Debris evacuation for cleaning robots
First Claim
1. A robotic floor cleaning system, comprising:
- an evacuation station configured to evacuate debris from a cleaning bin of a mobile floor cleaning robot, the evacuation station comprisinga debris canister,a platform defining a suction opening, the platform arranged to receive the cleaning robot in a position in which an opening of the cleaning robot is aligned with the suction opening,an evacuation vacuum configured to draw debris from the cleaning bin, through the suction opening, and into the debris canister,a debris sensor configured to detect an amount of debris present in the debris canister, anda wireless communications system configured to communicate, to a mobile computing device, information indicative of a number of evacuation operations initiated to evacuate debris from the cleaning bin of the cleaning robot to cause the mobile computing device to present an indication of the number of evacuation operations initiated to evacuate debris from the cleaning bin of the cleaning robot.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A robot floor cleaning system features a mobile floor cleaning robot and an evacuation station. The robot includes: a chassis with at least one drive wheel operable to propel the robot across a floor surface; a cleaning bin disposed within the robot and arranged to receive debris ingested by the robot during cleaning; and a robot vacuum configured to pull debris into the cleaning bin from an opening on an underside of the robot. The evacuation station is configured to evacuate debris from the cleaning bin of the robot, and includes: a housing defining a platform arranged to receive the cleaning robot in a position in which the opening on the underside of the robot aligns with a suction opening defined in the platform; and an evacuation vacuum in fluid communication with the suction opening and operable to draw air into the evacuation station housing through the suction opening.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A robotic floor cleaning system, comprising:
an evacuation station configured to evacuate debris from a cleaning bin of a mobile floor cleaning robot, the evacuation station comprising a debris canister, a platform defining a suction opening, the platform arranged to receive the cleaning robot in a position in which an opening of the cleaning robot is aligned with the suction opening, an evacuation vacuum configured to draw debris from the cleaning bin, through the suction opening, and into the debris canister, a debris sensor configured to detect an amount of debris present in the debris canister, and a wireless communications system configured to communicate, to a mobile computing device, information indicative of a number of evacuation operations initiated to evacuate debris from the cleaning bin of the cleaning robot to cause the mobile computing device to present an indication of the number of evacuation operations initiated to evacuate debris from the cleaning bin of the cleaning robot. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of operating an evacuation station for a mobile floor cleaning robot, the method comprising:
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initiating an evacuation operation to generate an airflow to draw debris from a cleaning bin of the cleaning robot into a debris canister of the evacuation station when the cleaning robot is docked with the evacuation station; detecting an amount of debris present in the debris canister of the evacuation station; and wirelessly transmitting, from a wireless communications system of the cleaning robot to a mobile computing device, information indicative of a number of evacuation operations initiated to evacuate debris from the cleaning bin of the cleaning robot to cause the mobile computing device to present an indication of the number of evacuation operations initiated to evacuate debris from the cleaning bin of the cleaning robot. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification