 2000 obtained through the load detection sensor 1134 with 0.6 A that is a reference load value corresponding to the power mode.

[0175] In operations S1109 and S1106, when the load value of the brush device 2000 is greater than 0.6 A (Yes in S1109), the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may identify the state of a surface to be cleaned as a carpet, and transmit a signal to set the drum RPM to 3800 RPM to the brush device 2000. In this state, the brush device 2000 may set the drum RPM to 3800 RPM.

[0176] In operations S1109 and S1107, when the load value of the brush device 2000 is 0.6 A or less (No in S1109), the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may identify the state of a surface to be cleaned as a hard floor, and to prevent damage to the hard floor and noise, transmit a signal to set the drum RPM to 2000 RPM, to the brush device 2000. In this state, the brush device 2000 may change the drum RPM to 2000 RPM.

[0177] In operation S1110, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may determine whether the current suction power mode is a normal mode. The normal mode may be a mode having the lowest suction power.

[0178] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the current suction power mode is a normal mode, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may select 0.5 A as a reference load value for distinguishing a hard floor from a carpet.

[0179] In operation S1111, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may compare the load value of the brush device 2000 obtained through the load detection sensor 1134 with 0.5 A that is a reference load value corresponding to the normal mode.

[0180] In operations S1111 and S1106, when the load value of the brush device 2000 is greater than 0.5 A (Yes in S1111), the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may identify the state of a surface to be cleaned as a carpet, and transmit a signal to set the drum RPM to 3800 RPM, to the brush device 2000. In this state, the brush device 2000 may set the drum RPM to 3800 RPM.

[0181] In operations S1111 and S1107, when the load value of the brush device 2000 is 0.5 A or less (No in S1111), the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may identify the state of a surface to be cleaned as a hard floor, and to prevent damage to the hard floor and noise, transmit a signal to set the drum RPM to 2000 RPM, to the brush device 2000. In this state, the brush device 2000 may change the drum RPM to 2000 RPM.

[0182] In operation S1112, the brush device 2000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may transmit information about the current drum RPM to the vacuum cleaner main body 1000. For example, the brush device 2000 may periodically transmit information about the current drum RPM to the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 through the signal-line communication. The vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may determine whether the brush device 2000 is appropriately controlled, based on the information about the current drum RPM received from the brush device 2000.

[0183] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, by increasing the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 when cleaning a carpet and decreasing the RPM when cleaning the hard floor, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may prevent the hard floor from being damaged or generation of excessive noise, and increase cleaning efficiency on the carpet.

[0184] Meanwhile, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the brush device 2000 connected to the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 does not provide the AI mode, operations S1101 and S1102 may be omitted.

[0185] FIG. 12 is a diagram for describing the AI mode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0186] In FIG. 12, a case in which the usage environment state of the brush device 2000 is classified into four of a hard floor (hf) 1211, a carpet 1212, a mat 1213, a lifted state 1214 is described as an example. Furthermore, in FIG. 12, a case in an AI model for inferring the usage environment state of the brush device 2000 is a support vector machine (SVM) model is described as an example.

[0187] Referring to 1210 in FIG. 12, when cleaning the hard floor 1211, the flow path pressure and the load of the brush device 2000 may be normal, when cleaning the mat 1213, the flow path pressure and the load of the brush device 2000 may be greatly increased, when cleaning the carpet 1212, while the flow path pressure may be normal, the load of the brush device 2000 may be greatly increased, and when the brush device 2000 is in a lifted state, the flow path pressure and the load of the brush device 2000 may be greatly reduced. Accordingly, when a normal flow path pressure value and a normal load value are input to the SVM model, the SVM model may output ‘the hard floor 1211’ as the usage environment state of to the brush device 2000. When a high flow path pressure value and a high load value are input to the SVM model, the SVM model may output ‘the mat 1213’ as the usage environment state of to the brush device 2000. When a normal flow path pressure value and a high load value are input to the SVM model, the SVM model may output ‘the carpet 1212’ as the usage environment state of to the brush device 2000. When a low flow path pressure value and a low load value are input to the SVM model, the SVM model may output ‘the lift 1214’ as the usage environment state of to the brush device 2000.

[0188] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the main processor 1800 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may control the operation of the suction motor 1110 or the brush device 2000 depending on the usage environment state of the brush device 2000 identified through the SVM model. For example, referring to 1220 in FIG. 12, in the AI mode, the power consumption of the suction motor 1110 and the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 may be automatically adjusted depending on the usage environment state of the brush device 2000.

[0189] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the usage environment state of the brush device 2000 is determined to correspond to a hard floor (a first condition), the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may determine the power consumption of the suction motor 1110 to be 70 W and the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 to be 2000 rpm. When the usage environment state of the brush device 2000 is determined to correspond to a general carpet (a second condition), the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may determine the power consumption of the suction motor 1110 to be 115 W and the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 to be 3800 rpm. When the usage environment state of the brush device 2000 is determined to correspond to a high density carpet (a third condition), the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may determine the power consumption of the suction motor 1110 to be 40 W and the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 to be 2000 rpm. When the usage environment state of the brush device 2000 is determined to correspond to a mat (a fourth condition), the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may determine the power consumption of the suction motor 1110 to be 58 W and the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 to be 1500 rpm. When the usage environment state of the brush device 2000 is determined to correspond to a lift (a fifth condition), the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may determine the power consumption of the suction motor 1110 to be 40 W and the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 to be 1500 rpm. When the usage environment state of the brush device 2000 is determined to correspond to a corner (a sixth condition), the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may determine the power consumption of the suction motor 1110 to be 115 W and the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 to be 3800 rpm.

