Base station for connection with a surface treatment device, system comprised of a surface treatment device and base station, and method for operating a base station

Abstract

A surface treatment device, in particular a cleaning robot, has at least one optical device element and an evaluation unit. The optical device element is configured such that light emitted by the optical device element is at least partially reflected to an optical device element by means of the external element. During an interaction of the optical device element and the external element for the purpose of detecting a presence of smoke between the optical device element and the external element, the evaluation unit evaluates a measurement signal received by the optical device element with respect to a temporal change in signal amplitude, and triggers an alarm signal when a defined threshold value has been passed.

Claims

1. A base station for connection with a surface treatment device for servicing activities, wherein the base station has at least one optical base element and an evaluation unit, wherein the optical base element is designed to interact with an external element in such a way that light emitted by the optical base element is at least partially reflected to the optical base element by the external element, wherein, while the optical base element and external element interact for purposes of detecting the presence of smoke between the optical base element and external element, the evaluation unit is designed to evaluate a measuring signal received from the optical base element for a change in the signal amplitude over time, and trigger an alarm signal once a defined threshold has been passed.

2. The base station according to claim 1, wherein several optical base elements are provided.

3. The base station according to claim 2, wherein the optical base element has a diode.

4. The base station according to claim 2, wherein the sensor is a photodiode or a camera chip.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the optical base element or optical device element is a mirror for at least partially reflecting the light emitted by the optical device element or optical base element.

6. A system comprised of a surface treatment device, and a base station for connection with the surface treatment device for servicing activities, wherein the surface treatment device has at least one optical device element, and wherein the base station has at least one optical base element designed to interact with the optical device element, wherein an evaluation unit is allocated to the at least one optical element, and, while the optical elements interact for purposes of detecting the presence of smoke between the optical device element and optical base element, is designed to evaluate a measuring signal received from the optical elements for a change in the signal amplitude over time, and trigger an alarm signal once a defined threshold has been passed, and wherein an interaction between the optical elements takes place upon contact between the surface treatment device and base station, wherein a function as a smoke sensor can also be simultaneously accompanied by implementation of servicing activities for the base station.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the optical elements are arranged on the surface treatment device and base station in such a way that a distance between the optical device element and optical base element measures roughly 1 cm to 20 cm during an interaction.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the optical device element or optical base element is a light source.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein the optical base element or optical device element is a sensor.

10. A method for operating a base station described in claim 1, wherein at least one optical base element of the base station interacts with an external element, wherein the optical base element is spaced a distance apart for an interaction, wherein the optical base element emits light, which is received by the optical base element, wherein an evaluation unit of the base station evaluates the measuring signal received by means of the optical base element for purposes of detecting the presence of smoke between the optical base element and external element for a change in the signal amplitude over time, and triggers an alarm signal once a defined threshold has been passed.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be described in more detail below based on exemplary embodiments. Shown on:

(2) FIG. 1 is a system comprised of a surface treatment device and a base station in a room situation,

(3) FIG. 2 is the room situation according to FIG. 1 with smoke developing due to fire,

(4) FIG. 3 is a top view of the system according to the invention,

(5) FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a system according to a first embodiment without the presence of smoke,

(6) FIG. 5 is the system according to FIG. 4 in the presence of smoke,

(7) FIG. 6 is a system according to a second embodiment without the presence of smoke,

(8) FIG. 7 is the system according to FIG. 6 in the presence of smoke,

(9) FIG. 8 is a system according to a third embodiment without the presence of smoke,

(10) FIG. 9 is the system according to FIG. 8 in the presence of smoke,

(11) FIG. 10 is a system according to a fourth embodiment without the presence of smoke,

(12) FIG. 11 is the system according to FIG. 10 in the presence of smoke,

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

(13) FIG. 1 shows a system comprised of a surface treatment device 1 and a base station 2, which is in a usual room situation. The surface treatment device 1 is here only exemplarily designed as a self-propelled cleaning robot. The base station 2 is not self-propelled, but can be freely placed inside of the room by a user of the system.

