JP2008108210A - Self-traveling type cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

A self-propelled cleaner that travels around an obstacle, corners of a room, near a wall, etc. without leaving any cleaning is provided.
A self-propelled cleaner travels to a point P1 along an outer peripheral wall 21 of a first movement range 22a. When the point P1 is reached, the vehicle turns in the X-axis 25a direction and travels to a point P2, which is the width of the cleaner body 1. After traveling to the point P2, the cleaner body 1 is turned in the direction of the Y axis 25b to start reciprocating travel. When the detection sensor 7 detects the obstacle 23 during the reciprocating traveling, the self-propelled cleaner travels to the point P5, turns the cleaner body 1 in the direction of the X axis 25a, and moves along the obstacle 23 to the cleaner body. It travels by the width of 1 and turns the cleaner body 1 in the Y-axis 25b direction.
[Selection] Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a self-propelled cleaner that performs cleaning without leaving any cleaning even in the vicinity of obstacles such as walls and furniture.

  In conventional self-propelled cleaners that automatically run on the floor and perform cleaning, the movement detection sensor is used to measure the distance and turning angle of the cleaner, and the cleaner travels along the appropriate movement path. There is something to do.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a self-propelled cleaner that travels so as to clean a cleaning area by reciprocating while shifting a traveling position by a predetermined interval. Patent Document 2 discloses a self-propelled cleaner that moves along the outer peripheral wall of the cleaning area, moves in a substantially vertical direction to the inside of the cleaning area, and travels so as to clean the cleaning area thoroughly. Has been.
JP 2003-241835 A JP 2005-309700 A

  By the way, in patent document 1, since the self-propelled cleaner reciprocates the both ends of a room, the distance which goes straight becomes long. Therefore, there is a problem that the actual traveling direction is deviated from the proper traveling direction, and cleaning is left behind.

  In Patent Document 2, the self-propelled cleaner moves along the wall by the width of the cleaner body and performs cleaning in a substantially vertical direction toward the inside of the cleaning area. If it is not a multiple of the width of the machine body, there is a problem that uncleaned parts are generated near the end of the cleaning area.

  Furthermore, in patent document 1 and patent document 2, since the area | region which does not drive | work between an obstruction and a wall arises, there exists a problem which is left behind cleaning.

  Therefore, in view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a self-propelled cleaner that travels without being left behind even in the vicinity of obstacles such as walls and furniture.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a traveling means for traveling in a cleaning area, a detection sensor for detecting a surrounding situation, and a control unit for controlling the traveling means according to a detection result, The cleaning area is divided into a plurality of movement ranges, and the control unit controls the traveling means to travel for each movement range, and the movement range overlaps a part of the adjacent movement range. And

  According to the said structure, a self-propelled cleaner cleans the range where the adjacent movement range overlapped twice. That is, the cleaning area has been cleaned twice. For example, after cleaning the first movement range, when cleaning the next movement range, a portion that could not be cleaned in the first movement range can be cleaned.

  Further, the control unit is characterized in that the cleaner main body is moved from one side to the other side while reciprocating by repeatedly moving in a straight line and reversing within a moving range. According to this configuration, a part of the overlapping moving range travels in a mesh shape. Therefore, the moving range can be cleaned without hesitation.

  When the self-propelled cleaner is reversed when it comes into contact with an obstacle, its trajectory travels in an arc. That is, when the self-propelled vacuum cleaner is turned over, there is a place where it does not come into contact with an obstacle such as a wall or furniture, so that a cleaning residue is generated. Therefore, when the main body of the vacuum cleaner is reversed, the control unit is reversed and shifted by the width of the main body of the vacuum cleaner. According to this configuration, when the self-propelled cleaner is reversed, the self-propelled cleaner moves along the obstacle by the width of the cleaner body. As a result, the self-propelled cleaner can travel so as to be cleaned around the obstacles, at the corners of the room, near the walls, etc. without leaving any cleaning.

  When the detection sensor detects an obstacle, the control unit determines whether or not the obstacle can be avoided. If the detection unit determines that the obstacle cannot be avoided, the control unit reverses the obstacle. When it is determined that the obstacle can be avoided by continuing the reciprocating travel, the reciprocating travel is performed while shifting by the width of the cleaner body in the direction orthogonal to the reciprocating direction.