[0190] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 operates as an AI mode, cleaning efficiency, usability (operability or noise), damage to the surface to be cleaned (e.g., scratches, chipping, or abrasion, etc. caused by a frictional load of the drum 2200 of the brush device 2000), and the usage time of the battery 1500 may be improved. For example, when a cleaning environment does not need strong suction power (e.g., a hard floor or a lift), the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may adjust the strength of the suction power and the drum RPM to be low, thereby increasing the battery usage time. In a case of a cleaning environment in which the brush device 2000 is in excessive contact with the surface to be cleaned so that a user is difficult to operate the wireless vacuum cleaner 100 (e.g., a mat or a high density carpet), the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may adjust the strength of the suction power and the drum RPM to be low so that usability (operability) may be improved. In a case of a cleaning environment that requires strong suction power (e.g., a general carpet or a corner), the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may adjust the strength of the suction power to be high so that cleaning efficiency (cleaning performance) may be improved.

[0191] Meanwhile, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in order to prevent the operation of the brush device 2000 from being frequently stopped, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may adaptively adjust the suction power of the suction motor 1110. In the following description, a method of adjusting, by the vacuum cleaner main body 1000, a suction power mode is described in detail with reference to FIG. 13.

[0192] FIG. 13 is a flowchart for describing a method of changing, by a vacuum cleaner, a suction power mode, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0193] In operation S1310, the vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may identify the type of the brush device 2000. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when a connection of the brush device 2000 to the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 is detected, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may identify the type of the brush device 2000 connected to the vacuum cleaner main body 1000.

[0194] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may identify the type of the brush device 2000 based on the voltage value (hereinafter, referred to as an input voltage value) input to the input port of the at least one processor 1010 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 through the signal line 30.

[0195] For example, when the input voltage value is between the maximum input voltage value MAX and the minimum input voltage value MIN (e.g., 0 V), the at least one processor 1010 may identify the brush device 2000 having the identification resistor 2500 corresponding to the input voltage value. The identification resistor 2500 may be positioned between the + power line 10 and the signal line 30 within the brush device 2000. The maximum input voltage value MAX may be a voltage value input to the input port when the identification resistor 2500 is in a 0Ω state (i.e., when the signal line 30 is short-circuited to the + power line 10). Accordingly, when the input voltage value is between the maximum input voltage value MAX and the minimum input voltage value MIN, the brush device 2000 connected to the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may be the brush device 2000 having an identification resistor greater than 0Ω. Accordingly, the at least one processor 1010 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may identify the type of the brush device 2000 having the identification resistor 2500 corresponding to the input voltage value from a pre-storing table (e.g., Table 600 of FIG. 6).

[0196] The at least one processor 1010 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may receive a data signal indicating the type of the brush device 2000 from the brush device 2000. For example, the first processor 1131 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may identify the type of the brush device 2000 by receiving the data signal indicating the type of the brush device 2000 from the second processor 2410 of the brush device 2000 through the signal-line communication.

[0197] In operation S1320, the vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may select a high load reference value corresponding to the type of the brush device 2000.

[0198] The high load reference value may be a reference value for identifying whether the brush device 2000 is in an overload state. The high load reference value may be represented by a trip level. The trip level, as a fault protection technique to prevent overload of the brush device 2000, may include a reference current value which is a condition for stopping the operation of the brush device 2000.

[0199] As the operation load varies depending on the type of the brush device 2000, the high load reference value may vary for each type of the brush device 2000. For example, referring to FIG. 14, the high load reference value of the hard floor brush 402 and AI hard floor brush 402-1 may be 2.4 A, the high load reference value of the carpet brush 404 may be 4.1 A, the high load reference value of the bedding and pet brush 405 may be 2.4 A, the high load reference value of the wet brush 403 may be 3.0 A, and the high load reference value of the (AI) multi-brush 401 may be 4.9 A. In the following description, a case in which the brush device 2000 is the multi-brush 401 is described as an example.

[0200] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the high load reference values corresponding to the respective types of the brush device 2000 may be stored in the memory 1900. In this case, the at least one processor 1010 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may select a high load reference value corresponding to the type of the brush device 2000 currently connected to the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 from among the high load reference values stored in the memory 1900. The brush device 2000 connected to the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may include not only the brush device 2000 directly connected to the vacuum cleaner main body 1000, but also the brush device 2000 connected to the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 via the extension pipe 3000. For example, when the brush device 2000 connected to the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 is the multi-brush 401, the main processor 1800 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may select 4.9 A as the high load reference value corresponding to the multi-brush 401.

