Cleaning device including cleaner and docking station and control method thereof

Abstract

A cleaning device and a control method of the cleaning device are provided. The cleaning device includes a cleaner including a cleaner suction device that generates a suction force, a dust bin that collects dirt, a dust bin cover to open and close the dust bin, and a cleaner controller that controls an operation of the cleaner suction device; and a docking station, to which the cleaner is coupleable and decoupleable, to collect dirt in the dust bin based on the cleaner being coupled thereto, the docking station including a cover closing device provided to close the dust bin cover based on the predetermined cover closing condition. The cleaner control unit controls the cleaner suction device to generate a suction force to draw air into the dust bin based on the cover closing device closing the dust bin cover and the predetermined cover closing condition being met.

1 . A cleaning device comprising:
 a cleaner including:
 a cleaner suction device configured to generate suction force; 
 a dustbin configured to collect dirt; 
 a dustbin cover configured to open and close the dustbin; and 
 a cleaner controller configured to control an operation of the cleaner suction device; and 
   a docking station, to which the cleaner is coupleable and decoupleable, the docking station configured to collect dirt that is collected in the dustbin based on the cleaner being coupled thereto, the docking station including:
 a cover closing device configured to close the dustbin cover based on a predetermined cover closing condition involving controlling of the cleaner suction device to generate the suction force, 
   wherein the cleaner controller is configured to control the operation of the cleaner suction device so that the suction force is generated to draw air into the dustbin based on the cover closing device closing the dustbin cover and the predetermined cover closing condition being met.   
     
     
         2 . The cleaning device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the cover closing device is configured to rotate the dustbin cover from a first cover position, in which the dustbin cover opens the dustbin, to a second cover position in which the dustbin cover opens the dustbin at a smaller angle than the first cover position,   wherein the cleaner controller is configured to:
 control the cleaner suction device such that the suction force that is generated is at a first magnitude based on the dustbin cover being positioned at the first cover position; and 
 control the cleaner suction device such that the suction force that is generated is at a second magnitude which is stronger than the first magnitude based on the dustbin cover being positioned at the second cover position. 
   
     
     
         3 . The cleaning device of  claim 2 , wherein
 the cleaner controller is configured to control the cleaner suction device to allow the suction force to draw air into the dustbin to increase as an angle, at which the cover closing device rotates the dustbin cover from the first cover position to the second cover position, increases.   
     
     
         4 . The cleaning device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the cleaner controller is configured to control the cleaner suction device to allow the suction force to continuously increase over time during an operation in which the cleaner suction device generates the suction force based on the cover closing device closing the dustbin cover based on the predetermined cover closing condition.   
     
     
         5 . The cleaning device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the docking station further comprises:
 a station suction device configured to move air from the dustbin into the docking station during a dust discharge operation that discharges dirt from the dustbin based on the cleaner being mounted on the docking station; and 
 a station controller electrically connected to the station suction device and the cover closing device respectively, and electrically connected to the cleaner controller based on the cleaner being mounted on the docking station, 
 wherein the cleaner controller is configured to control the cleaner suction device to generate suction force for drawing air into the dustbin based on the dust discharge operation by the station suction device being stopped. 
   
     
     
         6 . The cleaning device of  claim 5 , wherein
 the station controller is configured to control the station suction device to discharge dirt from the dustbin for a predetermined dust discharge operation time based on a predetermined dust discharge condition, and configured to control the cover closing device to close the dustbin cover based on lapse of the predetermined dust discharge operation time,   wherein the cleaner controller is configured to control the cleaner suction device to generate suction force for drawing air into the dustbin based on the lapse of the predetermined dust discharge operation time.   
     
     
         7 . The cleaning device of  claim 5 , wherein
 the docking station is configured to electrically connect to the station controller and the docking station further comprises: an input device configured to obtain a user input,   wherein the station controller is configured to:
 control the station suction device to stop the dust discharge operation based on the user input that is obtained through the input device being to stop an operation of the station suction device during the dust discharge operation, and 
 control the cover closing device to close the dustbin cover, 
   wherein the cleaner controller is configured to control the cleaner suction device to generate suction force for drawing air into the dustbin based on the station controller obtaining the user input for stopping the operation of the station suction device through the input device.   
     
     
         8 . The cleaning device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the cleaner controller is configured to control the cleaner suction device to stop the operation of drawing air into the dustbin based on completion of closing the dustbin cover by the cover closing device.   
     
     
         9 . The cleaning device of  claim 8 , wherein
 the cover closing device comprises:   a rotary lever configured to be movable between a first lever position and a second lever position at which the dustbin cover is positioned to close the dustbin by moving from the first lever position to a direction that closes the dustbin cover; and   a closing drive motor configured to generate power for moving the rotary lever,   wherein the cleaner controller is configured to control the cleaner suction device to stop the operation of drawing air into the dustbin based on the rotary lever rotating from the first lever position and reaching the second lever position.   
     
     
         10 . The cleaning device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the cleaner controller is configured to control the cleaner suction device to generate suction force having a magnitude, which is reduced from the suction force generated by the cleaner suction device into the dustbin during an operation of closing the dustbin cover, for a predetermined time based on the dustbin cover closing the dustbin.   
     
     
         11 . The cleaning device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the cleaner further comprises: a cleaner communication circuitry,   wherein the docking station further comprises:
 a station communication circuitry configured to perform communication with the cleaner communication circuitry; and 
 a station controller configured to control the station communication circuitry to transmit a cover closing signal to the cleaner communication circuitry based on the predetermined cover closing condition, 
 wherein the cleaner controller is configured to control the cleaner suction device to generate suction force for drawing air into the dustbin based on the cover closing signal being received through the cleaner communication circuitry. 
   
     
     
         12 . A control method of a cleaning device including a cleaner coupleable to and decoupleable from a docking station which is configured to collect dirt based on the cleaner being coupled thereto, the control method comprising:
 opening a dustbin cover configured to open and close a dustbin of the cleaner configured to collect dirt;   discharging dirt from the dustbin based on a predetermined dust discharge condition involving generation of suction force; and   controlling a cleaner suction device of the cleaner to generate the suction force to draw air into the dustbin based on the dustbin cover being closed using a cover closing device based on an operation, in which dirt is discharged from the dustbin, being completed and the predetermined dust discharge condition being met.   
     
     
         13 . The control method of  claim 12 , wherein
 the controlling of the cleaner suction device to generate the suction force to draw the air into the dustbin includes:   controlling the cleaner suction device such that the suction force that is generated is at a first magnitude of suction force based on the dustbin cover being positioned at a first cover position in which the dustbin cover opens the dustbin; and   controlling the cleaner suction device such that the suction force that is generated is at a second magnitude of suction force stronger than the first magnitude based on the dustbin cover being positioned at a second cover position in which the dustbin cover opens the dustbin at a smaller angle than the first cover position.   
     
     
         14 . The control method of  claim 13 , wherein
 the generation of the suction force to draw air into the dustbin using the cleaner suction device comprises:
 controlling the cleaner suction device to allow the suction force for drawing air into the dustbin to continuously increase as an angle, at which the cover closing device rotates the dustbin cover from the first cover position to the second cover position, increases. 
   
     
     
         15 . The control method of  claim 12 , wherein
 the generation of the suction force to draw air into the dustbin using the cleaner suction device comprises:
 controlling the cleaner suction device to allow the suction force to continuously increase over time during an operation in which the cleaner suction device generates suction force based on the cover closing device closing the dustbin cover.