Floor Cleaning System with User-Triggered Localized Cleaning Orders
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing floor cleaning systems lack the ability to perform targeted and needs-based cleaning, often requiring comprehensive cleaning of large areas rather than addressing isolated dirt spots efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A floor cleaning system that allows users to transmit specific cleaning orders to a self-propelled and self-steering cleaning device, which moves to the user's location on the floor surface to clean, using a portable additional device with localization and communication elements to determine and navigate to the precise cleaning area, and equipped with imaging and dirt detection capabilities for targeted cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If comprehensive cleaning of large floor areas is performed, then complete coverage is achieved, but time and energy consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from uniform comprehensive cleaning to localized targeted cleaning. The portable device enables users to send cleaning requests for specific dirt spots or areas, allowing the autonomous cleaning device to focus only on contaminated locations rather than cleaning the entire floor surface, thus resolving the contradiction between complete coverage and time consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection and identification of dirty areas before cleaning. The portable device with imaging unit captures images of the floor surface, identifies contaminated areas, and transmits cleaning requests to the autonomous device, which then navigates to and cleans only those specific areas, avoiding unnecessary cleaning of already clean surfaces
2Reliability
If comprehensive cleaning of large floor areas is performed, then complete coverage is achieved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements localized cleaning operations instead of comprehensive area cleaning. By using the portable device to identify and transmit cleaning requests for specific contaminated spots, the autonomous cleaning device consumes energy only when and where needed, significantly reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining effective cleaning coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial cleaning action by cleaning only the necessary contaminated areas rather than the entire floor surface. The imaging unit identifies specific dirt spots, and the autonomous device cleans only those areas, performing exactly the amount of cleaning needed without excessive energy expenditure on already clean surfaces
3Productivity
If isolated dirt spots are cleaned selectively, then time and energy are saved, but cleaning coverage is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service cleaning where the portable device with imaging unit autonomously detects, identifies, and transmits cleaning requests for contaminated areas. The autonomous cleaning device then independently navigates to and cleans the identified spots, creating a self-regulating system that maintains appropriate cleaning coverage based on actual needs rather than predetermined schedules
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback through the imaging unit that continuously monitors the floor surface for contamination. When dirt spots are detected, the system receives feedback and automatically initiates cleaning requests, creating a closed-loop control system that adjusts cleaning coverage dynamically based on actual floor conditions, thereby maintaining productivity while ensuring adequate coverage
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a floor-cleaning system, comprising a self-propelled and self-steering floor-cleaning apparatus (12) for cleaning a floor surface (20), which floor-cleaning apparatus has a control unit (32), a controllable chassis (30), at least one cleaning unit (34), a locating component (64), and a communication component (66); and a portable auxiliary apparatus (14) for a user (16), which auxiliary apparatus has an operating unit (76), a control unit (70), and a communication component (72), wherein a cleaning order to the floor-cleaning apparatus (12) to clean the floor surface (20) at the user location can be triggered by the user (16) by means of the operating unit (76) and said cleaning order can be transmitted to the floor-cleaning apparatus (12), wherein position information concerning the user location can be transferred to the floor-cleaning apparatus (12), and wherein the floor-cleaning apparatus (12) can be moved to the user location and the floor surface (20) at the user location can be cleaned by means of the at least one cleaning unit (34) in accordance with the cleaning order. The invention further relates to a method for floor cleaning.