JP7558718B2 - Floor cleaner - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a self-propelled floor cleaner, and in particular to a floor cleaner that cleans floors based on the results of spatial information detection.

A floor cleaning device is known that stores in a storage unit a map of a room to be cleaned and a cleaning plan with cleaning tasks that can be predefined by a user (Patent Document 1). This floor cleaning device determines whether the room in which the floor cleaning device is installed is a specific room associated with a cleaning task from the characteristics stored in the map, and if the result of the determination is no, the cleaning task is not executed or is interrupted or terminated.

The floor cleaning device of Patent Document 1 determines whether a room is a specific room associated with a cleaning task from features stored in a map, so if there are multiple rooms with similar map features, it is unable to identify the room in which the floor cleaning device is installed, and is therefore unable to execute the cleaning task. In addition, if it is determined that the room in which the floor cleaning device is installed is not a specific room associated with the cleaning task, the cleaning task is not carried out, and the completion rate, which is the percentage of the floor cleaning device that completes a given cleaning task, decreases.

JP 2016-527977 A

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide a floor cleaner that increases the possibility of performing cleaning tasks, even when the rooms to be cleaned are various.

To achieve the above object, the floor cleaner of the present invention includes a control device having a memory device that stores multiple cleaning spot data including characteristic information for multiple cleaning spots, and a surrounding measurement device that measures surrounding spatial information, and the control device selects cleaning spot data from the multiple cleaning spot data that has a high correlation with the spatial information collected while moving.

With the floor cleaner, the control device selects, from among multiple cleaning location data, cleaning location data that has a high correlation with the spatial information collected while moving around. This increases the accuracy of identifying the location where the floor cleaner is installed even when there are multiple similar cleaning locations, thereby increasing the completion rate of completing the cleaning task to the end.

According to a specific aspect of the present invention, in the floor cleaner, the control device changes the cleaning location data initially selected for performing the cleaning task to another cleaning location data based on the spatial information collected after the movement. By switching the initial cleaning location data to one that matches the surrounding spatial information, the initial selection error can be corrected.

According to a specific aspect of the present invention, the initially selected cleaning location data is determined based on spatial information obtained by the peripheral measurement device at the start of the cleaning task. The initial operation can be automated by using the peripheral measurement device to determine the cleaning location data based on the environment in which the floor cleaner is installed.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the storage device stores multiple map data including characteristic information as multiple cleaning location data. The map data concisely indicates spatial layout relationships, making it easy to find correlations with spatial information collected while moving.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the peripheral measurement device is a three-dimensional space measurement device. Measurement of spatial information is accurate and highly precise by measuring three-dimensional space.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the device further includes an information acquisition device that receives information enabling the determination of the device's own location from an externally installed location information providing device. This allows the placement of the floor cleaner to be objectively determined by utilizing external information.

1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a floor cleaner according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a conceptual block diagram illustrating components of the floor cleaner. FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view specifically illustrating the cleaning locations. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the floor cleaner. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the floor cleaner. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating two examples of similar map data. 13 is a flowchart showing the operation of the modified example. 13 is a flowchart showing the operation of the modified example. 13 is a flowchart showing the operation of the modified example.

Below, one embodiment of the floor cleaner according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

The floor cleaner 100 of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 is a self-propelled cleaner, and includes an operating unit 20, a drive and traveling unit 30, a cleaning unit 40, a control device 50, first to third sensors 61 to 63, and a communication unit 70.

In the floor cleaner 100, the operation unit 20 is the part that the operator operates to manage the cleaning schedule of the floor cleaner 100 and to understand the status, and includes an operation panel 21 as well as an operation handle 22, etc., although details are omitted.

The drive running unit 30 is a part that enables the floor cleaner 100 to move forward, backward, and change its rotational position, and includes a running motor 32, a drive shaft 33, running wheels 34, and auxiliary wheels 35. The running motor 32 not only moves the floor cleaner 100 forward or backward by independently rotating the pair of left and right running wheels 34, but also rotates the floor cleaner 100 on its own axis or moves it left or right at a desired angle.

