An apparatus for cleaning a floor surface including a control unit, a cleaning member for picking up dirt from the floor surface by moving the cleaning member, and an electric motor for moving the cleaning member. The electric motor is such that relative movement between a stator and a rotor of the electric motor can lead to an induction of a voltage and a reverse current. The control unit is configured such that a power supply of the electric motor is temporarily interrupted during a cleaning operation of the floor surface, and the control unit identifies a present surface condition of the floor surface currently being cleaned by means of the cleaning member on the basis of a detected current curve of the electric motor.

Systems and methods for navigating an autonomous vacuum are disclosed. According to one method, the autonomous vacuum traverses a cleaning environment having a plurality of surfaces. As the autonomous vacuum is traversing the cleaning environment, sensors on the autonomous vacuum capture sensor data describing a first section of a surface on which the autonomous vacuum is currently traversing. Based on the received sensor data, the autonomous vacuum can determine that the first section is of a first surface type of a plurality of surface types. The autonomous vacuum can generate a user interface with a background displaying the determined first surface type to notify the user of where the autonomous vacuum is cleaning.

A surface cleaning apparatus is provided. The surface cleaning apparatus includes a dirt inlet, a rotatable brushing member, and a brush motor drivingly connected to the rotatable brushing member. The brush motor includes a plurality of field coils, a first motor sub-unit, a second motor sub-unit, and a motor controller. The first motor sub-unit includes a first rotor portion, a first stator portion, and a first field coil. The second motor sub-unit includes a second rotor portion, a second stator portion, and a second field coil. The first and second rotor portions are rotatable about a motor axis and are drivingly connected to the brushing member. The second motor sub-unit is axially spaced along the motor axis from the first motor sub-unit. The motor controller is operable to direct electric current through the plurality of field coils generating magnetic fields and driving rotation of the rotor portions.

A controller for a vacuum cleaner includes a processor and a memory. The memory includes instructions that program the processor to operate a motor at a first power level, receive a temperature of a drive component associated with the motor from a temperature sensor, and compare the temperature of the drive component associated with the motor to a first threshold temperature. The processor operates the motor at a second power level lower than the first power level for a period of time when the temperature of the drive component associated with the motor is greater than or equal to the first temperature threshold, and continues operating the motor at the first power level when the temperature of the drive component associated with the motor is less than the first temperature threshold.

A suction device and a suction force adjustment method thereof are provided. A detecting device collects sound generated when the suction device executes a suction operation to obtain characteristics of a sound signal. The detecting device determines a clogging degree of a filter disposed on an exhaust vent of a suction unit, an airflow velocity in a suction pipe, a material of the suctioned surface, and a degree of closure between a suction port of the suction device and the suctioned surface according to the characteristics of the sound signal. A control host adjusts a suction force of the suction unit or adjusts the degree of closure between the suction port of the suction device and the suctioned surface according to a detected result of the detecting device, and provides warning information for cleaning or replacing the filter.

An apparatus and method for monitoring the productivity of a portable machine are provided. The method includes receiving motion data for at least one component of the portable machine from a multi-axis accelerometer, receiving position data for the at least one component from a process parameter sensor communicatively coupled to the at least one component, and determining, based on the received motion data and the received position data that the at least one component is oriented in a predetermined position for productive operation. The method also includes determining an area of productive operation using at least one physical dimension of the at least one component and the received motion data when the at least one component is oriented in the predetermined position for productive operation and incrementing a total area counter based on the determination.

A vacuum cleaner includes a housing, a debris chamber defined within the housing, and a motor assembly connected to the housing and operable to generate airflow through the debris chamber. The motor assembly includes a motor, an impeller, an impeller housing, and a controller. The impeller is connected to the motor and operable to generate airflow upon operation of the motor. The impeller housing is constructed of an electrically-conductive material. The impeller is positioned within the impeller housing. The controller includes a circuit board assembly. The circuit board assembly including a common circuit, and the impeller housing is electrically connected to the common circuit.

A surface treatment apparatus may include a surface cleaning head having an agitator, an agitator motor configured to cause the agitator to rotate, and a controller. The controller can be configured to determine a surface type corresponding to a surface to be cleaned and to transition the surface treatment apparatus between a first operational mode and a second operational mode based, at least in part, on the determined surface type. Determining the surface type may include measuring a plurality values corresponding to a current draw of the agitator motor over a predetermined time window at a predetermined time interval, determining an average corresponding to the measured values, comparing the average to at least a first threshold, and transitioning the surface treatment apparatus between the operational modes based, at least in part, on the comparison.

A method for operating or interacting with a mobile robot includes determining, using at least one processor, a mapping between a first coordinate system associated with a mobile device and a second coordinate system associated with the mobile robot, in which the first coordinate system is different from the second coordinate system. The method includes providing at the mobile device a user interface to enable a user to interact with the mobile robot in which the interaction involves usage of the mapping between the first coordinate system and the second coordinate system.

A surface cleaning appliance having a cleaner head that includes an agitator and a motor for driving the agitator. The appliance includes a switch coupling the motor to a supply voltage, a voltage sensor for measuring the magnitude of the supply voltage, a current sensor for measuring the magnitude of current through the motor, and a controller configured to output a PWM signal for controlling the switch. The controller then adjusts the duty cycle of the PWM signal in response to changes in the supply voltage and in response to changes in the current through the motor.