JP2013169221A - Self-propelled cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

A self-propelled cleaner that travels away from a person when the person is around is provided.
A housing that houses a dust suction mechanism and performs self-propelled cleaning work, an obstacle detecting unit that detects an obstacle in a self-propelled path, a human sensing unit that senses the presence of a person, and the obstacle A control unit that travels while avoiding an obstacle detected by the object detection unit, and the control unit is configured to move away from the person in response to the person sensing unit detecting the presence of the person. A self-propelled cleaner that moves the housing in a direction.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a self-propelled cleaner.

Self-propelled cleaners are known as so-called robot cleaners. General vacuum cleaners that are not robotic vacuum cleaners are mainly used by a user holding a hose with a suction port at one end to move it over the floor and sucking dust from the suction port. . The other end of the hose communicates with a so-called filter bag type or cyclone type dust collecting part, which collects and collects dust in the air sucked from the suction port and discharges the air. In contrast to such a general vacuum cleaner, the robot cleaner is provided with an autonomous running function in the vacuum cleaner body, and performs cleaning while running the vacuum cleaner unattended at night (for example, Patent Document 1 and 2).
Also, it is possible to set in advance a time zone such as nighttime when noise is anxious for the surrounding people, and when starting cleaning, if it is a preset time zone, the suction motor and brush There has been proposed a vacuum cleaner that performs cleaning in a silent mode with the motor rotating at a low speed (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

JP 2004-195215 A JP 2007-167617 A JP 2000-197599 A

  In general vacuum cleaners that are not self-propelled, the user operates with the hose in his / her hand during cleaning work, so the user can cope with the noise problem by determining whether or not the noise is a concern. An operation button or the like may be provided so that the user can switch the cleaner to the silent mode. On the other hand, the robot cleaner performs cleaning by autonomous running. Therefore, it is desirable to switch to the silent mode autonomously. Patent Document 3 shows one method. However, the situation in which the operation sound of the vacuum cleaner is anxious does not depend on the time zone. For example, there may be a case where the operation noise is not noticed in a room where there are no people even at night or in a cleaning operation while the user is away. On the other hand, there are cases where the operation sound should be suppressed even in the daytime, such as in a room where an infant is sleeping.

Further, switching to the silent mode deals with noise by a trade-off between noise and cleaning ability. However, dealing with noise is not always the only way to make trade-offs with cleaning ability. In the first place, the person who feels noise is a person around the vacuum cleaner.
Even with the same operating sound, the noise felt by a person is less when the cleaner is far away from the person than when the cleaner is near the person.
So, according to this invention, if it is a self-propelled cleaner, it is set as one method which copes with noise by driving | running in consideration of the distance with the surrounding people. The cleaning robot controls the traveling based on the idea that it is only necessary to clean a place where there is no person and the part where the person is present should be cleaned at another time when the person disappears. Thereby, it can prevent that cleaning capability falls by switching to silent mode.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a self-propelled cleaner that travels away from a person when there is a person around.

  The present invention includes a housing that houses a dust suction mechanism and performs self-propelled cleaning work, an obstacle detecting unit that detects an obstacle in a self-propelled path, a human sensing unit that senses the presence of a person, and the obstacle A control unit that travels while avoiding an obstacle detected by the object detection unit, and the control unit is configured to move away from the person in response to the person sensing unit detecting the presence of the person. A self-propelled cleaner is provided that travels the housing in a direction.

  In this invention, when the control unit detects the presence of a person during a cleaning operation, the control unit moves the case in a distance direction in which the case moves away from the person, so that there is a person around. Sometimes you can run the cleaner away from the person. Therefore, the noise felt by the person is smaller than when the cleaner is traveling near the person.

It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of one Example of the self-propelled cleaner of this invention. It is a perspective view showing roughly one embodiment of the self-propelled cleaner of this invention. It is a bottom view which shows roughly the bottom face of the self-propelled cleaner shown in FIG. It is a 1st flowchart which shows the one aspect | mode of the process which the control part which concerns on this invention determines the presence or absence of a surrounding person, and determines a person's direction and distance. It is a 2nd flowchart which shows the one aspect | mode of the process which the control part which concerns on this invention determines the presence or absence of a surrounding person, and determines a person's direction and distance. It is a 1st flowchart which shows the example of the process in which the control part which concerns on this invention runs a housing | casing, avoiding an obstruction. It is a 2nd flowchart which shows the example of the process in which the control part which concerns on this invention runs a housing | casing, avoiding an obstruction. It is a 1st flowchart which shows the different aspect of the process in which the control part which concerns on this invention judges the presence or absence of a surrounding person, and determines a person's direction and distance. It is a 2nd flowchart which shows the different aspect of the process in which the control part which concerns on this invention judges the presence or absence of a surrounding person, and determines a person's direction and distance. It is a 1st flowchart which shows the further different aspect of the process which the control part which concerns on this invention determines the presence or absence of a surrounding person, and determines a person's direction and distance. It is a 2nd flowchart which shows the further different aspect of the process which the control part which concerns on this invention determines the presence or absence of a surrounding person, and determines a person's direction and distance.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described before describing embodiments of the present invention.
The human sensing unit in the description of the embodiment of the present invention described below is a camera that captures the surrounding state as an image, and recognizes a person reflected in the captured image and provides information on the distance and direction of the person. And an image analysis unit to be provided. In this way, by recognizing a person using an image photographed by the camera, information on the presence or absence of the person and, when there is a person, information on the distance and direction to the person can be obtained. As a method for recognizing a person from an image, a known pattern recognition technique can be applied. The distance to the person can be determined based on the size of the person shown in the image.

