The present invention relates to a floor treatment system, comprising a mobile floor treatment apparatus and a docking station therefor, wherein the floor treatment apparatus comprises a control device, at least one control line coupled thereto, and an electrical energy storage device for supplying energy to the floor treatment apparatus, and the docking station comprises at least one actuator and at least one control line coupled thereto; wherein, when the floor treatment apparatus is in a docked position on the docking station, the control lines are coupled to one another in contact-based manner by way of control line connection elements, wherein the floor treatment system comprises a detection device for determining whether the floor treatment apparatus is in the docked position, and wherein, if this is determined positively, at least one of the actuators of the control device is actuatable or controllable by way of the control lines. The present invention further relates to a method for operating such a floor treatment system.

An autonomous floor cleaner or floor cleaning robot can include an autonomously moveable housing and a drive system for autonomously moving the autonomously moveable housing over a surface to be cleaned based on inputs from a controller. A brush chamber and a debris receptacle can be formed as a unitary assembly removable from the autonomously moveable housing.

A mobile robot system includes a docking station and a mobile robot. The docking station includes a platform, first and second charging contacts on the platform, and first and second ramp features on the platform. The robot includes a housing, first and second drive wheels, first and second raised charging contacts on a bottom of the housing, and a cleaning module including at least one rotatable cleaning head that extends below the bottom of the housing. The robot is movable from an approach position with the robot spaced apart from a front of the platform to a docked position with the robot on the platform and the docking station charging contacts engaged with the robot charging contacts. As the robot moves from the approach position to the docked position, the robot engages the first and second ramp features and the cleaning mechanism is lifted over the docking station charging contacts.

A method for operating a floor cleaning machine having a selectively activatable cleaning element that is configured to engage with a floor cleaning surface when the cleaning element is activated. The method includes determining a transport path and an additional transport path; determining a work area and an additional work area, which are connected to the transport path and the additional transport path; and operating the floor cleaning machine over a route that includes a plurality of transport movements, which occur along the transport path and the additional transport path, and a plurality of cleaning movements that occur over the work area and the additional work area. The cleaning element is deactivated during transport movements and is activated during cleaning movements.

A mobile computing device includes a user input device and a controller. The user input device includes a display, and the controller is operably connected to the user input device and configured to execute instructions to perform operations. The operations include presenting on the display, information about one or more areas that were not cleaned by an autonomous cleaning robot during a first mission. The operations further include transmitting data corresponding to a user-selected subset of the one or more areas to cause the robot to clean the user-selected subset during a second mission.

A docking station for a robotic cleaner may include a base, the base including a support and a suction housing, a docking station suction inlet defined in the suction housing, the docking station suction inlet being configured to fluidly couple to the robotic cleaner, and a docking station suction motor, wherein the docking station suction motor is activated after the robotic cleaner is determined to be docked with the docking station and in response to a triggering event.

In general, the present disclosure is directed to a hand-held surface cleaning device that includes a relatively compact form-factor to allow users to store the same in a nearby location (e.g., in a drawer, in an associated charging dock, on a table top) for easy access to perform relatively small cleaning tasks that would otherwise require retrieving a full-size vacuum from storage. A hand-held surface cleaning device consistent with aspects of the present disclosure includes a body (or body portion) with a motor, power source and dust cup disposed therein. The body portion also functions as a handgrip to allow the hand-held surface cleaning device to be operated by one hand, for example.

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In general, the present disclosure is directed to a hand-held surface cleaning device that includes a relatively compact form-factor to allow users to store the same in a nearby location (e.g., in a drawer, in an associated charging dock, on a table top) for easy access to perform relatively small cleaning tasks that would otherwise require retrieving a full-size vacuum from storage. A hand-held surface cleaning device consistent with aspects of the present disclosure includes a body (or body portion) with a motor, power source and dust cup disposed therein. The body portion also functions as a handgrip to allow the hand-held surface cleaning device to be operated by one hand, for example.

A vacuum cleaner includes a main casing, a driving wheel, a camera, a distance calculation part, a self-position estimation part, a mapping part, and a controller. The driving wheel enables the main casing to travel. The camera is disposed on the main casing to capture an image in traveling direction side of the main casing. The distance calculation part calculates a distance to an object positioned in the traveling direction side based on the captured image. The self-position estimation part calculates a position of the main casing based on the captured image. The mapping part generates a map of a traveling place by using three-dimensional data based on calculation results by the distance calculation part and the self-position estimation part. The controller controls an operation of the driving wheel based on the three-dimensional data of the map generated by the mapping part, to make the main casing travel autonomously.

The claimed subject matter discloses a method for guiding a mobile robot moving in an area to a docking station, the method comprising determining that the mobile robot is required to move to the docking station, the docking station obtaining a location and/or position of the mobile robot, upon detection of the mobile robots location in the area, calculating a navigation path from the mobile robots location to the docking station, the mobile robot moving towards the docking station in accordance to the calculated navigation path, identifying that the mobile robot is within a predefined distance from said docking station; and generating docking commands to the mobile robot when located within the predefined distance from said docking station until the mobile robot docks into the docking station.