[0201] Meanwhile, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in order to prevent the brush device 2000 from being stopped under the normal carpet cleaning condition, the type of the brush device 2000 may select a high load reference value corresponding to the type of the brush device 2000 only for the carpet brush 404 or the multi-brush 401.

[0202] In operation S1330, the vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may obtain the load value of the brush device 2000 through the load detection sensor 1134.

[0203] The at least one processor 1010 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may monitor in real time the load value of the brush device 2000. For example, the first processor 1131 of the suction motor 1110 may measure the load value of the brush device 2000 through the load detection sensor 1134, and periodically transmit the load value of the brush device 2000 to the main processor 1800.

[0204] In operation S1340, the vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may determine whether the load value of the brush device 2000 is greater than or equal to the high load reference value for a first period. The first period may be one of periods between 2 seconds and 7 seconds, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In the present disclosure, a case of the first period being 4 seconds is described as an example.

[0205] For example, when the brush device 2000 connected to the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 is the multi-brush 401, the at least one processor 1010 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may determine whether a load value of 4.9 A or more is maintained for 4 seconds or more.

[0206] In operation S1350, when the load value of the brush device 2000 is less than the high load reference value (No in S1340), the vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may maintain the current suction power mode.

[0207] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the load value of the brush device 2000 is less than the high load reference value, as the brush device 2000 is in a normal load state, the at least one processor 1010 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may maintain the current suction power mode without changing the suction power mode. For example, when the load value of the multi-brush 401 is less than 4.9 A that is the high load reference value, as the multi-brush 401 is not in an overload state, the main processor 1800 may maintain the current suction power mode. When the current suction power mode is a jet mode, the main processor 1800 may continue to maintain the jet mode.

[0208] The vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may continue to monitor the load value of the brush device 2000 by using the load detection sensor 1134.

[0209] In operation S1360, when the load value of the brush device 2000 is greater than the high load reference value for the first period (Yes in S1340), the vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may change the current suction power mode of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 to a suction power mode one step lower than the current suction power mode.

[0210] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the load value of the brush device 2000 is greater than the high load reference value for the first period, the brush device 2000 may be in an overload state. For example, when a load value of 4.9 A or more is maintained for 4 seconds, the multi-brush 401 may be in an overload state. Accordingly, in order to forcibly lower the load of the brush device 2000, the at least one processor 1010 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may change the current suction power mode to a suction power mode one step lower than the current suction power mode. For example, when the current suction power mode is a jet mode, the main processor 1800 may switch the current suction power mode to a super power mode that is one step lower than the jet mode. In other words, the main processor 1800 may transmit a signal to reduce the power consumption of the suction motor 1110 to the first processor 1131, and the first processor 1131 may reduce the power consumption of the suction motor 1110 to a value corresponding to the super power mode.

[0211] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, after changing the current suction power mode to a suction power mode one step lower than the current suction power mode, when the load value of the brush device 2000 is less than the high load reference value, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may not stop the operation of the brush device 2000. Accordingly, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the brush device 2000 may be prevented from being frequently stopped.

[0212] Meanwhile, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the same high load reference value is applied regardless of the type of the brush device 2000, operation S1310 to S1320 may be omitted. Furthermore, it is possible to combine an embodiment of FIG. 13 and an embodiment of FIG. 9. For example, as the respective operations of FIG. 13 and the respective operations of FIG. 9 are not contradictory operations, a combination thereof is possible.

[0213] In the following description, a method of changing, by the vacuum cleaner main body 1000, a suction power mode is described in detail with reference to FIG. 15.

[0214] FIG. 15 is a flowchart for describing a method of changing, by the vacuum cleaner, a suction power mode, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0215] In operation S1510, the vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may obtain the load value of the brush device 2000 through the load detection sensor 1134 (see FIG. 2).

[0216] The at least one processor 1010 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may monitor in real time the load value of the brush device 2000. For example, the first processor 1131 of the suction motor 1110 may measure the load value of the brush device 2000 through the load detection sensor 1134, and periodically transmit the load value of the brush device 2000 to the main processor 1800.

[0217] In operation S1520, the vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may determine whether the load value of the brush device 2000 is greater than or equal to the high load reference value for the first period.

[0218] For example, when the brush device 2000 connected to the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 is the multi-brush 401, the at least one processor 1010 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may determine whether a load value of 4.9 A or more is maintained for 4 seconds or more.

[0219] In operation S1530, when the load value of the brush device 2000 is less than the high load reference value (No in S1520), the vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may maintain the current suction power mode.

[0220] For example, when the load value of the multi-brush 401 is less than 4.9 A that is the high load reference value, as the multi-brush 401 is not in an overload state, the main processor 1800 may maintain the current suction power mode. When the current suction power mode is a jet mode, the main processor 1800 may continue to maintain the jet mode. The vacuum cleaner may continue to monitor the load value of the brush device 2000 through the load detection sensor 1134.

[0221] In operation S1540, when the load value of the brush device 2000 is greater than the high load reference value for the first period (Yes in S1520), the vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may determine whether the current suction power mode is the minimum suction power mode.

