NAVIGATING AUTONOMOUS COVERAGE ROBOTS

• US 20160075024A1
• Filed: 08/21/2015
• Published: 03/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Won, Chikyung, Ozick, Daniel N., Okerholm, Andrea M., Mammen, Jeffrey W., Halloran, Michael J., Sandin, Paul E.
• Application Number:
  US14/832,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20160075024A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/40 Parts or details of machines not provided for in groups A47L11/02 - A47L11/38, or not restricted to one of these groups, e.g. handles, arrangements of switches, skirts, buffers, levers
• 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 11/4013 Contaminants collecting devices, i.e. hoppers, tanks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4027 Filtering or separating contaminants or debris
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• 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 11/4072 Arrangement of castors or wheels
• 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 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0411 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0466 Rotating tools
• 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 9/12 Dry filters
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1409 Rigid filtering receptacles dust collecting receptacles for cyclones A47L9/1683
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• 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 9/2857 : User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 : Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/30 : Arrangement of illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0085 : Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/006 : by means of a wireless system for controlling one or several manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 : mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0003 : Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1666 : Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1694 : characterised by use of sensors other than normal servo-feedback from position, speed or acceleration sensors, perception control, multi-sensor controlled systems, sensor fusion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 : to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• 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 2250/10 : by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 : by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/32 : Auto pilot mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 : characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 : Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 : Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/38 : adjustably or movably mounted, e.g. horizontally displaceable for securing a space between parked vehicles adjustably mounted for compensating manufacturing tolerances B60R19/24, B60R19/26
• 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 1/0242 : 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: 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
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/02 : Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/06 : Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/16 : in which the return channel carries supervisory signals, e.g. repetition request signals
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 : Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/50 : Miscellaneous

Abstract

A method of navigating an autonomous coverage robot between bounded areas includes positioning a navigation beacon in a gateway between adjoining first and second bounded areas. The beacon configured to transmit a gateway marking emission across the gateway. In some example, the navigation beacon may also transmit a proximity emission laterally about the beacon, where the robot avoids cleaning and migration within the proximity emission. The method also includes placing the coverage robot within the first bounded area. The robot autonomously traverses the first bounded area in a cleaning mode and upon encountering the gateway marking emission in the gateway, the robot remains in the first bounded area, thereby avoiding the robot migration into the second area. Upon termination of the cleaning mode in the first area, the robot autonomously initiates a migration mode to move through the gateway, past the beacon, into the second bounded area.

Claims

1-31. -31. (canceled)

32. A robot comprising:

a chassis;

a wheeled drive supporting the chassis and operable to maneuver the robot;

one or more sensors responsive to an environment about the robot;

a memory storing instructions to generate an internal map configured to be used to navigate between bounded regions; and

a controller in communication with the wheeled drive, the sensors, and the memory, the controller executing the instructions to navigate the robot from a first bounded region to a second bounded region by navigating from a first navigation beacon to a second navigation beacon based on line-of-sight directions to distant observed objects, the first and second navigation beacons comprising passive physical objects having one or more features identifiable in the environment by the sensors.

33. The robot of claim 32, wherein the controller is further configured to execute instructions to perform a remote room traversal sequence, in which the robot maneuvers away from the first navigation beacon and aligns in a particular direction using odometry to traverse the first bounded region according to the map.

34. The robot of claim 32, wherein the controller is further configured to execute instructions to perform a remote room traversal sequence according to the map, in which the robot:

maneuvers to the first navigation beacon;

turns away from the first navigation beacon to a launch direction based on an identifiable feature of the first navigation beacon; and

maneuvers in the launch direction towards the second navigation beacon.

35. The robot of claim 32, wherein the controller is further configured to execute instructions to align the robot with one of the first and second navigation beacons and maneuver the robot according to the map.

36. The robot of claim 35, wherein the executed instructions align the robot with one of the first and second navigation beacons by:

discerning a position of the navigation beacon in response to detection of an identifiable feature of the navigation beacon; and

aligning a drive direction of the wheeled drive in relation to a path defined by the identifiable feature of the navigation beacon.

37. The robot of claim 32, wherein the map comprises a topological map having nodes and links, wherein the nodes correspond to a plurality of bounded regions including the first and second bounded regions and the links correspond to a plurality of navigation beacons including the first and second navigation beacons.

38. The robot of claim 37, wherein the controller is further configured to execute instructions to generate the map by detecting, with the sensors, a unique identifier relating to each of the plurality of navigation beacons, and incorporating an additional link and/or node in the map as each unique identifier is detected.

39. The robot of claim 38, wherein the unique identifiers are encoded within emissions from respective navigation beacons.

40. The robot of claim 32, wherein the controller is further configured to execute instructions to initiate one or more homing requests and navigate the robot according to a location state of the map, causing the robot to proceed successively through a plurality of bounded regions, including at least the first and second bounded regions.

41. The robot of claim 40, wherein, during the one or more homing requests, instructions executed by the controller cause the robot to navigate between a plurality of navigation beacons, including the first and second navigation beacons, based on the map.

42. The robot of claim 32, wherein the identifiable features of the first and second navigation beacons comprise directed emissions detectable by the sensors of the robot and indicating a direction of the beacon.

43. The robot of claim 42, wherein one or more of the directed emissions comprises an IR signal.

44. The robot of claim 42, wherein the one or more sensors comprise an omni-directional receiver configured to sense directed emissions from the first and second navigation beacons.

45. The robot of claim 32, wherein the robot includes a floor cleaning system that removes debris from the floor as the robot is maneuvered.

46. The robot of claim 32, wherein the controller is further configured to execute instructions to maneuver the robot in a cliff avoiding behavior as the robot navigates from the first bounded region to the second bounded region.

47. The robot of claim 32, wherein the first and second bounded regions correspond to separate rooms of a building, such that navigation from the first navigation beacon to the second navigation beacon comprises room-to-room navigation.