JP2008284052A - Self-propelled device and its program - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a self-propelled device that does not contaminate the periphery of the device main body or the user's hand with the remaining dust.
A moving means, a control means for controlling travel of a device main body, a battery for supplying electric power, a cleaning means for cleaning a space traveled by the movement of the device main body, and a device after cleaning. An automatic cleaning means 105 is provided for automatically cleaning the inside of the main body 100 and the dirty part. As a result, the inside of the device main body 100 and the dirty portion can be automatically cleaned after cleaning, and the surrounding dust and the user's hand are not soiled by the remaining dust.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a self-propelled device that automatically moves indoors or outdoors to perform cleaning, and a program thereof.

  Conventionally, this type of self-propelled device cleans an area in which the device main body can travel while automatically moving. However, in the self-propelled device, when dust such as dust or dust is taken into the interior after operating the device main body, dust that cannot be sucked in sometimes remains in the portion of the intake passage. For this reason, when it is lifted or tilted when the device main body is moved, the remaining dust may come out, and the periphery of the device main body or the user's hand may be soiled.

Several proposals have been made to solve such problems. For example, it is known to remove dust adhering to the suction nozzle by suction during the operation of pulling up the suction nozzle from the floor after stopping the device body (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). reference).
Japanese Patent No. 3516720 Japanese Patent No. 3614560

  However, in the conventional configuration, even if dust attached to the suction nozzle can be removed, it is difficult to clean the inside of the device main body and the dirty portion. There were still cases of dirty hands.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and can automatically clean the inside of the device main body and the dirty portion after cleaning, and the remaining dust will contaminate the periphery of the device main body and the user's hand. The purpose is to provide a self-propelled device and its program.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the self-propelled device and the program thereof according to the present invention are provided with an automatic cleaning means for automatically cleaning the inside of the device main body and the dirty portion after cleaning.

  As a result, the inside of the device main body and the dirty portion can be automatically cleaned after cleaning, and the remaining dust and the user's hand are not soiled by the remaining dust.

  The self-propelled device and the program thereof according to the present invention do not stain the periphery of the device main body or the user's hand with dust remaining after cleaning.

  The first invention is a moving means for moving the apparatus main body, a control means for operating the moving means to control the traveling of the apparatus main body, a battery for supplying power to the apparatus main body, and a traveling by the movement of the apparatus main body. The self-propelled device is equipped with a cleaning means that cleans the space to be cleaned and an automatic cleaning means that automatically cleans the inside of the equipment body and the contaminated area after cleaning. The remaining dust does not contaminate the periphery of the device body or the user's hand.

  In particular, the second invention includes dust detection means for detecting dust sucked in by the cleaning means in the first invention, and the automatic cleaning means is operated according to the detection status of the dust detection means, whereby the traveling dust is detected. Depending on the detection status of the detection means, for example, when the amount of dust sucked in is large, the automatic cleaning means automatically cleans the device body, so unnecessary cleaning can be omitted. Dust can be removed and the self-propelled equipment can be kept clean.

  The third invention, in particular, in the first or second invention, comprises a storage means for storing a travel history of traveling by the control means, and by operating the automatic cleaning means by the travel history by the storage means, Running history, for example, every time you travel over a certain distance, the device itself is automatically cleaned by automatic cleaning means, which is inefficient, such as repeated cleaning, even though you have only run a little Since the operation can be prevented, dust adhered during cleaning can be removed economically and the self-propelled device can be kept clean.

  In particular, the fourth aspect of the invention includes, in any one of the first to third aspects of the invention, a charging unit that charges the battery, and the automatic cleaning unit is operated by using the power during charging. The cleaning means uses a device such as a fan motor, which cleans the dust, more powerfully than usual (full power, etc.) to clean the self-propelled equipment by removing dust adhering during cleaning. Can be kept in a state.

  According to a fifth aspect of the invention, in particular, in any one of the first to third aspects of the invention, the automatic cleaning means operates during traveling to return to the home position after completion of cleaning, thereby cleaning after returning to the home position. Time can be saved, and the self-propelled device can be kept clean even when viewed by the user.