  According to the above configuration, the self-propelled cleaner travels along the obstacle according to the position of the obstacle with respect to the cleaner body. For example, if an obstacle is detected on the left side of the vacuum cleaner body, the self-propelled cleaner determines that there is a range that is not cleaned on the right side of the obstacle, and the obstacle is located on the left side of the vacuum cleaner body. Travel along the obstacles. If an obstacle is detected on the right side of the vacuum cleaner body, it is determined that there is an uncleaned area on the left side of the obstacle, and the obstacle is placed on the right side of the vacuum cleaner body. Drive along. In addition, if an obstacle is detected in front of the cleaner body, the cleaner body turns in either the left or right direction and travels along the obstacle so that the obstacle is on the left or right side of the cleaner body. To do.

  Further, the control unit calculates a deviation between the current traveling direction of the cleaner body and the reciprocating direction when reversing, and corrects the trajectory of the traveling direction of the cleaner body based on the calculated deviation. And According to this structure, since the self-propelled cleaner can always travel in an appropriate direction, the inside of the cleaning area can be surely cleaned without hesitation.

  In addition, a storage unit that stores the travel range traveled is provided, and the control unit determines a travel route so as to omit a round trip related to a part of the overlap travel range based on the stored travel range. . Since there is no remaining cleaning in the moving range once passed, it is not necessary to clean the overlapping portion in the adjacent moving range again. By omitting the reciprocating motion of the overlapping part, the running time can be shortened.

  The control unit travels once along the edge of the cleaning area, creates a detailed map of the cleaning area based on information input from the detection sensor, and sets a plurality of cleaning areas based on the detailed map. It is characterized by being divided into moving ranges.

  According to the above configuration, since the self-propelled cleaner automatically grasps the cleaning area, it is not necessary to input the cleaning area from the user. Thereby, a user's effort concerning an input can be saved.

  In addition, the storage means stores the detailed map so that a detailed map of the cleaning area once traveled is not created again. According to this configuration, when cleaning the same cleaning area again, the time for creating a detailed map of the cleaning area can be omitted.

  As described above, according to the present invention, in the adjacent movement range, the reciprocating traveling is performed so that the traveling directions intersect each other, so that the cleaning region can be cleaned in a mesh shape.

  Further, when the main body of the vacuum cleaner is reversed, the main body is shifted by the width of the main body of the vacuum cleaner, travels along the wall or the obstacle, and then reverses again to resume the reciprocating travel. Therefore, the self-propelled cleaner can reciprocate without leaving cleaning.

  In addition, when the detection sensor detects an obstacle and determines that the obstacle can be avoided, it avoids along the obstacle and shifts the width of the cleaner body in the direction orthogonal to the reciprocating direction to continue the reciprocating travel. The area around obstacles such as furniture and walls can be cleaned without leaving any cleaning.

  Hereinafter, the self-propelled cleaner of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the self-propelled cleaner of the present invention travels through a cleaner body 1 with an electric blower, a cleaning device that sucks dust and dirt on the floor, and a cleaning area for cleaning. Travel means, a detection sensor 7 for detecting surrounding conditions, and a control unit 2 for controlling the cleaning device and the moving device based on the detection result of the detection sensor 7.

  The bottom surface of the cleaner body 1 is a flat rectangle, and the top surface is also flat. From this upper surface to the front surface, it is a gentle curved surface so that the upper corner does not hit the obstacle. Moreover, the input part 9 for a user to input the operation instruction with respect to a self-propelled cleaner is provided in the upper surface of the cleaner body 1. FIG. The input unit 9 is an input switch for inputting the size of the cleaning area, or inputting switching of operations such as starting and stopping.

  The cleaning device is arranged on the front side bottom surface of the cleaner body 1. The cleaning device has a configuration similar to that of a general vacuum cleaner, and sucks dust, dust, and the like together with air from a nozzle 8 provided on the front bottom surface of the cleaner body 1 and is attached to the interior of the cleaner body 1. Dust such as dust and dirt is collected in a dust bag (not shown). At that time, the air sucked together with the dust is exhausted from an exhaust port (not shown). The nozzle 8 is formed to have a width wider than the width of the cleaner body 1, and when the cleaner body 1 travels along an obstacle 23 such as furniture or a wall or presses forward, it follows the obstacle 23. Can be done without leaving any cleaning.

