US 12,167,826 B2
Autonomous vacuum operation in response to dirt detection
Kevin L. Thomas, Indian Trail, NC (US)
Assigned to TECHTRONIC FLOOR CARE TECHNOLOGY LIMITED, Tortola (VG)
Filed by TECHTRONIC FLOOR CARE TECHNOLOGY LIMITED, Tortola (VG)
Filed on Oct. 26, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/511,184.
Application 17/511,184 is a continuation of application No. 16/264,912, filed on Feb. 1, 2019, granted, now 11,154,170.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/627,472, filed on Feb. 7, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0039623 A1, Feb. 10, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A47L 9/28 (2006.01); B25J 5/00 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01); B25J 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC A47L 9/281 (2013.01) [A47L 9/2826 (2013.01); A47L 9/2847 (2013.01); A47L 9/2852 (2013.01); A47L 9/2894 (2013.01); B25J 5/007 (2013.01); B25J 9/1664 (2013.01); B25J 9/1694 (2013.01); B25J 11/0085 (2013.01); A47L 2201/022 (2013.01); A47L 2201/04 (2013.01); A47L 2201/06 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An autonomous cleaner comprising:
a chassis;
a controller operably connected to a drive assembly and configured to move the chassis within an area to be cleaned in repeated cleaning cycles;
a cleaning unit carried by the chassis, the controller being operably connected to the cleaning unit and configured to operate the cleaning unit in a first cleaning configuration and a second cleaning configuration;
a sensor configured to detect material drawn into the cleaning unit and provide a debris signal corresponding to an amount of material drawn into the cleaning unit, configured to generate a high-material indicator in response to the debris signal exceeding a predetermined debris threshold, and configured to communicate the high-material indicator to the controller; and
an area sensing unit that is configured to map the area, the controller being operably connected to the area sensing unit and configured to determine the location of the autonomous cleaner in the area;
the controller having a memory and an electronic processor, the controller configured to store the location of the autonomous cleaner in the area where the high-material indicator was generated by the sensor in each of a predetermined number of cleaning cycles and generate a level of dirtiness map based upon the stored locations where the high-material indicator was received.
 
10. A control system for an autonomous cleaner having a chassis, and a cleaning unit carried by the chassis, the control system comprising:
a controller having a memory and an electronic processor, the controller in electrical communication with a drive assembly and configured to cause movement of the chassis within an area to be cleaned in repeated cleaning cycles, and the controller in electrical communication with the cleaning unit and configured to cause the cleaning unit to operate in a first cleaning configuration and a second cleaning configuration;
a sensor configured to detect material drawn into the cleaning unit, provide a debris signal corresponding to an amount of material drawn into the cleaning unit, and communicate the debris signal to the controller; and
an area sensing unit that is configured to map the area, the controller being in electrical communication with the area sensing unit,
wherein the controller is configured to
generate a map of the area,
determine the location of the autonomous cleaner in the area, and
store the location of the autonomous cleaner in the area where the debris signal was above a pre-determined threshold in each of a predetermined number of cleaning cycles and generate a level of dirtiness map based upon the stored locations where the high-material indicator was received.