Sentry robot system

• US 20040073337A1
• Filed: 09/04/2003
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Royal Appliance Manufacturing Company (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Royal Appliance
• Inventors: Holcomb, Jim, McKee, Robert N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,054,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• 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 1/0251 extracting 3D information from a plurality of images taken from different locations, e.g. stereo vision stereoscopic image analysis H04N13/00; depth recovery from images G06T7/593
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0282 generated in a local control room
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0285 using signals transmitted via a public communication network, e.g. GSM network
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0287 involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00, particularly anticollision systems G08G1/16

Abstract

A sentry robot system and method for operating the system is provided. In one embodiment, the robot system includes at least one functional robot with one or more environmental sensors and at least one navigator/controller platform. In another embodiment, the robot system includes one or more functional robots, one or more environmental sensors associated with at least one of the functional robots, and one or more navigator/controller platforms. The navigator/controller platform in this embodiment includes a receiver, a controller, a memory, and a transmitter. In one embodiment, the method includes creating an image map of the environment from environment data, periodically moving the functional robot to predetermined locations, collecting new environment data using the optical image sensor at each predetermined location, and comparing the new environment data to corresponding locations in the image map, and periodically determining if intervention is required due to changed conditions within the environment.

Claims

1. A robot system comprising:

at least one first-type functional robot with one or more environmental sensors, the at least one first-type functional robot configured to perform one or more repetitive tasks within an area, the one or more repetitive tasks including collection and transmission of environment data associated with at least a portion of the area; and

at least one navigator/controller platform configured to receive environment data transmitted by the at least one first-type functional robot, direct overall movement of the at least one first-type functional robot within the area, and control the at least one first-type functional robot during performance of the one or more repetitive tasks.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one navigator/controller platform is configured to map the area using the environment data.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one navigator/controller platform is configured to determine the location of the at least one first-type functional robot within the area.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one navigator/controller platform is configured to plan overall movement of the at least one first-type functional robot within the area.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one navigator/controller platform is configured to track overall movement of the at least one first-type functional robot within the area using the environment data.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one second-type functional robot configured to perform one or more maintenance tasks within the area;

wherein the at least one navigator/controller platform is also configured to direct overall movement of the at least one second-type functional robot in the area and to control the at least one second-type functional robot during performance of the one or more maintenance tasks.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more environmental sensors include at least one of a smoke sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and an optical image sensor.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the at least one navigator/controller platform compares new environment data to previously stored environment data to determine if intervention is required due to current conditions within the area.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the at least one navigator/controller platform is adapted to communicate at least the current conditions within the area to a remote location via a public telephone line if intervention is required.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the one or more environmental sensors includes at least one optical image sensor and the current conditions communicated to the remote location includes an optical image of at least a portion of the area.

11. A robot system operating within an area and comprising:

one or more functional robots that are responsible for performing functional tasks;

one or more environmental sensors associated with at least one of the one or more functional robots for collecting environment data associated with the area, wherein the functional tasks performed by the at least one of the one or more functional robots include collection and transmission of the environment data; and

one or more navigator/controller platforms that localize themselves and the one or more functional robots within the area using the environment data, plan the functional tasks to be performed by the one or more functional robots, and control the one or more functional robots during performance of the functional tasks, wherein each navigator/controller platform comprises;

a receiver for receiving the environment data transmitted by the at least one of the one or more functional robots;

a controller for generating maps of the area from the environment data and for controlling operations of the one or more functional robots;

a memory for storing the maps of the area; and

a transmitter for transmitting control signals to the one or more functional robots.

12. The robot system of claim 11 wherein the one or more navigator/controller platforms generate a dynamic map of the area using the environment data, create a temporary map using the environment data most recently transmitted by the at least one functional robot, incorporate the temporary map into the dynamic map, and move the at least one of the one or more functional robots to a new location to obtain new environment data.

13. The robot system of claim 11 wherein the one or more navigator/controller platforms generate a static map of the area using the environment data transmitted by the at least one of the one or more functional robots by mapping the outer perimeter of the area while moving the at least one of the one or more functional robots along the outer perimeter of the area.