The cleaning unit 40 is a device for cleaning the floor surface SF, and includes a cleaning pad 41, a pad driving unit 42, a water spraying unit 43, a squeegee 45, a lifting unit 46, and a suction unit 47. The cleaning pad 41 is driven by the pad driving unit 42 to be maintained in contact with the floor surface SF and rotate at a predetermined rotation speed. The pad driving unit 42 includes a pad rotation unit including a motor for rotating the cleaning pad 41, and a pad lifting unit including a motor for raising and lowering the cleaning pad 41 and adjusting the ground pressure of the cleaning pad 41. The water spraying unit 43 is a unit for spraying cleaning water on the cleaning pad 41 and its surroundings, and includes a water supply pump and a cleaning water tank, although details are omitted. The squeegee 45 is driven by the lifting unit 46 to raise and lower at a predetermined timing. The lifting unit 46 has a motor for raising and lowering the squeegee 45. The suction section 47 is a part that collects the cleaning liquid that has accumulated inside the squeegee 45 by suction, and has a suction pump and a collection tank.

The control device 50 is a computer, and has a processor 51 and a memory device 52. The control device 50 manages the operating status of each part of the floor cleaner 100, collects information from the surrounding environment, and performs cleaning operations that are scheduled according to a computer program or specified on-site. At this time, the control device 50 accepts instructions from the operator via the operation unit 20.

Referring to FIG. 2, the storage device 52 of the control device 50 stores a computer program for operating the floor cleaner 100, and records information necessary for executing the computer program. Specifically, the storage device 52 has a schedule information area 53 that stores a plurality of cleaning tasks 53a and a plurality of cleaning location data 53b, in addition to the PC program area 52a. The cleaning location data 53b is specifically map data, which is prepared in advance for each cleaning location or space to be cleaned, such as a room or a passage where cleaning is scheduled, and includes characteristic information about the cleaning location. Here, the map data can be three-dimensional space information or two-dimensional space information obtained from design information of the cleaning location, but it may also be a distance image obtained by installing the floor cleaner 100 or other three-dimensional measuring device at the actual cleaning location and moving the three-dimensional measuring device within the cleaning location and processing it. A technology called SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) can be used to obtain the map data. In map data, feature information is information characterized by the presence of walls, furniture, office equipment, etc., and specifically refers to the three-dimensional or two-dimensional shape arrangement of objects present in the cleaning area.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram specifically explaining the cleaning location. In this case, the cleaning location LC is a room RM, and multiple desks and other office furniture OF are arranged inside the wall WA. The floor cleaner 100 enters the room RM from the entrance EN to start cleaning, and cleans the floor surface SF while moving in an area without obstacles. At that time, the floor cleaner 100 moves along the planned route RT recorded in the cleaning task, and performs efficient cleaning of the floor surface SF. Figure 3 also explains the map data MA stored as the cleaning location data 53b in the storage device 52 of the floor cleaner 100. The map data MA is three-dimensional space information or two-dimensional space information including information on the spatial arrangement of the wall WA, the office furniture OF, etc. in the cleaning location LC. The map data MA includes multiple feature information CF corresponding to the office furniture OF, etc., and the entire map data MA and the feature information CF, which is a part, are composed of a group of data including coordinate information such as a surface, a line segment, and a point cloud. The characteristic information CF is not limited to being sorted by individual office furniture OF, but can be grouped according to various criteria.

Returning to FIG. 2, the storage device 52 has a motion control information area 54 that stores information for performing posture control and travel control to move the floor cleaner 100 in a predetermined direction at a desired speed by appropriately operating the drive travel unit 30. The storage device 52 has a cleaning unit drive information area 55 that stores information for appropriately operating the cleaning unit 40. The cleaning unit drive information area 55 stores information for performing a cleaning process in which the water spray unit 43 supplies cleaning water to the cleaning pad 41 while the cleaning pad 41 is in contact with the floor surface SF and rotated, and stores information for performing a recovery process in which the squeegee 45 is pressed against the floor surface SF to collect cleaning liquid and dust and the suction unit 47 sucks up the cleaning liquid and dust. The storage device 52 has a measurement process information area 56 that stores information for appropriately operating the first to third sensors 61 to 63 to perform measurements and information collection. The storage device 52 has a communication-related information area 57 that stores information for appropriately operating the communication unit 70 to communicate with external devices.