  In particular, the sixth invention includes any one of the first to fifth inventions, further comprising battery remaining amount detecting means for detecting the remaining amount of the battery, wherein the automatic cleaning means is a battery detected by the battery remaining amount detecting means. The self-propelled device automatically determines whether to perform cleaning while traveling back to the home position after cleaning or whether to perform cleaning while charging after returning to the home position. The operation can be changed efficiently depending on the internal state, and dust attached during cleaning can be removed to keep the self-propelled device in a clean state.

  In the seventh aspect of the invention, in particular, in any one of the first to sixth aspects of the invention, the power that has been discarded so far by operating the automatic cleaning means using the self-discharge power during battery refreshing. It is possible to remove dust adhering during cleaning and keep the self-propelled device in a clean state while effectively using.

  In an eighth aspect of the invention, in particular, in any one of the first to seventh aspects of the invention, automatic cleaning of the periphery of the device main body or the periphery of the home position is automatically performed before the automatic cleaning of the device main body by the automatic cleaning means. Thus, it is possible to efficiently clean a place where dirt is likely to remain together with cleaning of the self-propelled device.

  According to a ninth aspect of the invention, in particular, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, the cleaning informing means for informing that the apparatus main body is being cleaned when the automatic cleaning means is being cleaned is provided. By telling the user that the automatic cleaning is being performed in an easy-to-understand manner, the user's anxiety can be removed during the cleaning.

  The tenth invention is a program for causing a computer to execute at least a part of the functions of the self-propelled device according to any one of the first to ninth inventions. All or part of the self-propelled device can be easily realized.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
1 and 2 show a self-propelled device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the self-propelled device according to the present embodiment controls a moving means (driving unit) 102 that moves the device main body 100 and a travel and cleaning control of the device main body 100 by operating the moving means 102. Control means (microcomputer unit) 101 for performing the operation, a battery 104 for supplying power necessary for the device main body 100, a cleaning means 103 for cleaning a space that travels by the movement of the device main body 100, and the device main body 100 after cleaning. And an automatic cleaning means 105 for automatically cleaning the inside and the dirty part.

  That is, the device main body 100 is cleaned by the cleaning means 103 by controlling the moving means 102 by the control means 101, and dust and dust remaining inside the equipment main body 100 and in the dirty place by the automatic cleaning means 105 after traveling. It can remove dust such as. Details of each means will be described below.

  The control means 101 is composed of, for example, a CPU and a memory. In order to control the operation of the apparatus main body 100, a control signal to the moving unit 102 is generated, a control signal to the cleaning unit 103 is generated at the time of cleaning, and a control signal to the automatic cleaning unit 105 at the time of automatic cleaning. Is generated. Other configurations such as a one-chip microcomputer with a single CPU and memory, and other computations such as an FPGA and a DSP may be used.

  Further, by configuring with a recording device such as an HDD, a DVD, or a flash memory, it is possible to perform complicated processing that uses a large amount of memory capacity. Furthermore, by configuring together with a communication device such as a wireless LAN, communication between the device main body 100 and an external device becomes possible, and transmission of accumulated data, reception of new control patterns, etc. are further advanced. Processing can be enabled. By using the microcomputer, the movement means 102 can be controlled in various forms such as control by PWM waveform or setting of movement amount by serial communication in accordance with the device used as the movement means. Is possible.

  Further, by controlling the cleaning means 103 to perform cleaning in accordance with the timing at which cleaning is necessary, cleaning can be performed while saving the power consumption of the battery 104. Further, by controlling the automatic cleaning means 105 after traveling, it is possible to remove dust that has not been removed during cleaning and keep it in a clean state. In addition, since the control means 101 can be used for general purposes, it can also be used in common for controlling various devices attached to other self-propelled devices such as sound generation and camera control. is there.

  For example, the moving means 102 is configured to horizontally arrange two motors and two drive wheels on the left and right, and by changing the rotation speed of the left and right motors according to a control signal from the control means 101, The drive wheel operates to move the device main body 100. In addition to the combination of the motor and the drive wheel, the moving means 102 can be moved by multiple legs such as two or four legs combined with a joint type actuator combining a plurality of servo motors, Any linear motor capable of physical operation may be used.

