Coverage robots and associated cleaning bins

• US 10,244,915 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2013
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Schnittman, Mark Steven, Ozick, Daniel N., Landry, Gregg W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Sean K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Berry, Stephanie R
• Application Number:
  US13/892,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20130298350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,150 Days
• Field of Search: 15319, 15339, 15347, 15352, 15353, 700245, 701 23, 701 28, 702150, 340901, 31032321
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/33 having means for storing dirt
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4002 Installations of electric equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4008 Arrangements of switches, indicators or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4013 Contaminants collecting devices, i.e. hoppers, tanks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4025 Means for emptying
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4066 Propulsion of the whole machine
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4069 Driving or transmission means for the cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4091 Storing or parking devices, arrangements therefor; Means allowing transport of the machine when it is not being used
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4097 Means for exhaust-air diffusion; Exhaust-air treatment, e.g. air purification; Means for sound or vibration damping
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/02 Docking stations; Docking operations
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/024 Emptying dust or waste liquid containers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/028 Refurbishing floor engaging tools, e.g. cleaning of beating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/106 Dust removal
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/108 : Dust compression means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/19 : Means for monitoring filtering operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/281 : the amount or condition of incoming dirt or dust

Abstract

An autonomous coverage robot includes a chassis, a drive system configured to maneuver the robot, and a cleaning assembly. The cleaning assembly includes a cleaning assembly housing and at least one driven sweeper brush. The robot includes a controller and a removable sweeper bin configured to receive debris agitated by the driven sweeper brush. The sweeper bin includes an emitter disposed on an interior surface of the bin and a receiver disposed remotely from the emitter on the interior surface of the bin and configured to receive an emitter signal. The emitter and the receiver are disposed such that a threshold level of accumulation of debris in the sweeper bin blocks the receiver from receiving emitter emissions. The robot includes a bin controller disposed in the sweeper bin and monitoring a detector signal and initiating a bin full routine upon determining a bin debris accumulation level requiring service.

Claims

1. A coverage robot system comprising:

a cleaning bin configured to be received by a cleaning robot;

a bin capacity sensor system comprising;

a signal emitter proximate a first side of an opening in the cleaning bin;

a first signal detector proximate the first side of the opening in the cleaning bin, the first signal detector configured to receive a signal emitted by the signal emitter, the signal emitter and the first signal detector being disposed proximate to one another; and

a second signal detector proximate a second side of the opening in the cleaning bin, the second side opposite the first side, the second signal detector configured to receive a signal emitted by the signal emitter; and

a controller configured to monitor a signal from the first signal detector and the second signal detector and determine a cleaning service requirement, and transmit a third signal having information about the cleaning service requirement.

2. The coverage robot system of claim 1 in which the controller is configured to provide a determined cleaning service requirement to a remote indicator, wherein the remote indicator is configured to display a user-detectable indication of the determined cleaning service requirement.

3. The coverage robot system of claim 1, wherein the signal emitter, the first signal detector and the second signal detector are disposed such that a threshold level of accumulation of debris in the cleaning bin attenuates emissions from the signal emitter received by the first signal detector and the second signal detector.

4. The coverage robot system of claim 1, wherein the cleaning service requirement determined by the controller includes a bin-full status.

5. The coverage robot system of claim 1, wherein the signal emitter comprises an infrared light emitter.

6. The coverage robot system of claim 2, wherein the remote indicator appears on a screen of a device configured to be held by a user.

7. The coverage robot system of claim 6, wherein the device held by the user is a telephone.

8. The coverage robot system of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to determine a robot stuck condition and communicates the robot stuck condition to the remote indicator.

9. The coverage robot system of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to receive commands from the remote indicator.

10. The coverage robot system of claim 1, wherein the controller of the bin capacity sensor system communicates with a controller of the robot.

11. The coverage robot system of claim 1, wherein the cleaning bin defines a sweeper bin portion and a vacuum bin portion.

12. The coverage robot system of claim 11, wherein the cleaning bin further comprises a vacuum assembly housed by the vacuum bin portion.

13. An autonomous coverage robot comprising:

a chassis;

a drive system mounted on the chassis and configured to maneuver the robot;

a cleaning assembly carried by the chassis and comprising;

a cleaning assembly housing; and

at least one driven sweeper coupled to the cleaning assembly housing;

a controller carried by the chassis;

a removable bin attached to the chassis and configured to receive debris agitated by the driven sweeper;

an emitter proximate a first side of an opening in the removable bin;

a first detector proximate the first side of the opening in the removable bin, the first detector configured to receive a signal emitted by the emitter, the emitter and the first detector disposed such that a threshold level of accumulation of debris in the removable bin attenuates emissions received by the first detector from the emitter;

a second detector proximate a second side of the opening in the removable bin, the second side opposite the first side, the second detector configured to receive a signal emitted by the emitter; and

a bin controller configured to monitor a signal from the first detector and from the second detector and determine a bin-full status.

14. The autonomous coverage robot of claim 13 in which the controller is configured to provide a determined cleaning service requirement to a remote indicator, wherein the remote indicator is configured to output a user-detectable indication of the determined cleaning service requirement.

15. The autonomous coverage robot of claim 14, wherein the user-detectable indication of the determined cleaning service requirement comprises an optical or audio signal.

16. The autonomous coverage robot of claim 14, wherein the remote indicator is configured to be held by or worn by a user.

17. An autonomous coverage robot comprising:

a chassis;

a drive system mounted on the chassis and configured to maneuver the robot;

at least one driven sweeper carried by the chassis;

a bin attached to the chassis and configured to receive debris agitated by the driven sweeper;

an emitter proximate a first side of an opening in the bin;

a first detector proximate the first side of the opening in the bin, the first detector configured to receive a signal emitted by the emitter, the emitter and the first detector being disposed proximate to one another such that the first detector is configured to receive a reflected emitter signal;

a second detector proximate a second side of the opening in the bin, the second side opposite the first side, the second detector configured to receive a transmitted emitter signal; and

a controller carried by the chassis, the controller configured to monitor a signal from the first detector and from the second detector and initiate a bin full routine upon determining a bin debris accumulation level requiring service.

18. The autonomous coverage robot of claim 17 in which the controller is configured to send an indication that autonomous operation may be interrupted for bin servicing to a human perceptible indicator, wherein the human perceptible indicator is configured to output a user-detectable indication that autonomous operation may be interrupted for bin servicing.

19. The autonomous coverage robot of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to send the indication to a remote indicator as part of the bin full routine.

20. The autonomous coverage robot of claim 18, wherein the user-detectable indication appears on a screen of a device configured to be held by a user.

21. The coverage robot system of claim 17, wherein the emitter, the first detector, and the second detector are disposed such that a threshold level of accumulation of debris in the bin attenuates emissions from the emitter received by the first detector and the second detector.

22. The autonomous coverage robot of claim 17, further comprising a diffuser positioned over the emitter to diffuse the emitted signal, the first detector and the second detector receiving the diffused emissions, wherein accumulation of debris in the bin at least partially blocks the diffused emissions from being received by the first detector and the second detector.

23. The autonomous coverage robot of claim 22, wherein the emitter comprises an infrared light emitter diffused by a translucent plastic sheet.