  Further, the camera captures the front with a predetermined viewing angle, and when the control unit described in the embodiment described below recognizes that a person is reflected in the image captured by the camera, the person You may control to change a running direction so that it may remove | deviate from the said viewing angle and it does not appear in an image. If it does in this way, the person who exists ahead can be recognized based on the photographed image, and a run direction can be changed so that the person may be avoided. Furthermore, if one or more cameras are used to shoot a viewing angle of 90 degrees or more from side to side with the front as the center, a direction in which a person always moves away from the person when traveling in a direction away from the viewing angle. Drive to. Therefore, it is possible to reliably travel in the separation direction by a simple process of changing the traveling direction so that no person is shown in the image.

The human sensing unit may include one or more microphones that have directivity and collect ambient sounds, and a voice recognition unit that recognizes a voice from the sounds and provides information on the direction. Good. In this way, the person sensing unit senses the presence or absence of a person by recognizing the sound included in the sound collected by the microphone, and when the person is sensed, information for determining the distance and direction to the person Can be provided to the controller. Further, even if there is a shield and no person is captured in the camera image, the person can be detected by voice. Information for recognizing speech and determining the distance to the person who is the sound source can be created by using well-known acoustic filter technology and speech recognition technology.
It should be noted that the determination of the direction and distance of a person by voice or image does not necessarily require high accuracy. Even if it is accurate enough to determine the approximate distance and direction, it is only necessary to be able to travel away so that surrounding people do not mind noise. For example, even if the accuracy of the determination is low, the designer may set a threshold value for the distance corresponding to the accuracy, and the control unit 11 may perform traveling control using the threshold value.

  For example, when one microphone is used, for example, the control unit turns the robot cleaner at the same place, and collects sound while using a unidirectional microphone. If information on the intensity of the sound that changes with the turn is provided, the control unit can determine the direction of the sound source based on the information. Further, if information on the ratio between the direct sound and the reflected sound and the arrival time difference between the direct sound and the initial reflected sound is provided, the control unit can determine the distance to the sound source based on the information. On the other hand, when there are microphones on the left and right sides, if the information of the volume difference, time difference and / or phase difference of the sound collected by each microphone is provided, the control unit can determine the direction of the sound source based on the information. The distance to the sound source can be determined in the same manner as when one microphone is used. Furthermore, if there are microphones on the front, rear, left and right, providing information on the volume difference, time difference and / or phase difference of the sound collected by each microphone, the control unit can determine the distance to the sound source and the direction of the sound source based on that information. Can be determined.

  Further, the human sensing unit has one directional microphone, the voice recognition unit recognizes a stepped voice volume, and the control unit detects a voice having a magnitude equal to or higher than a first threshold. When this is done, the casing may be turned, and the direction of the sound may be determined based on the volume of the sound that changes with the turning. In this way, a person can be sensed at a lower cost than when a plurality of microphones are used. As described above, the distance to the person may be determined based on the intensity of the sound or the analysis of the direct sound and the reflected sound. Alternatively, by combining with a camera, the presence or absence of a person may be recognized from the sound of a microphone, and the distance and direction of the person may be determined from the camera image.

  Further, the control unit may perform control so that the casing travels in the separation direction until the volume of the sound falls below a second threshold value that is smaller than the first threshold value. In this way, it is possible to control to move away from a person to a distance sufficiently away even if the person approaches the proximity limit once.

  Alternatively, the human sensing unit includes four microphones that collect sounds in four directions, front, rear, left, and right with respect to the traveling direction, and the voice recognition unit includes a volume difference, a time difference, and / or a voice collected by each microphone. Recognizing the phase difference, the control unit may determine the direction and distance of the person based on the volume difference, time difference and / or phase difference of the sound. In this way, the sound in the left and right direction is collected as a so-called stereo signal to detect the left and right localization of the person as the sound source, the sound in the front and rear direction is collected to detect the position in the front and back of the person as the sound source, These can be combined to analyze the distance and direction to the sound source.

  Further, the control unit may control the traveling of the housing so as to go in the separation direction until a distance determined based on a volume difference, a time difference, and / or a phase difference of the sound is equal to or more than a third threshold value. Good. In this way, once a person approaches the limit of proximity, it can be controlled to move far enough away from that person.

  The human sensing unit captures surroundings as an image in response to speech recognition by the speech recognition unit, one or more microphones that collect ambient sounds, a voice recognition unit that recognizes voices from the sounds. An image analysis unit that recognizes a person in the captured image and determines the distance and direction of the person. In this way, a person can be sensed by voice even in a situation where there is a shield and no person is captured in the camera image.

  Further, according to this aspect, it is possible to recognize the presence / absence of a person based on the sound using the microphone and the voice recognition unit, and to determine the distance and direction of the person by photographing the surrounding state with the camera in response to the recognition. it can. If a person is hidden and can't be seen in the camera image, you can also run a cleaning robot to change the location and take pictures of the surroundings to find a person. It is considered that the distance and direction with respect to a person can be determined more accurately by analyzing and determining the image than by analyzing and determining the sound. Even when sound is intermittently emitted, it is possible to determine the distance and direction of the person by photographing the surroundings with a camera in response to the sound.

  Furthermore, when the voice recognition unit recognizes the presence of a person by voice, the control unit may turn the housing on the spot to cause the camera to take an image of the surroundings being turned. In this way, even when a person existing around is outside the frame of the image originally captured by the camera, the person outside the frame can be captured by the camera by turning the casing.

In addition, the control unit may perform control so that the housing travels in the separation direction for at least a predetermined period in response to human detection by the human detection unit. In this way, even when a person on the camera is visible or hidden, or when sound is intermittently emitted, even when the person approaches the proximity limit once, keep away from the person sufficiently far away. Can be controlled.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention include combinations of any of the plurality of embodiments shown here.
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. As a result, the constituent requirements of the above-described human sensitive part, control part, etc. of the present invention can be understood more. In addition, the following description is an illustration in all the points, Comprising: It should not be interpreted as limiting this invention.