The first sensor 61 is a laser radar device called LiDAR or a three-dimensional image sensor, and operates under the control of the control device 50. The first sensor 61 functions as a peripheral measurement device 68 that measures surrounding spatial information, and enables the control device 50 to collect spatial information while moving the floor cleaner 100. The first sensor 61 is a three-dimensional spatial measurement device that measures surrounding spatial information, and acquires a distance image in the forward measurement area of the floor cleaner 100 as the surrounding spatial information. The rejection image acquired by the first sensor 61 is analyzed by the control device 50 and stored in the control device 50. The first sensor 61 makes it possible to determine the size and position of the detected object in the forward measurement area. The first sensor 61 uses, for example, infrared light or other laser light, and performs forward scanning using a polygon mirror, MEMS mirror, etc. The first sensor 61 measures the position of the object, including the depth direction, from the direction and detection timing of the reflected light reflected by the object and returned.

The second sensor 62 is a proximity sensor and operates under the control of the control device 50. The second sensor 62 functions as a surrounding measurement device 68 that measures surrounding spatial information, and enables the control device 50 to collect spatial information while moving the floor cleaner 100. The second sensor 62 measures the presence of an object close to the front of the floor cleaner 100 and the distance to the object as surrounding spatial information. The second sensor 62 is, for example, an ultrasonic sensor, and detects an object that is relatively close to the front based on the response time of the reflected ultrasonic wave. The second sensor 62 can detect that the floor cleaner 100 is close to a wall, furniture, office equipment, etc. placed in a room or a hallway, and can avoid collision with the wall, furniture, office equipment, etc. The second sensor 62 may include a contact sensor that detects vibration and pressure.

The third sensor 63 is a camera for taking videos or still images, and captures an image in front of the floor cleaner 100. The third sensor 63 functions as a surrounding measurement device 68 that measures surrounding spatial information, and enables the control device 50 to collect spatial information while moving the floor cleaner 100. The third sensor 63 captures an image of the view in front of the floor cleaner 100 as surrounding spatial information. The image captured by the third sensor 63 is analyzed by the control device 50 and stored in the control device 50. The image captured by the floor cleaner 100 makes it possible to check the progress of cleaning by the floor cleaner 100, or to prevent the floor cleaner 100 from colliding with furniture or office equipment placed in the room.

The communication unit 70 has a wireless communication device and enables data communication with a management server (not shown) via a communication network. The communication unit 70 allows the status of the floor cleaner 100 to be monitored remotely. The communication unit 70 can function as an information acquisition device 78 that receives information enabling the determination of its own position from an externally installed position information providing device. In this case, the communication unit 70 is equipped with a receiving circuit that receives radio waves or electromagnetic waves emitted from a nearby wireless station, such as a beacon, or equipped with a microphone that receives ultrasonic waves output from a nearby sound source. The nearby wireless station or sound source transmits electromagnetic waves or sound waves containing position information as a position information providing device, allowing the floor cleaner 100 to grasp the approximate position of the floor cleaner 100. By using a beacon wireless station or the like, the placement of the floor cleaner 100 can be objectively determined using external information.

The main functions of the control device 50 will be described below. The control device 50 operates according to a specific cleaning task 53a among the multiple cleaning tasks 53a recorded in the schedule information area 53. At that time, the cleaning location data 53b associated with the cleaning task 53a is referenced as map data. The cleaning task 53a includes the movement path and movement speed on the cleaning location data 53b as elements. The cleaning task 53a includes cleaning parameters for operating the cleaning unit 40 along the movement path. The cleaning parameters are, for example, the rotation speed and downward pressure of the cleaning pad 41, the water supply speed of the cleaning liquid by the water spray unit 43, the position of the squeegee 45 regarding the lifting and lowering, the recovery speed of the cleaning liquid by the suction unit 47, etc. The information recorded in the motion control information area 54 is for performing posture control and running control of the floor cleaner 100, but can include information that enables operations such as detecting the rotation speed of the running wheels 34 when the floor cleaner 100 moves and applying feedback to the drive amount of the running motor 32. It is also possible to detect the number of rotations of the cleaning pad 41 and provide feedback to the drive amount of the traveling motor 32. Furthermore, it is also possible to actually operate the floor cleaner 100 in advance to check whether it operates as targeted, associate any deviation from the target with the cleaning environment and store it, and provide feedback to the drive amount of the traveling motor 32 to compensate for the deviation from the target. Such feedback may be obtained through a learning process in which the floor cleaner 100 is installed at an actual cleaning location, the cleaning operation is performed, and the cleaning situation is checked.

