ROBOTIC ACTIVITY SYSTEM USING COLOR PATTERNS

• US 20150057802A1
• Filed: 08/22/2014
• Published: 02/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Evollve, Inc
• Original Assignee: Evollve, Inc
• Inventors: Kroyan, Armen, Stanek, Ondrej, Hamda, Nader
• Granted Patent: US 9,545,582 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/259
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/36 Steering-mechanisms for toy vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 18/16 Control of vehicle drives by interaction between vehicle and track; Control of track elements by vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1684 Tracking a line or surface by means of sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/47 Optical

Abstract

A robotic activity system, which includes a board and an autonomous robotic device, is described herein. The board may display a line and one or more color patterns. The robotic device may traverse the line using one or more integrated sensors. For example, sensor data may include light intensity data for visible light reflected or emitted by the board. The sensor data may be analyzed to 1) ensure the robotic device follows the line and/or 2) detect color sequences associated with color patterns shown on the board. Upon detection of a color sequence, the robotic device may attempt to match the color sequence with a known color pattern definition. The color pattern definition may be associated with a function to be performed by the robotic device. Using multiple sets of color patterns and associated functions allows the robotic device to move in a variable and potentially unpredictable fashion.

Claims

1. A method for driving an autonomous robotic device, comprising:

generating sensor data by a set of sensors integrated within the autonomous robotic device;

comparing, by the autonomous robotic device, the sensor data against a set of color pattern definitions;

determining a match between the sensor data and a color pattern definition from the set of color pattern definitions;

determining a function associated with the matched color pattern definition; and

performing the function corresponding to the matched color pattern definition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor data corresponds to detected light emitted by or reflected from a board upon which the autonomous robotic device is placed.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the board displays a set of color patterns such that the autonomous robotic device may detect light reflected from the color patterns or light emitted by the color patterns to produce the sensor data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a color pattern in the set of color patterns is represented by two or more separately colored sections aligned linearly along the board.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein a color pattern in the set of color patterns is represented by a single section which displays a plurality of colors in a predefined time sequence.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

following, by the autonomous robotic device, a line shown on the board using the set of sensors, wherein the autonomous robotic device follows the line such that the line bisects an arrangement of the set of sensors along a surface of the autonomous robotic device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein one or more color patterns are placed on the line.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein one or more color patterns are placed off of the line but within a predefined distance from the line.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a color pattern on a first side of the line corresponds to a first color pattern definition and a first function and the color pattern on a second side of the line, opposite the first side of the line, corresponds to a second color pattern definition and a second function distinct from the first color pattern definition and the first function.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the function is one or more of 1) altering the speed of the autonomous robotic device;

2) causing the autonomous robotic device to turn by a specified degree;

     3) performing a movement sequence;

     4) causing the autonomous robotic device to count a predefined number of objects before performing a movement sequence;

     5) flashing a set of lights of the autonomous robotic device;

     6) causing the autonomous robotic device to communicate with another device;

     7) causing the autonomous robotic device to emit sounds;

     8) causing the autonomous robotic device to record sounds; and

     9) causing the autonomous robotic device to communicate with an accessory.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein each color pattern definition in the set of color pattern definitions includes a sequence of colors.

12. An autonomous robotic device, comprising:

a set of light sensors to generate sensor data corresponding to detected light emitted by or reflected from a board upon which the autonomous robotic device is placed;

a pattern recognition unit to

     1) detect the presence of a color pattern on the board based on the sensor data and

     2) determine a function corresponding to the detected color pattern; and

a function control unit to perform the determined function.

13. The autonomous robotic device of claim 12, wherein the sensor data includes a set of color changes detected by the set of light sensors.

14. The autonomous robotic device of claim 13, further comprising:

a pattern-function table to store a set of color pattern definitions and functions corresponding to each color pattern definition, wherein each color pattern definition represents a set of color changes and defines a color pattern.

15. The autonomous robotic device of claim 14, wherein the pattern recognition unit determines the presence of the color pattern by comparing the set of color changes against the set of color pattern definitions in the pattern-function table to determine a matching color pattern definition and the function.

16. The autonomous robotic device of claim 12, wherein the light sensors detect visible light and the color pattern definitions include multiple colors chosen from either a grayscale palette or a red-green-blue palette.

17. The autonomous robotic device of claim 12, wherein the determined function is an open buffer function, which causes the autonomous robotic device to open a buffer to store subsequently detected sensor data or one or more functions corresponding to the subsequently detected sensor data, wherein the one or more functions are performed by the autonomous robotic device following detection of an end buffer function.

18. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a machine-readable storage medium that stores instructions which, when executed by a processor in a robotic computing device,

record light sensor data received from a set of sensors integrated within the robotic computing device, wherein the light sensor data corresponds to light emitted or reflected by a board;

drive motors integrated within the robotic computing device to follow a line shown on the board based on the light sensor data;

determine that the light sensor data corresponds to a sequence of colors;

determine that the sequence of colors corresponds to a color pattern definition; and

perform a function associated with the color pattern definition.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein the function is one or more of 1) altering the speed of the autonomous robotic device;

2) causing the autonomous robotic device to turn by a specified degree;

     3) performing a movement sequence;

     4) causing the autonomous robotic device to count a predefined number of objects before performing a movement sequence;

     5) flashing a set of lights of the autonomous robotic device;

     6) causing the autonomous robotic device to communicate with another device;

     7) causing the autonomous robotic device to emit sounds;

     8) causing the autonomous robotic device to record sounds; and

     9) causing the autonomous robotic device to communicate with an accessory.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein the sequence of colors corresponds to color patterns shown linearly or during a time period on the board and detected using the sensors of the robotic computing device.