  The travel means includes a drive motor 5 built in the main body, a pair of left and right drive wheels 3 driven by the drive motor 5, an auxiliary wheel 4 that supports the cleaner body 1 during travel, and a rotation amount of the drive motor 5. And an encoder 6 for detecting. The drive motor 5 is housed in the cleaner body 1 and transmits power to the drive wheels 3 via a power transmission unit (not shown) such as a shaft or gear. The encoder 6 detects the rotation amount of the drive motor 5 and transmits the detection result to the control unit 2.

  The drive wheels 3 are provided on both rear sides of the side surface of the cleaner body 1, and the left and right sides rotate independently of each other. During forward movement, both drive wheels 3 rotate simultaneously in the forward direction, and when reverse, both drive wheels 3 rotate simultaneously in the reverse direction. When turning, each drive wheel 3 rotates in a different direction, or one drive wheel 3 is stopped and the other drive wheel 3 is driven to rotate.

  The auxiliary wheel 4 is disposed between the nozzle 8 provided on the front surface of the main body and the driving wheel 3. The auxiliary wheel 4 is supported so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis so that the cleaner body 1 can smoothly travel along the movement of the drive wheel 3. Therefore, the self-propelled cleaner can travel freely by a combination of operations such as forward movement, backward movement, turning, and stopping. The traveling means is not limited to the driving wheel 3 and may be any means that can travel the cleaner body 1 such as an endless track or a walking device.

  The detection sensor 7 is a sensor composed of a non-contact sensor such as an infrared sensor or an ultrasonic sensor. The detection sensor 7 is provided on the side surface of the cleaner body 1. The detection sensors 7 are arranged at equal intervals so that the periphery of the cleaner body 1 can be detected. Thereby, the cleaner main body 1 can detect the position of obstacles, such as the surrounding furniture and wall.

  The control unit 2 is composed of a general microcomputer having a RAM, a ROM, and a CPU inside. The control unit 2 includes a cleaning device and a moving unit according to a predetermined cleaning pattern based on an input from the detection sensor 7. Control. The control unit 2 collects information on the cleaning area surrounded by the outer wall 21 by the output of the detection sensor 7 while moving the cleaner body 1 and creates a detailed map of the cleaning area based on the collected information. Means and a dividing means for dividing the cleaning area in accordance with the information about the surrounding situation obtained from the detection sensor 7.

  The map creation means creates a detailed map in the cleaning area. The creation method detects the surrounding situation by the detection sensor 7 while traveling in the cleaning area, and creates a detailed map from the detection result. The detailed map may be created not only based on the detection result of the detection sensor 7, but also from the size of the cleaning area input from the input unit 9.

  A detailed map is a map created based on the detection result from the detection sensor 7 regarding the shape and situation of the cleaning area to be cleaned, that is, the position of the obstacle 23 such as the furniture and the wall 21. On the detailed map, as shown in FIG. 2, the cleaning area is divided into a plurality of movement ranges, and information about the wall 21, the obstacle 23, the obstacle vicinity range 24, etc. is added to each movement range. For example, the black cell shown in FIG. 2 indicates the obstacle 23, the hatched range indicates the obstacle vicinity range 24, and the black line surrounding the outer periphery of the cleaning region indicates the outer wall 21 of the cleaning region.

  The dividing means divides the cleaning area into a plurality of movement ranges. The dividing means divides the adjacent moving ranges so that they overlap each other. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when the cleaning area is a square area, it is divided into four equal areas. Two adjacent ranges are combined into one moving range. Four movement ranges are formed vertically and horizontally. One range in the vertical movement range and one range in the horizontal movement range overlap. The size of the moving range is ideally half of the size of the set cleaning area, but a value slightly larger than the half value is preferable so that no cleaning residue occurs due to a movement error.

