Patent ID: 12201259

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIG.1is a schematic diagram of a suction device according to an embodiment of the disclosure. The suction device may be, for example, a vacuum cleaner or a sweeping robot, but it is not limited thereto. The suction device includes a suction pipe CH1, an optical detection unit including a linear light source102and a sensor group104, a suction unit106, and a control host108. The control host108is coupled to the linear light source102, the sensor group104, and the suction unit106. The coupling relationship between the control host108, the linear light source102, and the sensor group104is omitted for the simplicity of the drawings. In addition, the suction unit106is also connected to the suction pipe CH1.

The suction unit106provides a suction force in the suction channel CH1to suck objects, such as objects P1to P3in this embodiment. In the application scenario where the suction device is a vacuum cleaner, the objects P1to P3may be, for example, dust, paper scraps, hair, dander, and liquid, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The suction unit106may be implemented by, for example, a fan motor, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The optical detection unit is disposed on the suction path D1of the suction pipe CH1to detect the objects P1to P3flowing through the suction pipe CH1.

Furthermore, the linear light source102of the optical detection unit provides a light curtain LC1formed by a plurality of beams (as shown by the dotted line). The light curtain LC1is located on the suction path of the objects P1to P3. The linear light source102and the sensor group104are disposed on both sides of the suction path D1. The linear light source102and the sensor group104are, for example, disposed on the suction pipe CH1(as shown inFIG.2). In some implementations, the linear light source102and the sensor group104may also be disposed in the suction pipe CH1(as shown inFIG.3), and the cross-sectional shape of the suction pipe CH1is not limited to the rectangle shown inFIG.2or the circle shown inFIG.3. The objects P1to P3pass through the light curtain LC1while moving along the suction path D1under the influence of the suction force (for example, the moving direction of the objects through the light curtain LC1is perpendicular to the direction of the light curtain LC1, but the disclosure is not limited thereto; in other embodiments, the moving direction of the objects through the light curtain LC1may form a specific angle less than 90 degrees with the normal of the light curtain LC1).

The linear light source102includes a plurality of light-emitting units LM1as shown inFIG.2. The light-emitting unit LM1may be, for example, a light-emitting diode or a laser diode, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. And the light-emitting unit LM1may be a visible light source or an invisible light source, such that the beams emitted by the linear light source102is visible light or invisible light. The light-emitting units LM1may be disposed in a line. For example, in the embodiment ofFIG.2, the light-emitting units LM1are disposed in a straight line, such that the linear light source102is a straight line. In some embodiments, the linear light source102may further include a light guide rod that homogenizes the beams emitted by the light-emitting unit LM1.

The sensor group104is disposed on the transmission path of the beams emitted by the linear light source102. When the beams of the linear light source102are not blocked by the objects P1to P3, the sensor group104receives the beams directly from the linear light source102. Furthermore, the sensor group104includes at least one sensor unit SA1. For example, the sensor group104includes a plurality of sensor units SA1. The sensor units SA1are disposed in a straight line at equal intervals corresponding to the linear light sources102. The sensor group104is controlled by the control host108to sense periodically and continuously the beams emitted from the linear light source102uninterrupted by the objects P1to P3, and correspondingly generate sensing signals for the control host108.

The control host108determines the physical features of the objects P1to P3according to the sensing signals. The physical features of the objects P1to P3includes, for example, transparency, quantity, density, shape, size, thickness, etc. Therefore, the control host108determines the degree of dirtiness of the environment from the physical features, and regulates the suction force of the suction unit106based on the physical features (which indicate the degree of dirtiness of the environment) of the objects P1to P3. For example, in response to larger or higher quantity, density, shape, size, and/or thickness of the objects P1to P3that indicate a higher degree of dirtiness of the environment, the control host108increases the suction force of the suction unit106to suck the objects P1to P3; in contrast, in response to a smaller or lower quantity, density, shape, size, and/or thickness of the objects P1to P3that indicate a low degree of dirtiness of the environment, the control host108may reduce or remain the suction force of the suction unit106to suck the objects P1to P3. In this way, the suction efficiency of the suction device may be improved effectively, and the power consumption may be reduced.

