Pool cleaner with optical out-of-water and debris detection

• US 10,107,000 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2016
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hayward Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hayward Industries, Inc.
• Inventors: Barcelos, Nathaniel, Teuscher, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Application Number:
  US15/049,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20160244988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 15 17, 2101671, 21016715, 21016716
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/1654 Self-propelled cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/12 using one transmitter and one receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals

Abstract

Example embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a robotic pool cleaner and a control system of a robotic pool cleaner having an optical sensor positioned relative to an intake pathway of the robotic cleaner to monitor a flow of material through the intake pathway. An output of an optical sensor of the robotic pool cleaner can be monitored by the control system of the robotic pool cleaner to determine whether a detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway. The robotic pool cleaner can perform one or more operations in response to a determination that a detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway based on the output of the optical sensor.

Claims

1. A robotic pool cleaner configured to be submerged in water and to clean an immersed surface of a pool, the robotic pool cleaner comprising:

an intake pathway, the intake pathway of the robotic pool cleaner being configured to receive water and debris as the robotic pool cleaner traverses the immersed surface of the pool;

a processing device;

an optical sensor operatively coupled to the processing device and positioned relative to the intake pathway, wherein the optical sensor comprises (a) a light emitter operable to output light into the intake pathway, and (b) a light detector operable to detect the light output by the light emitter subsequent to the light entering the intake pathway;

wherein the processing device is programmed to determine whether a detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway of the robotic pool cleaner based on an output of the optical sensor; and

wherein the processing device is programmed to de-energize the light emitter to measure a contribution of ambient light in the output of the optical sensor during an ambient measurement cycle, and to energize the light emitter to measure a contribution of the light output by the light emitter and the ambient light in the output of the optical sensor during a debris measurement cycle.

2. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 1, further comprising a light emitter driver that energizes and de-energizes the light emitter in response to a light emitter sequence output by the processing device.

3. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 1, further comprising an amplifier configured to receive an electrical current corresponding to an intensity of light that is incident upon the light detector and to output an amplified electrical current.

4. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 3, further comprising an integrator configured to receive an amplified electrical current from the amplifier and to integrate the electrical current until the integrator receives a discharge signal from the processing device and to output an integrated electrical current.

5. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 4, further comprising an analog-to-digital converter configured to receive the integrated electrical current and to sample the integrated electric current in response to a synchronization signal received by the analog-to-digital converter from the processing device,

wherein the analog-to-digital converter outputs a quantified value corresponding the light incident upon the light detector to the processing device, and the processing device is programmed to determine whether a detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway based on the quantified value.

6. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 1, wherein the processing device is programmed to subtract the output of the ambient measurement cycle from the output of the debris measurement cycle to generate a differential mode output that substantially reduces an effect of the ambient light on a determination of whether a detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway.

7. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 1, wherein upon a determination that a detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway, the processing device is programmed to determine a type of the debris that is flowing through the intake pathway.

8. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 1, wherein the processing device is programmed to determine whether air is flowing through the intake pathway based on the output of the optical sensor.

9. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 1, wherein the processing device is programmed to determine a type of debris that is flowing through the intake pathway based on one or more signatures of the output of the optical sensor.

10. The robotic cleaner of claim 9, wherein the one or more signatures are based on at least one of an amplitude of the output, a variability of the output, a time varying characteristic of the output.

11. The robotic cleaner of claim 9, wherein the type of debris includes at least one of leaves or sand.

12. The robotic cleaner of claim 9, wherein the processing device is programmed to determine the type of debris based on the signature by comparing the output of the optical sensor to one or more signatures corresponding to different types of debris and identifying the type of debris based on the comparing.

13. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 1, wherein the processing device is programmed to implement a machine learning algorithm to classify the output of the optical sensor as a type of debris flowing through the intake pathway.

14. The robotic cleaner of claim 1, wherein the processing device is programmed to determine an out-of-water condition based on a comparison of the output of the optical sensor to one or more signatures.

15. The robotic cleaner of claim 1, wherein in response to determining that the detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway, the processing device is configured to alter a movement of one or more wheels of the robotic pool cleaner.

16. The robotic cleaner of claim 1, wherein in response to determining that the detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway, the processing device is configured to cause the pool cleaner to circle about a location of the pool associated with the detectable level of debris.

17. The robotic cleaner of claim 1, wherein in response to determining that the detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway, the processing device is configured to increase a flow through the intake pathway.

18. The robotic cleaner of claim 1, wherein in response to determining that the detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway, the processing device is configured to at least one of extend a cleaning time of a cleaning cycle, extend a cleaning time of future cleaning cycles, or increase a frequency with which the pool cleaner operates to clean the pool.

19. The robotic cleaner of claim 1, wherein in response to determining that the detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway, the processing device is configured to learn locations at which debris is detected.

20. The robotic cleaner of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more image capturing devices operatively coupled to the processing device to capture images of surroundings of the pool cleaner as the pool cleaner traverses the immersed surface of the pool.

21. The robotic cleaner of claim 20, wherein the pool cleaner maps the pool based on the images captured by the one or more image capturing devices.

