Robot Vacuum Cleaner Dust Removal Before Charging Station Contact

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing robot vacuum cleaners accumulate dust near charging stations as they return, leading to inefficiencies and increased manufacturing costs for charging stations.

Innovation Solution

A robot vacuum cleaner equipped with a processor and memory that allows it to perform a dust removal operation when within a critical distance of the charging station, ensuring dust is cleared before contact.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the robot vacuum cleaner returns to the charging station by dragging collected dust, then the robot vacuum cleaner can return to charge, but dust accumulates near the charging station

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecharging functionVSAvoiddust accumulation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The robot vacuum cleaner performs a dust removal operation before returning to the charging station. When the distance to the charging station is less than or equal to a critical distance, the processor controls the suction unit or side brush to remove dust around the robot, preventing dust accumulation at the charging station.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Object-affected harmful factors

If dust removal methods are implemented at the charging station, then dust can be removed, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedust removalVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The robot vacuum cleaner performs dust removal operations using its own suction unit and side brush components. The processor controls these existing components to clean dust around the robot before returning to the charging station, eliminating the need for additional dust removal equipment at the charging station.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the robot vacuum cleaner performs dust removal operation before returning, then dust accumulation is prevented, but operation time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedust accumulation preventionVSAvoidoperation time

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The dust removal operation is performed locally only when the robot is within a critical distance from the charging station. The processor monitors the distance and activates the suction unit or side brush only in this specific local condition, rather than continuously during the entire return journey.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS12279744B2Robot vacuum cleaner and control method thereof

Publication Date: 2025.04.22 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

A robot vacuum cleaner and a controlling method thereof are provided. The robot vacuum cleaner includes a driver configured to move the robot vacuum cleaner; a memory storing information about a charging station of the robot vacuum cleaner; and a processor configured to: based on entering a return mode for returning to the charging station, control the driver to move the robot vacuum cleaner to the charging station based on the information about the charging station stored in the memory; perform a dust removal operation based on a distance between the robot vacuum cleaner and the charging station being less than or equal to a critical distance; and control the driver to move the robot vacuum cleaner such that the robot vacuum cleaner is in contact with the charging station after the dust removal operation.