Floor-cleaning system, floor-cleaning apparatus, and method for operating a floor-cleaning system or a floor-cleaning apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing floor cleaning systems lack a user-friendly method for specifying and managing complex cleaning tasks across multiple areas, requiring manual input and navigation for autonomous cleaning apparatuses.
Innovation Solution
A self-propelled and self-steering floor cleaning system that uses a sensor unit to detect landmarks and associate them with cleaning paths, allowing users to link paths for sequential processing and automatic task execution, with a display unit for user-friendly task creation and navigation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If cleaning paths are manually specified and linked for complex cleaning tasks, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the need for landmark detection and path association systems
Solution Approach 1:
The floor cleaning apparatus automatically detects landmarks using its sensor unit and autonomously associates cleaning paths with these landmarks without requiring manual programming. The system self-configures by detecting the environment, identifying characteristic landmarks, and automatically linking cleaning paths to them, thereby improving ease of operation while avoiding the complexity of manual path specification interfaces
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary landmark detection and path association during the teaching phase or initial setup. By pre-detecting landmarks and pre-associating cleaning paths with them before actual cleaning operations begin, the system simplifies subsequent task execution and reduces the complexity of real-time decision-making during cleaning operations
2Productivity
If multiple cleaning paths are associated with landmarks for sequential processing, then the productivity is improved, but the loss of information increases due to the complexity of managing path associations
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor unit continuously detects landmarks during cleaning operations and provides feedback to the control unit. This feedback mechanism ensures that the apparatus maintains accurate information about its position relative to landmarks and associated cleaning paths, preventing information loss by constantly verifying and updating path associations based on real-time landmark detection
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates and stores digital representations (copies) of cleaning paths and their associations with landmarks in memory. These digital copies preserve all path association information without physical degradation, allowing the system to retain complete task information across multiple operations and preventing information loss through redundant digital storage
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a floor cleaning system comprising a self-propelled and self-steering floor cleaning apparatus, at least one controllable display unit, and at least one storage unit, wherein the floor cleaning apparatus comprises a running gear for traveling on a floor surface, a control unit, a sensor unit, at least one cleaning unit, and an operating unit, wherein an environment is detectable by means of the sensor unit in order to locate and/or navigate the floor cleaning apparatus, in particular during movement, wherein cleaning paths for the floor cleaning apparatus are stored in the at least one storage unit with respective information about a route and preferably the use of at least one cleaning unit, wherein a cleaning task is specifiable by a user on the operating unit by linking two or more cleaning paths to be processed successively, and the cleaning task is automatically processable by the floor cleaning apparatus, wherein at least one characteristic landmark that is detectable by means of the sensor unit is stored in the storage unit and is associated with two or more cleaning paths, wherein a start position and/or an end position of a respective cleaning path is located on or at the landmark, and wherein a selection of the cleaning paths associated with the respective landmark is providable to the user on the at least one display unit. The invention further relates to a floor cleaning apparatus and to a method for operating a floor cleaning system or a floor cleaning apparatus.