  The cleaning means 103 has a function of cleaning the vicinity of the device main body 100. For example, a suction fan motor is provided inside the device main body 100, and a suction port such as a vacuum cleaner is provided on the bottom surface of the device main body 100. By providing, when the apparatus main body 100 travels, dust or dust in the traveled area can be sucked and cleaned. In addition, cleaning the vicinity of the device body 100, such as collecting dust like a mop, collecting dust with a brush like a broom, or scooping up dust and dust like a dust collector Any configuration can be used. Moreover, it is possible to improve cleaning performance by combining these forms. In addition to dust and dust, other configurations may be used such as mowing weeds, collecting messy luggage, and smoothing the running surface by sanding.

  The battery 104 may be a nickel hydride secondary battery, for example, so that power can be supplied to the device main body 100. In addition, primary batteries such as alkaline batteries and oxyride batteries, nickel cadmium secondary batteries, lithium ion secondary batteries, lithium polymer secondary batteries, fuels can be used as long as power can be supplied to the device main body 100. A battery may be used. Furthermore, as long as the device main body 100 can supply electric power during operation, such as supplying electric power from an external AC power source using a wired electric wire, or supplying electric power from outside such as a microwave, etc. I do not care.

  For example, the automatic cleaning unit 105 operates so that the suction force of the fan motor that sucks dust by the cleaning unit 103 is sucked more strongly than in normal cleaning, so that the dust inside the device main body 100 passes through the passage. The remaining dust can be cleaned by sucking in the remaining dust. Further, for example, by providing a cleaning device such as a brush at the home position of the device main body 100, the bottom surface of the device main body 100 is controlled by controlling the moving means 102 when the device main body 100 returns to the home position. The dust attached to the device main body 100 can be removed by operating while rubbing the brush and the side surface against the brush. In addition, for example, by installing a cleaning device such as a rotating brush in advance in a place where dust such as dust inside the device main body 100 is likely to accumulate, the accumulated dust can be removed by operating after traveling. Can do. In addition, it is possible to clean the device main body 100 by performing a suction operation while repeating the operation of swinging the device main body 100 left and right by the moving means 102 or blowing off dust attached using wind pressure. Is possible. As described above, the automatic cleaning means 105 may be any method and means as long as the apparatus main body 100 removes dust attached or accumulated during cleaning.

  Next, after cleaning is performed by the cleaning unit 103 using the flowchart of the operation of automatically cleaning after traveling in FIG. 2, remaining dust such as dust and dust inside the apparatus main body 100 is removed by the automatic cleaning unit 105. The flow of operation will be described.

  The operation starts from step S201. In step S201, the traveling space is cleaned. By controlling the moving means 102 and the cleaning means 103 by the control means 101, the space in which the vehicle can travel while traveling is cleaned. The travel pattern may be any pattern. For example, the vehicle travels straight for a certain period of time, randomly travels while changing the angle at random, or travels back and forth while moving zigzag. Alternatively, a spiral traveling pattern that travels while changing the rotation radius so that the traveling locus draws a spiral line may be used. Moreover, the cleaning means 103 can be cleaned to every corner of the room by changing the operation, for example, by increasing the suction force near the wall or near the obstacle.

  In step 202, it is determined whether the travel of the device main body 100 is completed. For example, it is determined that the travel is completed when the travel time reaches a certain time or longer, such as 15 minutes. In addition, any determination criterion may be used, such as determining that traveling is complete when a certain traveling pattern is completed. When the travel of the device main body 100 is not completed, the operation is returned to Step S201 and the travel is continued. When the travel of the device main body 100 is completed, the operation is shifted to Step S203. In this embodiment, the determination is made at the timing when the traveling is completed, but it may be a determination of completion of cleaning.

  In step S203, the apparatus main body 100 is moved to the home position. Here, the home position is a position where the device main body 100 stays at the time of standby or when not in use, and as the home position, for example, a starting position of travel or the position of the device main body 100 can be specified. For example, near the device. Further, by adding a function of charging the battery 104 to a device that can identify the position of the device main body 100, it is possible to automatically charge the battery after running such as in a standby state or when not in use. By controlling the moving means 102 from the control means 101, the device main body 100 is moved to the home position. Any movement method may be used. For example, when the position of the home position is randomly searched, or the difference in the movement amount between the device main body 100 and the home position is calculated from the operation amount of the movement means 102. By memorizing, it is possible to move to the home position by controlling the moving means 102 from the control means 101 based on the memorized movement amount difference. After moving to the home position, the operation proceeds to step S204.