Additionally, in some embodiments, the control host108also determines the moving speeds of the objects P1to P3according to the sensing signals, and determines according to the moving speeds of the objects P1to P3whether the suction force of the suction unit106is reduced because it is worn out or other factors, and then according to the moving speeds of the objects P1to P3adjusts the suction force of the suction unit106to maintain the suction efficiency of the suction device. For example, when the moving speed of the objects P1to P3is lower than a preset value, the control host108enhances the suction force of the suction unit106to increase the moving speed of the objects P1to P3to thereby maintain the suction efficiency of the suction device. In addition, the control host108may also determine the characteristics of the objects P1to P3based on the physical features of the objects P1to P3. For example, it is determined by the transparency and shape of the objects P1to P3whether the objects P1to P3are liquid or solid, and the suction force of the suction unit106is adjusted accordingly.

In addition, while the control host108adjusts the suction force of the suction unit106, the control host108may also adjust the operating parameters of the linear light source102and the sensor group104according to the suction force of the suction unit106. For example, when the control host108enhances the suction force of the suction unit106to increase the moving speeds of the objects P1to P3, the control host108increases the beam intensity of the linear light source102and the frequency of enabling the linear light source102to emit light (that is, the quantity of the light curtains generated per unit time are increased), and correspondingly increases the sensitivity of the sensor group104and the frequency of receiving the beams to ensure that the detection quality of the optical detection unit is not degraded due to the adjustment of the suction force.

FIG.4shows how the optical detection unit may detect the object. For example, at time T1, part of the object P2enters the sensing area (as indicated by the dotted line) formed by the light curtain LC1on the transmission path, and as time elapses, the rest of the object P2also gradually enter the light curtain LC1. For example, the rest of the object P2has fully entered the light curtain LC1at time T2. The control host108controls the sensor group104to sense continuously the part of the beams uninterrupted by the object at time T1and T2to generate a sensing signal, and determines the physical features and the moving speed of the object P2according to the strength of the sensing signal. Similarly, the physical features and the moving speeds of the objects P1and P3may also be known in the same way. In some embodiments, the control host108also adjusts the sensitivity of the sensor group104based on the beam intensity of the linear light source102according to the sensing signal, or adjusts the beam intensity of the linear light source102according to the sensing signal, so as to achieve the best detection effect.

Furthermore, when the distances between the objects P1to P3passing through the light curtain LC1and the sensor group104and the linear light source102are the same--for example, the distance between the objects P1to P3and the sensor group104is equal to the distance between the objects P1to P3and the linear light source102--the intensity distribution of the sensing signals of the sensor group104may represent the light intensity distribution of the beams received by the sensor group104, and the light intensity distribution of the beams reflects the transparency, quantity, density, shape, size, and thickness of the objects P1to P3. For example, when the transparency of the objects P1to P3is lower, the thickness is thicker, or the height is higher, more beams are interrupted, which in turns weakens the intensity of the sensing signal. The control host108may control the sensor group104to sense periodically and continuously the beams uninterrupted by the objects P1to P3to generate a plurality of sets of sensing signals, and determine the range of the interrupted beams according to the sensing signals. The range where the beams are interrupted reflects the contours of the objects P1to P3, and the quantity, density, shape, moving speed and size of the objects P1to P3may be known. In addition, when the objects P1to P3are the same object, the intensity of the sensing signal of the sensor group104reflects the distance between the objects P1to P3and the linear light source102. For example, when the objects P1to P3are closer to the linear light source102, the objects P1to P3block more beams provided by the linear light source102, such that the distance between the objects P1to P3and the linear light source102may be known. Therefore, the control host108is able to determine information like transparency, quantity, density, shape, size, moving speed, and thickness of the objects P1to P3according to the sensing signals.

In some embodiments, the quantity of the linear light source102and the sensor group104is not limited to one. For example, in the embodiment ofFIG.5, the optical detection unit includes three side-by-side linear light sources102and corresponding three sensor groups104. Similar to the embodiments above, the three side-by-side linear light sources102and the corresponding three sensor groups104are also disposed on both sides of the suction path D1, and thus the same description is omitted here. The three linear light sources102provide three light curtains LC1, LC2, and LC3. The light curtains LC1, LC2, and LC3form sensing regions on the suction paths of the objects P1to P3. The control host108receives the sensing signals from the three sensor groups104at the same time, and learn simultaneously the physical features and the moving speeds of the objects P1to P3according to the sensing signals from the three sensor groups104.