(14) The surface treatment device 1 has an optical device element 3, which is arranged on the upper side of the surface treatment device 1, and an evaluation unit 5, which has a microprocessor and data memory. The base station 2 has an optical base element 4 and an evaluation unit 5, potentially along with additional components (not shown), for example which serve to charge an accumulator of the surface treatment device 1, clean a dust chamber of the surface treatment device 1 or the like.

(15) In the illustration shown, the surface treatment device 1 is arranged in direct contact with the base station 2, i.e., connected with the base station 2. The surface treatment device 1 and base station 2 have correspondingly shaped partial housing areas, so that the surface treatment device 1 can move into a partial area of the base station 2. In this position, the optical elements 3, 4 are spaced a distance x apart from each other. While arranging the surface treatment device 1 on the base station 2, the surface treatment device 1 does not perform any surface treatment tasks. Rather, servicing activities are potentially performed on the surface treatment device 1 by means of the base station 2.

(16) As explained below, the surface treatment device 1 and base station 2 in this position also interact as a smoke sensor (without it being ruled out that the system can also function as a smoke sensor with the surface treatment device 1 and base station 2 in a separated state).

(17) For purposes of detecting the presence of smoke between the optical device element 3 and optical base element in the smoke sensor function, a light signal emitted by one of the optical elements 3, 4 is received by another optical element 3, 4, and evaluated by an evaluation unit 5 of the surface treatment device 1 and/or base station 2 for a change in signal amplitude (or light intensity) over time. A value that rises above or drops below a defined threshold triggers an alarm signal, which indicates the presence of smoke, i.e., in particular the occurrence of a home fire. The optical element 3, 4, which serves as a sensor, continuously receives a measuring signal and continuously compares it with a threshold stored in a data memory, so that the presence of smoke can be determined without any significant time delay. Yet another alarm system 6 is here located in one of the rooms, which is designed to communicate with the evaluation unit 5 of the surface treatment device 1 or base station 2, and can relay the alarm system to an external emergency call center, a mobile device of the user or the like.

(18) FIG. 2 shows the room situation described above when a fire has broken out inside of a room. Smoke here develops 7, i.e., smoke is present inside of the rooms. The smoke 7 also reaches the site at which the inventive system comprised of the surface treatment device 1 and base station 2 is located. The smoke 7 penetrates at least partially between the optical device element 3 of the surface treatment device 1 and the optical base element 4 of the base station 2, which are here spaced apart from each other by a distance x of approx. 20 cm.

(19) FIG. 3 presents a top view of the system comprised of a surface treatment device 1 and base station 2. Visible is the correspondingly shaped configuration of a partial housing area of the surface treatment device 1 and a partial housing area of the base station 2.

(20) Three different embodiments for the system comprised of a surface treatment device 1 and base station 2 will now be introduced below.

(21) FIGS. 4 and 5 show a first embodiment of the invention, in which the surface treatment device 1 has two optical device elements 3, specifically a light source and an optical sensor. The base station 2 has an optical element 4, which here is an optical mirror. The functionality in this embodiment variant is such that the light source of the surface treatment device 1 continuously emits a light signal, which is directed at the mirror of the base station 2. The light is reflected back by the mirror, and hits the sensor of the surface treatment device 1. The signal amplitude of the signal received by the sensor is schematically depicted on the figure. FIG. 5 shows the system on FIG. 4 in a situation in which smoke 7 is present in the optical beam path between the optical device elements 3 of the surface treatment device 1 and the optical base element 4 of the base station 2. In this situation, the light emitted by the light source of the surface treatment device 1 is at least partially scattered by the smoke 7, so that the corresponding light component can no longer get to the optical base element 4 of the base station 2. Therefore, the mirror reflects a light component with a lower signal amplitude by comparison to a situation in which no smoke 7 is present. In addition, this reflected light component in turn also hits the smoke 7 and is scattered a second time, so that the signal amplitude measured by the sensor of the surface treatment device 1 is lower overall than the signal amplitude measured in the situation according to FIG. 4. During the measuring process, the sensor of the surface treatment device 1 continuously relays information about the signal amplitude to the evaluation unit 5 of the surface treatment device 1. The evaluation unit 5 compares this signal amplitude with a reference signal amplitude, which essentially corresponds to the signal amplitude of the light signal emitted by the light source. If the signal amplitude currently measured by the sensor drops below the reference signal amplitude by a specific percentage (threshold), the presence of smoke 7 is inferred. For example, the defined threshold can be 10 percent lower than the reference signal amplitude that can be measured in the absence of smoke 7. When this defined threshold is dropped below, the evaluation unit 5 sends information to the alarm system 6, which thereupon emits an alarm signal. This alarm signal can be an optical and/or acoustic signal. An emergency call center can advantageously also be informed about the fire.