  In step S204, automatic cleaning is executed by operating the automatic cleaning means 105. For example, by operating the suction force of a fan motor that sucks dust with the cleaning means 103 so as to suck more strongly than during normal cleaning, dust that remains in the apparatus main body 100 remains in a passage through which dust passes. Can be inhaled and cleaned. Further, for example, by providing a cleaning device such as a brush at the home position of the device main body 100, when the device main body 100 returns to the home position, the moving means 102 is controlled to control the bottom surface of the device main body 100. By causing the side surface to be rubbed against the brush, dust and dust attached to the device main body 100 can be removed. In addition, for example, by installing a cleaning device such as a rotating brush in a place where dust such as dust or dust inside the device main body 100 is likely to be collected, the device is collected by being controlled by the control means 101 after traveling. Dust can be removed. In addition, it is possible to clean the device main body 100 by blowing off or sucking dust attached using wind pressure.

  In this way, by cleaning the device main body 100 by the automatic cleaning means 105 after traveling, it becomes possible to remove dust adhered and accumulated dust during traveling, and the user's trouble is maintained while keeping the device main body 100 in a clean state. Can be greatly reduced.

(Embodiment 2)
3 and 4 show a self-propelled device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The same elements as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the self-propelled device in the present embodiment includes a dust detection unit 306 that detects dust sucked by the device main body 300 during cleaning by the cleaning unit 103, and detection by the dust detection unit 306. It differs from the first embodiment in that the automatic cleaning means 105 is operated depending on the situation. The rest is the same as in the first embodiment.

  The dust detection means 306 is, for example, a device that is installed in a vent for sucking dust and detects the passage of dust.For example, the dust detection means 306 includes a light emitting part and a light receiving part to block light when dust passes. By detecting, the presence or absence of dust can be determined. In addition, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of dust suction during cleaning by providing a sensor that detects sound that comes into contact with the vent when dust is sucked. In addition, any method can be used as long as it can detect by detecting the amount of dust stored in the dust box and can detect that the dust has been sucked in during cleaning. I do not care.

  Next, the flow of operation will be described using the flowchart of FIG.

  The operation from step S401 to step S403 is the same as the operation from step S201 to step S203 in the first embodiment. After moving to the home position in step S403, the operation proceeds to step S404. In step S404, it is determined whether dust is detected during traveling by the dust detection means 306. If dust is detected, the operation proceeds to step S405. If dust is not detected, the operation is completed. In step S405, the inside of the apparatus main body 100 is cleaned by the automatic cleaning unit 105 as in step S104 of the first embodiment.

  With this configuration, it is possible to estimate the degree of contamination inside the device main body 100 by making a judgment based on dust detection after traveling, so that unnecessary cleaning operations can be omitted and when necessary. Only the cleaning operation can be carried out. For this reason, energy-saving property can be improved and the lifetime of 100 apparatus main bodies can be extended now.

  In this embodiment, the presence / absence of dust detection is performed after moving to the home position, but at any timing before cleaning is performed, such as during cleaning or during movement to the home position. It doesn't matter. Although it is determined whether or not cleaning is performed based on the presence or absence of dust detection, the same effect can be obtained by determining that cleaning is performed by detecting dust of a certain level or more depending on the amount of dust. Is possible.

(Embodiment 3)
5 and 6 show a self-propelled device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. The same elements as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the self-propelled device in the present embodiment includes a storage unit 506 that stores a travel history in which the device main body 500 has traveled by the control unit 101, and automatically uses the travel history by the storage unit 506. The difference from the first embodiment is that the cleaning means 105 is operated. The rest is the same as in the first embodiment.

  The storage unit 506 is, for example, a memory device such as an SD-RAM or a D-RAM, and may be any device as long as it can store an operation history. Here, the operation history includes, for example, counting time during travel, storing the position of the device main body 100 as an XY coordinate value, and storing a control command to the moving unit 102. It is to keep. Note that the storage unit 506 can be shared with a storage device such as a memory used for the control unit 101 to make the system cheaper and simpler.

  Next, the operation flow will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  The operations from Step S601 to Step S603 are the same as the operations from Step S201 to Step S203 in the first embodiment. After moving to the home position in step S603, the operation proceeds to step S604. In step S604, the determination is made based on the travel time stored in the storage unit 506. If the travel time is equal to or longer than 10 minutes (here, 10 minutes), the operation proceeds to step S605. If the travel time is less than the predetermined time, the operation is completed. In step S605, the inside of the apparatus main body 500 is cleaned by the automatic cleaning unit 105 as in step S104 of the first embodiment.