≪Configuration of self-propelled vacuum cleaner≫
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of a self-propelled cleaner according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a self-propelled cleaner (hereinafter also referred to as a cleaning robot) according to the present invention mainly includes a rotating brush 9, a side brush 10, a control unit 11, a rechargeable battery 12, an obstacle detection unit 14, A dust collection unit 15 is provided. Furthermore, a power unit 21, a right drive wheel 22R, a left drive wheel 22L, an intake port 31, an exhaust port 32, an input unit 51, a storage unit 61, a human sensing unit 113, an electric blower 115, and an ion generation unit 117 are provided.

The self-propelled cleaner according to the present invention cleans the floor surface by sucking air containing dust on the floor surface and exhausting the air from which the dust is removed while self-propelled on the floor surface at the place where it is installed. It is a cleaning robot. The self-propelled cleaner according to the present invention has a function of autonomously returning to a charging station (not shown) when cleaning is completed.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing one embodiment of the self-propelled cleaner according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a bottom view schematically showing the bottom surface of the self-propelled cleaner shown in FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, a cleaning robot 1 that is a self-propelled cleaner of the present invention includes a disc-shaped housing 2.
The housing 2 includes a bottom plate 2a, a top plate 2b having a lid 3 that can be opened and closed to put in and out a dust collecting container accommodated in the housing 2, and a bottom plate 2a and a top plate 2b. And a side plate 2c having a ring shape in plan view provided along the outer periphery. An exhaust port 32 is formed near the boundary between the front portion and the middle portion of the top plate 2b. The side plate 2c is divided into two parts, front and rear, and the front side of the side plate functions as a bumper, and a collision sensor 14C for detecting a collision of the front side of the side plate is provided inside. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a front ultrasonic sensor 14F is disposed on the front side, and a left ultrasonic sensor 14L is disposed on the left side. Although hidden in FIG. 2, the right ultrasonic sensor 14R is disposed on the right side.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the bottom plate 2a is formed with a plurality of holes that expose the front wheel 27, the right driving wheel 22R, the left driving wheel 22L, and the rear wheel 26 from the inside of the housing 2 and project outside. Yes. Further, the rotary brush 9 is located behind the intake port 31, the side brush 10 is located on the left and right sides of the intake port 31, the front wheel floor surface detection sensor 18 is located in front of the front wheel 27, the left wheel floor surface detection sensor 19L is located forward of the left drive wheel 22L, and the right drive is driven. A right wheel floor surface detection sensor 19R is disposed in front of the wheel 22R.

The cleaning robot 1 travels in a direction in which the right driving wheel 22R and the left driving wheel 22L rotate forward in the same direction and moves forward, and the front ultrasonic sensor 14F is disposed. Further, the left and right drive wheels rotate backward in the same direction and move backward, and turn by rotating in opposite directions. For example, the cleaning robot 1 stops the left and right drive wheels after decelerating when the sensors of the obstacle detection unit 14 reach the periphery of the cleaning area and when an obstacle is detected on the path. Thereafter, the left and right drive wheels are rotated in opposite directions to turn and change directions. In this way, the cleaning robot 1 runs by itself while avoiding obstacles over the entire installation place or the entire desired range.
Here, the front means the forward direction of the cleaning robot 1 (upward along the paper surface in FIG. 3), and the rear means the backward direction of the cleaner robot 1 (downward along the paper surface in FIG. 3). Shall.

Hereinafter, each component shown in FIG. 1 will be described.
The control unit 11 in FIG. 1 is a part that controls the operation of each component of the cleaning robot 1 and is mainly realized by a microcomputer including a CPU, a RAM, an I / O controller, a timer, and the like.
The CPU organically operates each hardware based on a control program stored in advance in the storage unit 61, which will be described later, and expanded in the RAM, and executes the cleaning function, the traveling function, and the like of the present invention.

The rechargeable battery 12 is a part that supplies power to each functional element of the cleaning robot 1, and is a part that mainly supplies power for performing a cleaning function and travel control. For example, a rechargeable battery such as a lithium ion battery, a nickel metal hydride battery, or a Ni—Cd battery is used.
The rechargeable battery 12 is charged by bringing the exposed charging terminals into contact with each other in a state where the cleaning robot 1 is brought close to a charging station (not shown).

The obstacle detection unit 14, particularly the left, front, and right sensors 14L, 14F, and 14R, are in contact with or approaching obstacles such as indoor walls, desks, and chairs while the cleaner 1 is running. It is a part that detects and detects a step such as a descending staircase leading to a fall. The obstacle detection unit 14 detects proximity to the obstacle using an ultrasonic sensor. Instead of the ultrasonic sensor or together with the ultrasonic sensor, other types of non-contact sensors such as an infrared distance measuring sensor may be used.
The collision sensor 14 </ b> C is disposed, for example, inside the side plate 2 c of the housing 2 in order to detect that the cleaning robot 1 has come into contact with an obstacle during traveling. The CPU knows that the side plate 2c has collided with an obstacle based on the output signal from the collision sensor 14C.

The front wheel floor surface detection sensor 18, the left wheel floor surface detection sensor 19L, and the right wheel floor surface detection sensor 19R detect large steps such as descending stairs.
Based on the signal output from the obstacle detection unit 14, the CPU recognizes the position where an obstacle or a step exists. Based on the recognized obstacle and step position information, the next direction to travel is determined while avoiding the obstacle and step. Note that the left wheel floor surface detection sensor 19L and the right wheel floor surface detection sensor 19R detect the down staircase when the front wheel floor surface detection sensor 18 fails to detect a step or fails, and then go to the down staircase of the cleaning robot 1. Prevent falling.

The person sensing unit 113 detects a person around. In this embodiment, the human sensing unit has three or more types of sensors: one or more microphones 113M, a voice recognition unit 113S, a camera 113C, an image analysis unit 113A, and a human sensor 54. However, since any one or two of these sensors can sense a person, the three types of sensors are not essential.
The microphone 113M collects ambient sounds and outputs them to the voice recognition unit 113S as voice signals. The voice recognition unit 113 </ b> S recognizes a sound (human voice) when the sound includes the sound using a well-known voice recognition technique. Furthermore, information for detecting the volume of the sound step by step and calculating the direction of the sound source and the distance to the sound source (that is, determining the distance to the person) is provided. One unidirectional microphone may be used, but the direction of the sound source may be calculated from the volume difference, time difference, and / or phase difference of the sound collected by the two microphones using the left and right microphones. Good. Alternatively, if three or more microphones are used, the distance of the sound source can be further calculated by combining the localization detected using two of them.