[0222] For example, when the current suction power mode is one of the jet mode, the super power mode, and the power mode, the at least one processor 1010 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may not determine that the current suction power mode is the minimum suction power mode. In contrast, when the current suction power mode is a normal mode, the at least one processor 1010 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may determine that the current suction power mode is the minimum suction power mode.

[0223] In operation S1550, when the load value of the brush device 2000 is greater than or equal to the high load reference value for the first period (Yes in S1520), and the current suction power mode is not the minimum suction power mode (No in S1540), the vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may change the current suction power mode to a second suction power mode that is one step lower than the first suction power mode.

[0224] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the load value of the brush device 2000 is greater than the high load reference value for the first period, the brush device 2000 may be in an overload state. For example, when a load value of 4.9 A or more is maintained for 4 seconds, the multi-brush 401 may be in an overload state. Accordingly, in order to forcibly lower the load of the brush device 2000, the at least one processor 1010 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may change the current suction power mode to a suction power mode one step lower than the current suction power mode. In other words, the main processor 1800 may transmit a signal to reduce the power consumption of the suction motor 1110, to the first processor 1131, and the first processor 1131 may reduce the power consumption of the suction motor 1110 to a value corresponding to the suction power mode one step lower than the current suction power mode.

[0225] For example, when the current suction power mode is a jet mode, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may change the current suction power mode to a super power mode that is one step lower than the jet mode. When the current suction power mode is a super power mode, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may change the current suction power mode to a power mode that is one step lower than the super power mode. When the current suction power mode is a power mode, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may change the current suction power mode to a normal mode that is one step lower than the power mode.

[0226] Meanwhile, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the load value of the brush device 2000 obtained in the second suction power mode is greater than or equal to the high load reference value for the first period, and the second suction power mode is not the minimum suction power mode, the at least one processor 1010 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may adjust the current suction power mode of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 to a third suction power mode that is one step lower than the second suction power mode.

[0227] For example, when the load value of the multi-brush 401 in the jet mode is 4.9 A or more for 4 seconds or more, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may change the jet mode to the super power mode. Even in the super power mode, when the load value of the multi-brush 401 is 4.9 A or more for 4 seconds or more, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may change the super power mode to the power mode. Even in in the power mode, when the load value of the multi-brush 401 is 4.9 A or more for 4 seconds or more, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may change the power mode to the normal mode. In other words, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may check whether the brush device 2000 has exit the overload state by lowering the suction power mode one step at a time. When the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 lowers the suction power one step at a time so that the brush device 2000 exits the overload state, the operation of the brush device 2000 may be prevented from being stopped, and damage to the parts due to the overload may be prevented.

[0228] In operation S1560, when the load value of the brush device 2000 is greater than or equal to the high load reference value for the first period (Yes in S1520), and the current suction power mode is the minimum suction power mode (Yes in S1540), the vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may cut off the power supply to the brush device 2000.

[0229] Even in the minimum suction power mode, when the brush device 2000 is in an overload state, as the brush device 2000 may be in a state in which foreign substances, such as a sock, are caught, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may stope the operation of the brush device 2000 to protect the parts of the brush device 2000. For example, the at least one processor 1010 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may cut off the power supply to the brush device 2000 by turning off the PWM control switch element 1133 used to control the power supply to the brush device 2000.

[0230] In operation S1570, the vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may output a notification message requesting a check of the state of the brush device 2000. For example, the at least one processor 1010 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may cut off the power supply to the brush device 2000 and then output a notification message requesting a check of the state of the brush device 2000 through the output interface. A notification message is described in detail with reference to FIG. 16.

[0231] FIG. 16 is a diagram for describing an operation of outputting, by a vacuum cleaner, a notification message, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0232] Referring to FIG. 16, when the load value of the brush device 2000 is greater than or equal to the high load reference value for the first period, and the current suction power mode is the minimum suction power mode, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may cut off the power supply to the brush device 2000 and output a notification message 1610. For example, the main processor 1800 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may output the notification message 1610, such as “Please check for a brush jam”, through the display. Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may output the notification message 1610, such as “Please check for a brush jam”, as voice through a speaker.

[0233] A user may check the notification message 1610 and remove foreign substances caught in the brush device 2000.

[0234] FIG. 17 is a flowchart for describing a method of changing, by a vacuum cleaner, a suction power mode, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0235] In operation S1710, when the load value of the brush device 2000 is greater than or equal to the high load reference value for the first period, and when the current suction power mode is not the minimum suction power mode, the vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may change the current suction power mode to the second suction power mode that is one step lower than the first suction power mode that is the current suction power mode. As operation S1710 corresponds to operation S1550 of FIG. 15, a detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0236] In operation S1720, the vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may determine whether the load value of the brush device 2000 in the second suction power mode for the second period is less than the high load reference value. The second period may be the same as or different from the first period. The second period may be one of periods between 4 seconds to 10 seconds, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In the present disclosure, a case in which the second period is 8 seconds is described as an example.

[0237] For example, when the brush device 2000 connected to the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 is the multi-brush 401, the at least one processor 1010 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may determine whether a load value less than 4.9 A is maintained for 8 seconds or more.

[0238] In operation S1730, when the load value of the brush device 2000 is less than the high load reference value, or the second period is not reached (No in S1720), the vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may maintain the second suction power mode.

[0239] Meanwhile, when the load value of the brush device 2000 is greater than or equal to the high load reference value for the first period, the vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may change the current suction power mode to the third suction power mode that is one step lower than the second suction power mode.

[0240] In operation S1740, when the load value of the brush device 2000 in the second suction power mode is less than the high load reference value for the second period, the vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may change the second suction power mode back to the first suction power mode.

[0241] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the load value of the brush device 2000 in the second suction power mode is less than the high load reference value for the second period, as the brush device 2000 has exit the overload state, the at least one processor 1010 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may change the second suction power mode back to the first suction power mode that is the previous suction power mode. In other words, the main processor 1800 may transmit a signal to increase the power consumption of the suction motor 1110 to the first processor 1131, and the first processor 1131 may increase the power consumption of the suction motor 1110 to a value corresponding to the previous suction power mode.

[0242] For example, as the load value of the multi-brush 401 is 4.9 A or more for 4 seconds, the suction power mode may be changed from the jet mode to the super power mode. In this state, when the load value of the multi-brush 401 in the super power mode is less than 4.9 A for 8 seconds or more, the at least one processor 1010 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may change the super power mode back to the jet mode.

[0243] Meanwhile, when the suction power mode is changed from the jet mode to the super power mode, and even in the super power mode, the load value of the brush device 2000 is greater than or equal to the high load reference value for the first period, the suction power mode may be changed from the super power mode back to the power mode. In this state, when the load value of the brush device 2000 in the power mode is less than the high load reference value for the second period, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may change the power mode to the jet mode via the super power mode. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may either check or not whether the load value of the brush device 2000 in the super power mode is less than the high load reference value for the second period.

[0244] An operation of changing, by the vacuum cleaner main body 1000, a suction power mode is described in detail with reference to FIG. 18.

[0245] FIG. 18 is a diagram for describing an operation of changing, by a vacuum cleaner, a suction power mode, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 18, a case in which the brush device 2000 connected to the vacuum cleaner is the multi-brush 401 and the high load reference value is 4.9 A is described as an example.

[0246] Referring to 1810 of FIG. 18, in a general vacuum cleaner, when the load value of the brush device 2000 reaches the high load reference value, the operation of the brush device 2000 may be stopped.

[0247] For example, while monitoring the load value of the brush device 2000, when a load value of 4.9 A or more is maintained for 4 seconds or more, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may cut off the power supply to the brush device 2000. Accordingly, when a user performs cleaning with force on a carpet with a long hair length, the load value of the brush device 2000 exceeds 4.9 A soon so that the operation of the brush device 2000 may be stopped. When the operation of the brush device 2000 is stopped, the use needs to turn the power of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 off and then on again, thereby deteriorating usability.

[0248] Referring to 1820 of FIG. 18, even when the load value of the brush device 2000 reaches the high load reference value, before the operation of the brush device 2000 is stopped, the vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may allow the brush device 2000 to exit the overload state by lowering the suction power mode by one step.

[0249] For example, while monitoring the load value of the brush device 2000, when a load value of 4.9 A or more is maintained for 4 seconds or more, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may lower the jet mode to the super power mode, the super power mode to the power mode, or the power mode to the normal mode.

[0250] When the load value of the brush device 2000 is less than 4.9 A for 8 seconds or more after lowering the suction power mode, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may change the suction power mode back to the previous suction power mode. For example, after the jet mode is lowered to the super power mode, when the load value of the brush device 2000 is less than 4.9 A for 8 seconds or more, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may change the super power mode back to the jet mode. Meanwhile, after the suction power mode is returned to the jet mode, when the load value of the brush device 2000 is 4.9 A or more for 4 seconds or more, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may lower the jet mode back to the super power mode. Thereafter, even in the super power mode, when the load value of the brush device 2000 is 4.9 A or more for 4 seconds or more even, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may lower the super power mode to the power mode. Even in the power mode, when the load value of the brush device 2000 is 4.9 A or more for 4 seconds or more, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may lower the power mode to the normal mode (minimum suction power mode). Even in the normal mode, when the load value of the brush device 2000 is 4.9 A or more for 4 seconds or more, as it is not possible to forcibly lower the load value of the brush device 2000 by further lowering the suction power, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may cut off the power supply to the brush device 2000. In this state, the operation of the brush device 2000 may be stopped.

[0251] After cutting off the power supply to the brush device 2000, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may output a notification message to check the state of the brush device 2000 (e.g., a foreign substance jam) through the display or the speaker.

[0252] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may adaptively adjust the suction power mode to prevent the operation of the brush device 2000 from being stopped by the overload. The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described effects, and other various effects that are not described in the disclosure may be clearly understood from the following descriptions (and accompanying drawings) by one skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs.

[0253] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a vacuum cleaner may be provided which identifies the state of a surface to be cleaned (e.g., a hard floor or a carpet) depending on the load of the brush device 2000, and adaptively adjusts the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 depending on the state of the surface to be cleaned.