  Thus, by making a determination based on the travel history after traveling, it is possible to estimate the degree of contamination inside the device main body 500 and the degree of use of the device main body 500, so that unnecessary cleaning operations can be omitted and necessary. Only when the cleaning operation can be performed. For this reason, energy-saving property can be improved and the lifetime of the apparatus main body 500 can be extended.

  In this embodiment, the travel history is described as an example of the operation history. However, the determination is based on the distance traveled by the device main body 500 or the operation content of the control of the device main body 500. It is possible to obtain the same effect by making a determination in accordance with the configuration of the device main body 500, for example.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 7 shows a self-propelled device according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. The same elements as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in the figure, the self-propelled device according to the present embodiment is implemented in that the device main body 700 includes a charging unit 706 that charges the battery 104 and operates the automatic cleaning unit 105 by using the electric power during charging. This is different from the first embodiment. The rest is the same as in the first embodiment.

  The charging unit 706 is, for example, a charging device that performs charging by applying power from an external power source to the battery 104. A contact portion for taking in electric power from the outside is provided, and the battery 104 is charged when electric power is supplied to the contact portion. For example, it is possible to charge the battery 104 safely by supplying power only when charging is necessary depending on the state of charge of the battery 104 based on the voltage fluctuation of the battery 104. Various charging methods have been proposed in the past, but any configuration may be used in this embodiment as long as power can be supplied to the battery 104. Further, when the battery 104 is charged, power is supplied to the control means 101, the moving means 102, the cleaning means 103, and the automatic cleaning means 105, so that charging is performed while reducing the load on the battery 104 even during operation. It is possible.

  In the present embodiment, the automatic cleaning is performed more powerfully than usual by using the power during charging of the charging unit 706. For example, since more electric power can be supplied to the fan motor that performs suction during cleaning, it is possible to remove dust left in the normal suction with a stronger suction force by turning it higher than usual. . In addition, the dust can be removed by increasing the cleaning ability in the same manner, for example, by increasing the rotational speed of the rotary nozzle that takes in the dust by the electric power supplied from the charging unit 706.

  With such a configuration, it is possible to use a larger amount of electric power than usual without imposing a burden on the battery 104. Therefore, it is possible to greatly improve the cleaning capability while maintaining the battery life.

(Embodiment 5)
FIG. 8 shows a flowchart of the self-propelled device according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. The configuration of the self-propelled device is the same as that of the fourth embodiment.

  The automatic cleaning means 105 of the self-propelled device in the present embodiment is configured to operate during traveling to return to the home position after completion of cleaning.

  The flow of the operation will be described using the flowchart of the figure.

  Step S801 and step S802 are the same as step S201 and step S202 of the first embodiment. If it is determined in step 802 that the travel operation has been completed, the operation transitions to step S803. In step S803, during the movement of the device main body 700 to the home position, the automatic cleaning unit 105 is moved while being operated, so that cleaning can be performed while omitting the time required for cleaning after returning to the home position. It becomes possible. As for cleaning of the automatic cleaning means 105, for example, a cleaning method by making the suction force stronger than at the time of cleaning, increasing the rotational force of the rotating brush, reverse rotation, moving means, etc. It is possible to perform the cleaning operation efficiently even while the vehicle is running by controlling the control unit 102 so as to meander to swing left and right or by combining such operations.

  With this configuration, the cleaning time after returning to the home position can be saved, so that the power can be turned off immediately after returning to the home position. Even when the user looks at the operation of the device main body 700, the cleaning is performed when the user returns to the home position, so that the device main body 700 can be kept clean by a natural operation.

(Embodiment 6)
9 and 10 show a self-propelled device according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention. The same elements as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the self-propelled device according to the present embodiment includes a battery remaining amount detecting unit 906 in which the device main body 900 detects the remaining amount of the battery 104, and the automatic cleaning unit 105 includes a battery remaining amount detecting unit. According to the remaining amount of the battery 104 detected in 906, it is automatically determined whether to perform cleaning during traveling to return to the home position after completion of cleaning or to perform cleaning during charging after returning to the home position. This is different from the first embodiment. The rest is the same as in the first embodiment.

