Floor Cleaning Robot Path Tracking for Precise Area Definition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current floor cleaning systems with self-driving robots are not user-friendly for selecting and cleaning larger areas, as the Spot Cleaning function is limited to small areas and requires manual navigation, making it laborious and unmanageable.
Innovation Solution
A floor cleaning system comprising a mobile self-driving apparatus and a portable additional apparatus that allows users to define cleaning paths using a position determination unit, enabling flexible and precise selection of cleaning areas without software-defined routes, allowing for intuitive and simple control over the cleaning process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If Spot Cleaning function is used through app with area center point specification, then cleaning of small areas is enabled, but the area is limited to below 1.2m×1.2m and larger areas cannot be covered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static, fixed-size cleaning area definition into a dynamic, user-definable path. The robot follows a cleaning path recorded by the user's movements, allowing the cleaning area to adapt dynamically to any size and shape the user desires, rather than being constrained to predetermined small rectangular areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from defining cleaning areas through 2D coordinate points (center point with zoom level) to defining them through 1D temporal paths (sequence of positions over time). This dimensional shift allows users to define arbitrary shapes and sizes by tracing the boundary or path through space, effectively adding the dimension of time/movement to the area definition process.
2Ease of operation
If Spot Cleaning function is selected without app, then cleaning can be started, but the user must manually carry the robot to the desired area and back, making the process laborious and unmanageable
Solution Approach 1:
The robot performs self-navigation to the cleaning area automatically. Instead of requiring the user to manually transport the robot, the system enables the robot to autonomously navigate to the starting position and follow the defined cleaning path, making the robot serve itself in terms of positioning and movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The user preliminarily defines the cleaning path before the robot executes the cleaning task. By recording the desired cleaning path in advance through user movement, the system prepares the navigation route beforehand, allowing the robot to simply follow the pre-defined path without requiring real-time user guidance or manual positioning.
3Adaptability or versatility
If Spot Cleaning is defined through app zoom and finger selection, then area selection is possible, but the accuracy depends on zoom level and finger size, reducing precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical interaction of finger touching and dragging on a touchscreen with a motion-based recording system. Instead of using finger size and touchscreen resolution to define areas, the system uses the user's physical movement through space (captured by position determination unit) to define the cleaning path, substituting mechanical touch input with motion tracking.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital copy or representation of the user's physical movement path. By recording the sequence of positions as the user moves through the cleaning area, the system generates an accurate digital model of the desired cleaning path, which can then be executed by the robot with high precision regardless of the user's finger size or touchscreen zoom level.
Data Source
AI summary
A floor cleaning system includes a mobile, self-driving apparatus and a portable additional apparatus for a user. The self-driving apparatus, in particular, is a cleaning apparatus for autonomous treatment of floor areas, such as a vacuuming robot and/or sweeping robot and/or wiping robot. The user apparatus has an operating unit, a communication unit, and a position detection unit. Using the position detection unit, the user defines the floor area to be cleaned in that the user walks, with the additional apparatus, along a cleaning path or delimiting path that can be transmitted to the mobile, self-driving apparatus in order for the mobile, self-driving apparatus to clean along the cleaning path or to clean the floor area included within the delimiting path in accordance with a cleaning request. There is also described a method for the automatic treatment of floor areas with the aid of the floor cleaning system.