Apparatus and methods for semi-autonomous cleaning of surfaces

• US 10,667,664 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2016
• Issued: 06/02/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avidbots Corp.
• Original Assignee: Avidbots Corp.
• Inventors: Sheikh, Faizan, Cabrera, Pablo Roberto Molina, Willick, Todd, D'Alessio-Doucet, Julien, Lee, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M
• Application Number:
  US15/137,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20160309973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,499 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/282 having rotary tools
• 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 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4066 Propulsion of the whole machine
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4072 Arrangement of castors or wheels
• 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 2201/04 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: 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 2201/0203 Cleaning or polishing vehicle

Abstract

An apparatus includes a frame, a drive assembly supported by the frame, an electronic system supported by the frame, and a cleaning assembly coupled to the frame. The drive assembly is configured to move the frame along a surface. The cleaning assembly is configured to engage the surface to transfer detritus from the surface to a storage volume supported by the frame. The electronic system has at least a processor and a memory. The processor is configured to define a path along which the drive assembly travels and is configured to redefined a path along which the drive assembly travels based on at least one signal received from at least one sensor.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a frame;

a drive system supported by the frame and configured to move the frame along a surface, the drive system including at least one wheel configured to rotate about a first axis and a second axis non-parallel to the first axis, the drive system further including a motor operably coupled to the at least one wheel and configured to produce an output operable in rotating the at least one wheel about at least the first axis;

a cleaning assembly coupled to the frame, the cleaning assembly configured to engage the surface to transfer detritus from the surface to a storage volume supported by the frame; and

an electronics system supported by the frame, the electronics system including at least a processor and a memory, the processor configured to execute a set of instructions stored in the memory associated with defining a path, the drive system configured to move the cleaning assembly along the path and the cleaning assembly configured to engage the surface to transfer detritus from the surface to the storage volume, the processor configured to define a redefined path along which the drive system is configured to move the cleaning assembly based on at least one signal associated with the path, the at least one signal being received from at least one sensor configured to detect a variance along the path.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first axis is substantially parallel to the surface and wherein the second axis is substantially perpendicular to the surface.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motor is a first motor and the drive system includes a second motor, the first motor operably coupled to the at least one wheel and configured to produce an output operable in rotating the at least one wheel about the first axis, the second motor operable in rotating the at least one wheel about the second axis.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one wheel includes a plurality of rollers, each roller from the plurality of rollers configured to rotate about an axis from a plurality of axes, the second axis being from the plurality of axes.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronics system is configured to at least partially control the drive system to move the cleaning assembly along the path.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the electronics system is configured to at least partially control the drive system to move the cleaning assembly along the redefined path in response to receiving the at least one signal associated with the path.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cleaning assembly is configured to transfer detritus from the surface to the storage volume with a predetermined efficiency when the drive system moves the cleaning assembly along at least one of the path or the redefined path.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cleaning assembly is configured to transfer detritus from the surface to the storage volume with a first predetermined efficiency when the drive system moves the cleaning assembly along the path, and

the cleaning assembly is configured to transfer detritus from the surface to the storage volume with a second predetermined efficiency when the drive system moves the cleaning assembly along the redefined path, the second predetermined efficiency being greater than the first predetermined efficiency.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the variance is an object disposed at a position along the path.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is at least one of a light transceiver, a camera, a radio, an encoder, a range sensor, an inertial measurement unit, a compass, a gyroscope, or an accelerometer.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the electronics system is configured to transition at least one of the drive system or the cleaning assembly from a first configuration, in which the drive system or the cleaning assembly, respectively, receives a flow of electric power, to a second configuration, in which the electronics system prevents a flow of electric power to the drive system or the cleaning assembly, respectively, in response to an input.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a frame supporting at least one storage volume;

a drive system supported by the frame and configured to move the frame along a surface, the drive system including a plurality of wheels, each wheel from the plurality of wheels configured to rotate about a wheel axis in response to an output of a different motor from a plurality of motors, an angle defined between each wheel axis being substantially equal;

a cleaning assembly coupled to the frame, the cleaning assembly configured to engage the surface to transfer detritus from the surface to the at least one storage volume; and