[0254] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in order to prevent the operation of the brush device 2000 from being unnecessarily frequently stopped, vacuum cleaner may be provided which, when the load value of the brush device 2000 is greater than or equal to a high load reference value for a certain period, adjusts the suction power mode of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 to a suction power mode that is one step lower than the current suction power mode.

[0255] The technical objectives to be achieved by the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described objectives, and other technical objectives that are not mentioned herein would be clearly understood by a person skilled in the art from the description of the present disclosure.

[0256] The vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: the memory 1900 storing a plurality of reference load values corresponding to a plurality of suction power modes; the load detection sensor 1134 used to detect the load of the brush device 2000 connected to the vacuum cleaner main body 1000; and the at least one processor 1010. The at least one processor 1010 may identify a reference load value corresponding to a current suction power mode from among a plurality of reference load values. When the load value of the brush device 2000 obtained through the load detection sensor 1134 exceeds the identified reference load value, the at least one processor 1010 may transmit a signal to set the RPM of the drum 2200 of the brush device 2000 to a first value, to the brush device 2000. When the load value of the brush device 2000 obtained through the load detection sensor 1134 is less than or equal to the identified reference load value, the at least one processor 1010 may transmit a signal to set the RPM of the drum 2200 of the brush device 2000 to a second value that is less than the first value, to the brush device 2000. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may identify the state of a surface to be cleaned (e.g., a hard floor or a carpet) according to the load of the brush device 2000, and may adaptively adjust the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 depending on the state of the surface to be cleaned. For example, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may adjust the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 to be high when the surface to be cleaned is a carpet, and adjust the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 to be low when the surface to be cleaned is a hard floor, thereby preventing the damage to a surface of the hard floor and noise generation. When the drum RPM of the brush device 2000 is adjusted to be lower for the hard floor than the carpet, the friction load of the brush device 2000 may be reduced in the hard floor. Accordingly, by minimizing damage, abrasion, or deformation of drum flannel (bristle), the drum rotating portion, or the product connection portion, the durability of vacuum cleaner may be improved.

[0257] According to an embodiment, a vacuum cleaner may include a vacuum cleaner main body and a brush device connected to the vacuum cleaner main body, the vacuum cleaner including: a load detection sensor configured to detect a load of the brush device connected to the vacuum cleaner main body; at least one processor; and memory storing instructions for processing and controlling the at least one processor, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the vacuum cleaner to: identify a reference load value corresponding to a current suction power mode from among a plurality of reference load values corresponding to a plurality of suction power modes; based on a load value of the brush device obtained through the load detection sensor exceeding the identified reference load value, transmit a signal to the brush device to set revolutions per minute (RPM) of a drum of the brush device to a first value; and based on the load value of the brush device obtained through the load detection sensor being less than or equal to the identified reference load value, transmit, to the brush device, a signal to set the RPM of the drum of the brush device to a second value that is less than the first value setting.

[0258] The brush device 2000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include the identification resistor 2500 that indicates the type of the brush device2000. The vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may easily distinguish the type of the brush device 2000 by using the identification resistor 2500.

[0259] The identification resistor 2500 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be positioned between the power lines 10 and 20 and the signal line 30 within the brush device 2000. The voltage value input to the input port of at least one processor 1010 may decrease as the value of the identification resistor 2500 increases. For example, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may identify the type of the brush device 2000 by using the voltage value input to the input port of the first processor 1131 through the signal line 30.

[0260] The at least one processor 1010 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may determine the type of the brush device 2000 including the identification resistor 2500 corresponding to the voltage value input to the input port through the signal line 30. when the determined type of the brush device 2000 is the multi-brush 401 that is used for both of a hard floor and a carpet, the at least one processor 1010 may identify a reference load value corresponding to a current suction power mode from among a plurality of reference load values. In the case of the multi-brush 401, as there is substantial benefit in distinguishing whether the surface to be cleaned is a carpet or a hard floor, when the brush device 2000 connected to the vacuum cleaner is the multi-brush 401, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may select a reference load value corresponding to the current suction power mode to distinguish the state of a surface to be cleaned.

[0261] When the load value of the brush device 2000 obtained through the load detection sensor 1134 exceeds the identified reference load value, the at least one processor 1010 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may identify the state of a surface to be cleaned as a carpet. When the load value of the brush device 2000 obtained through the load detection sensor 1134 is less than or equal to the identified reference load value, the at least one processor 1010 may identify the state of a surface to be cleaned as a hard floor. The at least one processor 1010 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may identify whether the surface to be cleaned is a hard floor or a carpet by comparing the load value of the brush device 2000 with a reference load value corresponding to the current suction power mode.

[0262] The at least one processor 1010 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may transmit a signal to set the RPM of the drum 2200 of the brush device 2000 to a first value or a second value, to the brush device 2000, through the signal line 30 that is different from the power lines 10 and 20 through which power is supplied from the battery 1500. The at least one processor 1010 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may communicate with the brush device 2000 through the signal-line communication instead of the power line communication, thereby enabling stable communication without affecting the power supply to the brush device 2000.

[0263] The at least one processor 1010 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may receive a signal indicating the current RPM of the drum 2200 from the brush device 2000 through the signal line 30. The at least one processor 1010 of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may receive information about the current RPM from the brush device 2000 so as to monitor the state of the brush device 2000.

[0264] The reference load value according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may increase as the strength of the suction power of the current suction power mode increases. As the reference load value according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may vary depending on the suction power mode, a table defining reference load values for each suction power mode may be stored in the memory 1900.

[0265] The at least one processor 1010 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may receive a data signal indicating the type of the brush device 2000 from the brush device 2000. The at least one processor 1010 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may identify the type of the brush device 2000 by receiving the data signal indicating the type of the brush device 2000 from the brush device 2000.

[0266] The first value according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be one of values between 3000 RPM and 4000 RPM. For example, the first value may be 3800 RPM. The second value according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be one of values between 000 RPM and 2500 RPM. For example, the second value may be 2000 RPM.

[0267] When the load value of the brush device 2000 obtained through the load detection sensor 1134 is greater than or equal to the high load reference value for a certain period, the at least one processor 1010 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may adjust the suction power mode of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 to a suction power mode that is one step lower than the current suction power mode. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the brush device 2000 is in the overload state, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may forcibly lower the load of the brush device 2000 by lowering the suction power. Accordingly, the operation of the brush device 2000 may be prevented from being frequently stopped, and damage to the motor 2100 of the brush device 2000 due to the overload may be prevented.

[0268] When the load value of the brush device 2000 is greater than or equal to the high load reference value for the first period, the at least one processor 1010 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may determine whether the current suction power mode is the minimum suction power mode. When the current suction power mode is not the minimum suction power mode, the at least one processor 1010 may adjust the suction power mode of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 to a second suction power mode that is one step lower than the first suction power mode that is the current suction power mode.

[0269] When the current suction power mode is the minimum suction power mode, the at least one processor 1010 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may cut off the power supply from the battery 1500 to the brush device 2000. When the current suction power mode is the minimum suction power mode, as it is not possible to further lower the suction power, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may cut off the power supply to the brush device 2000 so as to protect the brush device 2000 from the overload.

[0270] The at least one processor 1010 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may control the output interface to output a notification message requesting a check of the state of the brush device 2000. A user may monitor the state of the brush device 2000 (e.g., a foreign substance jam) by checking the notification message.

[0271] When the load value of the brush device 2000 obtained in the second suction power mode is less than the high load reference value for the second period, the at least one processor 1010 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may change the second suction power mode back to the first suction power mode. When the brush device 2000 exits the overload state by lowering the suction power mode, the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 may return to the previous suction power mode so as to increase cleaning efficiency.

[0272] When the load value of the brush device 2000 obtained in the second suction power mode is greater than or equal to the high load reference value for the first period, the at least one processor 1010 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may adjust the suction power mode of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 to the third suction power mode that is one step lower than the second suction power mode. When the second suction power mode is not the minimum suction power mode, in order to further reduce the load of the brush device 2000, the at least one processor 1010 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may adjust the suction power mode of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 to the third suction power mode that is one step lower than the second suction power mode.

[0273] The at least one processor 1010 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may identify the type of the brush device 2000. The at least one processor 1010 may select a high load reference value corresponding to the type of the brush device 2000.

[0274] A method of controlling, by a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the brush device 2000 may include: identifying a reference load value corresponding to the current suction power mode from among a plurality of reference load values stored in memory 1900; when the load value of the brush device 2000 obtained through the load detection sensor 1134 exceeds the identified reference load value, transmitting a signal to set the RPM of the drum 2200 of the brush device 2000 to a first value, to the brush device 2000; and when the load value of the brush device 2000 obtained through the load detection sensor 1134 is less than or equal to the identified reference load value, transmitting a signal to set the RPM of the drum 2200 of the brush device 2000 to a second value that is less than the first value, to the brush device 2000.

[0275] According to an embodiment, a method of controlling, by a vacuum cleaner, a brush device, the vacuum cleaner including a vacuum cleaner main body and the brush device connected to the vacuum cleaner main body, may include: identifying a reference load value corresponding to a current suction power mode from among a plurality of reference load values corresponding to a plurality of suction power modes; based on a load value of the brush device obtained through a load detection sensor of the vacuum cleaner main body exceeding the identified reference load value, transmitting, to the brush device, a signal to set revolutions per minute (RPM) of a drum of the brush device to a first value; and based on the load value of the brush device obtained through the load detection sensor being less than or equal to the identified reference load value, transmitting, to the brush device, a signal to set the RPM of the drum of the brush device to a second value that is less than the first value.

[0276] In the method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the load value of the brush device 2000 obtained through the load detection sensor 1134 is greater than or equal to a high load reference value for a first period, determining whether the current suction power mode is a minimum suction power mode; and when the current suction power mode is not the minimum suction power mode, adjusting the suction power mode of the vacuum cleaner main body 1000 to a second suction power mode that is one step lower than the first suction power mode that is the current suction power mode.

[0277] The method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may further include, when the load value of the brush device 2000 obtained in the second suction power mode is less than the high load reference value for the second period, changing the second suction power mode back to the first suction power mode.

