Robot Cleaner Travel Pattern Switching for Automatic Spot Cleaning
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional robot cleaners are unable to change their cleaning patterns based on their starting position, leading to user inconvenience as they cannot automatically remove dust accumulated at their current location, requiring manual intervention for spot cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A robot cleaner equipped with sensors to detect its charging status and a controller that adjusts the cleaning pattern to perform a spot cleaning process if started outside the charger, using patterns like square spiral or curved spiral, before transitioning to automatic cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the robot cleaner uses a fixed traveling pattern (lattice-shaped or random) regardless of starting position, then the cleaning process is simple to control, but the robot cannot efficiently remove dust accumulated at its current position when started outside the charger
Solution Approach 1:
The robot cleaner dynamically changes its traveling pattern based on its starting position. When started outside the charger, it switches to a spot cleaning pattern that concentrates on the current position, whereas when started at the charger, it uses conventional lattice-shaped or random patterns. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by making the system both simple to control (automatic pattern selection) and productive (efficient spot cleaning when needed).
Solution Approach 2:
The controller changes the traveling pattern parameters based on the detected starting position. The system detects whether the robot is at the charger or outside, and accordingly adjusts the cleaning pattern parameters - using spot cleaning patterns (concentrated on current position) when outside the charger, and conventional patterns when at the charger. This parameter change enables the robot to maintain simplicity of operation while improving dust removal efficiency at the current position.
2Productivity
If the robot cleaner automatically performs spot cleaning when started outside the charger, then dust removal efficiency at current position is improved, but the cleaning system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The robot cleaner autonomously determines whether to perform spot cleaning based on its own position relative to the charger. The cleaning unit itself detects its starting position and automatically selects the appropriate cleaning pattern without requiring user intervention or complex external control systems. This self-service approach improves dust removal efficiency while minimizing the added complexity, as the decision-making logic is embedded within the robot's own control system.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller uses feedback from the position detection system (which detects whether the robot is at the charger or outside) to automatically select the appropriate cleaning pattern. This feedback mechanism allows the system to improve productivity by performing spot cleaning when needed, while keeping the control complexity manageable through automatic, rule-based pattern selection rather than requiring complex user input or external control.
3Productivity
If the robot cleaner uses a spot cleaning function to preferentially clean specific positions, then dust removal at specific locations is improved, but users may not know how to use or frequently use this function
Solution Approach 1:
The robot cleaner automatically activates spot cleaning functionality based on its detected starting position, eliminating the need for users to know how or when to use the spot cleaning function. When the robot detects it has been started outside the charger, it automatically performs spot cleaning at its current position. This self-service approach maintains high spot cleaning effectiveness while dramatically improving ease of operation, as the system makes the cleaning decision autonomously without requiring user knowledge or intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
A robot cleaner to perform a cleaning process by changing a traveling pattern according to a cleaning start position and a method for controlling the same are disclosed. The robot cleaner recognizes a current position of the robot cleaner upon receiving the automatic cleaning command. If the automatic cleaning process starts from the charger, the robot cleaner performs the automatic cleaning process using a conventional cleaning method. Otherwise, if the automatic cleaning process starts from the outside of the charger, the robot cleaner changes a traveling pattern, performs the spot cleaning process and then selectively performs the automatic cleaning process.