  By dividing the cleaning region in this way, the reciprocating distance traveled by the self-propelled cleaner can be shortened. Normally, in the self-propelled cleaner, an angular deviation occurs between the actual traveling direction and the appropriate traveling direction in proportion to the traveling distance becoming longer. As a result, the position of the cleaner body 1 is deviated and reciprocated. The distance to do is greatly shifted. Since the reciprocating distance traveled is shortened by dividing the cleaning area into units of the moving range, the shift in the travel direction can be reduced.

  Further, the control unit 2 calculates the movement amount of the cleaner body 1, that is, the position and traveling direction of the self-propelled cleaner with respect to the travel start point, based on the rotation amount of the drive motor 5 input from the encoder 6. . Specifically, the control unit 2 receives the rotation amount of the drive motor 5 from the encoder 6 every predetermined time such as 1/1000 second. By integrating the received rotation amount, the control unit 2 calculates the position and the traveling direction of the self-propelled cleaner.

  The control unit 2 refers to the prepared detailed map, the detection result input from the detection sensor 7 and the rotation amount of the drive motor 5 input from the encoder 6 so that there is no cleaning residue in the movement range. The traveling means is controlled to reciprocate the traveling vacuum cleaner.

  Specifically, the control unit 2 determines a travel route that goes from one side to the other side in the moving range by repeating straight ahead and reverse. The controller 2 controls the traveling means so that the cleaner body 1 travels along the determined travel route.

  Next, the movement of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner will be described with reference to FIGS. For convenience of explanation, two straight lines connecting the midpoints of the sides of the cleaning area are referred to as an X axis 25a and a Y axis 25b, respectively.

  First, the cleaner body 1 cleans the first movement range 22a. The vacuum cleaner main body 1 starts from the start point O (S1), and as indicated by the double line arrow in FIG. 3, the outer periphery of the cleaning area is on the right side with respect to the traveling direction of the vacuum cleaner main body 1. It travels along the wall 21 of the first movement range 22a (S2). The cleaner body 1 continues traveling along the wall 21, travels to the point P1 on the right side of the first cleaner range 22a, and ends traveling along the wall 21 (S3).

  When the point P1 is reached, the cleaner body 1 turns in the direction perpendicular to the reciprocating direction, that is, in the direction of the X-axis 25a as shown in FIG. After traveling to the width of the cleaner body 1, that is, to the point P2, the cleaner body 1 is turned in the Y-axis 25b direction and reciprocating is started (S4).

  When the detection sensor 7 detects the wall 21 during the reciprocating travel (S7), the control unit 2 determines whether the reciprocating travel related to the first movement range 22a is completed based on the detailed map (S9). When it is determined that the reciprocating travel has not been completed, as shown in FIG. 4, the cleaner body 1 travels to the point P3, and the cleaner body 1 turns in the X-axis 25a direction. And it travels by the width | variety of the cleaner body 1 along the wall 21 (S6). When the cleaner body 1 travels to the point P4 (S8), the cleaner body 1 is turned in the Y-axis 25b direction and reciprocating travel is resumed (S4).

  When the detection sensor 7 detects the obstacle 23 (S5), the control unit 2 determines whether or not the obstacle 23 can be avoided. For example, the control unit 2 determines that the obstacle 23 can be avoided when the end of the detected obstacle 23 is located on one side when viewed from the cleaner body 1. If the end of the obstacle 23 cannot be detected, it is determined that the obstacle 23 cannot be avoided.

  When the controller 2 determines that the obstacle 23 cannot be avoided, the cleaner body 1 travels to the point P5, turns in the X axis 25a direction, and travels along the obstacle 23 (S6). When the cleaner body 1 travels along the obstacle 23 by the width of the cleaner body 1 (S8), the cleaner body 1 turns in the direction of the Y-axis 25b and resumes reciprocating travel (S4).

  When the control unit 2 determines that the obstacle 23 can be avoided, that is, when it is determined that the end of the obstacle 23 is reached before traveling the width of the cleaner body 1, the cleaner body 1 is Then, the vehicle travels to point P6, turns in the X-axis 25a direction, travels along the obstacle 23 to the end of the cleaner body 1 (S6). When the cleaner body 1 reaches the end of the obstacle 23, the cleaner body 1 turns in the Y-axis 25b direction and travels along the obstacle 23 to the boundary of the movement range. After traveling to the boundary of the movement range, the cleaner body 1 turns again in the direction of the X axis 25a and travels along the boundary of the movement range for the remaining width of the cleaner body 1. When the cleaner body 1 travels along the boundary of the movement range by the width of the remaining cleaner body 1 (S8), the cleaner body 1 turns in the Y-axis 25b direction and resumes reciprocating travel (S4). .