The control device 50 operates the first to third sensors 61 to 63 based on the measurement processing information recorded in the measurement processing information area 56, and checks whether the floor cleaner 100 is moving appropriately along the movement path corresponding to the selected cleaning task 53a.

For example, the control device 50 can obtain a distance image in the front direction of the floor cleaner 100 by operating the first sensor 61. This makes it possible to confirm whether the location information that indicates where the floor cleaner 100 is located in the map data of the cleaning location data 53b is accurate, or to determine where the floor cleaner 100 actually is located in the map data of the cleaning location data 53b. The control device 50 can compare the three-dimensional measured shape located in front of the floor cleaner 100 as understood by the distance image with the shape of the object located in the map data of the cleaning location data 53b, and determine the degree of agreement or deviation between them based on the high degree of correlation between them. Specifically, when the map data of the cleaning location data 53b is three-dimensional, the three-dimensional distance image as the measured shape obtained by the first sensor 61 is compared with the three-dimensional shape arrangement of the surrounding object to be observed from the viewpoint of the floor cleaner 100 located at the assumed position in the map data, and if the degree of agreement or correlation between the shapes is high, the assumed position of the floor cleaner 100 in the map data is appropriate. At this time, the deviation of the assumed position of the floor cleaner 100 can be determined and corrected by determining whether there is a change that increases the degree of agreement between the three-dimensional distance image and the three-dimensional shape arrangement of the surrounding objects while changing the assumed position in the map data within the surrounding area. If the map data of the cleaning area data 53b is two-dimensional, the two-dimensional distance obtained by projecting the distance image as the measured shape obtained by the first sensor 61 onto the floor surface is compared with the two-dimensional shape arrangement of the surrounding objects to be observed from the viewpoint of the floor cleaner 100 located at the assumed position in the map data. If the degree of agreement of the shapes is high, the assumed position of the floor cleaner 100 in the map data is appropriate.

If the degree of agreement or correlation between the three-dimensional distance image obtained by the first sensor 61 and the three-dimensional shape arrangement obtained from the map data of the cleaning location data 53b is extremely low, the cleaning location data 53b associated with the cleaning task 53a may be inappropriate, and the control device 50 can read out another cleaning location data 53b and check the degree of agreement or correlation with the three-dimensional shape arrangement obtained from the map data. By repeatedly reading out another cleaning location data 53b in this way, more suitable cleaning location data 53b is searched for, and the correct cleaning location data 53b can be switched to. In particular, when the floor cleaner 100 is at the start point of the cleaning task, the three-dimensional distance image obtained by the first sensor 61 is often from the viewpoint of the entrance of the cleaning location, and is highly reliable as information for searching for the correct cleaning location data 53b. The above-mentioned operation of the control device 50 is performed not only at the entrance of the cleaning location but also while moving the floor cleaner 100. In other words, the control device 50 selects, from among the multiple cleaning location data 53b, the cleaning location data 53b that has a high correlation with the 3D distance image and other spatial information collected while moving as the appropriate data.

By operating the second sensor 62, the control device 50 can determine whether there is an object approaching the front of the floor cleaner 100, and can confirm whether the location information in the map data of the cleaning location data 53b that indicates where the floor cleaner 100 is located is accurate, and can correct the location information. Specifically, the control device 50 grasps the assumed location of the floor cleaner 100 in the map data in real time as location information, compares the assumed distance to the surrounding objects in the vicinity of this assumed location with the measured distance acquired by the second sensor 62, and if the difference in distance is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, determines that the assumed location of the floor cleaner 100 in the map data is approximately accurate, or if the difference in distance exceeds a predetermined threshold, determines that the assumed location of the floor cleaner 100 in the map data is inaccurate. The above-mentioned determination of the accuracy of the location information is taken into consideration when the control device 50 selects the appropriate cleaning location data 53b from the multiple cleaning location data 53b. In other words, the control device 50 uses the process of selecting, from among multiple cleaning location data 53b, the cleaning location data 53b that has a high correlation with the three-dimensional distance image and other spatial information collected while moving using the first sensor 61 as the appropriate data, with the aid of information regarding the presence or absence of nearby objects and the distance to nearby objects obtained by the second sensor 62.

