Mapped robot system

• US 20030030398A1
• Filed: 08/13/2001
• Published: 02/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Diversey Incorporated (Sealed Air)
• Original Assignee: Axxon Robotics, LLC
• Inventors: Bancroft, Allen, Ward, Charles W., Knuth, David, Goodnow,, James E. II, Jacobs, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 6,667,592 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/568.12
• 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 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

A method of utilizing a robot system is provided comprising the steps of commanding the robot system to perform a function in an area, the area having an area layout including at least one area segment. The method further includes accessing by the robot system a stored map of the area layout, the stored map having at least one function task associated with the at least one area segment, localizing a first position of the robot system in the area, determining a function path from the first position of the robot system for navigation of the area and completion of the at least one function task, repeatedly continuously localizing a current position of the robot system while navigating the robot system along the function path, and completing the at least one function task that is associated with the current position of the robot system.

Claims

1. A method of utilizing a robot system comprising the steps of:

commanding the robot system to perform a function in an area, the function having at least one function task, the area having an area layout including at least one area segment;

accessing by the robot system a stored map of the area layout, the stored map having at least one function task associated with the at least one area segment;

localizing a first position of the robot system in the area;

determining a function path by the robot system from the first position of the robot system for navigation of the area and completion of the at least one function task;

repeatedly continuously localizing a current position of the robot system while navigating the robot system along the function path; and

completing the at least one function task that is associated with the current position of the robot system on the stored map of the area.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the step of repeatedly continuously monitoring by the robot system for obstacles in the function path.

3. The method of claim 2 further including the step of updating the function path upon the detection of an obstacle in the function path.

4. The method of claim 1 where the stored map is edited by the robot system upon the detection of an obstacle in the function path to represent the obstacle in an edited map of the area layout.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the function is edited by adding or deleting at least one function task such that the function has at least one function task.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the function is a cleaning function, the cleaning function having at least one cleaning task.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the cleaning function includes at least one of rinsing, wringing, flushing, wiping, mopping, dust mopping, sponging, scouring, abrading, grinding, leveling, swabbing, scrubbing, scraping, stripping, sanding, brushing, washing, drying, laving, laundering, applying detergent to, applying abrasive to, clearing, disinfecting, irradiating, deodorizing, whitewashing, fumigating, applying anti-microbial agents to, sweeping, vacuuming, soaking, removing stains and soil marks from, waxing, buffing, utilizing a squeegee device on, applying cleaning solution to, dusting, bleaching, or shampooing a portion of an area.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the stored map of the area layout is accessed in an internal memory store.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the stored map of the area layout is accessed in an external memory store.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the external memory device is a central memory store accessible by a plurality of robot systems.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the stored map of the area layout is edited, the stored map of the area layout being edited by:

accessing the stored map of the area layout in a first memory portion;

editing the stored map of the area layout and making an edited map of the area layout; and

storing the edited map of the area layout in a second memory portion.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the stored map of the area layout is edited by amending, adding or deleting a physical feature of the area layout in the stored map.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the stored map of the area layout is edited by amending, adding or deleting at least one boundary of an area segment of the area layout in the stored map.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of commanding the robot system to perform a function in an area includes sending a command from an operator to the robot system via a communication interface, the communication interface being a wireless communication from the operator to the robot system.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of commanding the robot system to perform a function in an area includes sending a command from an operator to the robot system via a communication interface, the communication interface being a wireless communication from the operator to a communication network linked to the robot system.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the communication interface is a telephone call from the operator to the robot system.

17. The method of claim 1 further including the step of outputting information from the robot system upon performance of the function in the area.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the information is a communication representing that the robot system has performed the function in the area.

19. The method of claim 1 further including commanding a plurality of robot systems to perform a function in the area, the plurality of robot systems communicating with each other.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein each of the plurality of robot systems communicates with a central controller.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the communication between at least two of the plurality of robot systems includes communication relating to respective function tasks of each of the at least two robot systems.

22. A method of utilizing a robot system to perform a function comprising the steps of:

commanding the robot system to perform a function in an area, the function having at least one function task, the area having an area layout including at least one area segment;

accessing by the robot system a stored map of the area, the stored map having at least one function task associated the at least one area segment;

localizing a first position of the robot system in the area;

associating the first position of the robot system with a first mapped position on the stored map;

determining a function path by the robot system for navigation of the area and completion of the at least one function task associated with the at least one area segment;

navigating the robot system along the function path; and

completing the at least one function task associated with the at least one area segment.

23. The method of claim 22 further including the step of repeatedly continuously monitoring by the robot system for obstacles in the function path.

24. The method of claim 23 further including the step of updating the function path upon the detection of an obstacle in function path.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the function is edited by adding or deleting at least one function task such that the function has at least one function task.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein the function is a cleaning function, the cleaning function having at least one cleaning task.