  The traveling along the wall 21 varies depending on the position of the obstacle 23 with respect to the cleaner body 1. For example, when the obstacle 23 is detected on the left side with respect to the cleaner body 1, the vehicle travels along the obstacle 23 so that the right side of the cleaner body 1 becomes the obstacle 23. When the obstacle 23 is detected on the right side with respect to the cleaner body 1, the vehicle travels along the obstacle 23 to the boundary of the movement range so that the right side of the cleaner body 1 becomes the obstacle 23. When the obstacle 23 is detected in front of the cleaner body 1, the cleaner body 1 turns in the X axis 25 a direction or the Y axis 25 b direction and travels along the obstacle 23.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when the cleaner body 1 reaches the point P6, the controller 2 checks the position of the cleaner body 1 and determines whether the end of the first movement range 22a has been reached using the detailed map. (S9). When it is determined that the cleaner body 1 has reached the end of the first movement range 22a, it is determined how many divided movement ranges have ended (S10). At this point, the first movement range 22a shown in FIG. 4 is cleaned by reciprocating travel, and the lower right portion of the outer periphery (the lower right portion of the XY plane) is cleaned by traveling along the wall 21. In FIG. 4, the trajectory traveled along the wall 21 is indicated by a double line arrow, and the trajectory traveled reciprocally is indicated by an arrow.

  When the cleaning of the first movement range 22a is completed, the cleaner body 1 starts cleaning the second movement range 22b. The vacuum cleaner main body 1 is first moved to the right side with respect to the direction of travel of the vacuum cleaner main body 1 as shown by the double line arrow in FIG. It travels along the wall 21 of the 2nd movement range 22b so that it may become (S2). When the cleaner main body 1 detects the obstacle 23 at the point P8 on the right side of the second cleaner range 22b, the cleaner main body 1 finishes traveling along the wall 21 (S3), and goes in a direction perpendicular to the reciprocating direction, that is, in the Y-axis 25b direction. And travel along the obstacle 23 by the width of the cleaner body 1. After traveling to the width of the cleaner body 1, that is, to the point P9, the cleaner body 1 is turned in the direction of the X axis 25a to start reciprocating travel (S4). The reciprocating travel is repeated in the same manner as the first movement range 22a to the point P10 on the upper side of the second movement range 22b, and the second movement range is cleaned. As a result, some travel routes in the movement range intersect. That is, the overlapping range of adjacent movement ranges is cleaned twice.

  The third movement range 22c and the fourth movement range 22d are similarly cleaned. That is, in the case of the third cleaner range 22c, the vehicle travels along the outer peripheral wall 21 to the point P10 on the right side of the movement range, and then starts reciprocating travel. That is, in the case of the fourth cleaner range 22d, as shown in FIG. 6, the vehicle travels along the outer peripheral wall 21 up to the point P9 on the right side of the fourth movement range 22d, and then starts reciprocating. When the self-propelled cleaner reaches the start point O, the control unit 2 determines whether the end of the fourth movement range 22d has been reached using the detailed map (S9), and the end of the fourth movement range 22d. If it is determined that the movement range has been reached, it is determined whether all the divided movement ranges have been completed (S10), and the cleaning of the cleaning area is completed (S11).

  By the way, when the 1st movement range 22a and the 2nd movement range 22b are cleaned, as shown in FIG.5 and FIG.6, the uncleaned areas A and B exist. These uncleaned ranges A and B are ranges in which the vehicle could not travel due to the obstacle 23. However, the uncleaned range A is cleaned when the fourth moving range 22d is cleaned. Further, the uncleaned range B is cleaned when the first moving range 22a is cleaned. That is, since the uncleaned areas A and B are always cleaned, there is no remaining cleaning.

  A self-propelled cleaner deviates from the travel route while traveling. This needs to be corrected. Therefore, the control unit 2 corrects the trajectory when the wall 21 is detected.