[0278] A device-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, the ‘non-transitory storage medium’ is a tangible device and only means that it does not contain a signal (e.g., electromagnetic waves). This term does not distinguish a case in which data is stored semi-permanently in a storage medium from a case in which data is temporarily stored. For example, the ‘non-transitory storage medium’ may include a buffer in which data is temporarily stored.

[0279] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the methods according to various embodiments disclosed herein may be included in a computer program product and then provided. The computer program products may be traded as commodities between sellers and buyers. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM) or a universal serial bus (USB) flash drive), or may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) through an application store or directly between two user devices (e.g., smart phones). In a case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product (e.g., a downloadable app) may be temporarily stored in a machine-readable storage medium such as a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a memory of a relay server.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising a vacuum cleaner main body and a brush device connected to the vacuum cleaner main body, the vacuum cleaner comprising:a load detection sensor configured to detect a load of the brush device connected to the vacuum cleaner main body;at least one processor; andmemory storing instructions for processing and controlling the at least one processor,wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the vacuum cleaner to:identify a reference load value corresponding to a current suction power mode from among a plurality of reference load values corresponding to a plurality of suction power modes;based on a load value of the brush device obtained through the load detection sensor exceeding the identified reference load value, transmit a signal to the brush device to set revolutions per minute (RPM) of a drum of the brush device to a first value; andbased on the load value of the brush device obtained through the load detection sensor being less than or equal to the identified reference load value, transmit, to the brush device, a signal to set the RPM of the drum of the brush device to a second value that is less than the first value setting.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the brush device comprises an identification resistor indicating a type of the brush device and the identification resistor is positioned between power lines and a signal line within the brush device, andwherein a voltage value input to an input port of the at least one processor decreases as a value of the identification resistor increases.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the vacuum cleaner to:identify the type of the brush device including the identification resistor that corresponds to the voltage value input to the input port through the signal line; andbased on the identified type of the brush device being a multi-brush that is used for both of a hard floor and a carpet, identify the reference load value corresponding to the current suction power mode from among the plurality of reference load values.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 3, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the vacuum cleaner to:based on the load value of the brush device obtained through the load detection sensor exceeding the identified reference load value, identify a state of a surface to be cleaned as the carpet; andbased on the load value of the brush device obtained through the load detection sensor being less than or equal to the identified reference load value, identify the state of the surface to be cleaned as the hard floor.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the vacuum cleaner to:transmit, to the brush device through the signal line that is different from the power lines through which power is supplied from a battery, a signal to set to the RPM of the drum of the brush device to the first value or the second value; andreceive, from the brush device through the signal line, a signal indicating a current RPM of the drum.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the reference load value increases as strength of suction power of the current suction power mode increases.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 5, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the vacuum cleaner to:receive, from the brush device through the signal line, a data signal indicating the type of the brush device.

8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the first value is between 3000 RPM and 4000 RPM, andwherein the second value is between 1000 RPM and 2500 RPM.

9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the vacuum cleaner to,based on the load value of the brush device obtained through the load detection sensor being greater than or equal to a high load reference value for a certain period, adjust a suction power mode of the vacuum cleaner main body to a suction power mode that is one step lower than the current suction power mode.

10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the vacuum cleaner to:based on the load value of the brush device being greater than or equal to the high load reference value for a first period, identify whether the current suction power mode is a minimum suction power mode;based on the current suction power mode not being the minimum suction power mode, adjust the suction power mode of the vacuum cleaner main body to a second suction power mode that is one step lower than a first suction power mode that is the current suction power mode; andbased on the current suction power mode being the minimum suction power mode, cut off power supply from a battery to the brush device.

11. The vacuum cleaner of claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the vacuum cleaner to:control an output interface to output a notification message requesting a check of a state of the brush device.

12. The vacuum cleaner of claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the vacuum cleaner to,based on the load value of the brush device obtained in the second suction power mode being less than the high load reference value for a second period, change the second suction power mode back to a first suction power mode.

13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the vacuum cleaner to,based on the load value of the brush device obtained in the second suction power mode being greater than or equal to the high load reference value for the first period, adjust the suction power mode of the vacuum cleaner main body to a third suction power mode that is one step lower than the second suction power mode.

14. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the vacuum cleaner to:identify the type of the brush device; andselect the high load reference value corresponding to the type of the brush device.

15. A method of controlling, by a vacuum cleaner, a brush device, the vacuum cleaner including a vacuum cleaner main body and the brush device connected to the vacuum cleaner main body, the method comprising:identifying a reference load value corresponding to a current suction power mode from among a plurality of reference load values corresponding to a plurality of suction power modes;based on a load value of the brush device obtained through a load detection sensor of the vacuum cleaner main body exceeding the identified reference load value, transmitting, to the brush device, a signal to set revolutions per minute (RPM) of a drum of the brush device to a first value; andbased on the load value of the brush device obtained through the load detection sensor being less than or equal to the identified reference load value, transmitting, to the brush device, a signal to set the RPM of the drum of the brush device to a second value that is less than the first value.

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