  The remaining battery level detection means 906 is used, for example, by estimating the battery voltage from a change in voltage measured by an electronic circuit such as an AD converter, or by measuring the current from the battery 104 and accumulating the current value. It is possible to determine how much remaining battery 104 is left by estimating the power or using the device main body 900 for a period of time. Various other methods for determining the remaining amount of the battery 104 have been proposed, but any method may be used. In addition, it is also possible to make the configuration cheaper by adding a configuration such as an AD converter to the control means 101 and calculating the remaining battery level.

  Next, the flow of operations will be described using the flowchart of FIG.

  Steps S1001 and S1002 are the same as steps S201 and S202 described in the first embodiment. When it is determined that traveling is complete, the operation is shifted to step 1003. In step S1003, it is determined whether the remaining battery level is low. If it is determined that the number is small, the operation is shifted to step S1004. If it is determined that the number is not small, the operation is shifted to step S1006. The determination as to whether the remaining battery level is low can be made by, for example, determining a determination threshold for the remaining battery level in advance. Steps S1004 and S1005 are the same as steps S203 and S204 in the first embodiment. Step S1006 is the same as step S803 in the fifth embodiment.

  As described above, it is possible to automatically switch the execution timing of the automatic cleaning unit 105 according to the remaining amount of the battery 104, and the operation is efficiently changed depending on the internal state of the device main body 900, and at the time of cleaning. The attached dust can be removed and the apparatus main body 900 can be kept clean.

  Further, the operation of cleaning the device main body 900 by using the self-discharge power at the time of refreshing the battery 104 is possible. For example, by refreshing the battery 104 by judging the refresh timing of the battery 104 based on the remaining amount of the battery 104 Cleaning can be performed by operating the automatic cleaning means 105 using the power of the self-discharge at that time. For the refresh timing, for example, a method using the number of times of charging, a charging time, and the like, and various other methods have been proposed, and any method may be used. According to this, since the inside of the device main body 900 can be cleaned by using the power that has been discarded up to now at the time of refreshing, it is possible to operate very economically.

(Embodiment 7)
FIG. 11 shows a flowchart of the self-propelled device according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention. The configuration of the self-propelled device is the same as that of the first embodiment.

  The automatic cleaning means 105 of the self-propelled device in the present embodiment automatically cleans the periphery of the device main body 100 or the periphery of the home position automatically before the automatic cleaning of the device main body 100.

  The flow of the operation will be described using the flowchart of the figure.

  Steps S1101 to S1103 are the same as steps S201 to S203 in the first embodiment. When the vicinity of the home position is approached in S1103, the operation proceeds to step S1104. In step S1104, the vicinity of the home position is cleaned by operating the cleaning means 103. The vicinity of the home position can be determined by determining a threshold of a certain distance from the position of the home position. As for the operation at the time of cleaning around the home position, for example, it is possible to remove dust adhering to the periphery of the home position by carrying out careful cleaning at a lower traveling speed than usual. In addition, it is possible to perform careful cleaning in the same manner by traveling with increasing suction force or by reciprocating many times. After cleaning around the home position is completed, the operation proceeds to step S1105. Step S1105 is the same as step S204 in the first embodiment. Careful cleaning can be performed not only around the home position but also around the device main body 100.

  By operating in such a flow, by carefully cleaning the periphery of the device main body 100 or the periphery of the home position, it is possible to efficiently clean a place where dirt easily remains.

(Embodiment 8)
FIG. 12 shows a self-propelled device according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention. The same elements as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in the figure, the self-propelled device according to the present embodiment is provided with a cleaning notification unit 1206 for notifying that the device main body 1200 is being cleaned when the automatic cleaning unit 105 is cleaning. This is different from the first embodiment. The rest is the same as in the first embodiment.

  The cleaning notification unit 1206 notifies the user that the cleaning is being performed. For example, the cleaning notification unit 1206 is a liquid crystal display that displays characters or images, an organic EL display or other device that can notify characters or images, an LED, a fluorescent tube, or the like. Any notification such as notification by lighting or flashing display or notification that the user is cleaning by the sound of a speaker may be used. As an alternative to the cleaning notification means 1206, a notification that the personal computer, the TV receiver, the remote controller, the charging device, etc. are receiving the cleaning is sent by transmitting that the cleaning is being performed wirelessly or by wire. It is also possible to make a configuration to use.