The camera 113C outputs the surrounding state as an image signal to the image analysis unit 113A. The image analysis unit 113A recognizes a human being in the image signal using a known pattern recognition technique. Furthermore, information for calculating (that is, determining) the direction and distance of the person is provided. The direction of the person can be calculated on the basis of information on the position of the person in the image of the camera 113C. The distance to the person can be calculated from the size of the person shown in the image, for example. Alternatively, a so-called 3D image may be taken by photographing the surroundings from different viewpoints using the left and right cameras, and the depth distance information may be provided by analyzing the depth of the 3D image.
As the human sensor 54, for example, a human sensor that detects infrared rays emitted by a person has been put into practical use for a lighting switch or a security system. In addition, a device that detects the presence of a person using ultrasonic waves, visible light, or the like may be used. Such a commercially available human sensor or a technology applied thereto may be used.

The CPU in the control unit 11 determines whether or not a person exists in the vicinity based on voice recognition by the voice recognition unit 113S, image analysis by the image analysis unit 113A, and / or an output signal from the human sensor 54. Get information used to calculate direction and distance.
The power unit 21 is a part that realizes traveling by a drive motor that rotates and stops the left and right drive wheels of the cleaning robot 1. By configuring the drive motor so that the left and right drive wheels can be independently rotated in both forward and reverse directions, the cleaning robot 1 is in a traveling state such as forward, backward, turning, and acceleration / deceleration.

The intake port 31 and the exhaust port 32 are portions that perform intake and exhaust of air for cleaning, respectively.
The dust collection part 15 is a part which performs the cleaning function which collects indoor garbage and dust, and is mainly provided with the dust collection container which is not shown in figure, the filter part, and the cover part which covers a dust collection container and a filter part. Further, the dust collecting container has an inflow port that leads to an inflow path that communicates with the intake port 31, and an exhaust port that communicates with an exhaust path that communicates with the exhaust port 32. An electric blower 115 is disposed in the discharge path. The electric blower 115 sucks air from the intake port 31, guides the air into the dust collecting container through the inflow passage, and generates an air flow that releases the collected air from the exhaust port 32 to the outside through the discharge passage. generate.

  A rotary brush 9 that rotates about an axis parallel to the bottom surface is provided behind the intake port 31, and a side brush 10 that rotates about a vertical rotation axis is provided on both the left and right sides of the intake port 31. ing. The rotating brush 9 is formed by implanting a brush spirally on the outer peripheral surface of a roller that is a rotating shaft. The side brush 10 is formed by providing a brush bundle radially at the lower end of the rotating shaft. The rotating shaft of the rotating brush 9 and the rotating shaft of the pair of side brushes 10 are pivotally attached to a part of the bottom plate 2a of the housing 2, and a brush motor 119 provided in the vicinity thereof, a pulley, a belt, etc. It is connected via a power transmission mechanism that includes it. This is merely an example, and a dedicated drive motor that rotates the side brush 10 may be provided.

Moreover, the cleaning robot 1 according to this embodiment has an ion generation function as an additional function. An ion generation unit 117 is provided in the discharge path. When the ion generator 117 is operated, the airflow discharged from the exhaust port includes ions generated by the ion generator 117 (for example, plasma cluster ions (registered trademark), negative ions, or the like). The air containing the ions is exhausted from an exhaust port 32 provided on the upper surface of the housing 2. Indoor air sterilization and deodorization are performed by the air containing the ions. In the case of negative ions, it is also known to give a relaxing effect to humans. At this time, air is exhausted from the exhaust port 32 obliquely upward to the rear, so that the dust on the floor surface is prevented from being rolled up, and the cleanliness of the room can be improved. In addition, the dust can be gradually discharged, and the collected dust can be reliably discarded.
A part of the ions generated by the ion generator 117 may be guided to the inflow path. In this way, since ions are included in the airflow guided from the intake port 31 to the inflow path, it is possible to sterilize and deodorize a dust collection container and a filter (not shown) of the dust collection unit 15.

The input unit 51 is a part where the user inputs an instruction for the operation of the cleaning robot 1, and is provided on the surface of the housing of the cleaning robot 1 as an operation panel or an operation button.
Further, a remote control unit is provided separately from the operation panel and operation buttons provided in the above-described cleaner body, and this remote control unit also corresponds to the input unit 51. When an operation button provided on the remote control unit is pressed, an infrared ray or a radio wave signal is transmitted from the remote control unit, and an operation instruction is input by wireless communication.

  The input unit 51 includes a main power switch 52M, a power switch 52S, and a start switch 53. The main power switch 52M is a switch that turns on / off the power supply from the rechargeable battery 12 to the control unit 11 and the like. The power switch 52S is a switch for turning on / off the power of the cleaning robot 1. The start switch 53 is a switch for starting the cleaning work. As the input unit 51, other switches (for example, a charge request switch, an operation mode switch, a timer switch) are further provided. When the remote controller serving as the input unit 51 receives an instruction from the user, the control unit 11 responds to the instruction, for example, controls the power unit 21 to travel in the direction instructed by the user or stop traveling. Further, for example, the ion generation of the ion generation unit 117 is controlled.

