Autonomous Charging Search With Straight and Wall-Following Travel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous traveling body devices, such as vacuum cleaners, face challenges in efficiently finding a charging station, especially in environments with multiple divided regions, as they consume battery power during cleaning and travel, necessitating a quicker and more efficient method to locate the charging device.
Innovation Solution
The autonomous traveling body device employs a control unit that switches between two traveling modes: a straight traveling mode for open spaces and a curved traveling mode along objects, allowing it to search for the charging station by alternating between these modes based on detection of radio signals and object proximity, ensuring efficient navigation across regions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the autonomous traveling body uses only straight traveling mode to search for the charging device, then the device can travel efficiently in open spaces, but it cannot effectively search in environments with multiple divided regions or obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the traveling mode adjustable and switchable based on environmental conditions. The control unit dynamically switches between first traveling mode (straight motion) and second traveling mode (curved motion along walls) depending on whether the charging device is detected and whether the environment requires wall-following behavior. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between efficient straight-line travel and adaptability to complex environments with multiple regions.
2Productivity
If the autonomous traveling body switches between first and second traveling modes, then it can adapt to different environments and find the charging device more efficiently, but the control system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the search process into distinct phases with different traveling modes. The first traveling mode handles open space navigation, while the second traveling mode handles wall-following in divided regions. The control unit segments the overall task into detect-charge phases, switching between modes based on detection results. This segmentation manages control complexity by creating clear, discrete operational states rather than continuous complex decision-making.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the control unit pre-establish switching criteria and mode transition rules. Before actual searching begins, the system is configured with the logic for when to switch between modes (when charging device is/not detected, when in divided regions). This preliminary setup simplifies real-time control by using pre-determined switching conditions rather than complex real-time calculations.
3Reliability
If the autonomous traveling body takes a longer time to find the charging device, then it can thoroughly search the environment, but the battery is consumed more, reducing operational efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action through the alternating use of first and second traveling modes during the search process. The control unit periodically switches between straight traveling and wall-following modes based on detection cycles. This periodic switching allows the system to efficiently cover both open spaces and divided regions without excessive battery consumption, achieving a balance between search thoroughness and energy efficiency by not continuously using the more energy-intensive wall-following mode.
Data Source
AI summary
In a first mode, a control unit controls operation of driving wheels so that a main casing is made to travel straight and, upon detection of an object by an object sensor, the main casing is changed in traveling direction and made to travel straight. In a second mode, the control unit controls the operation of the driving wheels so that the main casing travels in a curved shape along an object detected by the object sensor. When a charging device is not found by a signal reception part during traveling within a region by the first mode, the control unit is changed over to the second mode. The control unit is changed over to the first mode when it is decided a specified number of times or more that the main casing has moved to a different region by the second mode.