Robot Confinement
First Claim
1. A robot navigation system, comprising:
- a robot having a signal receiver oriented in a manner to have an omnidirectional field of view and configured to receive both directed signals and diffuse signals;
a portable barrier signal transmitting device for robot navigation, comprising;
at least one signal emitter that emits a first, directed signal; and
at least one omnidirectional signal emitter that emits a diffuse signal region,the directed signal and the diffuse signal region overlapping in a plane parallel to ground level such that a signal receiver on the robot may detect either one or both of the directed signal and the diffuse signal region; and
a control system configured to control one or more of the signal emitters, the control system being configured to;
turn on one or both of the signal emitters in response to a signal received from the robot; and
turn one or both of the signal emitters off after a predetermined amount of time.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of confining a robot in a work space includes providing a portable barrier signal transmitting device including a primary emitter emitting a confinement beam primarily along an axis defining a directed barrier. A mobile robot including a detector, a drive motor and a control unit controlling the drive motor is caused to avoid the directed barrier upon detection by the detector on the robot. The detector on the robot has an omnidirectional field of view parallel to the plane of movement of the robot. The detector receives confinement light beams substantially in a plane at the height of the field of view while blocking or rejecting confinement light beams substantially above or substantially below the plane at the height of the field of view.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A robot navigation system, comprising:
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a robot having a signal receiver oriented in a manner to have an omnidirectional field of view and configured to receive both directed signals and diffuse signals; a portable barrier signal transmitting device for robot navigation, comprising; at least one signal emitter that emits a first, directed signal; and at least one omnidirectional signal emitter that emits a diffuse signal region, the directed signal and the diffuse signal region overlapping in a plane parallel to ground level such that a signal receiver on the robot may detect either one or both of the directed signal and the diffuse signal region; and a control system configured to control one or more of the signal emitters, the control system being configured to; turn on one or both of the signal emitters in response to a signal received from the robot; and turn one or both of the signal emitters off after a predetermined amount of time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 12)
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6. A robot confinement system, comprising:
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a portable barrier signal transmitting device that includes at least a primary emitter, said primary emitter being operative to emit a confinement beam primarily along an axis, said axis of said emitted confinement beam defining a directed barrier; a mobile robot; said mobile robot comprising; a motor drive that independently drives each of at least two wheels of the robot; a detector operative to detect said directed barrier formed by said emitted confinement beam; and
a control unit configured to control said motor drive to avoid said directed barrier formed by said emitted confinement beam upon detection of said directed barrier formed by said emitted confinement beam and cause the robot to reverse direction until said directed barrier formed by said emitted confinement beam falls below a threshold. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification