DOMESTIC ROBOTIC SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20160129593A1
• Filed: 11/09/2015
• Published: 05/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mtd Products Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: F Robotics Acquisitions Ltd. (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wolowelsky, Karni, Abramson, Shai
• Granted Patent: US 10,029,368 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/008 for automated or remotely controlled operation
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/00 Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages B25J1/00 takes precedence; programme-controlled manipulators B25J9/00 ; vehicle aspects B60, B62, e.g. remote-controlled steering for motor vehicles B62D1/24; control of position of vehicles G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0003 Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/163 learning, adaptive, model based, rule based expert control
• 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: G05D 1/0044 by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0221 involving a learning process
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• 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: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A domestic robotic system including a robot having a payload for carrying out a domestic task within a working area. The robot also includes a plurality of sensors, including one or more local environment sensors that are configured to receive signals from exterior sources local to the robot. The system further includes data storage, which is operable to store boundary information that defines the path of a predetermined boundary within which the robot is permitted to move. The robot is programmed to operate in at a reference trail recording mode and a navigation mode. In the reference trail recording mode, the robot moves along a reference trail while receiving sensor information from its sensors, with the path of the reference trail being calculated by the system based on the stored boundary information so as to be spaced apart from the path of the predetermined boundary. Also in the reference trail recording mode, the system stores reference trail information corresponding to a first plurality of points along the reference trail. This reference trail information is derived from the sensor information corresponding to the first plurality of points. In the navigation mode, the robot moves within the working area and navigates by: receiving current sensor information from its sensors; and, when it is in the vicinity of the reference trail, comparing the current sensor information with the reference trail information in order to determine its current position.

Claims

1. A domestic robotic system comprising:

a robot comprising;

a payload for carrying out a domestic task within a working area and a plurality of sensors, including one or more local environment sensors that are configured to receive signals from exterior sources local to the robot;

at least one processor, and, data storage, operable to store boundary information that defines the path of a predetermined boundary within which the robot is permitted to move;

the at least one processor of the robot being programmed to operate in at least the following two modes;

(i) a reference trail recording mode, wherein;

the at least one processor causes the robot to move along a reference trail while receiving sensor information from said sensors, the path of said reference trail being calculated by the at least one processor based on said boundary information stored in said data storage, so as to be spaced apart from the path of said predetermined boundary; and

,

storing reference trail information corresponding to the recorded reference trail in the storage media, said reference trail information being derived from said sensor information;

(ii) a navigation mode, wherein the at least one processor causes the robot to move within the working area, the at least one processor controlling the navigation by;

receiving current sensor information from said sensors; and

,

when in the vicinity of said reference trail, comparing said current sensor information with said stored reference trail information in order to determine the current position of the robot.

2. The domestic robotic system according to claim 1, further comprising a base station wherein, in said reference trail recording mode, in the vicinity of said base station the at least one processor is operable to recognise the base station using said local environment sensors and thereby to calculate a path to the base station.

4. The domestic robotic system according to claim 1, further comprising one or more markers that the at least one processor is programmed to recognise by using said plurality of sensors to detect signals from said markers.

5. The domestic robotic system according to claim 4, wherein said one or more markers are located in the vicinity of the start and/or end of said reference trail, preferably wherein the at least one processor is programmed such that, in said reference trail recording mode, when the robot is in the vicinity of said start and/or end of said reference trail, the at least one processor controls navigation by the robot primarily using an estimate of its position based on said signals from said markers.

7. The domestic robotic system according to claim 4, further comprising a base station including said one or more markers;

wherein the at least one processor is programmed such that, in said reference trail recording mode, in the vicinity of said base station the at least one processor is openable to recognise the base station using said local environment sensors and thereby to calculate a path to the base station; and

,

wherein said local environment sensors include visible light sensors and said marker includes a high-contrast pattern.

9. The domestic robotic system according to claim 1, further comprising a base station;

wherein, in said reference trail recording mode, in the vicinity of said base station the at least one processor is operable to recognise the base station using said local environment sensors and thereby to calculate a path to the base station; and

wherein the path of said reference trail begins and ends at the same point, said point being at or adjacent said base station.

11. The domestic robotic system according to claim 5, wherein the at least one processor is programmed such that the path of said reference trail has a first end, which is at a first point, and a second end, with the robot beginning its movement at said first end, then moving along the path to said second end and then returning back along the same path, travelling in the opposite direction, to reach said first end.