27. The method of claim 22 wherein the stored map of the area layout is accessed in an external memory store.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the external memory device is a central memory store accessible by a plurality of robot systems.

29. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of commanding the robot system to perform a function in an area includes sending a command from an operator to the robot system via a communication interface, the communication interface being a wireless communication from the operator to a communication network linked to the robot system.

30. A method of utilizing a cleaning robot system to perform a cleaning function, the cleaning function having at least one cleaning function task, comprising the steps of:

commanding the cleaning robot system to perform the cleaning function in an area the area having an area layout including at least one area segment;

accessing by the cleaning robot system a stored map of the area layout, the stored map having at least one cleaning function task associated with the at least one area segment;

localizing a first position of the cleaning robot system in the area;

determining a cleaning function path by the cleaning robot system from the first position of the cleaning robot system for navigation of the area and completion of the at least one cleaning function task;

repeatedly continuously localizing a current position of the cleaning robot system while navigating the robot system along the cleaning function path; and

completing the at least one cleaning function task that is associated with the current position of the cleaning robot system on the stored map of the area.

31. The method of claim 30 further including the step of repeatedly continuously monitoring by the cleaning robot system for obstacles in the cleaning function path.

32. The method of claim 31 further including the step of updating the cleaning function path upon the detection of an obstacle in function path.

33. A method of utilizing a cleaning robot system to perform a cleaning function, the cleaning function having at least one cleaning function task, comprising the steps of:

commanding the cleaning robot system to perform the cleaning function in an area, the area having an area layout including at least one area segment;

accessing by the cleaning robot system a stored map of the area, the stored map having at least one cleaning function task associated the at least one area segment;

localizing a first position of the cleaning robot system in the area;

associating the first position of the cleaning robot system with a first mapped position on the stored map;

determining a cleaning function path by the cleaning robot system for navigation of the area and completion of the at least one cleaning function task associated with the at least one area segment;

navigating the cleaning robot system along the cleaning function path; and

completing the at least one cleaning function task associated with the at least one area segment.

34. A method of mapping an area utilizing a robot system, comprising the steps of:

commanding the robot system to map an area, the area having an area layout including at least one area segment;

determining the area layout by the robot system, the robot system utilizing sensors to acquire area layout information representing the area layout;

producing a map of the area layout based on the area layout information acquired by the robot system; and

storing the map of the area layout in a first memory device.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the step of determining the area layout by the robot system, the robot system utilizing sensors to acquire area layout information representing the area layout further includes the step of navigating the robot system on a recording path transversing the at least one area segment.

36. The method of claim 34 further including the steps of

accessing the map of the area layout stored in the first memory device;

editing the map of the area layout stored in the first memory device to produce an edited map of the area layout; and

storing the edited map of the area layout in a second memory device.

37. The method of claim 34 further including the step of associating at least one function task with the at least one area segment.

38. A robot system for performing a function in an area, the area having an area layout including at least one area segment, the robot system comprising:

a processor portion for processing data in the robot system;

an interaction portion, the interaction portion receiving a command to perform a function in the area, the processor portion controlling the interaction portion;

a memory portion containing at least one map data file associated with the function, the at least one map data file including area layout data, the memory portion further containing at least one task data file associated with the function, the at least one task data file including task data for use by the processor portion in completing the at least one function task, the processor portion accessing the at least one map data file and the at least one task data file;

a sensor system including a plurality of sensors in communication with the processor portion, the plurality of sensors inputting information relating to the area layout to the processor portion, the sensor system localizing a first position of the robot system in the area layout and communicating the first position to the processor portion;

a path portion, the path portion determining a function path for navigation of the area and completion of the at least one function task associated with the function, the path portion reporting the function path to the processor portion;

a transport portion for navigating the robot system from the first position of the robot system in the area along the function path, the processor portion directing the transport portion to move the robot system from the first position of the robot system along the function path; and

a task portion, the task portion completing the at least one function task associated with the function while the robot system moves along the function path, the task portion being controlled by the processor portion.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein the task portion is a cleaning portion.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein the cleaning portion includes at least one cleaning device selected from the group consisting of a solution container, applicator nozzles, a cleaning brush, a vacuum device, a squeegee device, a waxing device, a dryer device, a mopping device, a floor buffer device, a rinsing device, a wringing device, a flushing device, a wiping device, a dust mopping device, a sponging device, a scouring device, an abrasive applicator device, a grinding device, a leveling device, a swabbing device, a scrubber device, a scraper device, a stripping device, a sander device, a laundering device, a detergent applicator device, a disinfectant applicator device, an irradiating device, a deodorizer applicator device, a fumigation device, an anti-microbial agent applicator device, a sweeping device, a stain removal device, a bleaching device, or a shampooing device.

41. The system of claim 38 wherein the sensor system includes at least one sonar sensor.

42. The system of claim 38 wherein the sensor system includes at least one laser sensor.