(22) FIGS. 6 and 7 shows a second embodiment of the invention, in which the surface treatment device 1 only has a single optical device element 3, and in which the base station 2 has two optical base elements 4. The two optical base elements 4 are a light source and a light sensor. The optical device element 3 is a mirror allocated to the surface treatment device 1. Apart from that, the invention in this second embodiment functions similarly to the embodiment according to FIGS. 4 and 5.

(23) Even if this is not explicitly described as another embodiment, it goes without saying that, similarly to the embodiments illustrated on FIGS. 4 to 7, an external element such as a reflecting partial surface area of a wall, piece of furniture or the like can also be used as a mirror or reflecting surface. The optical device elements 3 of the surface treatment device 1 or the optical base elements 4 of the base station 2 can then interact with this partial surface area, so that the surface treatment device 1 according to FIGS. 4 and 5 can work as a smoke sensor even without the base station 2, or the base station 2 according to FIGS. 6 and 7 can work as a smoke sensor even without the surface treatment device 1.

(24) FIGS. 8 and 9 present a third embodiment of the invention, in which the surface treatment device 1 has an optical device element 3, namely a light source, and the base station 2 has an optical base element 4, namely a sensor. The light emitted by the light source of the surface treatment device 1 is thus detected by the sensor of the base station 2. Without the presence of smoke 7 between the light source and sensor, the measuring signal of the sensor has the signal amplitude shown on FIG. 8. FIG. 9 depicts the situation given the presence of smoke 7 between the light source and sensor. The light emitted by the light source is here scattered on the smoke 7, and only a slight portion thereof can still get to the sensor of the base station 2. The signal amplitude of the measuring signal is thus lower than the reference signal amplitude without the presence of smoke 7. The diminished signal amplitude is shown on FIG. 9. The evaluation unit 5 of the base station 2 allocated to the sensor compares the current signal amplitude with the stored reference signal amplitude, and can infer the presence of smoke 7 if a defined threshold has been dropped below. Otherwise, an alarm signal is also triggered.

(25) Finally, FIGS. 10 and 11 present a fourth embodiment of the invention, in which the base station 2 only has an optical base element 4, namely a sensor, which due to its position can only detect a signal given the presence of smoke 7 between the light source of the surface treatment device 1 and the sensor. In this embodiment, the sensor is arranged outside of the optical axis of the light emitted by the light source, so that it cannot receive a light component without the presence of smoke 7 (FIG. 10), and in the presence of smoke 7 receives a scattered light component whose signal amplitude is unequal to zero (FIG. 11). In the process, of course, light is not only scattered in the direction of the sensor, but rather diffusely radiated. The functionality is here based on the fact that, due to its position outside of the optical axis, the sensor can only receive the light of the light source if it is scattered on smoke proceeding from the light source, and thus gets in the direction of the sensor. As a consequence, the signal amplitude of the measuring signal is usually zero, i.e., in the absence of smoke 7, while the signal amplitude has a value unequal to zero in the presence of smoke 7, which is recognized as the presence of smoke 7 if a defined threshold is exceeded. An alarm is then triggered as described previously.

REFERENCE LIST

(26) 1 Surface treatment device 2 Base station 3 Optical device element 4 Optical base element 5 Evaluation device 6 Alarm system 7 Smoke x Distance