an electronics system supported by the frame and including at least a memory and a processor, the electronics system configured to send one or more signals to at least one motor from the plurality of motors indicative of an instruction to rotate the associated wheel from the plurality of wheels about the associated wheel axis to move the cleaning assembly along the surface in a predetermined path, the processor being configured to execute a set of instructions stored in the memory associated with (1) defining a map of the surface based on data received from one or more sensors, (2) decomposing the map into a plurality of sectors that collectively form the map, (3) defining a path along each sector from the plurality of sectors based at least in part on a calculated efficiency associated with transferring detritus from that sector from the plurality of sectors to the at least one storage volume, and (4) combining the path along each sector from the plurality of sectors to define the predetermined path, the predetermined path based at least in part on a calculated efficiency associated with the cleaning assembly transferring detritus from at least a portion of the surface to the at least one storage volume.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the plurality of wheels includes a first wheel, a second wheel, and a third wheel, the angle being approximately 120 degrees.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a first distance is defined between a center of rotation of the first wheel and a center of rotation of the second wheel, and a second distance is defined between a center of rotation of the third wheel and at least one of the center of rotation of the first wheel or the center of rotation of the second wheel.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the cleaning assembly is configured to transfer detritus from the surface to the at least one storage volume with a predetermined efficiency when the drive system moves the cleaning assembly along the predetermined path.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the electronics system is configured to transition at least one of the drive system or the cleaning assembly from a first configuration, in which the drive system or the cleaning assembly, respectively, receives a flow of electric power, to a second configuration, in which the electronics system prevents a flow of electric power to the drive system or the cleaning assembly, respectively.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the electronics system is in electronic communication with a remote electronic device, the remote electronic device configured to send, in response to a user input and to the electronics system, a signal indicative of an instruction to transition at least one of the drive system or the cleaning assembly from the first configuration to the second configuration.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein each wheel from the plurality of wheels has a plurality of rollers, each roller from the plurality of rollers of each wheel from the plurality of wheels configured to rotate about an independent roller axis non-parallel to the wheel axis associated with that wheel from the plurality of wheels.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

a frame;

a drive system supported by the frame and configured to move the frame along a surface;

a cleaning assembly coupled to the frame, the cleaning assembly configured to engage the surface to transfer detritus from the surface to a storage volume supported by the frame with a first predetermined efficiency when the drive system moves the cleaning assembly along a path and a second predetermined efficiency greater than the first predetermined efficiency when the drive system moves the cleaning assembly along a redefined path; and

an electronics system supported by the frame, the electronics system including at least a processor and a memory, the processor configured to execute a set of instructions stored in the memory associated with defining the path, the drive system configured to move the cleaning assembly along the path and the cleaning assembly configured to engage the surface to transfer detritus from the surface to the storage volume, the processor configured to define the redefined path along which the drive system is configured to move the cleaning assembly based on at least one signal associated with the path.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the drive system has at least one wheel configured to rotate about a first axis and a second axis non-parallel to the first axis.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the first axis is substantially parallel to the surface and wherein the second axis is substantially perpendicular to the surface.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the drive system has a motor operably coupled to the at least one wheel and configured to produce an output operable in rotating the at least one wheel about at least the first axis.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the drive system has a first motor and a second motor, the first motor operably coupled to the at least one wheel and configured to produce an output operable in rotating the at least one wheel about the first axis, the second motor operable in rotating the at least one wheel about the second axis.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the at least one wheel includes a plurality of rollers, each roller from the plurality of rollers configured to rotate about an axis from a plurality of axes, the second axis being from the plurality of axes.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the electronics system is configured to at least partially control the drive system to move the cleaning assembly along the path.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the electronics system is configured to at least partially control the drive system to move the cleaning assembly along the redefined path in response to receiving the at least one signal associated with the path.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to receive the at least one signal associated with the path from at least one sensor, the at least one sensor configured to detect a variance along the path.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the variance is an object disposed at a position along the path.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the at least one sensor is at least one of a light transceiver, a camera, a radio, an encoder, a range sensor, an inertial measurement unit, a compass, a gyroscope, or an accelerometer.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the electronics system is configured to transition at least one of the drive system or the cleaning assembly from a first configuration, in which the drive system or the cleaning assembly, respectively, receives a flow of electric power, to a second configuration, in which the electronics system prevents a flow of electric power to the drive system or the cleaning assembly, respectively, in response to an input.

