Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes a main casing, driving wheels, a cleaning unit, a map generation part including a function of a self-position estimation part, a discrimination part, a route setting part, and a travel control part. The discrimination part discriminates the type of a floor surface. The route setting part sets a traveling route on the basis of the map generated by the map generation part and the type of a floor surface discriminated by the discrimination part. The travel control part controls the driving of the driving wheels to make the main casing autonomously travel along the traveling route set by the route setting part. The vacuum cleaner can efficiently clean depending on the type of a floor surface.

Abstract: One embodiment of a vacuum cleaner is provided and is capable of performing efficient autonomous traveling. The vacuum cleaner includes a main casing, driving wheels, a map generation part, a self-position estimation part, an information acquisition part and a control unit. The driving wheels enable the main casing to travel. The map generation part generates a map indicative of information on an area. The self-position estimation part estimates a self-position. The information acquisition part acquires external information on the main casing. The control unit controls the operation of the driving wheels based on the map generated by the map generation part to make the main casing autonomously travel. The control unit makes a search motion to perform when the information on the area at autonomous traveling is different from the information on the area indicated in the map generated by the map generation part.

Abstract: A network system including a home appliance, a server, and a communication terminal. The home appliance is provided with a control portion configured to control an operating state of the home appliance, an information setting portion configured to set information corresponding to current state of the control portion, and a transmitting portion configured to externally transmit a result of information set by the information setting portion through the communication line. The communication terminal is configured to display a specific advice, the specific advice being based on data, obtained from the multiple entries of data provided by the server, being suitable with a result of information transmitted by the home appliance.

Abstract: One embodiment of a camera system is provided with a camera device serving as an image capturing unit; a communication unit configured to transmit image information captured by the camera device to an external device; and a display terminal configured to display image information captured by the camera device, the display terminal being configured to display at least either of image information captured by the camera device according to prescribed conditions and image information captured according to user instructions.

Abstract: A household electrical appliance of the embodiment includes: a peripheral camera that records the periphery of a household electrical appliance main body; control means that controls operation of the peripheral camera; and human detection means that detects human presence. When human presence is detected by the human detection means, the control means activates the peripheral camera.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner that can achieve efficient and accurate autonomous traveling. An obstacle detection part detects an object corresponding to an obstacle outside a main casing. A map generation part generates a map indicating information on an area having been traveled by the main casing, based on detection of the object by the obstacle detection part and a self-position estimated by a self-position estimation part during traveling of the main casing. A controller controls an operation of a driving wheel to make the main casing autonomously travel. The controller includes a traveling mode for controlling the operation of the driving wheel so as to make the main casing autonomously travel along a traveling route set based on the map. The controller determines whether or not to change the traveling route for next time based on the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection part during the traveling mode.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an image capturing system is configured so that a device for capturing images is communicable with an external device through a communication unit. The image capturing system is provided with an operating unit configured to make settings pertaining to image capturing, an image capturing device serving as the device for capturing images and being configured to produce image data by periodically capturing images based on the settings made to the operating unit and a display unit configured to produce a display output based on the image data.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner that can perform cleaning after grasping a shape of a cleaning area, and perform cleaning more efficiently. The vacuum cleaner includes a main casing, a driving wheel, a travel control part, a cleaning unit, a periphery detection sensor, and a map generation part. The driving wheel enables the main casing to travel. The travel control part controls driving of the driving wheel to make the main casing travel autonomously. The cleaning unit performs cleaning. The periphery detection sensor detects a shape of a periphery area of the main casing. The travel control part controls the driving of the driving wheel to make the main casing perform a specified initial operation in a specified range, whereby the periphery detection sensor performs scanning. The map generation part generates a primary map of the cleaning area on the basis of the shape of the scanned periphery area.

Abstract: One embodiment of a camera system is provided with a camera device serving as an image capturing unit; a communication unit configured to transmit image information captured by the camera device to an external device; and a display terminal configured to display image information captured by the camera device, the display terminal being configured to display at least either of image information captured by the camera device according to prescribed conditions and image information captured according to user instructions.

Abstract: A refrigerator includes an outside environment information obtaining unit including at least one of a sound obtaining unit configured to obtain outside environment information and an imaging unit configured to image an outside environment, the outside environment information obtaining unit being configured to obtain outside environment information which is capable of grasping an outside situation and a communication unit configured to communicate with an external device connected thereto via a network, thereby rendering the outside environment information obtained by the outside environment information obtaining unit referable at the external device side.