  By informing the user that the cleaning operation is being performed using the cleaning notification unit 1206 during the cleaning, it is possible to prevent the user from being suspicious of what operation is being performed by the cleaning operation. .

(Embodiment 9)
Next, a self-propelled device according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  The self-propelled device in the present embodiment is a program for causing a computer to execute at least a part of the functions of the self-propelled device described in any of the first to eighth embodiments.

  By using the program, at least a part of the self-propelled device can be easily realized using a general-purpose computer. This makes it possible to easily adapt to various self-propelled device platforms. In addition, for example, by making a part of the program usable by a general-purpose computer, a general-purpose computer and a self-propelled device can communicate with each other using a communication function such as a wireless LAN, and the control of the control means can be controlled. By performing the processing on the computer side, it is possible to reduce the capability of functions such as the CPU and memory of the device main body, so that it is possible to provide the device at a lower cost. Furthermore, it is also possible to easily realize that the user can operate the self-propelled device from the outside via a communication function with the outside such as the Internet connected to the general-purpose computer.

  The configurations of the above-described first to ninth embodiments can be appropriately combined as necessary, and are not limited to the configurations of the respective embodiments themselves.

  As described above, since the self-propelled device and its program according to the present invention do not contaminate the periphery of the device main body and the user's hand with dust remaining after cleaning, a cleaning robot, a mowing robot, It can be applied to self-propelled devices that perform work while automatically moving in unspecified spaces in the home or outdoors, such as tidying-up robots.

The block diagram which shows the structure of the self-propelled apparatus in Embodiment 1 of this invention. Flow chart showing operation of the self-propelled device The block diagram which shows the structure of the self-propelled apparatus in Embodiment 2 of this invention. Flow chart showing operation of the self-propelled device The block diagram which shows the structure of the self-propelled apparatus in Embodiment 3 of this invention. Flow chart showing operation of the self-propelled device The block diagram which shows the structure of the self-propelled apparatus in Embodiment 4 of this invention. The flowchart which shows operation | movement of the self-propelled apparatus in Embodiment 5 of this invention. The block diagram which shows the structure of the self-propelled apparatus in Embodiment 6 of this invention. Flow chart showing operation of the self-propelled device The flowchart which shows operation | movement of the self-propelled apparatus in Embodiment 7 of this invention. The block diagram which shows the structure of the self-propelled apparatus in Embodiment 8 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

100, 300, 500, 700, 900, 1200 Device body 101 Control means 102 Moving means 103 Cleaning means 104 Battery 105 Automatic cleaning means 306 Dust detection means 506 Storage means 706 Charging means 906 Battery remaining amount detection means 1206 Cleaning notification means 1206

Claims (10)

A moving means for moving the device main body, a control means for controlling the travel of the device main body by operating the moving means, a battery for supplying power to the device main body, and a space for traveling by the movement of the device main body are cleaned. A self-propelled device provided with a cleaning means and an automatic cleaning means for automatically cleaning the inside of the device main body and the dirty part after cleaning. The self-propelled device according to claim 1, further comprising: a dust detection unit that detects dust sucked by the cleaning unit, and operating the automatic cleaning unit according to a detection state of the dust detection unit. The self-propelled device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising storage means for storing a travel history of travel by the control means, and operating the automatic cleaning means based on the travel history by the storage means. The self-propelled device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a charging unit that charges the battery and operating the automatic cleaning unit by using electric power during charging. The self-propelled device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the automatic cleaning means operates during traveling to return to the home position after completion of cleaning. A battery remaining amount detecting means for detecting the remaining amount of the battery is provided, and the automatic cleaning means performs cleaning while traveling back to the home position after completion of cleaning according to the remaining amount of the battery detected by the remaining battery amount detecting means, The self-propelled device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which automatically determines whether to perform cleaning during charging after returning to the home position. The self-propelled device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the automatic cleaning means is operated by using self-discharge power when the battery is refreshed. The self-propelled device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the device body and the home position are automatically and carefully cleaned before the automatic cleaning of the device body by the automatic cleaning means. The self-propelled device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a cleaning notification unit that notifies that cleaning is being performed when the device main body is being cleaned by the automatic cleaning unit. The program for making a computer perform at least one part of the function in the self-propelled apparatus of any one of Claims 1-9.