Settings for mobile robot control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing autonomous mobile robots lack the ability to customize cleaning settings for different rooms with varying floor types and characteristics, leading to inefficient cleaning operations.
Innovation Solution
A mobile application allows users to select and customize cleaning settings for specific rooms through a user interface on a handheld device, enabling options such as vacuuming mode, mopping mode, number of vacuuming passes, fluid dispensing rate, and mopping overlap percentage, which are then applied to the mobile cleaning robot.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the mobile robot uses uniform cleaning settings for all rooms, then the device complexity is reduced and operation is simplified, but the cleaning effectiveness and efficiency deteriorate due to inability to adapt to different room characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cleaning environment into multiple rooms, each with its own customizable cleaning settings. The map display divides the overall cleaning area into distinct room regions, allowing users to assign different cleaning parameters (vacuuming passes, mopping overlap, fluid dispensing rates) to each room. This segmentation enables adaptability to different room characteristics while keeping the control interface organized and manageable through the map-based visualization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by allowing different cleaning settings to be applied to different rooms based on their specific characteristics. Users can customize vacuuming passes for carpeted rooms, adjust mopping overlap for hard floors, and set appropriate fluid dispensing rates for each room type. This localized customization optimizes cleaning effectiveness for each specific area without requiring uniform settings across the entire environment.
2Reliability
If the mobile robot allows extensive customization of cleaning settings for each room, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to increased complexity of setting configuration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions the control interface from traditional linear or hierarchical menus to a two-dimensional map display representation. Users interact with room settings by selecting rooms directly on the visual map, which provides spatial context and intuitive navigation. This dimensional change makes it easier to understand the overall cleaning configuration at a glance and simplifies the process of modifying settings for specific rooms while maintaining comprehensive customization capabilities.
3Productivity
If the mobile robot performs comprehensive cleaning operations in all rooms, then the productivity is improved, but the loss of time increases due to repeated passes and overlapping operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of cleaning parameters based on room-specific settings. The robot adapts its operation by varying the number of vacuuming passes, mopping overlap percentage, and fluid dispensing rates according to the configured settings for each room. This dynamic behavior allows the robot to optimize cleaning thoroughness for high-traffic or heavily soiled rooms while reducing passes in lightly used areas, thereby improving overall productivity without excessive time consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of operating a mobile cleaning robot system including a mobile cleaning robot and a display device can include displaying a room cleaning settings indication selectable to set one or more cleaning settings for a previously-mapped specified room. When the room cleaning settings indication is selected, a cleaning mode indication can be displayed where the cleaning mode indication is selectable to set a cleaning mode setting of the specified room.