A method for identifying an error state in a cleaning robot which has a collection container for collecting dirt. According to the method an average duration for filling the collection container with dirt during the operation of the cleaning robot is determined. The existence of an error state is identified as soon as a single duration for filling deviates from the determined average duration for filling by more than a predefined difference value.

Disclosed are a cleaning system and a control method thereof. The cleaning system includes a self-propelled cleaning robot, a safety guard connector, a detector assembly; where the self-propelled cleaning robot and the safety guard connector are detachably connected with each other, and the detector assembly detect whether the self-propelled cleaning robot and the safety guard connector being connected with each other or not.

Upright vacuum cleaners that include a switch that detects whether a removable filter assembly has been connected to the vacuum cleaner are disclosed. In some embodiments, the upright vacuum cleaner includes a capacitor for protecting the switch from voltage transients.

A vacuum cleaner system includes a vacuum cleaner that performs cleaning while autonomously running and a display unit that displays information acquired from the vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner system includes: an object information acquisition unit that acquires object information, which is information on an object present around the vacuum cleaner, based on a first sensor, a danger determination unit that determines danger of the object based on the acquired object information, a map acquisition unit that acquires a map of an area where the vacuum cleaner runs; and a dangerous position display unit that causes the display unit to display the danger of the object determined by the danger determination unit and the acquired position of the object on the map in association with each other.

A surface cleaning apparatus includes a floor cleaning unit and a portable surface cleaning unit. The floor cleaning unit includes a surface cleaning head having a charger and an upper section moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between an upright storage position and a rearwardly inclined floor cleaning position. The portable surface cleaning unit is connectable to the floor cleaning unit, and includes a portable surface cleaning unit air inlet connectable in air flow communication with the floor cleaning unit, a main body, an air treatment member, a suction motor, a handle and a capacitor, wherein the capacitor is rechargeable at a rate of at least 4 C.

A self-driving cleaner includes a drive unit, a control circuit, a camera, a first sensor for detecting an object, and a second sensor for detecting a stuck state, and a third sensor for detecting a person. The control circuit is configured to (a) identify information about a target object which caused the stuck state, (b) receive information indicating whether the target object is to be cleaned, and (c) control the drive unit and a suction unit, when receiving information indicating that the target object is to be cleaned, to perform a first mode where a space excluding the target object is cleaned first and, thereafter, the target object is climbed if the person is not detected and perform a second mode where the target object is climbed first and, thereafter, the space excluding the target object is cleaned if the person is detected.

Disclosed is a robot and a control method thereof. The robot includes: a camera configured to acquire a depth image of a specific area; a processor configured to create an elevation map for the specific area based on the depth image, and determine whether a head of a person is in the specific area based on the elevation map. The processor, when determining whether the head of the person is in the specific area, is further configured to partition pixels of the elevation map into floor pixels corresponding to a floor area and non-floor pixels corresponding to a non-floor area using elevation values of the elevation map, set paths through the elevation map with a subset of the non-floor pixels as starting points for the paths, and determine whether the head of the person is in the specific area based on whether the paths converge.

An autonomous floor cleaner can include a housing, a drive system for autonomously moving the housing over the surface to be cleaned, a controller for controlling the operation of the autonomous floor cleaner, and warning system for issuing an audible warning based on an orientation or operational condition of the robot. Methods for issuing an audible warning are disclosed.

Provided is a cordless vacuum cleaner including a cleaner body including a first processor configured to control an operation of a first switching device connected to a signal line to transmit a first signal to a brush device through the signal line and receive a second signal from the brush device through the signal line, and the brush device including a second processor configured to control an operation of a second switching device connected to the signal line to transmit the second signal to the cleaner body through the signal line and receive the first signal from the cleaner body through the signal line.

The present disclosure provides a base station for a mobile cleaner. The base station includes a dock, a cleaning unit, a water assembly, and a self-checking module. The dock is configured to accommodate the mobile cleaner. The cleaning unit is configured to clean the mobile cleaner accommodated in the dock. The water supply assembly is configured to supply water to the cleaning unit from a water source. The self-checking module is configured to detect a malfunction regarding conveyance of water from the water source to the cleaning unit.