# US 10,945,577 B2 · Timed cleaning method, device and storage medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,945,577 B2 - Document ID: US10945577B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/101,366 - Filed: 2018-08-10 - Published: 2019-02-21 - Granted: 2021-03-16 - Earliest claimed: 2017-08-17 - Assignees: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Yongfeng Xia; Ke Wu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10945577B2 ## CPC - A47L 11/4011: {Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor} - A47L 9/2826: {the condition of the floor} - A47L 9/2852: {Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles} - A47L 11/4061: {Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated} - G05D 1/0219: {ensuring the processing of the whole working surface} - G05D 1/0238: {using obstacle or wall sensors (G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93)} - G05D 1/0274: {using mapping information stored in a memory device (navigation using map-matching G01C21/30)} - A47L 2201/04: Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection - A47L 2201/06: Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning - A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES ## Abstract A timed cleaning method includes: obtaining a topographic map of a cleaning region, wherein the topographic map identifies an obstacle in the cleaning region; based on the topographic map, determining an unclean region in the cleaning region, wherein the unclean region is occupied by the obstacle; detecting the unclean region according to a preset time interval; and if the obstacle at the unclean region is removed, cleaning the unclean region. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A timed cleaning method, implemented by a cleaning robot, comprising: obtaining, with one or more sensors mounted on the cleaning robot, a topographic map of a cleaning region, wherein the topographic map identifies an obstacle in the cleaning region; based on the topographic map, determining, with a processor of the cleaning robot, an unclean region in the cleaning region, wherein the unclean region is occupied by the obstacle; detecting, with the one or more sensors, the unclean region according to a preset time interval; responsive to that the obstacle at the unclean region is removed, cleaning, with the cleaning robot, the unclean region; determining, with the processor, whether the obstacle is temporary based on a bottom area of the obstacle; wherein the detecting, with the one or more sensors, the unclean region according to the preset time interval comprises: responsive to that the obstacle is temporary, detecting, with the one or more sensors, the unclean region according to the preset time interval. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the determining, with the processor, whether the obstacle is temporary based on the bottom area of the obstacle comprises: determining whether or not the bottom area of the obstacle is smaller than or equal to a preset area threshold; and responsive to that the bottom area of the obstacle is smaller than or equal to the preset area threshold, confirming the obstacle as the temporary. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the determining, with the processor, whether the obstacle is temporary based on the bottom area of the obstacle comprises: obtaining, with the one or more sensors, information about the obstacle according to the bottom area of the obstacle based on a size of the cleaning robot; and determining, with the processor, an attribute of the obstacle according to a correspondence relationship between obstacles and obstacle attributes, wherein the obstacle attributes indicate whether the obstacles are temporary or fixed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: after the unclean region has been cleaned, marking, with the processor, in the topographic map, the unclean region as a cleaned region. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: after the unclean region has been cleaned, marking, with the processor, in the topographic map, the unclean region as a cleaned region. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: after the unclean region has been cleaned, marking, with the processor, in the topographic map, the unclean region as a cleaned region. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising: after the unclean region has been cleaned, marking, with the processor, in the topographic map, the unclean region as a cleaned region. ### Claim 8 A timed cleaning robot, comprising: a processor, one or more sensors; and a memory device configured to store a set of instructions executable by the processor, wherein the processor is configured, based on the instructions, to: control obtaining, with the one or more sensors, a topographic map of a cleaning region, where the topographic map identifies an obstacle in the cleaning region; based on the topographic map, determine, with the processor, an unclean region in the cleaning region, wherein the unclean region is occupied by the obstacle; control detecting, with the one or more sensors, the unclean region according to a preset time interval; responsive to that detecting that the obstacle at the unclean region is removed, control cleaning, with the cleaning robot, the unclean region; determine whether the obstacle is temporary according to a bottom area of the obstacle; and wherein the detecting, with the one or more sensors, the unclean region according to the preset time interval comprises: responsive to that the obstacle is the temporary, detecting, with the one or more sensors, the unclean region according to the preset time interval. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The cleaning robot of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured such that the determining whether the obstacle is temporary based on the bottom area of the obstacle comprises: determining whether or not the bottom area of the obstacle is smaller than or equal to a preset area threshold; and responsive to that the bottom area of the obstacle is smaller than or equal to the preset area threshold, confirming the obstacle as temporary. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The cleaning robot of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured such that the determining whether the obstacle is temporary based on the bottom area of the obstacle comprises: obtaining information about the obstacle according to the bottom area of the obstacle based on a size of the cleaning robot; and determining an attribute of the obstacle according to a correspondence relationship between obstacles and obstacle attributes, wherein the obstacle attributes indicate whether the obstacles are temporary or fixed. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The cleaning robot of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to: after the unclean region has been cleaned, mark the unclean region as a cleaned region in the topographic map. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The cleaning robot of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to: after the unclean region has been cleaned, mark the unclean region as a cleaned region in the topographic map. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The cleaning robot of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to: after the unclean region has been cleaned, mark the unclean region as a cleaned region in the topographic map. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The cleaning robot of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to: after the unclean region has been cleaned, mark the unclean region as a cleaned region in the topographic map. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a set of computer program instructions stored thereon, wherein the computer program instructions are executable by a processor to implement a method for performing a timed cleaning method with a cleaning robot, wherein the method comprises: obtaining, with one or more sensors mounted on the cleaning robot, a topographic map of a cleaning region, wherein the topographic map identifies an obstacle in the cleaning region; according to the topographic map, determining, with the processor, an unclean region in the cleaning region, wherein the unclean region is occupied by the obstacle; detecting, with the one or more sensors, the unclean region according to a preset time interval; responsive to that the obstacle at the unclean region is removed, cleaning, with the cleaning robot, the unclean region; determining, with the processor, whether the obstacle is temporary based on a bottom area of the obstacle; wherein the detecting, with the one or more sensors, the unclean region according to the preset time interval comprises: responsive to that the obstacle is temporary, detecting, with the one or more sensors, the unclean region according to the preset time interval. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the determining, with the processor, whether the obstacle is temporary based on the bottom area of the obstacle comprises: determining, with the processor, whether or not the bottom area of the obstacle is smaller than or equal to a preset area threshold; and responsive to that the bottom area of the obstacle is smaller than or equal to the preset area threshold, confirming, with the processor, the obstacle as temporary. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the determining, with the processor, whether the obstacle is the temporary based on the bottom area of the obstacle comprises: obtaining, with the one or more sensors, information about the obstacle according to the bottom area of the obstacle based on a size of the cleaning robot; and determining, with the processor, an attribute of the obstacle according to a correspondence relationship between obstacles and obstacle attributes, wherein the obstacle attributes indicate whether the obstacles are temporary or fixed.