Celestial navigation system for an autonomous vehicle

• US 10,599,159 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2017
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Chiappetta, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Amin, Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US15/491,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20170220043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/022 Recharging of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2836 characterised by the parts which are controlled
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• 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 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 : Mobile robot

Abstract

A navigation control system for an autonomous vehicle comprises a transmitter and an autonomous vehicle. The transmitter comprises an emitter for emitting at least one signal, a power source for powering the emitter, a device for capturing wireless energy to charge the power source, and a printed circuit board for converting the captured wireless energy to a form for charging the power source. The autonomous vehicle operates within a working area and comprises a receiver for detecting the at least one signal emitted by the emitter, and a processor for determining a relative location of the autonomous vehicle within the working area based on the signal emitted by the emitter.

Claims

1. A control device for controlling a mobile cleaning robot, the control device comprising:

one or more input devices operable by a user to operate the control device; and

a display,

wherein the control device is configured to perform operations comprising;

presenting, on the display of the control device, identifiers for a plurality of rooms;

receiving, by the one or more input devices of the control device, an input indicative of a user selection of two or more rooms to be cleaned by the mobile cleaning robot that are selected from the plurality of rooms and an input indicative of a user selection of a cleaning order for the two or more rooms to be cleaned;

sending, from the control device to the mobile cleaning robot, data representing the cleaning order for the two or more rooms to be cleaned to cause the mobile cleaning robot to clean the two or more rooms in the cleaning order selected by the user; and

presenting, on the display of the control device, a status of the mobile cleaning robot.

2. The control device of claim 1, wherein the control device is further configured to allow the user to toggle among modes, the modes comprising:

a clean mode configured to direct the mobile cleaning robot to begin cleaning;

a docking mode configured to direct the mobile cleaning robot to dock to a base station; and

a driving mode configured to allow the user to drive the mobile cleaning robot.

3. The control device of claim 2, wherein the modes further comprise a scheduling mode configured to allow the user to select the cleaning order for the two or more rooms to be cleaned.

4. The control device of claim 1, wherein the control device is further configured to allow the user to toggle among cleaning modes, the cleaning modes comprising:

a spot clean mode; and

an area rug mode configured to allow the user to direct the mobile cleaning robot to clean an area rug.

5. The control device of claim 4, wherein the cleaning modes further comprise a deep clean mode.

6. The control device of claim 1, wherein the control device is a handheld computing device.

7. The control device of claim 1, wherein presenting, on the display of the control device, the status of the mobile cleaning robot comprises presenting, on the display of the control device, at least one location where the mobile cleaning robot has cleaned on a graphical representation of a map.

8. The control device of claim 1, wherein presenting, on the display of the control device, the status of the mobile cleaning robot comprises presenting, on the display of the control device, a graphical representation of a percentage of cleaning that has been completed.

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

receiving, by the one or more input devices of the control device, a user-provided name for at least of the two or more rooms.

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

receiving, by the one or more input devices, an input indicative of two or more start times for the two or more rooms to be cleaned, respectively, and

sending, from the control device to the mobile cleaning robot, one or more instructions comprising data representing the two or more start times.

22. The control device of claim 1, wherein the control device is a mobile phone.

11. A control device for controlling a mobile cleaning robot, the control device comprising:

one or more input devices operable by a user to operate the control device; and

a display,

wherein the control device is configured to present user-selectable modes comprising;

a clean mode configured to direct a mobile cleaning robot to begin cleaning;

a docking mode configured to direct the mobile cleaning robot to dock to a base station;

a spot clean mode; and

a scheduling mode configured to provide, to the mobile cleaning robot, two or more user-selected rooms to be cleaned by the mobile cleaning robot and to provide, to the mobile cleaning robot, a user-selected cleaning order for the two or more user-selected rooms to be cleaned, the user-selected cleaning order and the two or more user-selected rooms being selectable by the user using the one or more input devices in the scheduling mode.

12. The control device of claim 11, wherein the user-selectable modes comprise:

a deep clean mode, and

a user-selectable area rug mode configured to allow the user to direct the mobile cleaning robot to clean an area rug.

13. The control device of claim 11, wherein the control device is a handheld computing device.

14. The control device of claim 11, wherein the control device is configured to receive, by the one or more input devices, a user-provided name for at least one of the two or more user-selected rooms.

15. The control device of claim 11, wherein the control device is configured to present, on the display of the control device, a status of the mobile cleaning robot.

16. The control device of claim 15, wherein presenting, on the display of the control device, the status of the mobile cleaning robot comprises presenting, on the display of the control device, at least one location where the mobile cleaning robot has cleaned on a graphical representation of a map.

17. The control device of claim 15, wherein presenting, on the display of the control device, the status of the mobile cleaning robot comprises presenting, on the display of the control device, a graphical representation of a percentage of cleaning that has been completed.

18. The control device of claim 11, wherein the scheduling mode is configured to allow the user to select a predefined cleaning schedule.

19. The control device of claim 11, wherein the control device is configured to present, on the display of the control device, a high traffic area on a graphical representation of a map.

20. The control device of claim 11, wherein the control device is configured to present, on the display of the control device, at least one of areas of entrapment and areas where large obstacles exist on a graphical representation of a map.

21. The control device of claim 11, wherein the control device is a mobile phone.

23. A control device for controlling a mobile cleaning robot, the control device comprising:

one or more input devices operable by a user to operate the control device; and

wherein the control device is configured to control the mobile cleaning robot, the control device being configured to allow the user to toggle among cleaning modes of the mobile cleaning robot, the cleaning modes comprising;

a spot clean mode; and

an area rug mode configured to allow the user to direct the mobile cleaning robot to clean an area rug.

24. The control device of claim 23, further comprising a display,

wherein the control device is configured to perform operations comprising:

presenting, on the display of the control device, a selection of rooms, and

presenting, on the display of the control device, a status of the mobile cleaning robot.

25. The control device of claim 24, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, by the one or more input devices of the control device, an input indicative of one or more rooms of the selection of rooms to be cleaned by the mobile cleaning robot and an input indicative of an order for the one or more rooms to be cleaned, and

sending, from the control device to the mobile cleaning robot, one or more instructions comprising data representing the order for the one or more rooms to be cleaned.

26. The control device of claim 23, wherein the cleaning modes further comprise a deep clean mode.

27. The control device of claim 23, further comprising a display, wherein the controller is configured to perform operations comprising:

presenting, on the display of the control device, a confirmation that the mobile cleaning robot is in the area rug mode.