Robot Cleaner Edge Cleaning with Auxiliary Brush Fault Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional robot cleaners face inefficiencies in cleaning edge areas when auxiliary cleaning units malfunction, as they are unable to effectively reach and clean portions of the floor adjacent to obstacles or walls due to errors in these units.
Innovation Solution
The robot cleaner is equipped with sensing units that monitor the extension, retraction, and rotation states of auxiliary cleaning units, allowing the control unit to detect malfunctions and adjust its travel path to ensure efficient cleaning by utilizing the operational auxiliary cleaning units to reach edge areas, employing travel modes such as wall tracing, zigzag, and spiral patterns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the robot cleaner uses auxiliary cleaning units to clean edge areas, then cleaning effectiveness for edge areas is improved, but when auxiliary cleaning units malfunction, cleaning effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where sensors continuously monitor the operational status of auxiliary cleaning units and provide real-time information to the control unit. When malfunction is detected, the system automatically adjusts travel patterns to compensate, ensuring cleaning effectiveness is maintained despite the complexity of the monitoring system.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot cleaner performs self-diagnosis of its auxiliary cleaning units through integrated sensors that detect operational status. The system automatically identifies malfunctions and self-adjusts its cleaning strategy without external intervention, maintaining reliability while managing device complexity through autonomous operation.
2Area of stationary object
If the robot cleaner travels adjacent to edge areas, then coverage of cleaning region is improved, but when auxiliary cleaning units malfunction, cleaning of edge areas becomes ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic travel pattern adjustment based on real-time sensor feedback. When auxiliary cleaning units are detected as malfunctioning, the control unit dynamically modifies the robot's travel path and speed to optimize cleaning coverage of edge areas, ensuring that the cleaning region coverage is maintained while adapting to the reduced cleaning capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters such as travel speed, path planning, and cleaning pattern based on the functional status of auxiliary cleaning units. By adjusting these parameters dynamically, the robot maintains effective cleaning of edge areas even when some auxiliary units are malfunctioning, preserving overall cleaning effectiveness across the entire cleaning region.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the robot cleaner employs multiple travel patterns, then adaptability to different cleaning scenarios is improved, but control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control logic into distinct modules, each responsible for a specific travel pattern (e.g., wall-following, random, systematic cleaning). The control unit selects and executes appropriate segments based on sensor feedback and cleaning requirements, making the complex control system more manageable and adaptable to different scenarios without overwhelming complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system is designed with universal functionality to execute multiple travel patterns using a single integrated control unit. This multi-functional approach allows the robot to adapt to various cleaning scenarios (open spaces, narrow corridors, around obstacles) while avoiding the need for separate dedicated control systems for each pattern, thus managing complexity effectively.
Data Source
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AI summary
A robot cleaner (1) and a control method for the same are disclosed. The robot cleaner and control method are capable of detecting malfunction of an auxiliary cleaning unit (110a,100b), and controlling travel of the robot cleaner (1) in accordance with the detection result, to achieve efficient cleaning of an edge area even when there is an error in the auxiliary cleaning unit (110a,100b). The robot cleaner (1) includes a plurality of auxiliary cleaning units (110a,100b) mounted to a bottom portion of the robot cleaner (1) such that the auxiliary cleaning units (110a,100b) are extendable and retractable, a sensing unit to sense an extension, retraction, or rotation state of each of the auxiliary cleaning units (110a,100b), and a control unit to determine whether the auxiliary cleaning units (110a,100b) operate normally, based on a sensing result of the sensing unit, and to control travel of the robot cleaner (1), based on a result of the determination.