The storage unit 61 stores information necessary for realizing various functions of the cleaning robot 1 and a control program, and uses a non-volatile semiconductor storage element such as a flash memory or a storage medium such as a hard disk.
In the storage unit 61, for example, battery information 62 indicating the state of the remaining capacity of the rechargeable battery 12, a history of the travel route of the cleaning robot 1, position information 63 indicating the current position and direction, and an operation mode of the cleaning robot 1 are shown. The operation mode information 71 is stored. The operation mode information 71 stores an operation mode 72, a standby mode 73, and a sleep mode 74. The operation mode 72 is data indicating that a cleaning operation is being performed. The standby mode 73 is data indicating that the cleaning robot is in a standby mode in which cleaning can be started in response to the activation switch 53. The sleep mode 74 is data indicating that the sleep mode is in the power saving state.

≪Running control 1- configuration in which the human sensing unit includes one microphone and a voice recognition unit≫
Next, traveling control performed by the control unit 11 when the human sensing unit 113 includes one microphone and a voice recognition unit will be described.
4 and 5 are flowcharts showing an aspect of a process in which the control unit 11 controls the running of the cleaning robot 1 based on the presence / absence of surrounding people, the direction and distance of the people. FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are processes based on the premise that the person sensing unit 113 includes one microphone 113M and a voice recognition unit 113S. The microphone 113M is a unidirectional microphone having maximum sensitivity in the direction in which the cleaning robot 1 moves forward.

In FIG. 4, the voice recognition unit 113S analyzes the sound collected by the microphone 113M, and the control unit 11 obtains information on the analysis result (step S11). The information includes information as to whether or not the collected sound includes a sound having a magnitude equal to or higher than a predetermined first threshold (step S13). If the voice is not included (No in step S13), the control unit 11 determines that there is no person in the surroundings, and continues traveling with the cleaning work while avoiding the obstacle (step S15). That is, the vehicle continues to travel while following a portion that has not yet been cleaned.
A modification of step S11 will be described. When the human sensing unit 113 further includes a human sensor 54 that senses a person when the person is within the proximity limit, whether or not the human sensor 54 senses the presence of the person in addition to the step S11. You may make it determine.

  The control unit 11 determines whether or not all the parts have been cleaned (step S17), and if an uncleaned part remains (No in step S17), the routine returns to step S11 to determine whether a person is present. Continue cleaning while sensing. On the other hand, if it is determined that the cleaning of all the parts has been completed (Yes in step S17), the cleaning robot 1 is returned to the charging station. For this purpose, the control unit 11 refers to the position information 63 in the storage unit 61 and causes the cleaning robot 1 to travel toward the charging station while avoiding obstacles (step S19). When the target charging station is reached (step S21), traveling is terminated in the state of being close to the charging station (step S23), and the rechargeable battery 12 is charged by bringing both exposed charging terminals into contact with each other.

  When it is determined in step S13 that the collected sound includes sound, the control unit 11 calculates how far the person who is the sound source that has emitted the sound is from the cleaning robot 1 (step). S25). The calculation can be performed based on, for example, information on the ratio between the direct sound and the reflected sound and the arrival time difference between the direct sound and the initial reflected sound. In this case, the ratio of the direct sound and the reflected sound of the room where the cleaning robot 1 performs the cleaning work and the arrival time difference between the direct sound and the initial reflected sound are registered in advance. When the cleaning robot 1 has a sound source circuit and a speaker (not shown), and a user executes a dedicated initial setting menu, the control unit operates the sound source circuit to emit a test sound, and the cleaning robot 1 is installed. The storage unit 61 stores the acoustic characteristics of the generated room. The distance from the cleaning robot 1 to the person is calculated by comparing the acoustic characteristics thus registered with the voice recognized during the cleaning operation.

  And the control part 11 judges whether the distance to a person is below a predetermined proximity limit (step S27). When the distance from the person is far from the proximity limit (No in step S27), it is determined that the distance from the person is sufficiently far away. In this case, the routine proceeds to step S15, and continues normal traveling associated with the cleaning operation.

  On the other hand, when the distance to the person is equal to or less than the proximity limit (Yes in step S27), the control unit 11 temporarily stops the traveling of the cleaning robot 1 (step S29). After stopping (step S31), the cleaning robot 1 is turned on the spot a predetermined number of times n (step S33). Then, information on the strength of the sound that changes with the turn is obtained from the speech recognition unit 113S, and the sound volume in each direction is obtained and averaged (step S35). For example, when dividing into 12 directions having a turning angle of 30 degrees as a unit and sampling m times while turning in each direction, mxn samplings are averaged for each direction. Get the strength of the voice in each direction. Instead of turning the robot, it can be realized by rotating only a microphone having directivity.

  The control unit 11 determines that the sound source is in the direction in which the sound is the largest based on the strength of the sound in each direction obtained in this way, and the direction opposite to the sound source, that is, the sound is the separation direction away from the sound source. The smallest direction is selected (step S37).

And the control part 11 turns the cleaning robot 1 on the spot so that it may face in the determined separation direction (step S39 of FIG. 5). When the cleaning robot 1 faces in the separation direction (Yes in step S41), the timer of the control unit 11 is set to a predetermined period, and the timer count is started (step S43). This is a period during which the cleaning robot 1 is traveling in the separation direction. After setting the timer, the control unit causes the cleaning robot 1 to travel in the separation direction (step S45). However, if there are obstacles, run while avoiding them. The cleaning robot 1 is caused to travel in the separation direction until the period ends (step S47).
Steps S43 to S47 are processes for causing the cleaning robot 1 to travel in the separation direction during a predetermined period when a person is detected. As a modification, a threshold value (second threshold value) with a predetermined sound volume is used. You may make it make the cleaning robot 1 drive | work to a separation direction until it falls below.
The above is the description of the traveling control, in particular, the control for sensing a person and traveling in the separation direction. Next, control for traveling while avoiding obstacles while traveling in the cleaning operation, traveling in the separation direction, and returning to the charging station will be described.