12. The domestic robotic system according to claim 11, wherein said point corresponds to the robot being docked at said base station and wherein the at least one processor calibrates said reference trail information based on the assumption that the robot starts and ends at the same location.

13. The domestic robotic system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of sensors additionally includes:

one or more additional sensors; and

, wherein the at least one processor is programmed such that, in said navigation mode, when the robot is distant from said reference trail, the at least one processor controls navigation by the robot in dependence on a first estimate of its current position, which is determined using current sensor information from said additional sensors.

14. The domestic robotic system according to claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is programmed such that the path of said reference trail is calculated so as to be spaced apart from the path of said predetermined boundary by at least the accuracy of said first estimate of the robot'"'"'s current position.

15. The domestic robotic system according to claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is programmed such that, in said navigation mode, when the robot is at or adjacent said reference trail, the at least one processor determines a second estimate of its current position by comparing current sensor information from the local environment sensors with said reference trail information, the at least one processor determines a third estimate of its current position by applying a sensor fusion algorithm to said first and second estimates and, thereafter, the at least one processor controls navigation by the robot in dependence on said third estimate.

17. The domestic robotic system according to claim 13, wherein, in said reference trail recording mode, the at least one processor controls navigation by the robot along said reference trail by determining its current position using sensor information from said additional sensors.

18. The domestic robotic system according to claim 13, wherein said additional sensors comprise:

at least one sensor operable to sense the relative motion of the robot; and

/or at least one sensor operable to receive signals from exterior the robot, the at least one processor being programmed to determine the current position of the robot, at least in part, based on the time-of-flight for said signals or the relative strength of said signals from exterior the robot.

26. The domestic robotic system according to claim 18, wherein either said local environment sensors comprise an array of like sensors, or one or more scanning sensors, or the robot is provided with one or more scanning transmitters and said local environment sensors comprise at least one sensor operable to receive the reflected signals reflected by the environment in response to the action of said one or more scanning transmitters.

27. The domestic robotic system according to claim 1, wherein said local environment sensors comprise a number of arrays of like sensors, each array having an associated field-of-view.

28. The domestic robotic system according to claim 27, wherein the robot comprises:

a movement system operable to propel the robot in a forward direction along a straight line path or to steer to one side or the other, so as to propel the robot along an arcuate path; and

,

a first one of said sensor arrays is arranged on said robot such that its field-of-view is directed generally in said forward direction; and

,

wherein, during said navigation mode, the at least one processor is programmed so as to cause the robot to navigate along a path such that the field of view of one of the sensor arrays at each crossing point overlaps with at least 50% of the field of view of one of the sensor arrays at the same point during the reference trail recording mode.

31. The domestic robotic system according to claim 28, wherein the robot comprises one or more cameras, each of said cameras providing a respective one of said array(s) of like sensors.

32. The domestic robotic system according to claim 1, wherein, during said navigation mode, the at least one processor is programmed so as to cause the robot to navigate along a path such that it crosses the path of said reference trail a plurality of times, the location at which the path crosses the path of reference trail defining a crossing point.

33. The domestic robotic system according to claim 32, wherein, during said navigation mode, the at least one processor is programmed so as to cause the robot to navigate along a path such that the field of view of one of the sensor arrays at each crossing point overlaps with at least 50% of the field of view of one of the sensor arrays at the same point during the reference trail recording mode.

34. The domestic robotic system according to claim 32, wherein, during said navigation mode, the at least one processor is programmed so as to cause the robot to navigate such that, at each crossing point, it crosses the path of said reference trail at an angle greater than 45°

with respect to the reference trail.

35. The domestic robotic system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is programmed such that the path of said reference trail consists substantially of straight-line segments.

174. The domestic robotic system according to claim 9, wherein the at least one processor calibrates said reference trail information based on the assumption that the robot starts and ends at the same location.

175. The domestic robotic system according to claim 12, wherein the at least one processor calibrates said reference trail information based on the assumption that the robot starts and ends at the same orientation.

176. The domestic robotic system according to claim 35, wherein the at least one processor is programmed such that said reference trail consists of no more than 20 straight line segments.

177. The domestic robotic system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to cause the storage of the reference trail information as information corresponding to a first plurality of points along said reference trail in said storage media, and, said reference trail information being derived from said sensor information corresponding to said first plurality of points.

3. (canceled)

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19-25. -25. (canceled)

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36-173. -173. (canceled)