31. An apparatus, comprising:

a frame supporting at least one storage volume;

a drive system supported by the frame and configured to move the frame along a surface, the drive system including a plurality of wheels, each wheel from the plurality of wheels configured to rotate about a wheel axis in response to an output of a different motor from a plurality of motors, an angle defined between each wheel axis being substantially equal;

a cleaning assembly coupled to the frame, the cleaning assembly configured to engage the surface to transfer detritus from the surface to the at least one storage volume; and

an electronics system supported by the frame and including at least a memory and a processor, the electronics system configured to send one or more signals to at least one motor from the plurality of motors indicative of an instruction to rotate the associated wheel from the plurality of wheels about the associated wheel axis to move the cleaning assembly along the surface in a predetermined path,

the processor being configured to execute a set of instructions stored in the memory associated with;

defining a map of the surface based on data received from one or more sensors,

decomposing the map of the surface into a plurality of sectors collectively forming the map of the surface, and

defining a path along each sector from the plurality of sectors based at least in part on a calculated efficiency associated with transferring detritus from that sector from the plurality of sectors to the at least one storage volume.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the plurality of wheels includes a first wheel, a second wheel, and a third wheel, the angle being approximately 120 degrees.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein a first distance is defined between a center of rotation of the first wheel and a center of rotation of the second wheel, and a second distance is defined between a center of rotation of the third wheel and at least one of the center of rotation of the first wheel or the center of rotation of the second wheel.

34. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the cleaning assembly is configured to transfer detritus from the surface to the at least one storage volume with a predetermined efficiency when the drive system moves the cleaning assembly along the predetermined path.

35. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the defining of the predetermined path is based at least in part on a calculated efficiency associated with the cleaning assembly transferring detritus from at least a portion of the surface to the at least one storage volume.

36. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the processor is configured to execute a set of instructions stored in the memory associated with combining the path along each sector from the plurality of sectors to define the predetermined path.

37. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the electronics system is configured to transition at least one of the drive system or the cleaning assembly from a first configuration, in which the drive system or the cleaning assembly, respectively, receives a flow of electric power, to a second configuration, in which the electronics system prevents a flow of electric power to the drive system or the cleaning assembly, respectively.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the electronics system is in electronic communication with a remote electronic device, the remote electronic device configured to send, in response to a user input and to the electronics system, a signal indicative of an instruction to transition at least one of the drive system or the cleaning assembly from the first configuration to the second configuration.

39. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein each wheel from the plurality of wheels has a plurality of rollers, each roller from the plurality of rollers of each wheel from the plurality of wheels configured to rotate about an independent roller axis non-parallel to the wheel axis associated with that wheel from the plurality of wheels.

40. An apparatus, comprising:

a frame supporting at least one storage volume;

a drive system supported by the frame and configured to move the frame along a surface;

a cleaning assembly coupled to the frame, the cleaning assembly configured to engage the surface to transfer detritus from the surface to the at least one storage volume; and

an electronics system supported by the frame and including a processor and a memory, the processor configured to execute a set of instructions stored in the memory to (1) define a map of the surface based on data received from one or more sensors, (2) decompose the map of the surface into a plurality of sectors collectively forming the map of the surface, and (3) define a path along each sector from the plurality of sectors based at least in part on a calculated efficiency associated with transferring detritus from that sector from the plurality of sectors to the at least one storage volume, the electronics system configured to send one or more signals to the drive system indicative of an instruction to move the cleaning assembly along the surface in a predetermined path.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the drive system includes a first wheel, a second wheel, and a third wheel, an angle defined between each of the first wheel, the second wheel, and the third wheel being approximately 120 degrees.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein a first distance is defined between a center of rotation of the first wheel and a center of rotation of the second wheel, and a second distance is defined between a center of rotation of the third wheel and at least one of the center of rotation of the first wheel or the center of rotation of the second wheel.

43. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the cleaning assembly is configured to transfer detritus from the surface to the at least one storage volume with a predetermined efficiency when the drive system moves the cleaning assembly along the predetermined path.

44. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the predetermined path is based at least in part on a calculated efficiency associated with the cleaning assembly transferring detritus from at least a portion of the surface to the at least one storage volume.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the processor is configured to execute a set of instructions stored in the memory associated with combining the path along each sector from the plurality of sectors to define the predetermined path.

46. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the electronics system is in electronic communication with a remote electronic device, the remote electronic device configured to send, in response to a user input and to the electronics system, a signal indicative of an instruction to transition at least one of the drive system or the cleaning assembly from a first configuration, in which the drive system or the cleaning assembly, respectively, receives a flow of electric power, to a second configuration, in which the electronics system prevents a flow of electric power to the drive system or the cleaning assembly, respectively.

47. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the drive system includes a plurality of wheels, each wheel from the plurality of wheels configured to rotate about a wheel axis, each wheel from the plurality of wheels has a plurality of rollers, each roller from the plurality of rollers of each wheel from the plurality of wheels configured to rotate about an independent roller axis non-parallel to the wheel axis associated with that wheel from the plurality of wheels.