6 and 7 are flowcharts illustrating an example of processing in which the control unit 11 travels the casing while avoiding obstacles. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the control unit 11 detects any obstacle within a predetermined distance threshold tr by any one of the front ultrasonic sensor 14F, the left ultrasonic sensor 14L, and the right ultrasonic sensor 14R. Whether or not the vehicle has been operated is monitored during traveling (step S51). If there is no obstacle within the threshold value tr (No in step S53), the vehicle continues straight.
When any ultrasonic sensor detects the presence of an obstacle within the threshold tr, the control unit 11 decelerates both the left driving wheel 22L and the right driving wheel 22R in response to the detection (step S55), and the driving wheel. Is stopped (step S57). When the driving wheel stops (Yes in step S57), the cleaning robot 1 is turned right or left depending on which ultrasonic sensor detects the obstacle.

  First, the control unit 11 checks whether or not the front ultrasonic sensor 14F has detected an obstacle (step S59). When an obstacle is detected (Yes in step S59), the control unit 11 rotates the left driving wheel 22L in the backward direction and the right driving wheel in the forward direction, and moves the cleaning robot 1 to the left at the stop position. Turn (step S61). The left turn is continued until none of the front ultrasonic sensor 14F, the left ultrasonic sensor 14L, and the right ultrasonic sensor 14R detects an obstacle within the threshold value tr (No loop in step S63).

  When the obstacle is no longer detected (Yes in step S63), the control unit 11 stops the rotation of the cleaning robot 1, and then rotates the left driving wheel 22L and the right driving wheel 22R in the forward direction to move the cleaning robot 1. The vehicle travels straight at a predetermined traveling speed Vr for normal traveling mode (step S65). That is, both the left driving wheel 22L and the right driving wheel 22R are accelerated until they reach the traveling speed Vr, and then travel at the speed Vr.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S59 that the front ultrasonic sensor 14F has not detected an obstacle (No in step S59), the control unit 11 determines whether the right ultrasonic sensor 14R has detected an obstacle. (Step S67). When the obstacle is detected (Yes in step S67), the control unit 11 rotates the left driving wheel 22L in the backward direction and the right driving wheel in the forward direction, and moves the cleaning robot 1 to the left at the stop position. Turn (step S69 in FIG. 7). The left turn is continued until none of the front ultrasonic sensor 14F, the left ultrasonic sensor 14L, and the right ultrasonic sensor 14R detects an obstacle within the threshold value tr (No loop in step S71).

  When the obstacle is no longer detected (Yes in step S71), the control unit 11 stops the rotation of the cleaning robot 1, and then rotates the left driving wheel 22L and the right driving wheel 22R in the forward direction to move the cleaning robot 1. The vehicle travels straight at a predetermined traveling speed Vr (step S73). That is, both the left driving wheel 22L and the right driving wheel 22R are accelerated until they reach the traveling speed Vr, and then travel at the speed Vr.

  On the other hand, when the right ultrasonic sensor 14R has not detected an obstacle in the determination of step S67 in FIG. 6 (No in step S67), the remaining left ultrasonic sensor 14L has detected the obstacle. Become. Therefore, the control unit 11 rotates the left drive wheel 22L in the forward direction and the right drive wheel in the reverse direction, and turns the cleaning robot 1 to the right at the stop position (step S75 in FIG. 7). The front ultrasonic sensor 14F, the left ultrasonic sensor 14L, and the right ultrasonic sensor 14R continue to turn right until no obstacle is detected within the threshold value tr (No loop in step S77).

  If no obstacle is detected (Yes in step S77), the routine proceeds to step S73. The control unit 11 stops the turning of the cleaning robot 1 and then rotates both the left driving wheel 22L and the right driving wheel 22R in the forward direction to cause the cleaning robot 1 to go straight at the traveling speed Vr.

≪Running control 2-configuration in which the human sensing unit includes four microphones and a voice recognition unit≫
Next, traveling control performed by the control unit 11 when the human sensing unit includes four microphones and a voice recognition unit will be described.
8 and 9 are flowcharts showing different modes of processing in which the control unit 11 controls the running of the cleaning robot 1 based on the presence / absence of surrounding people, the direction and distance of the people. 8 and 9 are processes based on the premise that the human sensing unit 113 includes four microphones 113M and voice recognition units 113S on the front, rear, left, and right. The four microphones 113M are all unidirectional microphones and are mounted in different directions so that the cleaning robot 1 has maximum sensitivity in each of the forward direction, the backward direction, the left direction, and the right direction. Has been.

The following processing in FIGS. 8 and 9 includes processing corresponding to FIGS. 4 and 5. Therefore, the description of the overlapping processes is omitted, and different processes are described.
As shown in FIG. 8, the speech recognition unit 113S analyzes sounds collected by the front, rear, left and right microphones 113M, and the control unit 11 obtains information on the analysis result (step S11). The subsequent steps S83 to S93 correspond to the steps S13 to S23 of FIG.

  In step S95, the sound volume difference, time difference and / or phase difference information collected by each microphone is used to calculate the distance to the sound source. If three microphones are provided, the direction (localization) of the sound source can be detected based on the volume difference, time difference and / or phase difference of the sound collected by the two microphones. The distance to the sound source can be calculated by detecting the localization for each of the three combinations of selecting two from the three microphones and combining them. In this embodiment, the distance to the sound source is more accurately calculated using four microphones, front, rear, left and right.

  Step S97 corresponds to step S27 in FIG. When the control unit 11 determines in step S97 that the distance to the person is equal to or less than the proximity limit (Yes in step S97), the control unit 11 determines the volume difference, time difference, and / or difference between the microphones obtained from the voice recognition unit 113S. Alternatively, the direction of the sound source is determined based on the phase difference information (step S99). A direction opposite to the sound source is selected as the separation direction away from the sound source (step S101).

Steps S103 to S107 and steps S109 to S111 in FIG. 9 correspond to steps S39 to S47 in FIG. Steps S107 to S111 are processes in which the cleaning robot 1 travels in the separation direction during a predetermined period when a person is detected. As a modification, the distance from the person is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (third threshold). The cleaning robot 1 may be caused to travel in the separation direction until
The process of running the housing while avoiding the obstacle is also as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 in this embodiment.
The above is the traveling control when four microphones are provided. The same traveling control can be applied when three or more microphones are provided.

