SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPLEMENTING FORCE FIELD DETERRENT FOR ROBOT

• US 20130261867A1
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: Scott Thomas Burnett
• Inventors: BURNETT, Scott Thomas, MAROON, Jared Randall
• Granted Patent: US 9,146,560 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• 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 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00

Abstract

A robot navigation system includes a robot, a navigation beacon, and a cover structure. The robot includes a chassis, an omni-directional receiver, and at least one directional receiver. The navigation beacon includes an omni-directional infrared emitter and at least one directional infrared emitter. The cover structure is configured to block infrared transmissions between the at least one directional infrared emitter and the directional receiver while simultaneously permitting transmissions between the omni-directional infrared emitter and the omni-directional receiver. The cover structure may be made of a black silicone material.

Claims

1. A structure configured to limit infrared transmission between a navigation beacon having at least two infrared emitters and a robot having at least two receivers, the structure comprising:

a top portion having an opening;

a wall portion having an upper periphery, a lower periphery, and a height extending between the upper and lower peripheries, the upper periphery of the wall portion adjoining a periphery of the top portion, the top and wall portions together defining a volume sized to receive at least a portion of a navigation beacon, the wall portion configured to block an infrared signal transmitted by an infrared emitter on the portion of the navigation beacon positionable within the volume; and

an opening in the top portion of the structure being configured to receive an infrared emitter of the navigation beacon.

2. The structure of claim 1, wherein the structure comprises a black silicone material.

3. The structure of claim 2, wherein the top portion and the wall portion are integrally formed.

4. The structure of claim 3, further comprising a bottom flange portion, the bottom flange portion extending from a bottom of the wall portion.

5. The structure of claim 3, wherein an interior of the wall portion includes a plurality of alignment elements configured to aid in positioning the wall portion relative to the navigation beacon.

6. A robot navigation system, comprising:

a robot having a chassis, an omni-directional receiver, and at least one directional receiver;

a navigation beacon having an omni-directional infrared emitter and at least one directional infrared emitter; and

a cover structure configured to block infrared transmissions between the at least one directional infrared emitter and the directional receiver while simultaneously permitting transmissions between the omni-directional infrared emitter and at least one of the omni-directional receiver and the at least one directional receiver.

7. The navigation system of claim 6, wherein the cover structure is made from a black silicone material.

8. The navigation system of claim 6, further comprising a second navigation beacon, and wherein the cover structure does not impede infrared transmissions between a directional infrared emitter of the second navigational beacon and the directional receiver of the robot.

9. The navigation system of claim 6, wherein the cover structure comprises a body portion configured to receive a body portion of the navigational beacon and an opening in a top portion of the body portion of the cover structure configured to receive the omni-directional infrared emitter of the navigational beacon.

10. The navigational system of claim 9, wherein the body portion includes a wall portion configured to block infrared transmissions.

11. The navigational system of claim 10, wherein the wall portion comprises a black silicone material.

12. The navigational system of claim 10, wherein an interior of the wall portion of the cover structure includes a plurality of alignment elements configured to guide positioning of the wall portion relative to the body portion of the navigational beacon.

13. A method of limiting infrared transmission between a navigation beacon having an omni-directional infrared emitter and at least one directional infrared emitter and a robot having a chassis, an omni-directional receiver, and at least one directional receiver, the method comprising:

positioning a cover structure configured to block infrared transmissions between the at least one directional infrared emitter and at least one of the directional receiver and the omni-directional receiver; and

substantially simultaneously positioning the omni-directional infrared emitter outside of the cover structure to permit communication with the at least one receiver.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein positioning the cover structure includes positioning a body portion of the cover structure around a portion of the navigational beacon including the directional emitter.

15. The method claim 14, wherein substantially simultaneously positioning the omni-directional infrared emitter outside of the cover structure includes passing the omni-directional infrared emitter through an opening in a top of the body portion of the cover structure.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein positioning the cover structure further includes using alignment elements on an interior of the body portion of the cover structure to position the body of the cover structure relative to the directional emitter.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein positioning the cover structure further includes positioning an extended base portion of the cover structure on a support surface supporting a base of the navigation beacon.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein positioning the cover structure further includes positioning a cover structure made of a black silicone material between the at least one directional infrared emitter and the directional receiver.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising positioning the navigation beacon near an object to be avoided by the robot, such that the object is within a range of a signal emitted by the omni-directional infrared emitter of the navigation beacon.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the object to be avoided is a container.