Abstract: A method for operating a self-traveling robot, wherein a control command for initiating a service mode is transmitted to the robot, and wherein a service is made available for the robot in the service mode. In order to reliably and comfortably switch the robot into a service mode, an optical code containing the control command is displayed on an external terminal, wherein the optical code is detected by an image acquisition device of the robot, and wherein a control device of the robot extracts the control command from the optical code and initiates the corresponding service mode.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating an automatically moving service device (1), wherein a detection device (2, 3) detects obstacles (11) within an environment, wherein detection results of the detection device (2, 3) are used to generate an environment map (4) of the environment, and wherein the service device (1) moves within the environment based on the environment map (4).

Abstract: A system has at least two floor treatment apparatuses for treating a surface in an automatically controlled fashion based on defined adjustment parameters of the floor treatment apparatus, wherein each of the floor treatment apparatuses features at least one detection device for detecting at least one detection parameter of the floor treatment apparatus and/or of an environment of the floor treatment apparatus. In order to enhance a system of this type in such a way that the floor treatment apparatuses advantageously cooperate and support one another, the system features a common database that is assigned to the floor treatment apparatuses. Detection parameters of at least two floor treatment apparatuses are stored in the database in association with the adjustment parameters of the respective floor treatment apparatus.

Abstract: A system has at least two floor processing fixtures of one or several automatically moving floor processing devices for the automatically controlled processing of a surface. In order to further develop such a system in particular with the aim of having the floor processing fixtures advantageously interact and support each other, the system has a shared database allocated to the floor processing fixtures, which is stored in an external memory designed separately from the floor processing device, and in which operational activities for the floor processing fixtures are planned according to defined rules, as well as a central computing device allocated to the database, which plans operational activities according to defined rules.

Abstract: A household appliance has a controller for the preparation of a meal according to a sequence of prescribed steps. In order to enable an advantageous interaction with the device, the controller is designed and set up to output a control command for controlling an external device depending on a progress of the sequence of steps.

Abstract: A system has at least two self-traveling floor treatment apparatuses, wherein each of the floor treatment apparatuses features a navigation and self-localization device that is designed for generating an environment map based on environment data of the environment of the floor treatment apparatus, which is recorded by means of a detection device. In order to realize an advantageous cooperation between the floor treatment apparatuses, it is proposed that a common memory unit for storing environment maps and a computing unit are assigned to the floor treatment apparatuses, wherein the computing unit is designed for comparing an environment map of a first floor treatment apparatus with an environment map of a second floor treatment apparatus and/or with an environment map stored in the common memory unit and for specifying which of the environment maps is stored in the common memory unit and/or in a local memory of a floor treatment apparatus based on a defined selection criterion.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a method for operating an unmanned vehicle (1) that travels by itself within an environment, particularly a cleaning robot, wherein the vehicle (1) detects obstacles and/or persons located within the environment, and wherein information (3) is displayed for a user (2) on a screen (4) of the vehicle (1), which with respect to a displaying plane is usually aligned horizontally during the operation of the vehicle (1). In order to enable a user (2) of the vehicle (1) to always optimally read the information (3) regardless of his position, it is proposed that, when the presence of a user (2) is detected, a spatial position of the user (2) relative to the vehicle (1) is determined and an orientation of the displayed information (3) is varied in dependence on the determined spatial position of the user (2).

Abstract: The invention pertains to a method for connecting a household appliance (1) to a wireless home network (2), wherein the household appliance (1) makes available a temporary network (3) with a hotspot identification (4), wherein a user terminal (5) is connected to the household appliance (1) via the temporary network (3) by utilizing the hotspot identification (4), wherein the user terminal (5) transmits network access information (16) to the household appliance (1), and wherein the household appliance (1) closes the temporary network (3) after the reception of the network access information (16) and logs on to the home network (2) by utilizing the received network access information (16). In order to enhance methods known from the prior art, it is proposed that the hotspot identification (4) of the temporary network (3) is randomly generated by means of a random character generator (6).