22. The robotic cleaner of claim 21, wherein the processing device associates locations at which debris accumulates with the map.

23. The robotic cleaner of claim 1, wherein in response to determining that undetectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway, the processing device is configured to at least one of increase a drive speed or torque of one or more wheels of the robotic pool cleaner or change a direction of travel of the robotic pool cleaner.

24. The robotic cleaner of claim 1, further comprising:

an amplifier operatively coupled to the optical sensor, the amplifier being configured to receive an electrical current output from the optical sensor and to output an amplified electrical current;

an integrator operatively coupled to the amplifier, the amplifier being configured to receive the amplified electrical current from the amplifier and to integrate the electrical current; and

an analog-to-digital converter operatively coupled to the integrator, the analog-to-digital converter being configured to receive the integrated electrical current, sample the integrated electric current, and output a quantified value corresponding the output of the optical sensor to the processing device,

wherein the processing device alternates between the ambient measurement cycle and the debris measurement cycle to control an operation of the optical sensor, the integrator, and the analog-to-digital converter.

25. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 24, wherein in response to at least one of the ambient measurement cycle or the debris measurement cycle, the processing device is programmed to:

control the integrator to integrate the electrical current for a first specified time period;

control the analog-to-digital converter to sample the integrated electrical current at a specified sample time;

discharge the integrator after the first specified time period, the integrator being discharged after or simultaneously with the specified sample time.

26. The robotic pool cleaner of claim 24, wherein in response to at least one of the ambient measurement cycle or the debris measurement cycle:

the integrator integrates the electrical current for a specified time period until the integrator receives a discharge signal from the processing device; and

the analog-to-digital converter receives a synchronization signal from the processing device, and in response to the synchronization signal, samples the integrated output of the integrator at a specified sample time, the specified sample time occurring before or simultaneously with the receipt of the discharge signal by the integrator.

27. A system for controlling a robotic pool cleaner configured to be submerged in water and to clean an immersed surface of a pool, the system comprising:

an optical sensor disposed relative to an intake pathway of the robotic pool cleaner, the intake pathway being configured to receive water and debris as the robotic pool cleaner traverses the immersed surface of the pool;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium including firmware; and

a processing device programmed to execute the firmware to determine whether a detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway of the robotic pool cleaner based on the output of the optical sensor, wherein the processing device is programmed to control the optical sensor to measure a contribution of ambient light in the output of the optical sensor during an ambient measurement cycle, and to measure a contribution of light output by a light emitter and the ambient light in the output of the optical sensor during a debris measurement cycle.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the processing device is programmed to subtract the output of the ambient measurement cycle from the output of the debris measurement cycle to generate a differential mode output that substantially reduces an effect of the ambient light on the determination of whether a detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein upon a determination that a detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway, the processing device is programmed to determine the type of the debris that is flowing through the intake pathway.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein the processing device is programmed to determine whether air is flowing through the intake pathway based on the output of the optical sensor.

31. The system of claim 27, wherein the processing device is programmed to determine a type of debris that is flowing through the intake pathway based on a signature of the output of the optical sensor.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the signature is based on at least one of an amplitude of the output, a variability of the output, and a time varying characteristic of the output.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the processing device is programmed to determine the type of debris based on the signature by comparing the output of the optical sensor to one or more signatures corresponding to different types of debris and identifying the type of debris based on the comparing.

34. The system of claim 27, wherein the processing device is programmed to implement a machine learning algorithm to classify the output of the optical sensor as a type of debris flowing through the intake pathway.

35. The system of claim 27, wherein the processing device is programmed to determine an out-of-water condition based on a comparison of the output of the optical sensor to one or more signatures.

36. The system of claim 27, wherein in response to determining that the detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway, the processing device is configured to alter a movement of one or more wheels of the robotic pool cleaner.

37. The system of claim 27, wherein in response to determining that the detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway, the processing device is configured to cause the pool cleaner to circle about a location of the pool associated with the detectable level of debris.

38. The system of claim 27, wherein in response to determining that the detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway, the processing device is configured to increase a flow through the intake pathway.

39. The system of claim 27, wherein in response to determining that the detectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway, the processing device is configured to at least one of extend a cleaning time of a cleaning cycle, extend a cleaning time of future cleaning cycles, or increase a frequency with which the pool cleaner operates to clean the pool.

40. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

one or more image capturing devices operatively coupled to the processing device to capture images of surroundings of the pool cleaner as the pool cleaner traverses the immersed surface of the pool.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the pool cleaner maps the pool based on the images captured by the one or more image capturing devices and associates locations at which debris accumulates with the map.

42. The system of claim 27, wherein in response to determining that undetectable level of debris is flowing through the intake pathway, the processing device is configured to at least one of increase a drive speed or torque of one or more wheels of the robotic pool cleaner or change a direction of travel of the robotic pool cleaner.

43. The system of claim 27, wherein the processing device alternates between the ambient measurement cycle and the debris measurement cycle to control an operation of the robotic pool cleaner.