≪Running control 3-configuration in which the human detection unit includes a camera, an image analysis unit, a microphone, and a voice recognition unit≫
Next, traveling control performed by the control unit 11 when the human sensing unit includes a camera, an image analysis unit, a microphone, and a voice recognition unit will be described.
FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 are flowcharts showing yet another aspect of the process in which the control unit 11 controls the running of the cleaning robot 1 based on the presence / absence of a surrounding person, the direction and distance of the person. FIGS. 10 and 11 are processes based on the premise that the human sensing unit 113 includes a camera 113C, an image analysis unit 113A, a microphone 113M, and a voice recognition unit 113S. The camera 113C is composed of one or more cameras and shoots a viewing angle of 90 degrees or more on the left and right with the front as the center.

The following processes in FIGS. 10 and 11 include processes corresponding to those in FIGS. 4, 5, 8, and 9. Therefore, the description of the overlapping processes is omitted, and different processes are described.
In FIG. 10, the image analysis unit 113A analyzes the image captured by the camera 113C, and the control unit 11 obtains information on the analysis result (step S121). The information includes information indicating whether or not a person is shown in the captured image (step S123). If no person is shown, the routine proceeds to step S125, where it is determined whether or not a person has been detected by voice. The processes in steps S125 to S129 correspond to the processes in steps S11, S13, and S25 in FIG. When a person is detected by voice, after determining the distance to the person as the sound source, the routine proceeds to step S133 described later. If no person is detected by voice, the routine proceeds to step S137 described later.

  Here, a modified example will be described. A configuration in which the human sensing unit 113 includes the camera 113C and the image analysis unit 113A but does not include the microphone 113M and the voice recognition unit 113S is conceivable. In this case, the steps S125 to S129 are omitted, and if no person is captured in step S123 (No in step S123), the routine may proceed to step S137 and continue normal driving. As a different modification, when the human sensing unit 113 further includes a human sensor 54 that senses a person when the person is within the proximity limit, the human sensor 54 is replaced with the human sensor 54 instead of the steps S125 to S129. If a person is sensed, the distance to the person is determined and the routine proceeds to step S133. If no person is sensed, the routine proceeds to step S137. Good. As a further modification, all or part of the determination based on the image, the determination based on the human sensor 54, and the determination based on the sound may be combined.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S123 that a person is shown in the image (Yes in step S123), the control unit 11 calculates how far the person shown in the image is from the cleaning robot 1 (step S131). ). The calculation can be performed based on, for example, the size of the person shown in the image.
And the control part 11 judges whether the distance to a person is below a predetermined proximity limit (step S133). If the distance from the person is greater than the proximity limit (No in step S133), the routine proceeds to step S137 and continues the normal travel associated with the cleaning operation.

On the other hand, when the distance to the person is equal to or smaller than the proximity limit (Yes in step S133), the control unit 11 determines the direction in which the person exists based on which part of the image the person is in, and based on the direction. The travel is changed to the separation direction (step S135). Thereafter, the routine proceeds to step S137, and continues normal traveling associated with the cleaning operation. Steps S137 to S145 correspond to steps S15 to S23 of FIG.
Next, details of the process of step S135 for changing the travel to the separation direction will be described.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the detailed process of step S135 for changing the travel to the separation direction. As illustrated in FIG. 11, the control unit 11 recognizes a position where a person is captured in an image photographed by the camera 113C (step S151). If a person is in the center of the image, that is, at a position to the right of the front (Yes in step S153), the housing is turned to the left so as to move away from the person (step S155). The left turn is continued until the person being photographed deviates from the right end of the image and is no longer photographed (No loop in step S157). When a person is not shown in the image (Yes in step S157), the turning is stopped and the cleaning robot 1 is moved forward (step S159).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S153 that the person is in the center or the left side of the image (No in step S153), the control unit 11 turns the housing to the right so as to move away from the person (step S161). The right turn is continued until the person in the picture is removed from the left end of the image and no longer appears (No loop in step S163). When a person is not captured in the image (Yes in step S163), the turning is stopped and the cleaning robot 1 is moved forward (step S159).
The above is the detail of step S135 which changes driving | running | working to a separation direction.

  In the flowchart shown in FIG. 10, step S135 is executed after it is determined in step S123 that a person is in the image. Therefore, it is assumed that a person is shown in the image. However, in the above-described modification, when it is determined that a person is present in the surroundings based on the sound or by the human sensor 54, the person is not always in the field of view taken by the camera. For example, when a person is detected based on voice, the distance to the person can be determined by the voice. However, there are cases where it is desired to determine the distance with higher accuracy based on the image of the camera. In that case, in order to perform the process of calculating the distance to the person based on the image, the person must be shown in the image.

Therefore, the control unit 11 performs control so that the cleaning robot 1 stops traveling and turns on the spot, and the surrounding image of the turning is captured by the camera 113C. As a result, even if there is a person outside the field of view of the camera at the time of the stop, the person appears in the image during the turn. The control unit 11 calculates how far the person is away using an image of the person. Further, the direction in which the cleaning robot 1 faces when the person appears in the image is determined based on the position information 63, and the direction in which the person is present in addition to which part of the image the person is in Judging.
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the human sensing unit 113 senses a person has been described as determining the distance to the sensed person. However, the cleaning robot 1 of the present invention does not necessarily require the distance to the sensed person. There is no need to judge. In this case, when the person sensing unit 113 senses a person, the direction of the sensed person is determined by the above-described method, and the control unit 11 causes the casing to travel in a separation direction in which the casing moves away from the sensed person. .
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the end of the cleaning operation is determined based on the completion of the cleaning of all the portions has been described. However, the cleaning robot 1 of the present invention determines the end of the cleaning operation by a different method. May be. For example, the cleaning robot 1 may determine the end of the cleaning operation when the cleaning operation is continued for a certain period of time, and determines the end of the cleaning operation when the remaining amount of the rechargeable battery 12 is low. May be.
As another modification in the case where the human sensing unit 113 includes the microphone 113M, the camera is normally turned off, and the robot is turned off when the sound collected by the microphone 113M is larger than a predetermined threshold. Stop and start the camera. If it is determined that a person is shown in the image after rotating 360 degrees on the spot, the process proceeds to step S135. Accordingly, since the camera is always turned on and image processing and voice recognition processing are not performed, power consumption can be reduced.

