Mute Cleaning Path Control for Low-Noise Robot Vacuums

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Solution Overview

Problem

Automatic cleaning devices, such as vacuum and mopping robots, generate significant noise during operation, disrupting users' normal activities.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus for conducting a mute operation on cleaning devices, which involves receiving a mute instruction, determining a mute cleaning path, and switching to a mute mode to reduce noise while maintaining cleaning effectiveness by adjusting the cleaning path and power usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the cleaning device operates at full power to maintain cleaning effectiveness, then the cleaning performance is improved, but the noise level increases and disturbs users

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning effectivenessVSAvoidnoise pollution
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cleaning device dynamically adjusts its operating parameters by switching between normal mode and mute mode based on user presence detection. In mute mode, the device reduces power consumption and noise output while maintaining basic cleaning functionality, resolving the contradiction between cleaning effectiveness and noise reduction through adaptive operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The device changes operational parameters when entering mute mode, including reducing motor power, adjusting brush rotation speed, and modifying cleaning path algorithms to be less disruptive. These parameter changes allow the device to maintain acceptable cleaning performance while significantly reducing noise levels to protect user comfort

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the cleaning device reduces power to minimize noise, then the noise pollution is reduced, but the cleaning effectiveness deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenoise pollutionVSAvoidcleaning effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The device performs preliminary detection of user presence using sensors before initiating mute mode. By detecting users in advance through cameras, infrared sensors, or other detection mechanisms, the device can prepare the mute cleaning path and adjust power levels proactively, ensuring that noise reduction does not compromise cleaning effectiveness in occupied areas

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The device introduces an intermediary control system that manages the transition between normal and mute modes. This control system processes sensor data, determines user presence, and orchestrates the coordinated adjustment of multiple subsystems (motor speed, brush rotation, navigation path) to maintain cleaning effectiveness while reducing noise through balanced parameter optimization

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If the cleaning device operates normally without mode switching, then the cleaning efficiency is maintained, but the user experience deteriorates due to noise disruption

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning efficiencyVSAvoiduser disturbance
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cleaning device implements dynamic mode switching between normal operation and mute operation based on real-time user presence detection. This dynamic adaptability allows the device to maintain high cleaning efficiency in unoccupied areas while automatically reducing noise in occupied areas, thus preserving both productivity and user experience through context-aware operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS9962055B2Mute operation method and apparatus for automatic cleaning device
Publication Date: 2018.05.08 XIAOMI INC

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a mute operation method and a mute operation apparatus for an automatic cleaning device, the mute operation method includes: receiving a mute instruction; planning a mute cleaning path according to the mute instruction; switching to a mute mode and performing a cleaning operation according to the mute cleaning path.