The control device 50 can obtain a surrounding situation image in the front direction of the floor cleaner 100 by operating the third sensor 63. This makes it possible to confirm whether the location information that grasps where the floor cleaner 100 is located in the map data of the cleaning location data 53b is accurate, or to determine where the floor cleaner 100 actually is located in the map data of the cleaning location data 53b. The control device 50 grasps the assumed location of the floor cleaner 100 in the map data in real time as location information, and compares a corresponding image previously taken at this assumed location or a corresponding image generated by giving an assumed location in the map data with the current surrounding situation image taken by the third sensor 63, and if the degree of approximation between them is high, it is determined that the assumed location of the floor cleaner 100 in the map data is approximately accurate, or if the degree of approximation between them is low, it is determined that the assumed location of the floor cleaner 100 in the map data is inaccurate. At this time, the deviation of the assumed position of the floor cleaner 100 can be determined and corrected by determining whether there is a change that increases the degree of similarity between the surrounding situation image and the corresponding image while changing the assumed position in the map data within the surrounding area. Although detailed explanation is omitted, if the degree of similarity between the surrounding situation image obtained by the third sensor 63 and the corresponding image previously taken at the assumed position in the map data is extremely low, the control device 50 can read out another cleaning location data 53b and check the degree of similarity between the current surrounding situation image and the corresponding image previously taken for the other cleaning location data 53b, and by repeating this, it is possible to switch to the correct cleaning location data 53b. The above-mentioned operation of the control device 50 is performed while the floor cleaner 100 is moved. In other words, the control device 50 selects, from among the multiple cleaning location data 53b, the cleaning location data 53b that has a high correlation with the surrounding situation image and other spatial information collected while moving as the appropriate one.

The operation of switching to the appropriate cleaning location data 53b based on the surrounding spatial information can be performed not only by referring to the three-dimensional distance image obtained by the first sensor 61 as described above, but also by referring to the surrounding situation image obtained by the third sensor 63. However, the three-dimensional distance image from the first sensor 61 is considered to be more accurate since it contains distance information. In other words, the determination of the cleaning location using the first sensor 61 is generally considered to be more reliable than the determination of the cleaning location using the third sensor 63, but it is possible to switch between the results of the determination of the cleaning location using the first sensor 61 and the results of the determination of the cleaning location using the third sensor 63, taking into consideration the accuracy characteristics of the sensor's measurement distance and the installation environment of the floor cleaner 100.

The operation of the floor cleaner 100 will be described below with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Initially, the floor cleaner 100 is installed at the starting point of the cleaning area LC shown in Figure 3 (i.e., the entrance EN of the room RM). The control device 50 accepts initial settings for the cleaning task via the operation panel 21 operated by the worker (step S11). The acceptance of the initial settings includes the acceptance of map selection and the acceptance of cleaning conditions. In other words, the worker first selects the cleaning area data or map data corresponding to the room RM to be cleaned as the cleaning task. At this time, as an additional element, the standard planned route RT set for each room RM can be reset or changed, and the standard cleaning conditions set for each room RM can also be reset or changed. Here, the cleaning conditions include cleaning parameters that define the operation of the cleaning unit 40, and specifically include information such as the rotation speed of the cleaning pad 41, the water supply speed of the cleaning liquid by the water spray unit 43, and the recovery speed of the cleaning liquid by the suction unit 47. The cleaning conditions also include information regarding the movement speed and direction of the floor cleaner 100.

Next, the control device 50 operates the first sensor 61 to obtain a distance image in the front direction of the floor cleaner 100 at the start point of the cleaning task as spatial information (step S12). At this time, the floor cleaner 100 can also be rotated to observe the surroundings over a wide angle range.

Next, the control device 50 calculates the shape of an object present in the space observed around the start point of the cleaning task based on the map data associated with the cleaning task selected in step S11, and calculates the correlation with the three-dimensional measured shape present in front as grasped by the distance image obtained in step S12. The control device 50 determines whether there is a high correlation between the shape of the object present in the map data at the start point of the cleaning task and the three-dimensional measured shape grasped by the distance image, that is, whether the similarity between the map data and the distance image is at or above a specified level (step S13).