14. The robot system of claim 11 wherein the one or more navigator/controller platforms store the tasks to be performed by the one or more functional robots in the memory.

15. The robot system of claim 11 wherein the one or more navigator/controller platforms plan the tasks to be performed by the one or more functional robots by determining what tasks need to be completed, match the one or more functional robots to particular tasks, and develop a task schedule.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the one or more navigator/controller platforms compare new environment data to previously stored environment data to determine if any change in at least a portion of the area warrants intervention.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the at least one navigator/controller platform is adapted to communicate at least an image of the area to a remote location via a public telephone line if any change in at least a portion of the area warrants intervention.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the image of the area communicated via the public telephone line can be accessed via the Internet.

19. A robot system operating within an environment and comprising:

one or more first-type functional robots with one or more environmental sensors, the one or more first-type functional robots are responsible for collecting environment data using the one or more environmental sensors, for transmitting the environment data, and for performing functional tasks; and

one or more navigator/controller platforms that control the one or more first-type functional robots during collection of the environment data, receive the environment data, use the environment data to localize themselves and the one or more first-type functional robots within the environment, plan the functional tasks to be performed by the one or more first-type functional robots, and control the one or more first-type functional robots during performance of the functional tasks.

20. The robot system of claim 19, further comprising:

a base station for recharging of the one or more first-type functional robots and for assisting in completion of the functional tasks and in tracking of the one or more first-type functional robots.

21. The robot system of claim 19 wherein computations associated with localization, planning and control are performed by the one or more navigator/controller platforms and at least some results associated with such computations are communicated to the one or more first-type functional robots.

22. The robot system of claim 19 wherein the environment data includes optical images of the area surrounding the one or more first-type functional robots.

23. The robot system of claim 22 wherein the one or more navigator/controller platforms generate a map of the area using the optical images, store the map as mapped optical images, compare new optical images to mapped optical images to determine if current conditions within the area require intervention, and, if intervention is required, communicates at least the new optical image to a remote location so that a person can determine whether or not a potential emergency condition exists.

24. The robot system of claim 19 operating within an environment and comprising:

one or more second-type functional robots responsible for performing functional tasks, the functional tasks including at least one of lawn mowing, floor cleaning, sweeping, mopping, dusting, and delivery service tasks;

wherein the one or more navigator/controller platforms also plan the functional tasks to be performed by the one or more second-type functional robots, and control the one or more second-type functional robots during performance of the functional tasks.

25. A method for operation of a sentry robot system within an environment, the sentry robot system including at least one functional robot with one or more environmental sensors and at least one navigator/controller platform, the one or more environmental sensors including at least one optical image sensor, the method comprising the following steps:

a) collecting environment data in an area of the environment surrounding the at least one functional robot using the at least one optical image sensor;

b) transmitting environment data from the at least one functional robot to the at least one navigator/controller platform;

c) transmitting control signals from the at least one navigator/controller to the at least one functional robot to move the at least one functional robot to another area of the environment;

d) repeating steps a) through c) until an initial set of environment data for the environment is collected and transmitted;

e) creating an image map of the environment from the environment data;

f) periodically moving the at least one functional robot to one or more predetermined locations within the environment, collecting new environment data using the at least one optical image sensor at each predetermined location; and

g) periodically comparing the new environment data to corresponding locations in the image map and determining if intervention is required due to changed conditions within the environment.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the following step:

h) if an intervention is required, communicating an image associated with the new environment data associated with the changed condition to a remote location.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising the following step:

i) accessing the image associated with the new environment data from the remote location using the Internet.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the one or more environmental sensors include at least one of a smoke sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, a temperature sensor, and a humidity sensor.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the following steps:

h) periodically moving the at least one functional robot to one or more predetermined locations within the environment, collecting environment data using the one or more environmental sensors at each predetermined location, and comparing the new environment data to predetermined thresholds; and

i) periodically determining if intervention is required due to current conditions within the environment.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising the following step:

h) if an intervention is required, communicating information associated with the new environment data requiring the intervention to a remote location via a public telephone line.