IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,406,235
Granted Patent B2
US 11,406,235 · App. 16/472,667 · Granted Aug 9, 2022

Autonomous domestic appliance and seating or reclining furniture as well as domestic appliance

Inventor: Anja Möwisch (Hannover, DE)
Assignee: SERVICE-KONZEPTE MM AG
A47L9/009A47C7/72A47C7/723A47C7/727A47L11/4011A47C7/70A47L2201/04A61B5/1126
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,406,235
App. No.
16/472,667
Filed
Jun 21, 2019
Granted
Aug 9, 2022
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3664
USPC
700/259
Abstract

The invention relates to an autonomous domestic appliance ( 1 ) in the form of a floor cleaning robot or a lawn mower robot with a platform ( 3 ) which comprises means of locomotion ( 4 ), environmental sensors ( 5 a, 5 b, 5 c ) for detecting properties of the environment of the autonomous domestic appliance ( 1 ) and a control unit ( 6 ). The environmental sensors ( 5 a, 5 b, 5 c ) are connected to the control unit ( 6 ), and the control unit ( 6 ) is designed for autonomous movement of the domestic appliance ( 1 ) by actuating the means of locomotion ( 4 ) as a function of the detected environmental properties and for permanent travel in an area for carrying out its actual domestic activity. The autonomous domestic appliance ( 1 ) has a communication unit ( 7 ) for establishing a communication link with a remotely arranged service unit ( 2 ) and, in addition to its actual domestic activity, is designed to detect the need of help of a person as a function of the environmental properties.

Claims (33)

1. An autonomous domestic appliance, comprising:

a platform having

locomotion means,

one or more environment sensors for detecting characteristics of an environment, and

a control unit,

wherein the one or more environment sensors are connected to the control unit and the control unit is set up for autonomous movement of the domestic appliance by actuation of the locomotion means as a function of detected environmental characteristics by the one or more environment sensors, and for constant departure of an area in order to carry out an actual domestic activity; and

a communication unit for establishing a communication connection with a remotely located service unit,

wherein the autonomous household appliance is set up to recognize a need for help of a person as a function of the detected environmental characteristics,

wherein at least one environment sensor of the one or more environment sensors detects one or more properties of elements collectable from the environment.

2. The autonomous domestic appliance according to claim 1 , further comprising a person assistance unit integrated into the autonomous domestic appliance which performs the recognition of the need for help by a person as a function of the detected environmental characteristics, and wherein the person assistance unit is set up to wirelessly transmit a request for assistance via the communication unit in the event of a recognised need for assistance.

3. The autonomous domestic appliance ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the service unit is a component of the domestic appliance and is designed as a person assistance unit set up to recognise the need for assistance of a person as a function of the environment characteristics, wherein the person assistance unit determined the need for assistance of a person based on transmissions received via the communication unit.

4. The autonomous domestic appliance according to claim 1 , further comprising:

at least one microphone for detecting sound signals; and the auxiliary

a person assistance unit configured for command-controlled movement towards a sound source detected by said at least one microphone, and/or

for recognizing the need for assistance as a function of a comparison of detected sound signals with predefined sound patterns.

5. The autonomous household appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the autonomous household appliance is configured as a floor cleaning robot, and further comprising a collecting container with a coarse filter unit ( 14 a ) which is connected to the floor cleaning unit and is suitable for collecting medicines lying on a floor.

6. Autonomous household appliance according to claim 1 further comprising a person assistance unit which performs the recognition of the need for help by a person as a function of the detected environmental characteristics, and wherein the person assistance unit is set up for activating at least one camera and one microphone, if a need for assistance has been detected by of at least one scanning sensor, gas sensor, light sensor and/or sound level sensor.

7. The autonomous household appliance according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the environment sensors is adapted to detect blood, urine, alcohol or vomit.

8. The autonomous household appliance according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the environment sensors is set up to determine room air parameters, and further comprising a auxiliary person assistance unit which performs the recognition of the need for help by a person as a function of the detected environmental characteristics and which is set up to detect a need for assistance when a detected oxygen concentration falls below a predefined level and/or when urine content is detected.

9. The autonomous domestic appliance according to claim 1 wherein at least one environment sensor of the one or more environment sensors is integrated in bristles or cloths of a floor cleaning unit.

10. The autonomous domestic appliance according to claim 1 further comprising at least one interface for connection of one or more personal vital data sensors, and is set up for evaluation and/or transmission of sensor data detected with the one or more personal vital data sensors via the communication unit to a remote service unit.

11. Seating or lying furniture with a service unit arranged pivotably, displaceably and/or telescopically on the seating or lying furniture, wherein the service unit has a monitor and an input unit and is set up for communication with the autonomous household appliance of claim 1 , and comprising a charging station for docking and charging the autonomous household appliance with energy arranged in a foot region of the seating or lying furniture.

12. The seating or lying furniture according to claim 11 , wherein the service unit is integrated into a movable armrest or a movable shelf of the seating or lying furniture.

13. The seating or lying furniture according to claim 11 further comprising at least one microphone and/or loudspeaker built into the seating or lying furniture, wherein the at least one microphone is connected to the service unit.

14. A household appliance for preparing foodstuffs, comprising: having

a vessel;

a metering unit is connected to the vessel, wherein the metering unit has a metering vessel for receiving medicaments; and

a control unit for controlling the metering unit, wherein the control unit is set up for predetermined admixing of medicaments from the metering vessel with foodstuff located in the vessel as a function of the preparation of a foodstuff.

15. The household appliance according to claim 14 , wherein the metering vessel has a plurality of drug-receiving regions which are separated from one another, and wherein the metering unit is set up for controlled admixture of selected drugs from one or more of the drug-receiving regions.

16. The household appliance according to claim 14 further comprising a dosing unit designed for receiving blister packs and for dosing medicaments packaged in the blister packs individually for patients and depending on the time of day by opening a blister pack and removing and introducing one or more medicaments contained therein into the vessel.

17. The household appliance according to claim 14 wherein the vessel is selected from the group consisting of an electric kettle, an automatic cooking machine, an automatic tea machine, an automatic coffee machine, an automatic kitchen appliance, and a water sprinkler.

18. The autonomous domestic appliance of claim 1 configured as a lawn mowing robot.

19. The autonomous domestic appliance of claim 1 configured as a floor cleaning robot.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 10, 2019
From: MOEWISCH, ANJA
To: SERVICE-KONZEPTE MM AG
Reel/Frame 050322/0408 →
Priority Claims (2)
DE 10 2016 125 199.2 · Dec 21, 2016 · national
DE 10 2017 104 846.4 · Mar 8, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190365170A1 · Dec 5, 2019
Cited By (1)
US 12,194,632