If the similarity between the map data and the distance image does not reach a specified level (No in step S13), the control device 50 reads out other cleaning location data 53b and determines whether there is a high correlation between the shape of the object present in that map data and the three-dimensional measured shape grasped by the distance image. In other words, the control device 50 determines whether there is any cleaning location data (multiple map data) 53b stored in the schedule information area 53 but not selected in step S11 that has a high similarity to the current distance image obtained by the first sensor 61 (step S14).

If the control device 50 determines that there is a map data set that is highly similar to the current distance image among the multiple map data sets that are not currently selected (Yes in step S14), it prompts the operator to recheck the map via the display of the operation panel 21 and displays appropriate candidates that are highly similar (step S15).

The control device 50 accepts settings changes for the cleaning task made by the worker via the operation panel 21. The control device 50 determines whether settings for the map data for the cleaning task have been changed (step S16), and if settings for the map data have been changed (Yes in step S16), returns to step S13 to determine whether the similarity between the map data and the distance image is at or above a specified level. If it is determined in step S14 that there is no map data that is highly similar to the current distance image among the multiple map data that are not currently selected, or if it is determined in step S16 that settings for the map data have not been changed, the control device 50 warns the worker of a discrepancy between the map and the current situation via the display of the operation panel 21 (step S17).

If the control device 50 determines in step S13 that the similarity between the map data and the distance image is equal to or greater than a specified level, it performs a cleaning start process according to the selected cleaning task 53a (step S18).

The control device 50 first obtains the current position by referring to the map data (step S19). When obtaining the current position, the control device 50 can calculate the current position starting from the entrance EN of the room RM from information about the movement direction and movement speed of the floor cleaner 100 accumulated using the drive traveling unit 30.

Next, the control device 50 operates the first sensor 61 to acquire a distance image in the forward direction of the floor cleaner 100 as spatial information, and determines whether there is a high correlation between the shape of surrounding objects when the map data corresponding to the currently selected cleaning task 53a is observed from the viewpoint of the current position and the three-dimensional measured shape grasped by the currently acquired distance image, i.e., whether the similarity between the map data and the distance image is at or above a specified level (step S20).

If the similarity between the map data and the distance image does not reach a specified level (No in step S20), the control device 50 reads out other cleaning location data 53b, i.e., map data, and checks the current position by referring to the other map data (step S21). At this time, multiple map data are checked, but if the current position of the floor cleaner 100 is outside the wall WA or on the office furniture OF, the map data is excluded as inappropriate.

The control device 50 determines whether there is another map data that is more similar to the current distance image than the current map data (step S22). At this time, the shape of the surrounding objects when the map data is observed from the viewpoint of the current position is calculated in order to compare with the current distance image.

When it is determined that there is a map data that is highly similar to the current distance image among the multiple map data that are not currently selected (Yes in step S22), the control device 50 switches to the map data with the highest similarity and acquires the current position of the floor cleaner 100 in the map data with the highest similarity (step S23). In other words, the control device 50 selects the cleaning location data 53b that is highly correlated with the spatial information collected during movement, and recalculates the current position in the selected cleaning location data 53b. This means that the cleaning location data 53b initially selected to perform the cleaning task is changed to another cleaning location data 53b based on the spatial information collected after movement. By such a change, it is possible to correct the error in the initial selection of the cleaning location data 53b. On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no other map data that is more similar to the current distance image than the current map data (No in step S22), the control device 50 notifies the operator of the interruption of the cleaning process via the display of the operation panel 21 (step S24).

If it is determined in step S20 that the similarity between the map data and the distance image is equal to or greater than a specified level, or after the map data is switched and the current position is acquired in step S23, the control device 50 performs operation control for the floor cleaner 100 (step S25). Specifically, it performs travel control to continue movement along the planned route RT according to a new cleaning task 53a corresponding to the new map data, and cleaning control to operate the cleaning unit 40 according to planned cleaning parameters.

Figure 6 illustrates two different but similar map data MA1 and MA2. One map data MA1 shown in Figure 6(A) and the other map data MA2 shown in Figure 6(B) are similar around the entrance EN, but are significantly different at the back of the room RM. If a cleaning task corresponding to the map data MA1 shown in Figure 6(A) is initially selected and the vehicle proceeds along the planned route RT to the back of the room RM, the distance image obtained there will no longer correspond to the map data MA1 shown in Figure 6(A). In this case, the control device 50 will switch to the cleaning task corresponding to the map data MA2 shown in Figure 6(B) and continue with the cleaning task that is less likely to deviate from the current situation. This can increase the rate at which the cleaning task is completed to the end.

