Abstract: A self-propelled cleaning machine for cleaning a floor of a room enclosed by a wall perimeter includes a body having first and second sides and a front. A motor drive causes the body to move over the floor. A cleaning unit is carried by the body for cleaning the floor. First, second and third sensors are carried by the body for sensing distances from the first and second sides and the front thereof to the wall perimeter and producing first, second and third sensor signals in response thereto respectively. A fuzzy logic computer receives the first, second and third sensor signals and controls the motor drive to move the body in accordance therewith adjacently parallel to and store data representing the wall perimeter, and subsequently controls the motor drive to move the body in a computed pattern within the wall perimeter as represented by the data such that the cleaning unit cleans the floor.

Abstract: An apparatus for and a method of preventing bumping and falling of an automatic travelling cleaner wherein a situation of the cleaner is determined by sensing a variation of flow rate of a fluid in an extension pipe depending on a gap between an intake port and a surface to be cleaned, thereby deriving a suction work ratio or sensing revolutions and a current value of a cleaning motor or a torque value of each travel motor, and then determining a travel, a bumping, and a step sensing, based on the sensed value. The present invention eliminates the provision of a plurality of sensors densely arranged around a cleaner and adapted to sense bumping and falling of the cleaner and thus eliminates the requirement of additional devices for the sensors. This reduces the manufacture costs.

Abstract: A method for automatically controlling a travelling and cleaning operation of a vacuum cleaner.