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SamsungPatent applicationRobots & automationInterest 6/10

Samsung patents robot vacuum that identifies floor types using sound

Samsung has filed a patent for a robotic vacuum that uses ultrasonic sensors to scan the floor while it moves. The device combines this sound data with movement information and feeds it into a trained neural network to determine the specific type of surface it is cleaning.

Why it mattersThis approach could help robot vacuums adjust their cleaning power or speed automatically based on whether they are on carpet, tile, or wood, improving cleaning efficiency without needing expensive cameras.

In the filing’s own words

A robotic vacuum cleaner and a method for controlling the same. The robotic vacuum cleaner includes a first sensor using ultrasonic waves; at least one second sensor related to a movement of the robotic vacuum cleaner; a memory storing information on a traveling path; and a processor that: obtains first data related to a feature of a floor surface on the traveling path through the first sensor while the robotic vacuum cleaner moves along the traveling path; obtains second data related to the movement of the robotic vacuum cleaner through the at least one second sensor; obtains type information indicating the type of the floor surface by inputting a traveling data set including at least part of the first data and the second data to a trained neural network model; and controls the operation of the robotic vacuum cleaner on the basis of the type information.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A robotic vacuum cleaner, comprising: a first sensor using ultrasonic waves; at least one second sensor to sense a movement of the robotic vacuum cleaner; memory to store information corresponding to a traveling path of the robotic vacuum cleaner; and a processor configured to: based on the robotic vacuum cleaner moving along the traveling path, obtain first data corresponding to a feature of a floor surface through the first sensor and second data corresponding to the movement of the robotic vacuum cleaner through the at least one second sensor, and based on a traveling data set including at least part of the first data or the second data, control an operation of the robotic vacuum cleaner.

Facts

Company
Samsung (SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.)
Official title
ROBOTIC VACUUM CLEANER AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING SAME
Publication number
US20260272244A1
Application number
19676396
Filed
May 13, 2026
Published
Sep 17, 2026
Inventors
7
Claims
20

Classified under

A47L 11/4011 Human necessitiesA47L 11/4002 Human necessitiesA47L 11/4036 Human necessitiesA47L 11/4063 Human necessitiesA47L 2201/04 Human necessities
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.