AUTONOMOUS COVERAGE ROBOT SENSING

• US 20080281470A1
• Filed: 05/09/2008
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Williams, Marcus R., Strauss, Marc D., Kristant, Elaine H., Kee, Daniel E., Longo, Sheila A., Okerholm, Andrea M., Gilbert, Duane L. JR.
• Application Number:
  US12/118,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20080281470A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/259
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/125 with supply of cleaning agents
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/145 with supply of cleaning agents
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/161 with supply of cleaning agents
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/201 with supply of cleaning agents
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/282 having rotary tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/292 having rotary tools A47L11/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/30 by suction
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/302 having rotary tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/34 Machines for treating carpets in position by liquid, foam, or vapour, e.g. by steam
• 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 11/4025 Means for emptying
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• 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 11/408 Means for supplying cleaning or surface treating agents
• 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 9/00 Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0488 : Combinations or arrangements of several tools, e.g. edge cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 : Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2036 : Electric differentials, e.g. for supporting steering vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 : Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/44 : Wheel Hub motors, i.e. integrated in the wheel hub
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 : Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 : Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 : Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 : by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/32 : Auto pilot mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/145 : Structure borne vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 : characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 : Conductive energy transfer
• 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 1/0227 : using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 : using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 : using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/60 : Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

An autonomous coverage robot detection system includes an emitter configured to emit a directed beam, a detector configured to detect the directed beam and a controller configured to direct the robot in response to a signal detected by the detector. In some examples, the detection system detects a stasis condition of the robot. In some examples, the detection system detects a wall and can follow the wall in response to the detected signal.

Claims

1. A robot stasis detection system comprising:

a body configured to move over a surface;

a stasis sensor carried by the body, the stasis sensor comprising;

an optical emitter configured to emit a directed beam,

a photon detector operable to detect the directed beam, and

an object positioned between the directed beam and the photon detector to substantially block optical communication between the optical emitter and the photon detector, the object movable in response to a motion sequence of the body to substantially allow optical communication between the optical emitter and the photon detector;

a controller in electrical communication with the stasis sensor and configured determine a stasis condition based at least in part on a level of optical communication between the optical emitter and the photon detector.

2. The robot stasis detection system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to maneuver the body to cause the motion sequence of the body.

3. The robot stasis detection system of claim 2, further comprising two driven wheels carried by the body, the controller configured drive the two wheels differentially to cause the motion sequence of the body.

4. The robot stasis detection system of claim 1, further comprising a wetting element carried by the body and in contact with the surface, the wetting element configured to spread a cleaning liquid on the surface during the motion sequence of the body.

5. A method of detecting stasis of an autonomous robot, the method comprising:

emitting a directed beam from an optical emitter carried on the robot;

controlling a drive system of the robot to provide a motion sequence of the robot;

detecting the directed beam at a photon detector carried on the robot as an object carried on the robot moves in response to the motion sequence of the robot; and

determining a stasis condition of the robot based at least in part on a level of optical communication between the optical emitter and the photon detector.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein controlling the drive system of the robot comprises differentially driving two wheels carried on the robot to provide the motion sequence of the robot.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the robot is configured to carry a cleaning element in contact with a surface and the motion sequence of the robot is part of a cleaning routine of the robot.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the robot defines a center vertical axis and controlling a drive system of the robot to provide a motion sequence of the robot comprises a sequence of drive commands configured to rotate the robot about the center vertical axis.

9. A method of detecting stasis of an autonomous robot, the method comprising:

maneuvering a robot over a surface;

from an optical emitter carried on the robot, emitting a directed beam from the optical emitter;

at a photon detector carried on the robot, detecting a reflection of the directed beam from the surface;

determining a stasis condition of the robot based at least in part on variations in strength of the reflection detected by the photon detector.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein maneuvering the robot over the surface comprises differentially driving two wheels to move a passive cleaning element, carried by the robot, over the surface.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein emitting the directed beam toward the surface comprises emitting the directed beam toward the surface forward of the passive cleaning element.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising comparing the determined stasis condition of the robot with a second stasis condition determined by a second sensor carried by the robot.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein maneuvering the robot over a surface comprises moving the robot over the surface at a forward rate of between about 200 m/s and about 400 m/s.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining the presence of a cliff forward of the robot based on the strength of the signal detected by the photon detector.

15. A robot wall detection system comprising:

a body configured to move over a surface;

a sensor carried by the body for detecting the presence of a wall, the sensor comprising;

an emitter configured to emit a directed beam having a defined field of emission toward a wall in a substantially forward direction of the robot, and

a detector having a defined field of view extending toward the wall in a substantially forward direction of the body, the defined field of view near-parallel to the defined field of emission and intersecting the defined field of emission at a finite region substantially forward of the sensor; and

a circuit in communication with the detector for controlling the distance between the and the wall.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the body is configured to move the detector forward at between about 200 mm/s and about 400 mm/s.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to maintain a constant analog value of the detector to move the body at a substantially constant distance from the wall.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the defined field of emission arranged relative to the defined field of view to provide a substantially linear relationship between distance from the wall and strength of the signal detected by the detector.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein an included angle between the defined field of emission and the defined field of view is between about 10 degrees and about 30 degrees.