Abstract: A method for operating a self-traveling robot, wherein an environment map of an environment of the robot is generated based on measuring data recorded within the environment, wherein a position of the robot within the environment is estimated, and wherein the robot travels within the environment based on the environment map and its known position. In order to extend the maximum range of the robot within the environment, an environment map, which is currently not needed for the navigation of the robot, is detected and transmitted to an external memory unit.

Abstract: A device for treating a surface, in particular to a cleaning robot, has a detection device for identifying the type of surface, which detection device has a light source for irradiating the surface with light and has a sensor for detecting the light which is reflected by the surface. In order to improve the identification of the type of surface, it is proposed that a three-dimensional screen panel which forms a plurality of partial volumes is associated with the sensor, wherein each partial volume is in each case associated with a different sensor subarea of the sensor, and wherein adjacent sensor subareas are optically separated from one another by means of the screen panel such that light is prevented from passing from a first partial volume to a second partial volume. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for operating a device for treating a surface.

Abstract: A method for processing, in particular cleaning, a floor of a room using an automatically movable processing device. A map of the room is generated and displayed to a user of the processing device, and the user can select at least one room sub-region in which the processing device is to process or refrain from processing the floor in the generated map. The aim of the invention is to provide a method for processing a floor, wherein the generated map of the room is easier to read for the user. This is achieved in that the map of the room is generated from three-dimensional coordinates of a world coordinate system, each point of a plurality of points of the room and/or of an obstacle arranged in the room being assigned to a three-dimensional coordinate within the world coordinates system.

Abstract: A method for cleaning or processing a room uses an autonomously mobile device. In order the relieve the user of the task of finding the exact subarea to which the device must travel, or avoid, on a map of the room, the user in order to select a subarea takes a photograph of the subarea and transmits it to a processing unit. In this way a method is provided that is less time-consuming and more convenient for the user.

Abstract: A traveling cleaning appliance or floor care appliance or floor treatment appliance is provided with a device for creating photographic pictures of a surface to be traveled on. A picture is evaluated for the type of a floor covering for differentiating between a hard floor covering and a carpeted floor. An identified floor covering is used for a traveling strategy and/or for a setting of cleaning parameters. Further, a method for operating an automatically traveling floor cleaning appliance which has a device for creating photographic pictures of a floor surface to be traveled on includes evaluating pictures that have been taken with regard to the type of floor covering. In dependence on an evaluation, a traveling strategy and/or setting of cleaning parameters such as floor clearance and/or size of secondary air openings and/or brush speed is carried out.

Abstract: A method for operating a self-propelled floor cleaning device, in a first operating step, drives the floor cleaning device across a first treatment path across the floor to be cleaned according to a predetermined driving strategy, or according to a predetermined algorithm, which is calculated on the basis of data, which are detected by sensors and thereby carries out a first cleaning step by a first cleaning device. In the first operating step, areas of the floor surfaces to be cleaned, which are cleaned in at least a second operating step by a second cleaning device, or which are excluded from the cleaning by the second cleaning device, are determined. A floor cleaning device, which is suitable for carrying out the method, has a chassis, a first cleaning device for dry cleaning a floor surface, and a second cleaning device for wet cleaning areas of the floor surface.

Abstract: A method for cleaning or processing a room uses an autonomously mobile device. In order the relieve the user of the task of finding the exact subarea to which the device must travel, or avoid, on a map of the room, the user in order to select a subarea takes a photograph of the subarea and transmits it to a processing unit. In this way a method is provided that is less time-consuming and more convenient for the user.

Abstract: The invention relates to a traveling cleaning appliance (1) or floor care appliance or floor treatment appliance such as, for example, an automatically traveling floor cleaning appliance or user-guided cleaning appliance (1), that is provided with a device (7) for creating photographic pictures of a surface to be traveled on. In order to further improve a floor cleaning appliance in particular with regard to an effective cleaning strategy, it is proposed that a picture (FA) can be evaluated with regard to the type of a floor covering, in any case for differentiating between a hard floor covering and a carpeted floor, and that an identified floor covering can be used with regard to a traveling strategy and/or with regard to a setting of cleaning parameters such as floor clearance and/or size of secondary air openings and/or brush speed.