FIG.6is a schematic diagram of a suction device according to another embodiment of the disclosure. In this embodiment, the control host108may also display the images of the objects P1to P3according to the sensing signals of the sensor group104, such that the user can know directly what the objects P1to P3are, and it is convenient for the user to control the suction force of the suction device accordingly. In addition, the suction device of this embodiment may further include a remote control device602(such as a portable electronic device such as a mobile phone and a watch, but it is not limited thereto), and the control host108may communicate with the remote control device602to transmit at least one of the status information of the suction device (such as the suction force of the suction unit106and the moving speed of the objects P1to P3) and the feature information of the objects P1to P3(such as the physical features of the objects P1to P3and the image data of the objects P1to P3) to the remote control device602. The remote control device602may analyze the information sent from the control host108, and transmit a suction-force adjustment command to the control host108based on the analysis result, such that the control host108is able to adjust the suction force of the suction unit106according to the suction-force adjustment command. For example, the remote control device602analyzes the status information of the suction device to obtain the operating status of the suction device (such as its suction efficiency and power consumption, but it is not limited thereto), analyzes the feature information of the objects P1to P3to obtain the components of the objects P1to P3(such as dust, sand, hair, etc., but it is not limited thereto), and sends a suction-force adjustment command to the control host108based on the analysis result, such that the control host108may adjust the suction force of the suction unit106according to a specific mode (such as an energy saving mode or a strong suction mode), such that the suction device is able to suck the objects P1to P3in a more energy-saving or efficient way. In addition, the remote control device602may also display images according to the image data of the objects P1to P3, such that the user is allowed to judge the composition of the objects P1to P3based on the images of the objects P1to P3and operate the remote control device602according to its requirements to issue the corresponding suction-force adjustment command to the control host108, such that the control host108may adjust the suction force of the suction unit106according to the suction-force adjustment command.

FIG.7is a flowchart of a suction force adjustment method for a suction device according to an embodiment of the disclosure. It may be known from the above embodiments that the suction force adjustment method for the suction device at least includes the following steps. First, at least one linear light source is provided, in which the linear light source provides a light curtain formed by multiple beams, the light curtain is located along the suction path of the suction pipe, and the object passes through the light curtain along the suction path (step S702). The linear light source includes a plurality of light-emitting units. Next, at least one sensor group is provided, in which the linear light source and the sensor group are disposed on both sides of the suction path, and the sensor group senses the beams uninterrupted by the object to be tested to generate a sensing signal (step S704). The beams are visible light or invisible light, and the sensor group is correspondingly visible light sensor or invisible light sensor. For example, the sensor group may be controlled to sense periodically and continuously the part of the beams uninterrupted by the object to be tested to generate the sensing signal. Then, the physical features of the object are determined according to the sensing signal (step S706). The physical features of the object include at least one of transparency, quantity, density, shape, and size of the object, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. Finally, the suction force of the suction unit is regulated based on the physical features of the object (step S708).

FIG.8is a flowchart of a suction force adjustment method for a suction device according to another embodiment of the disclosure. In this embodiment, the suction force adjustment method for the suction device may further include a step5802and a step5804. In step5802, the operating parameters of the linear light source and the sensor group are adjusted according to the suction force of the suction unit. For example, the beam intensity of the linear light source and the frequency of enabling the linear light source to emit light are adjusted, and the sensitivity of the sensor group104and the frequency of receiving the beams are adjusted accordingly to ensure that the detection quality of the optical detection unit is not affected by the adjustment of the suction force. In addition, in some embodiments, in step5802, the image of the object may also be displayed according to the sensing signal to facilitate the user to know the composition of the object directly. In step5804, at least one of the status information of the suction device and the feature information of the object is sent to the remote control device, the suction-force adjustment command is received by the remote control device, and the suction force of the suction unit is adjusted according to the suction-force adjustment command, such that the user at a distance is also allowed to know the working status of the suction device, and the suction-force adjustment command from the remote control device may be received to adjust the suction force of the suction device accordingly, such that the suction force of the suction device is able to meet the needs of the user. In some embodiments, the feature information of the object includes image data of the object, and the remote control device may display the image of the object according to the image data of the object, such that the remote user is able to know the object composition the through the image of the object.

To sum up, in the embodiment of the disclosure, an optical detection unit is disposed on the suction path of the suction pipe, so as to detect the object flowing through the suction pipe, determine the physical features of the object based on the sensing results of the optical detection unit, and regulate the suction force of the suction unit based on the physical features of the object, such that the suction force of the suction device may be adjusted based on the physical features of the object to improve the suction efficiency of the suction device effectively. In some embodiments, at least one of the status information of the suction device and the feature information of the object is also transmitted to the remote control device, such that the remote user is also able to know the working status of the suction device. In addition, the suction device may also receive a suction-force adjustment command from the remote control device and adjust the suction force accordingly, thereby improving the convenience of the suction device for the users.