  In addition to the embodiments described above, there can be various modifications of the present invention. These modifications should not be construed as not belonging to the scope of the present invention. The present invention should include the meaning equivalent to the scope of the claims and all modifications within the scope.

  In the present invention, the dust suction mechanism realizes a cleaning function for collecting dust and dust. An example of the specific configuration includes an air inlet, a rotating brush, a mechanism for rotating the rotating brush, a dust collection filter, an inflow path, an exhaust path, and an electric blower. The air inlet is provided on the bottom surface of the housing and sucks dust on the floor. The rotating brush is provided so as to be exposed from the air inlet and sweep the floor surface. The dust collection filter retains dust sucked in by being accommodated in the housing, and allows air to pass therethrough. The inflow path is a path communicating from the intake port to the dust collecting container. The electric blower, which is a path communicating from the dust collection container and the dust collection filter to the exhaust port, is disposed in the discharge path, sucks air from the intake port, and guides it to the dust collection container via the inflow channel. Further, the air is led to the exhaust port through the dust collection filter and the discharge path and discharged. In the embodiment described above, the dust suction mechanism corresponds to an air inlet, a rotating brush, a brush motor, a dust collecting container and a filter, an inflow path, a discharge path, and an electric blower.

Further, the housing corresponds to a vehicle body when compared to an automobile, and houses a dust suction mechanism and a circuit of a vacuum cleaner. In addition, as a mechanism for running the robot cleaner, left and right drive wheels and a motor as a power unit for independently driving the drive wheels are provided.
The obstacle detection unit is realized by using, for example, an ultrasonic sensor that detects proximity to the obstacle. Furthermore, you may have a switch or a sensor which detects the collision with an obstruction. The human sensing unit senses a person present around the robot cleaner. Not only humans but also animals may be sensed but not. Specific examples thereof include, for example, a microphone and a voice recognition circuit that sense sound, a camera and image analysis unit that captures an image, and / or a human sensor. In the above-described embodiment, the human sensing unit corresponds to a microphone and a voice recognition unit, a camera and an image analysis unit, and a human sensor.

The hardware of the control unit is mainly a microcomputer having a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an I / O controller, a timer, and the like, and the hardware resources according to a control program stored in advance in the ROM or an external storage unit. The function as a control unit is realized by executing the process using. In the above-described embodiment, the control unit controls the hardware resources of the electric blower and the brush motor in order to perform the cleaning work, and uses the hardware resources such as the power unit, the obstacle detection unit, and the human sensing unit. To specifically realize the running control.
The separation direction is preferably the direction opposite to the person, but may not necessarily be the opposite as long as it is away from the person. That is, when the direction from the cleaning robot toward the person is used as a reference for the angle, a direction of 90 degrees or more and 270 degrees or less is included in the separation direction.

1: Cleaning robot 2: Housing 2a: Bottom plate 2b: Top plate 2c: Side plate 3: Lid 9: Rotating brush 10: Side brush 11: Control unit 12: Rechargeable battery 14: Obstacle detection unit 14C: Collision sensor 14F: Front ultrasonic sensor 14L: Left ultrasonic sensor 14R: Right ultrasonic sensor 15: Dust collection unit 18: Front wheel floor surface detection sensor 19L: Left wheel floor surface detection sensor 19R: Right wheel floor surface detection sensor 21: Power unit 22L : Left drive wheel 22R: Right drive wheel 26: Rear wheel 27: Front wheel 31: Inlet port 32: Exhaust port 51: Input unit 52M: Main power switch 52S: Power switch 53: Start switch 54: Human sensor 61: Storage unit 62: Battery information 63: Position information 71: Operation mode information 72: Operation mode 73: Standby mode 74: Sleep mode 113: Human sensing unit 113A: Image analysis unit 113C: Camera 113 : Microphone 113S: speech recognition unit 115: an electric blower 117: ion generating unit 119: brush motor

Claims (7)

A housing that houses the dust-absorbing mechanism and performs the cleaning work while running on its own,
An obstacle detection unit for detecting obstacles in the self-running path;
A human sensing unit that senses the presence of a person,
A controller that travels while avoiding the obstacle detected by the obstacle detector,
When the human sensing unit senses the presence of a person, the control unit causes the housing to travel in a direction away from the person in response to the presence of the person. The human sensing unit includes a camera that captures an image of the surroundings,
The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising: an image analysis unit that recognizes a person in the photographed image and provides information related to the direction of the person. The camera shoots the front with a predetermined viewing angle,
The control unit, when recognizing that a person is included in an image captured by a camera, controls to change the traveling direction so that the person is out of the viewing angle and is not captured in the image. A self-propelled vacuum cleaner as described in 1. The human sensing unit includes one or more microphones that have directivity and collect ambient sounds;
The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising: a voice recognition unit that recognizes voice from the sound and provides information related to the direction. The human sensing unit has one directional microphone,
The voice recognition unit recognizes a stepped voice volume,
The said control part turns a housing | casing when the audio | voice of the magnitude | size more than a 1st threshold value is detected, The direction of an audio | voice is determined based on the magnitude | size of the audio | voice which changes with turning. Self-propelled vacuum cleaner.   The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 5, wherein the control unit causes the housing to travel in the separation direction until the volume of the sound falls below a second threshold value that is smaller than the first threshold value.   2. The self-propelled cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the casing to run in a separation direction at least for a predetermined period in response to human detection by the human detection unit.