Abstract: A vacuum cleaner having improved obstacle detection precision. The vacuum cleaner includes a main casing, driving wheels, control unit, cameras, an image generation part, and a discrimination 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 cameras are disposed apart from each other in the main casing to pick up images on a traveling-direction side of the main casing. The image generation part generates a distance image of an object positioned on the traveling-direction side based on the images picked up by the cameras. The discrimination part discriminates whether or not the picked-up object is an obstacle based on the distance image generated by the image generation part.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner capable of detecting a shape of an object with high precision. A vacuum cleaner includes a main casing, driving wheels, a control unit, a plurality of cameras, an image generation part, and a shape acquisition 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 cameras are disposed apart from each other in the main casing to pick up images on a traveling-direction side of the main casing. The image generation part generates a distance image of an object positioned on the traveling-direction side based on the images picked up by the cameras. The shape acquisition part acquires the shape information of the picked-up object from the distance image generated by the image generation part.

Abstract: A refrigerator (1) is provided with an image capturing camera 18 (image capturing unit) configured to capture an image of an interior of a storage chamber (such as a refrigeration chamber 3); a communication portion (52) (communication unit) configured to transmit image of the interior of the storage chamber captured by the image capturing camera (18) to an exterior device; wherein the image capturing unit is stored in a recess provided in the interior of the storage chamber.

Abstract: A refrigerator (1) is provided with an image capturing camera 18 (image capturing unit) configured to capture an image of an interior of a storage chamber (such as a refrigeration chamber 3); a communication portion (52) (communication unit) configured to transmit image of the interior of the storage chamber captured by the image capturing camera (18) to an exterior device; wherein the image capturing unit is stored in a recess provided in the interior of the storage chamber.

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: A vacuum cleaner main body includes a main body case, a camera provided in the main body case and that can perform imaging at a given angle of view, a driving wheel that allows the main body case to travel, and a controller. The controller includes at least a traveling mode and an imaging mode. In the traveling mode, the controller controls the drive of the driving wheel to allow the main body case to travel autonomously. In the imaging mode, the controller controls the main body case to autonomously travel to a given imaging position so that the camera sequentially images still images in a plurality of adjacent directions at an angle equal to or smaller than the angle of view. The vacuum cleaner main body can securely image, with the camera, a wide range without any blind spots.

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: 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 vacuum cleaner capable of recording an abnormality immediately upon occurrence of the abnormality. The vacuum cleaner has a main casing. The vacuum cleaner has driving wheels for enabling the main casing to travel. The vacuum cleaner has a control unit for controlling drive of the driving wheels to make the main casing autonomously travel. The control unit has a function as an abnormality sensor for detecting an abnormality. The vacuum cleaner has a camera for picking up an image. The control unit has a cleaning mode for cleaning a cleaning-object surface, an image pickup mode for performing image pickup with the camera, and a standby mode applied during a standby state. Upon detection of an abnormality during the cleaning mode, the control unit is switched over to the image pickup mode to perform image pickup with the camera.

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: An autonomous mobile apparatus such that damage to a camera thereof can be avoided. The autonomous mobile apparatus includes: a main body case; a running gear for moving the main body case when placed on the floor; a driving force source for driving the running gear; a robot controller for controlling the driving force source so that the main body case autonomously moves on the floor; a bumper disposed on the front side of the main body case; and a camera unit disposed on the rear side of a side surface of the main body case and images the area behind the main body case.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner main body includes a main body case, a camera provided in the main body case and that can perform imaging at a given angle of view, a driving wheel that allows the main body case to travel, and a controller. The controller includes at least a traveling mode and an imaging mode. In the traveling mode, the controller controls the drive of the driving wheel to allow the main body case to travel autonomously. In the imaging mode, the controller controls the main body case to autonomously travel to a given imaging position so that the camera sequentially images still images in a plurality of adjacent directions at an angle equal to or smaller than the angle of view. The vacuum cleaner main body can securely image, with the camera, a wide range without any blind spots.

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: 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: 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: In one embodiment, a camera device for use in a storage is provided with a case configured to be installable inside a storage; an image capturing element provided inside the case; and an image capture window provided on a first surface portion of the case and configured for capturing image inside the storage by the image capturing element. The image capturing element is configured to capture image inside the storage where the case is installed.

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 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.

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: A refrigerator (1) is provided with an image capturing camera 18 (image capturing unit) configured to capture an image of an interior of a storage chamber (such as a refrigeration chamber 3); and a communication portion (52) (communication unit) configured to transmit image of the interior of the storage chamber captured by the image capturing camera (18) to an external device.