Station apparatus and operating method of station apparatus

Abstract

A station apparatus performs a dust discharging operation when it is identified that a suction power decrease amount of a cordless vacuum cleaner is equal to or greater than a pre-set threshold suction power decrease amount, based on information about the suction power decrease amount of the cordless vacuum cleaner received from the cordless vacuum cleaner.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A station apparatus for discharging dust from a cordless vacuum cleaner including a dust container, the station apparatus comprising:
 a communication interface configured to communicate with the cordless vacuum cleaner;   a suction motor configured to generate suction power for sucking up the dust from the dust container included in the cordless vacuum cleaner;   a collecting portion through which the dust from the dust container is collected;   a memory which stores information about a pre-set threshold suction power decrease amount; and   at least one processor,   wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
 receive information about a suction power decrease amount of the cordless vacuum cleaner from the cordless vacuum cleaner through the communication interface; and 
 when it is identified that the suction power decrease amount of the cordless vacuum cleaner is equal to or greater than the pre-set threshold suction power decrease amount, based on the received information about the suction power decrease amount, perform a dust discharging operation of discharging the dust from the dust container to the collecting portion by driving the suction motor. 
   
     
     
         2 . The station apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the suction power decrease amount of the cordless vacuum cleaner is obtained based on a sensor measurement value measured using a flow sensor or a pressure sensor of the cordless vacuum cleaner. 
     
     
         3 . The station apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the suction power decrease amount of the cordless vacuum cleaner is obtained based on the sensor measurement value measured using the flow sensor or the pressure sensor of the cordless vacuum cleaner when a brush device connected to the cordless vacuum cleaner is in a lifted state from a surface to be cleaned. 
     
     
         4 . The station apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the lifted state comprises at least one of a state in which the brush device is lifted from the surface to be cleaned by a predetermined height or more during a cleaning operation or a state in which the cordless vacuum cleaner is docked to the station apparatus. 
     
     
         5 . The station apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 receive a user input of selecting a smart discharge mode in which whether to perform the dust discharging operation is determined based on the suction power decrease amount of the cordless vacuum cleaner;   set a discharge mode of the station apparatus to the smart discharge mode, based on the received user input; and   perform the dust discharging operation when it is identified that the suction power decrease amount of the cordless vacuum cleaner is equal to or greater than the pre-set threshold suction power decrease amount in the smart discharge mode.   
     
     
         6 . The station apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive the information about the pre-set threshold suction power decrease amount, which is set by a user, from a server device or the cordless vacuum cleaner. 
     
     
         7 . The station apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 receive a user input of selecting one operating mode from among a plurality of operating modes of the station apparatus; and   select a decrease amount corresponding to the selected operating mode as the pre-set threshold suction power decrease amount.   
     
     
         8 . The station apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 obtain user setting information about at least one of a discharge strength or a discharge duration time; and   control power consumption of the suction motor or an operating time of the suction motor while the dust discharging operation is being performed, based on the user setting information.   
     
     
         9 . The station apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 obtain information related to a discharge timing condition set by a user;   compare the suction power decrease amount of the cordless vacuum cleaner with the pre-set threshold suction power decrease amount when the discharge timing condition set by the user is satisfied; and   perform the dust discharging operation by driving the suction motor when the suction power decrease amount of the cordless vacuum cleaner is equal to or greater than the pre-set threshold suction power decrease amount as a result of the comparing.   
     
     
         10 . The station apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the information related to the discharge timing condition set by the user comprises at least one of a discharge cycle, a discharge duration time, an accumulated operating duration time of the cordless vacuum cleaner, or an accumulated number of operations of the cordless vacuum cleaner. 
     
     
         11 . The station apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one the processor is further configured to:
 receive information about a mainly used cleaning mode of the cordless vacuum cleaner from the cordless vacuum cleaner; and   determine at least one of the pre-set threshold suction power decrease amount, a discharge strength, or a discharge duration time, based on the mainly used cleaning mode of the cordless vacuum cleaner.   
     
     
         12 . The station apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 perform the dust discharging operation by controlling a first step motor to open a door of the dust container, when the suction power decrease amount of the cordless vacuum cleaner is equal to or greater than the pre-set threshold suction power decrease amount; and   control a second step motor to close the door of the dust container when the performing of the dust discharging operation is completed.   
     
     
         13 . The station apparatus of claim , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 perform the dust discharging operation by controlling the suction motor according to a discharge strength or a discharge duration time set by a user, when an input of pressing a dust discharge button for a first time is detected; and   perform the dust discharging operation by controlling the suction motor according to a default discharge strength or a default discharge duration time, when an input of pressing the dust discharge button for a second time different from the first time is detected.   
     
     
         14 . An operating method of a station apparatus for discharging dust from a cordless vacuum cleaner including a dust container, the operating method comprising:
 receiving information about a suction power decrease amount of the cordless vacuum cleaner from the cordless vacuum cleaner through a communication interface of the station apparatus;   comparing the suction power decrease amount of the cordless vacuum cleaner with a pre-set threshold suction power decrease amount, based on the received information about the suction power decrease amount; and   performing a dust discharging operation of discharging the dust from the dust container of the cordless vacuum cleaner to a collecting portion of the station apparatus by driving a suction motor of the station apparatus, when it is identified that the suction power decrease amount of the cordless vacuum cleaner is equal to or greater than the pre-set threshold suction power decrease amount, based on a result of the comparing.   
     
     
         15 . The operating method of  claim 14 , wherein the suction power decrease amount of the cordless vacuum cleaner is obtained based on a sensor measurement value measured using a flow sensor or a pressure sensor of the cordless vacuum cleaner when a brush device connected to the cordless vacuum cleaner is in a lifted state from a floor surface. 
     
     
         16 . The operating method of  claim 14 , wherein the performing of the dust discharging operation comprises:
 receiving a user input of selecting a smart discharge mode in which whether to perform the dust discharging operation is determined based on the suction power decrease amount of the cordless vacuum cleaner;   setting a discharge mode of the station apparatus to the smart discharge mode, based on the received user input; and   performing the dust discharging operation when it is identified that the suction power decrease amount of the cordless vacuum cleaner is equal to or greater than the pre-set threshold suction power decrease amount in the smart discharge mode.   
     
     
         17 . The operating method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 receiving information about the pre-set threshold suction power decrease amount, whichis set by a user, from a server device or the cordless vacuum cleaner; and   storing the information about the pre-set threshold suction power decrease amount in a memory of the station apparatus.   
     
     
         18 . The operating method of  claim 14 , wherein the performing of the dust discharging operation further comprises:
 obtaining user setting information about at least one of a discharge strength or a discharge duration time; and   controlling power consumption of the suction motor or an operating time of the suction motor while the dust discharging operation is being performed, based on the user setting information.   
     
     
         19 . The operating method of  claim 14 , wherein the performing of the dust discharging operation further comprises:
 obtaining information related to a discharge timing condition set by a user;   comparing the suction power decrease amount of the cordless vacuum cleaner with the pre-set threshold suction power decrease amount when the discharge timing condition set by the user is satisfied; and   performing the dust discharging operation by driving the suction motor when the suction power decrease amount of the cordless vacuum cleaner is equal to or greater than the pre-set threshold suction power decrease amount as a result of the comparing.   
     
     
         20 . The operating method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 receiving information about a mainly used cleaning mode of the cordless vacuum cleaner from the cordless vacuum cleaner; and   determining at least one of the pre-set threshold suction power decrease amount, the discharge strength, or the discharge duration time, based on the mainly used cleaning mode of the cordless vacuum cleaner.