TRANSFERABLE INTELLIGENT CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20160271798A1
• Filed: 03/21/2016
• Published: 09/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Dooley, Michael, Romanov, Nikolai, Pirjanian, Paolo
• Granted Patent: US 9,914,217 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0084 comprising a plurality of manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1658 characterised by programming language
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40304 Modular structure
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40306 Two or more independent robots
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40397 Programming language for robots, universal, user oriented
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/004 Artificial life, i.e. computing arrangements simulating life

Abstract

An integrated intelligent system includes a first intelligent electronic device, a second intelligent electronic device, a transferable intelligent control device (TICD) and a cross product bus. The first intelligent electronic device performs a first function and the second intelligent electronic device performs a second function. The cross product bus couples the first intelligent electronic device to the transferable intelligent control device. The TICD partially controls behaviors of the intelligent electronic device by sending commands over the cross product bus to the first intelligent electronic device and the TICD partially controls behaviors of the second intelligent electronic device to perform the second function. The TICD is first attached to the first intelligent electronic device to partially control the behaviors of the first electronic device, then detached from the first electronic device, and then attached to the second intelligent electronic device to perform the second function.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a transferable intelligent control device and a mobile robot, the method comprising:

in the transferable intelligent control device (TICD), having a first complement of sensors capable of detecting an environment and a cross-product communications module,

recording information regarding locations where the mobile robot is expected to travel and tracking the locations via a localization system of the TICD as the TICD is transported through the environment,

building maps for the tracked locations within the environment,

learning a layout and location of rooms within the environment,

storing the maps, layout and location of rooms within the environment in a memory addressable via the cross-product communications module or a wireless communications module, and

causing pertinent resources to be transferred, the pertinent resources including the maps, layout and location of rooms within the environment, via the cross-product communications module to the mobile robot having a compatible cross-product communications module; and

in the mobile robot, having an embedded intelligent control device with a second complement of sensors at least in part different from the first complement of sensors in the intelligent control device,

using the maps, layout, and location of rooms to drive the robot to navigate through the environment.