Abstract: A refrigerator includes a biological information obtaining unit for obtaining biological information of a person upon detection of the person in the vicinity of the refrigerator. The refrigerator further includes an advice generating portion for generating advice about health care based on analysis of the biological information and a display configured to display the advice in response to a user request.

Abstract: A self-propelled vacuum cleaner 11 has a main casing 20, driving wheels 21, a travel control part 61, cameras 51, a suction port 31, and an electric cleaning unit 23. The driving wheels 21 are used to make the main casing 20 travel. The travel control part 61 controls the operation of the driving wheels 21. The cameras 51 capture the images of the forward area of the main casing 20. The suction port 31 is disposed in the lower part of the main casing 20. The electric cleaning unit 23 collects dust and dirt through the suction port 31. The suction port 31 is disposed in the main casing 20 at a position adjacent to image ranges CA of the cameras 51.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an image capturing system is configured so that a device for capturing images is communicable with an external device through a communication unit. The image capturing system is provided with an operating unit configured to make settings pertaining to image capturing, an image capturing device serving as the device for capturing images and being configured to produce image data by periodically capturing images based on the settings made to the operating unit and a display unit configured to produce a display output based on the image data.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner main body capable of picking up images over a wide range by a camera securely without being interrupted by any obstacles. The vacuum cleaner main body includes a main casing, a camera capable of picking up images and provided in the main casing, driving wheels for enabling the main casing to travel, a sensor part provided in the main casing to detect a distance to an obstacle around the main casing, and a control unit. The control unit has at least a traveling mode and an image pickup mode. In the image pickup mode, the control unit makes the main casing autonomously travel to an image pickup position where no obstacles within a certain distance around the main casing are detected by the sensor part and where still images in a plurality of directions are picked up.

Abstract: A refrigerator includes a biological information obtaining unit for obtaining biological information of a person upon detection of the person in the vicinity of the refrigerator. The refrigerator further includes an advice generating portion for generating advice about health care based on analysis of the biological information and a display configured to display the advice in response to a user request.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes a main casing, driving wheels, a control unit, a cleaning unit, cameras, and a depth calculation part. The driving wheels enable the main casing to travel. The control unit controls drive of the driving wheels to make the main casing autonomously travel. The cleaning unit cleans a floor surface. The cameras are disposed apart from each other in the main casing to pick up images on a traveling-direction side of the main casing with their fields of view overlapping with each other. The depth calculation part calculates a depth of an object distanced from the cameras based on images picked up by the cameras. The vacuum cleaner has improved obstacle detection precision.

Abstract: A camera device for use in a storage unit according to an embodiment includes a case installable to an opening end side of a door of the storage unit; an image capturing element stored inside the case and configured to capture an image inside the storage unit; and a battery stored inside the case. The battery is disposed in a lower portion of the case. A center of gravity of the camera device is different from the center.

Abstract: A camera device for use in a storage unit includes a case configured to be detachably installable inside the storage unit to a holder unit configured to hold the case inside the storage unit, an image capturing element provided inside the case and configured to capture an image inside the storage unit where the case is installed, an image capture window provided on a first surface portion of the case and configured for capturing the image inside the storage unit by the image capturing element, and a preventing element configured to prevent the case from being attached to the holder unit in an orientation other than a predetermined orientation. The image capture window is configured for capturing image inside the storage unit by the image capturing element. The holder unit holds the case inside the storage unit. The image capturing element captures the image inside the storage unit with the case being installed in the predetermined orientation.

Abstract: According one embodiment, provided is a vacuum cleaner capable of performing efficient autonomous traveling. The vacuum cleaner includes a main casing, driving wheels, a map generation part, a self-position estimation part, an information acquisition part and a control unit. The driving wheels enable the main casing to travel. The map generation part generates a map indicative of information on an area. The self-position estimation part estimates a self-position. The information acquisition part acquires information on an outside of the main casing. The control unit controls the operation of the driving wheels based on the map generated by the map generation part to make the main casing autonomously travel. The control unit sets a traveling route for a next time for the main casing based on the map in which the information acquired by use of the information acquisition part at autonomous traveling is reflected.

Abstract: A power consumption output device is provided with a power consumption information acquiring unit and an output unit. The power consumption information acquiring unit is configured to acquire power consumption information indicating power consumption of a home appliance. The output unit is configured to output the power consumption of the home appliances along with a reference value. The power consumption of the home appliance is obtained based on the power consumption information acquired by the power consumption information acquiring unit.