  The control unit 2 calculates a deviation between the current traveling direction of the cleaner body 1 and the reciprocating direction with reference to the wall 21 orthogonal to the reciprocating direction, and determines the traveling direction of the cleaner body 1 based on the calculated deviation. Correct the trajectory. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the three detection sensors 7a, 7b, and 7c include contact points L1, L2, and contact points L1, L2, and an extension line in a direction in which the detection sensors 7a, 7b, and 7c face each other. The distance to L3 is detected. The control unit 2 calculates the position of the wall 21 from the detected contacts L1, L2, and L3.

  The control unit 2 creates a horizontal line L orthogonal to the reciprocating direction passing through one of the detected contacts L1, L2, and L3 (referred to as contact L1 in this embodiment). Of the three detection sensors 7, a vertical line H perpendicular to the horizontal line L is created from the detection sensor 7b arranged in the middle. Let a be the intersection of the vertical line H and the horizontal line L. Then, when the contact point L1, the contact point L2, and the intersection point a are connected, a right triangle with the intersection point a being a right angle is formed. The distance between the contact point L1 and the contact point L2 and the distance between the contact point L1 and the intersection point a are calculated from the contact point coordinates.

  The inclination θ of the wall 21 is calculated from the distance between the contact L1 and the contact L2 and the distance between the contact L1 and the intersection a. Using the inclination θ, the inclination between the vertical line H and the wall 21 is calculated. This inclination is the difference between the current traveling direction and the reciprocating direction. The control unit 2 corrects the track in the traveling direction based on the calculated deviation. In the present embodiment, the detection sensor 7 is performed each time the wall 21 is detected. In the present embodiment, the trajectory correction is performed when the wall 21 is detected, but the trajectory correction may be performed when the obstacle 23 is detected.

  Next, the movement of the self-propelled electric vacuum cleaner when the track is corrected when the wall 21 is detected will be described with reference to FIG. Except for the correction of the trajectory, the reciprocating travel is performed in the movement range in the same manner as the travel of the travel range described above.

  The self-propelled cleaner performs trajectory correction when the detection sensor 7 detects the wall 21. That is, when the detection sensor 7 detects the wall 21 during the reciprocating travel (T7), the control unit 2 detects the deviation between the current traveling direction of the cleaner body 1 and the reciprocating direction based on the detection result of the detection sensor 7. Calculate (T9). If there is a difference between the current traveling direction of the cleaner body 1 and the reciprocating direction, the traveling direction is corrected based on the calculated deviation before reaching the detected wall 21. When there is no deviation between the current traveling direction of the cleaner body 1 and the reciprocating direction, the vehicle travels as it is to the detected wall 21.

  When reaching the wall 21, the self-propelled cleaner turns the cleaner body 1 in a direction orthogonal to the reciprocating direction and travels along the wall 21 by the width of the cleaner body 1 (T6). When the self-propelled cleaner travels for the width of the cleaner body 1 (T8), the cleaner body 1 is turned in the reciprocating direction to resume the reciprocating travel (T4).

Then, when the self-propelled vacuum cleaner returns to the start point O where the traveling starts, it is determined that the cleaning of all the moving ranges has been completed (T11), and the traveling is finished (T12). ).
In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, Of course, correction and a change can be added within the scope of the present invention. In the above embodiment, when the first moving range is cleaned and the next moving range is cleaned, the portion that overlaps in the adjacent moving range is also cleaned again, but already cleaned portions, that is, overlapped The portion may be omitted.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 10, for example, when the self-propelled cleaner cleans the fourth movement range 22d where there is no obstacle in the movement range, the self-propelled cleaner can travel without hesitation in the movement range. For this reason, the self-propelled cleaner does not leave any cleaning by passing once through the lower right part of the cleaning area (lower right part of the XY plane). That is, the overlapping portions in the adjacent movement ranges do not need to be cleaned again, and therefore the reciprocating motion of the overlapping portions is omitted. Thereby, a self-propelled cleaner can shorten run time.