4 and 5, the control device 50 determines whether the end point of the planned route RT has been reached during operation control (step S26). If it determines that the end point of the planned route RT has not been reached (No in step S26), it returns to step S19 and acquires the current position. If it determines that the end point of the planned route RT has been reached (Yes in step S26), the control device 50 performs a cleaning end process for the selected cleaning task 53a (step S27). Note that the cleaning end process is performed even after the suspension of the cleaning process is notified in step S24. In other words, if there is no other map data that is more similar to the current distance image than the current map data, it is determined that the room to be cleaned has not been identified, and the cleaning task by the floor cleaner 100 is suspended.

In the above operation example, the spatial information obtained by the first sensor 61 is used to determine whether the currently selected map data is appropriate, but the spatial information obtained by the second sensor 62 may be used to determine whether the currently selected map data is appropriate.

Below, a modified example of the operation of the floor cleaner 100 will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 9. In this case, the map data is switched based on the location information acquired by the communication unit 70. In more detail, while the floor cleaner 100 is being controlled for operation (step S25), the control device 50 operates the communication unit 70 as the information acquisition device 78 and determines whether or not it is possible to receive information enabling its own location determination from the wireless station or sound source 80 (see Figure 3), which is the location information providing device 88 installed outside (step S31). If the control device 50 is able to receive information enabling its own location determination (Yes in step S31), it determines whether or not the currently selected map data is appropriate in correspondence with the actual arrangement of the floor cleaner 100. If the currently selected map data is appropriate, the control device 50 maintains the selection of the map data and the corresponding cleaning task as is, and if the currently selected map data is not appropriate, it modifies the map data and the corresponding cleaning task to one that is compatible with the information from the location information providing device 88 (step S32).

The location information providing device 88 used in the process of step S31 is not limited to a radio station such as a beacon or a sound source 80, but may be a wireless tag that applies RFID technology, or a location display card with a two-dimensional code printed on it. The location of the floor cleaner 100 can also be objectively determined using these wireless tags and location display cards.

According to the embodiment of the floor cleaner 100 described above, the control device 50 selects, from among the multiple cleaning spot data 53b, the cleaning spot data 53b that has a high correlation with the spatial information collected while moving. Therefore, even if there are multiple similar cleaning spots LC, it is possible to increase the accuracy of identifying the location where the floor cleaner 100 is installed, and to increase the completion rate of completing the cleaning task to the end.

This invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention.

For example, the cleaning unit 40 incorporated into the floor cleaner 100 may be of a type that does not use cleaning water.

The first sensor 61 is not limited to a laser scanning sensor, but can be replaced with a non-scanning sensor such as a TOF camera.

20...operation unit, 30...driving and traveling unit, 32...traveling motor, 40...cleaning unit, 41...cleaning pad, 50...control unit, 51...arithmetic processing unit, 52...storage device, 52a...PC program area, 53...schedule information area, 53a...cleaning task, 53b...cleaning location data, 54...motion control information area, 55...cleaning unit driving information area, 56...measurement processing information area, 57...communication related information area, 68...peripheral measurement device, 70...communication unit, 78...information acquisition device, 88...location information providing device, 100...floor cleaner, CF...characteristic information, EN...entrance, LC...cleaning location, MA, MA1, MA2...map data, RM...room, RT...planned route, SF...floor, WA...wall

Claims (6)

A control device having a storage device that stores a plurality of cleaning location data including characteristic information for a plurality of cleaning locations;
A peripheral measurement device that measures peripheral spatial information,
The control device selects cleaning spot data from the plurality of cleaning spot data that has a high correlation with the spatial information collected while moving. The floor cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the control device changes the cleaning location data initially selected for performing a cleaning task to another cleaning location data based on the spatial information collected after movement. The floor cleaner of claim 2, wherein the initially selected cleaning location data is determined based on the spatial information obtained by the peripheral measurement device at the start point of the cleaning task. The floor cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the storage device stores a plurality of map data including the characteristic information as the plurality of cleaning location data. The floor cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the peripheral measurement device is a three-dimensional space measurement device. The floor cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising an information acquisition device that receives information enabling the determination of the cleaner's own location from an externally installed location information providing device.

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