SERVICE ROBOT AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME

• US 20090194137A1
• Filed: 01/28/2009
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seegrid Corporation
• Original Assignee: Seegrid Corporation
• Inventors: Moravec, Hans Peter, Friedman, Scott Justin-Marl
• Granted Patent: US 8,838,268 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/18
• 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 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/281 the amount or condition of incoming dirt or dust
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0085 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0214 in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13
• 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 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• 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: G05D 1/0257 using a radar radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal

Abstract

In accordance with aspects of the present invention, a service robot, such as a robotic cleaner, can be configured to more effectively service an environment. The service robot can include one or more sensors that sense its location, the location of objects, or both, and can also include noise reduction elements. The service robot can determine that it is under a “furnishing” and implement a different servicing pattern.

Claims

1. A method of performing robotic cleaning, the method comprising:

navigating a cleaning robot through an environment using automatic self-control by the robot;

sensing furnishings in the environment by the robot while navigating and cleaning; and

avoiding contact with the furnishings based on sensor data acquired during the sensing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein navigating includes the robot optimizing its migration through the environment based on the sensor data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the optimizing includes changing a navigation pattern of the cleaning robot from a first pattern to a second pattern.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensing includes determining if the robot can fit underneath a furnishing, and the navigating includes migrating under the furnishing when the sensing determines that the robot can fit underneath the furnishing.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the sensing further includes using light sensing, including differentiating lower light intensity levels under the furnishing from higher light intensity levels in open spaces.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein sensing further includes upward facing height sensing, including differentiating a shorter un-occluded distance in an upward direction near the furnishing from a longer un-occluded distance in open spaces.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein sensing further includes using one or more of differentiating acoustic or electromagnetic qualities of under furnishing spaces from acoustic or electromagnetic qualities of open spaces.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein sensing further includes determining where open spaces are when robotic cleaner is underneath an object.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the robot cleaner is a robotic vacuum cleaner.

10. A robotic cleaner configured to determine when it is under a furnishing, the robotic cleaner comprising:

a platform supporting a cleaning subsystem;

a navigation controller coupled to a drive mechanism and configured to navigate the platform through an environment; and

one or more sensors configured to sense objects in the environment during navigation and cleaning;

wherein the navigation controller controls the drive mechanism to avoid contact with the objects based on sensor data acquired by the one or more sensors.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the robotic cleaner has a height of six inches or less, and is optimized to fit under furnishings.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the navigation controller is configured to optimize its migration through the environment based on the sensor data.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the navigation controller is configured to optimize the migration of the cleaning robot by changing a navigation pattern of the cleaning robot from a first pattern to a second pattern.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to determine if the cleaning robot can fit underneath an object, and the navigation controller is configured to enable migration under the object when the one or more sensors determine that the robot can fit underneath the object.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more sensors include light sensors configured to differentiate lower light intensity levels under the object from higher light intensity levels in open spaces.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more sensors include upward facing height sensors configured to differentiate a shorter un-occluded distance in an upward direction near an object from a longer un-occluded distance in open spaces.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more of acoustic and electromagnetic sensors configured to differentiate acoustic or electromagnetic qualities of under object spaces from acoustic or electromagnetic qualities of open spaces.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more sensors is configured to enable to the robotic cleaner to determine where open spaces are when robotic cleaner is underneath an object.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the robot cleaner is a robotic vacuum cleaner.

20. A method of performing robotic servicing using global location awareness, the method comprising:

storing in memory identifications of a plurality of locations within an environment;

servicing the locations with a robot; and

tracking a frequency of service of each location by the robot.

21. The method of claim 20, further including the robot tailoring servicing routes to optimally service all locations.

22. The method of claim 21, further including servicing high-use locations with greater frequency than lower-use locations.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the service robot is a robotic cleaner.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the robotic cleaner is a robotic vacuum.

25. The method of claim 20, further including tracking dirt levels at each location and varying cleaning activity to clean high dirt level locations with increased frequency.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

assigning functional labels to each location; and

associating locations with specific events for times of the day, after which cleaning should be performed in those locations.

27. A service robot configured to utilize global location information, the service robot comprising:

a platform supporting a service subsystem;

a navigation controller coupled to a drive mechanism and configured to navigate the platform through an environment; and

a data storage system that stores identifications of a plurality of locations within the environment;

a navigation controller configured to track a frequency of service of each location by the robot.

28. The robot of claim 27, wherein the navigation controller is further configured to tailor servicing routes to enable the robotic cleaner to optimally service all locations.

29. The robot of claim 27, wherein the service robot is a robotic cleaner.

30. The robot of claim 29, further comprising one or more sensors configured to sense levels of dirt.

31. The robot of claim 30, wherein the navigation controller is further configured to track dirt levels at each location and vary cleaning activity to clean high dirt level locations with increased frequency.

32. The robot of claim 29, wherein the navigation controller is further configured to:

assign functional labels to each location; and

associate locations with specific events for times of the day, after which cleaning should be performed in those locations.

33. A robotic cleaner with acoustic dampening, the robotic cleaner comprising:

a platform supporting a cleaning subsystem;

a navigation controller coupled to a drive mechanism and configured to navigate the platform through an environment; and

one or more acoustic dampening devices configured to reduce noise produced by the robot.

34. The robot of claim 33, wherein the one or more noise dampening devices comprises at least one noise sensing device and at least one noise cancelling device configured to output sounds that cancel noise sensed by the at least one noise sensing device.

35. A robotic cleaner adaptable to specific surfaces and objects, the robotic cleaner comprising:

a platform supporting a cleaning subsystem;

a navigation controller coupled to a drive mechanism and configured to navigate the platform through an environment; and

one or more sensors configured to determine the presence of a surface, object, or area, wherein the cleaning subsystem is configured to utilize information guiding preferred cleaning of the surface, object, or area.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the information guiding preferred cleaning of the surface, object, or area is stored in a knowledge base within the robot.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein the information guiding preferred cleaning of the surface, object, or area is stored in a knowledge base remote to the robot.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein the information guiding preferred cleaning of the surface, object, or area includes information from a library of learned behaviors from past cleaning the surface, object, or area.

39. A service robot configured to use an environmental schedule of a facility, the service robot comprising:

a platform supporting a service subsystem; and

a navigation controller coupled to a drive mechanism and configured to navigate the platform through an environment,

wherein the servicing subsystem is configured to access a stored environmental schedule of the facility and to tailor servicing of the facility based on the environmental schedule.

40. The robot of claim 39, where the environmental schedule is stored in a data storage system within the robot.

41. The robot of claim 39, where the environmental schedule is stored in a data storage system external to the robot and the robot includes a communication subsystem configured to access the data storage subsystem.