  Further, in the present embodiment, when an obstacle is detected, as shown in FIG. 4, it turns in the negative direction of the X axis 25a and moves along the obstacle 23, and then travels back and forth. When an obstacle is detected on the left side of the main body of the vacuum cleaner, the self-propelled cleaner determines that there is an uncleaned area on the right side of the obstacle, and once along the left wall as shown in FIG. It is also possible to start the reciprocating direction by traveling in the negative direction of the X axis 25a after cleaning the obstacle vicinity 24 on the right side of the obstacle 23. Thereby, for example, the vicinity of the obstacle can be cleaned even if the distance of the obstacle from the outer peripheral wall of the cleaning area is not a multiple of the turning width of the reciprocating travel.

  In addition, the trajectory correction of the self-propelled cleaner is performed every time the detection sensor detects an obstacle, but is not limited to this, and may be performed every predetermined number of times in consideration of the calculation burden of the control unit. good.

  Moreover, although the position and direction of the cleaner body are calculated by the encoder, this is not restrictive, and a gyro sensor may be used. Moreover, you may detect the position, direction, etc. of a cleaner main body by imaging a cleaner main body with the camera installed in the ceiling. Further, the input unit may be not only an input switch but also a receiver for wireless operation such as infrared rays.

  The dividing means may add the environmental information in the cleaning area and divide the cleaning area. The environmental information is the situation in the cleaning area, such as the size of the cleaning area, the type of floor to be cleaned, and the position of obstacles. Moreover, although the dividing means divides the size of the cleaning area equally, the cleaning area may be divided unevenly according to the position and interval of the obstacle or the outer shape of the cleaning area.

The perspective view of the self-propelled cleaner of the present invention Diagram showing cleaning area The figure which shows the driving | running route at the wall of the 1st movement range The figure which shows the reciprocating travel route of the 1st movement range The figure which shows the reciprocating travel route of the 2nd movement range The figure which shows the reciprocating travel route of the 4th movement range Flow chart of running control of self-propelled cleaner Principle diagram showing how to measure the direction of the outer wall Flow chart of running control of self-propelled cleaner when correcting track The figure which shows the reciprocating travel route when the travel of the overlapping part of the movement range is omitted Enlarged view around the obstacle and point P5 in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vacuum cleaner main body 2 Control part 3 Drive wheel 4 Auxiliary wheel 5 Drive motor 6 Encoder 7 Detection sensor 7a Detection sensor 7b Detection sensor 7c Detection sensor 8 Nozzle 9 Input part 21 Wall 22a 1st movement range 22b 2nd movement range 22c 3rd Movement range 22d Fourth movement range 23 Obstacle 24 Obstacle vicinity range 25a X axis 25b Y axis A Uncleaned range B Uncleaned range H Vertical line L Horizontal line L1 contact L2 contact L3 contact

Claims (6)

A traveling means for traveling in the cleaning area, a detection sensor for detecting a surrounding situation, and a control unit for controlling the traveling means according to a detection result;
The cleaning area is divided into a plurality of movement ranges;
The control unit controls the traveling means to travel for each movement range,
The self-propelled cleaner, wherein the moving range overlaps with a part of an adjacent moving range. 2. The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the controller moves the main body of the cleaner from one side to the other side while reciprocating by repeatedly moving in a straight line and reversing within a moving range. When the detection sensor detects an obstacle, the control unit determines whether the obstacle can be avoided,
When it is determined that the obstacle cannot be avoided, the control unit reverses and continues the reciprocating travel, and when it is determined that the obstacle can be avoided, the control unit main body extends in a direction perpendicular to the reciprocating direction. The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the self-propelled cleaner is moved in a reciprocating direction while being shifted by a width. The control unit calculates a deviation between a current traveling direction of the cleaner body and a reciprocating direction when reversing, and corrects the trajectory of the traveling direction of the cleaner body based on the calculated deviation. The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 2 or 3. Comprising storage means for storing the travel range traveled;
The self-propelled type according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the control unit determines a travel route so as to omit reciprocal travel related to a part of the overlapping travel range based on the stored travel range. Vacuum cleaner. The control unit travels once along the edge of the cleaning area, creates a detailed map of the cleaning area based on information input from the detection sensor, and moves the cleaning area to a plurality of movement ranges based on the detailed map. The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the self-propelled cleaner is divided into two parts.

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