Robotic floor-cleaning system manager

• US 10,496,262 B1
• Filed: 09/22/2016
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ai Incorprated
• Original Assignee: Ai Incorprated
• Inventors: Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Ali, Mehrnia, Soroush
• Primary Examiner(s): Rink, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US15/272,752
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0085 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/00 Controls for manipulators programme controls B25J9/16; control in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/006 by means of a wireless system for controlling one or several manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1666 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/2232 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/2295 defining restricted zones, e.g. no-flight zones or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/246 using environment maps, e.g. simultaneous localisation and mapping [SLAM]
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/6482 by dividing the whole area or space in sectors to be processed separately
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2105/10 for cleaning, vacuuming or polishing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A method for instructing operation of a robotic floor-cleaning device based on the position of the robotic floor-cleaning device within a two-dimensional map of the workspace. A two-dimensional map of a workspace is generated using inputs from sensors positioned on a robotic floor-cleaning device to represent the multi-dimensional workspace of the robotic floor-cleaning device. The two-dimensional map is provided to a user on a user interface. A user may adjust the boundaries of the two-dimensional map through the user interface and select settings for map areas to control device operation in various areas of the workspace.

Claims

1. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, effectuate operations comprising:

obtaining, on a user computing device, via the wireless network communication, a map including a room to be cleaned by a robot, wherein;

the map is based on data from a sensor of the robot,

the map includes two spatial dimensions of the room,

the map is obtained with simultaneous localization and mapping by the robot,

the map includes boundaries of a wall of the room and boundaries of furniture in the room sensed by the robot, and

at least some of the boundaries designate virtual barriers the robot is configured to avoid crossing when navigating;

presenting, with the user computing device, the map in a user interface;

receiving, with the user computing device, via the user interface, a specification of a boundary, the specified boundary being a selection of an existing boundary of the map or a definition of a boundary to be added to the map, wherein receiving the specification of the boundary comprises determining that the user selected a given boundary of, or to be added to, the map based on location on a touchscreen of the user computing device touched by a user;

receiving, with the user computing device, via the user interface, an adjustment to the map based on the selected boundary, wherein receiving the adjustment comprises receiving a user input indicating the given boundary is to be shifted in one of at least four candidate directions supported by the user interface including;

up, down, left, and right;

after receiving the adjustment, sending, from the user computing device, via the wireless network, instructions that cause the robot to obtain a version of the map that incorporates the received adjustment;

wherein;

the version of the map that incorporates the received adjustment is used to at least partially navigate the robot and to instruct the robot to clean at least part of the room with a cleaning tool;

receiving, with the user computing device, via the user interface, a selection of an area of the room; and

presenting, after receiving the selection of the area of the room, a plurality of robotic operations to be executed in the selected the area, the robot operations comprising at least the following;

turning on a mopping tool;

turning off a mopping tool;

turning on an ultraviolet light tool;

turning off an ultraviolet light tool;

turning on a suction tool;

turning off a suction tool;

turning on an automatic shutoff timer;

turning off an automatic shutoff timer;

increasing a robot speed;

decreasing the robot speed;

driving the robot to a user-identified location;

turning the robot;

driving the robot forward or backward; and

commencing a series of movements of the robot in a pattern;

receiving a selection or selections of some of the robotic operations with the user interface;

executing, with the robot, the selected robotic operations responsive to both the selection of operations and the selection of the area;

receiving, via the user interface, while the robot is cleaning, a request for the robot to adapt a route; and

causing, responsive to the request, in real-time, the robot to adapt to the route in response to the request.

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein:

the user interface has inputs to effectuate four candidate directions of adjustment of the given boundary consisting essentially of;

up, down, left, and right.

3. The medium of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the selection of the boundary of, or to be added to, the map comprises;

receiving a selection of a part of a line depicting the boundary in the user interface;

presenting, with the user computing device, via the user interface, and after receiving the selection or selections of some of the robotic operations, a selectable schedule for selecting the frequency of performance of each of the robotic operations;

the operations comprise, after receiving the selection, presenting, in the user interface, user-selectable options to adjust the boundary including at least three of the following;

deleting the boundary;

trimming the boundary;

rotating the boundary;

elongating the boundary;

or

re-drawing the boundary.

4. The medium of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the specification of the boundary comprises creating a boundary to be added to the map via the user interface; and

the adjustment to the map includes addition of the specified boundary to the map.

5. The medium of claim 1, wherein:

the adjustment comprises applying different cleaning settings to be executed by the robot in different adjacent areas separated by the addition of the specified boundary.

6. The medium of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise:

designating, based on input received via the user computing device, different areas of the map to have different settings of the robot applied in the different areas; and

applying the different settings of the robot in the different areas.

7. The medium of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise:

executing, with the user computing device, a loop in which a determination is made in each iteration of the loop as to whether user input relating to a change in the map is received.

8. The medium of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise:

steps for generating a map and making changes to the map through a user interface; and

steps for selecting settings for a robotic floor cleaning device through a user interface.

9. The medium of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise:

receiving, via the user interface, while the robot is cleaning, a request to change operation of the robot to disable the cleaning tool; and

causing, responsive to the request, the robot to be instructed to disable the cleaning tool.

10. The medium of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise:

receiving, via the user interface, while the robot is cleaning, a request to drive the robot to a user-designated location; and

causing, responsive to the request, in real-time, the robot to drive to the user-designated location.

11. The medium of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the specification of the boundary of the map comprises receiving a selection of a boundary of the map, the map being determined by the robot with simultaneous localization and mapping, the map identifying free space and obstacles of a work environment of the robot in the room.

12. The medium of claim 1, wherein obtaining the map including the room comprises:

receiving an incomplete map with the user computing device from the robot and presenting a visual representation of the incomplete map.

13. The medium of claim 1, wherein:

the operations comprise generating the map by the robot.

14. The medium of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise:

selecting a plurality of cleaning tools comprising instances of cleaning tools selected from among the following;

a suction tool,

a mopping tool, or

an ultraviolet light.

15. The medium of claim 14, wherein the operations comprise:

designating different areas of the map to be cleaned with different ones of the cleaning tools responsive to inputs received via the user interface.

16. The medium of claim 1, wherein:

the robot is configured to apply the plurality of cleaning tools concurrently in at least some areas of the map.