Autonomous Traveler Mapping for Intrusion Prohibition Areas

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for setting a travelable area for autonomous vacuum cleaners require constant arrangement of devices or complex input using electronic devices, making it difficult to easily set and manage intrusion prohibition areas.

Innovation Solution

An autonomous traveler equipped with an information acquisition part, map storage part, and travel control part that creates and stores a base map of the travel area, allowing for autonomous navigation and obstacle detection, enabling the setting of intrusion prohibition areas without the need for constant device arrangement or complex input.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a setting device for outputting infrared rays or magnetic force lines is arranged in the room to set a virtual wall, then the intrusion prohibition area can be set, but the device needs to be arranged in the room at all times which increases device complexity and reduces ease of operation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveintrusion prohibition area settingVSAvoidsetting device arrangement

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the setting device from the room environment and replaces it with portable markers that can be temporarily placed. The autonomous traveler carries its own setting markers, eliminating the need for permanent infrared or magnetic force line devices in the room.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The autonomous traveler performs the area setting operation itself by carrying and placing setting markers during its autonomous operation. This self-service capability eliminates the need for separate setting devices to be arranged in the room.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of operation

If an electronic device such as a smartphone is used to set an intrusion prohibition area on a room map, then the setting can be done remotely, but the input and setting process becomes complicated which reduces ease of operation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveremote setting capabilityVSAvoidinput and setting process

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The autonomous traveler autonomously performs the area setting operation by carrying and placing setting markers during its cleaning operation. This eliminates the need for complex smartphone operations, map inputs, and electronic configuration processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces complex electronic setting operations with simple physical marker placement. Instead of requiring users to interact with electronic interfaces, maps, and coordinates, the system uses tangible markers that define the prohibited area through simple physical placement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS11137769B2Autonomous traveler and travel control method i'hereof

Publication Date: 2021.10.05 MIDEA GROUP CO LTD

AI summary

An autonomous traveler 1 includes an information acquisition part 11, a map storage part 12 and a travel control part 7. The information acquisition part 11 acquires information on a traveling area. The map storage part 12 creates and stores a base map, by determining the traveling area on the basis of the information acquired by the information acquisition part 11 at a predetermined timing. The travel control part 7 controls traveling on the basis of a map stored in the map storage part 12. The travel control part 7 controls the traveling on the basis of the base map, even when a traveling obstacle stored in the base map is removed.