Autonomous mobile robot

• US 10,091,930 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2016
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Balutis, Paul C., Likhite, Alec, Doughty, Brian, Karlson, Jeff, Nikitas, Tyler
• Primary Examiner(s): Oh, Harry Y
• Application Number:
  US15/379,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20170094897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: 700264
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/008 for automated or remotely controlled operation
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0221 involving a learning process
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal

Abstract

A robot lawnmower includes a robot body, a drive system, a localizing system, a teach monitor, and a controller in communication with one another. The drive system is configured to maneuver the robot lawnmower over a lawn. The teach monitor determines whether the robot lawnmower is in a teachable state. The controller includes a data processing device and non-transitory memory in communication with the data processing device. The data processing device executes a teach routine when the controller is in a teach mode for tracing a confinement perimeter around the lawn as a human operator pilots the robot lawn mower, when the robot lawnmower is in the teachable state, the teach routine stores global positions determined by the localizing system in the non-transitory memory, and when the robot lawnmower is in the unteachable state, the teach routine issues an indication of the unteachable state.

Claims

1. An operator feedback unit in communication with an autonomous robot lawnmower configured for mowing a lawn, the operator feedback unit comprising:

an operator input device configured to

generate a first signal indicative of a completion of a first teaching routine of the autonomous robot lawnmower, the completion of the first teaching routine indicating that the autonomous robot lawnmower has determined, via a localization system, positions of the autonomous robot lawnmower about a perimeter of the lawn and has stored at least some of the positions, and

generate a second signal indicative of a completion of a second teaching routine in which additional positions of the autonomous robot lawnmower are determined as the autonomous robot lawnmower is piloted by the operator about the perimeter of the lawn in the second teaching routine and in which at least some of the additional positions of the autonomous robot lawnmower are stored; and

a visual display communicably coupled to the operator input device, the visual display configured to

present a first visual indicator in response to the first signal indicative of the completion of the first teaching routine, the first visual indicator representing a first geometry of the lawn based on at least some of the stored positions of the autonomous robot lawnmower from the first teaching routine, and

present a second visual indicator overlaid on the first visual indicator in response to the second signal, the second visual indicator representing a second geometry of the lawn based on at least some of the additional stored positions of the autonomous robot lawnmower from the second teaching routine.

2. The operator feedback unit of claim 1, further comprising a communication module for wireless communication with the autonomous robot lawnmower,

wherein the communication module is configured to receive data indicative of storage of the at least some of the positions of the autonomous robot lawnmower, and

wherein the visual display is configured to present the first visual indicator based on the data.

3. The operator feedback unit of claim 2, wherein the operator input device is configured to initiate the first or second teaching routine of the autonomous robot lawnmower.

4. The operator feedback unit of claim 2, wherein the communication module is configured to receive data indicative of a path traveled by the autonomous robot lawnmower during the first or second teaching routine.

5. The operator feedback unit of claim 1, wherein the operator feedback unit is releasably mountable to the autonomous robot lawnmower.

6. The operator feedback unit of claim 1, wherein

the visual display is configured to present a third visual indicator indicating the autonomous robot lawnmower is in a teachable state or an unteachable state, and

the third visual indicator indicates that the autonomous robot lawnmower is in the teachable state when the autonomous robot lawnmower is localized and on traversable terrain or indicates that the autonomous robot lawnmower is in the unteachable state when the autonomous robot lawnmower is not localized or is not on traversable terrain.

7. The operator feedback unit of claim 1, wherein the visual display is configured to:

present a third visual indicator indicating the autonomous robot lawnmower is in an unteachable state in which the autonomous robot lawnmower is not localized or is not on traversable terrain, and

present a piloting correction alert indicative of a correction to be performed by the operator, the correction indicating a change in a direction or a speed of the autonomous robot lawnmower to return the autonomous robot lawnmower to a teachable state in which the autonomous robot lawnmower is localized and on traversable terrain.

8. The operator feedback unit of claim 1, further comprising a wireless communication module configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more boundary markers.

9. The operator feedback unit of claim 1, wherein the operator input device is configured for remotely piloting the autonomous robot lawnmower about the lawn.

10. The operator feedback unit of claim 1, wherein the operator feedback unit comprises a smart phone comprising a touch screen and a display, the operator input device comprising the touch screen of the smart phone, and the visual display comprising the display of the smart phone.

19. The operator feedback unit of claim 1, wherein configurations of the visual display to present the second visual indicator comprise configurations to present the second visual indicator when a variance between at least some of the stored positions and at least some of the additional stored positions exceeds a threshold variance.

20. The operator feedback unit of claim 19, wherein the threshold variance is no more than 30 centimeters.

21. The operator feedback unit of claim 19, wherein the visual display is configured to present a request that the operator re-pilots the autonomous robot lawnmower about the perimeter when the variance between the at least some of the stored positions and the at least some of the additional stored positions exceeds the threshold variance.

22. The operator feedback unit of claim 1, wherein the first teaching routine corresponds to an outer perimeter of the lawn and the second teaching routine corresponds to an inner perimeter of the lawn.

23. The operator feedback unit of claim 22, wherein the autonomous robot lawnmower is configured to cut grass corresponding to an area between the outer perimeter of the lawn and the inner perimeter of the lawn.

24. The operator feedback unit of claim 22, wherein the inner perimeter of the lawn corresponds to a boundary of an obstacle.

25. The operator feedback unit of claim 24, wherein the obstacle includes at least one of a pond, rough terrain, or a boulder.

26. The operator feedback unit of claim 6, wherein the third visual indicator indicates that the autonomous robot lawnmower is in the unteachable state when the autonomous robot lawnmower detects an obstacle.

11. A method comprising:

generating, via an operator input device, a first signal indicative of a completion of a first teaching routine, the completion of the first teaching routine indicating that an autonomous robot lawnmower has determined, via a localization system, positions of the autonomous robot lawnmower about a perimeter of the lawn and has stored at least some of the positions;

presenting a first visual indicator on a display device in response to the first signal indicative of the completion of the first teaching routine, the first visual indicator representing a first geometry of the lawn based on at least some of the stored positions of the autonomous robot lawnmower determined from the first teaching routine;

generating a second signal indicative of a completion of a second teaching routine in which additional positions of the autonomous robot lawnmower are determined as the autonomous robot lawnmower is piloted by the operator about the perimeter of the lawn in the second teaching routine and in which at least some of the additional positions of the autonomous robot lawnmower are stored; and

presenting, in response to the second signal, a second visual indicator overlaid on the first visual indicator, the second visual indicator representing a second geometry of the lawn based on at least some of the additional stored positions of the autonomous robot lawnmower from the second teaching routine.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first signal indicative of the completion of the first teaching routine is generated in response to depression of a stop button on the operator input device.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising wirelessly receiving, from the autonomous robot lawnmower, data indicative of at least some of the stored positions of the autonomous robot lawnmower,

wherein the first visual indicator is presented based on the data.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising wirelessly transmitting, to the autonomous robot lawnmower, a command to initiate the first or second teaching routine.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving data indicative of a path traveled by the autonomous robot lawnmower during the first or second teaching routine,

wherein the first visual indicator is presented based on the data indicative of the path traveled by the autonomous robot lawnmower.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising presenting a third visual indicator indicating the autonomous robot lawnmower is in a teachable state or an unteachable state,

wherein the third visual indicator indicates that the autonomous robot lawnmower is in the teachable state when the autonomous robot lawnmower is localized and on traversable terrain or indicates that the autonomous robot lawnmower is in the unteachable state when the autonomous robot lawnmower is not localized or is not on traversable terrain.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

presenting a third visual indicator indicating the autonomous robot lawnmower is in an unteachable state in which the autonomous robot lawnmower is not localized or is not on traversable terrain, and

presenting a piloting correction alert to the operator indicative of a correction to change a direction or a speed of the autonomous robot lawnmower to return the autonomous robot lawnmower to a teachable state in which the autonomous robot lawnmower is localized and on traversable terrain.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising wirelessly transmitting commands to initiate moving the autonomous robot lawnmower about the lawn in an autonomous mode, wherein in the autonomous mode, the autonomous robot lawnmower autonomously navigates about the lawn relative to at least some of the stored positions and cuts the lawn.

27. The method of claim 11, wherein presenting the second visual indicator comprises presenting the second visual indicator when a variance between at least some of the stored positions and at least some of the additional stored positions exceeds a threshold variance.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the threshold variance is no more than 30 centimeters.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising presenting a request that the operator re-pilots the autonomous robot lawnmower about the perimeter when the variance between the at least some of the stored positions and the at least some of the additional stored positions exceeds the threshold variance.

30. The method of claim 16, wherein the third visual indicator indicates that the autonomous robot lawnmower is in the unteachable state when the autonomous robot lawnmower detects an obstacle.