SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ESTABLISHING VIRTUAL BOUNDARIES FOR ROBOTIC DEVICES

• US 20160291596A1
• Filed: 09/10/2015
• Published: 10/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bobsweep, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bobsweep, Inc.
• Inventors: Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Ali
• Granted Patent: US 10,545,504 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

Methods for utilizing virtual boundaries with robotic devices are presented including: positioning a boundary component having a first receiver pair to receive a first robotic device signal substantially simultaneously by each receiver of the first receiver pair from a first robotic device only when the first robotic device is positioned along a first virtual boundary; operating the first robotic device to move automatically within an area co-located with the first virtual boundary; transmitting the first robotic device signal by the first robotic device; and receiving the first robotic device signal by the first receiver pair thereby indicating that the first robotic device is positioned along the first virtual boundary.

Claims

1. A method for utilizing virtual boundaries with robotic devices comprising:

positioning a boundary component having a first receiver pair to receive a first robotic device signal substantially simultaneously by each receiver of the first receiver pair from a first robotic device only when the first robotic device is positioned along a first virtual boundary;

operating the first robotic device to move automatically within an area co-located with the first virtual boundary;

transmitting the first robotic device signal by the first robotic device; and

receiving the first robotic device signal by the first receiver pair thereby indicating that the first robotic device is positioned along the first virtual boundary.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving the first robotic device signal substantially simultaneously, altering the first robotic device movement to avoid crossing the virtual boundary.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein altering the first robotic movement further comprises:

transmitting a boundary signal from the boundary device; and

receiving the boundary signal by the first robotic device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first robotic device signal is only transmitted during a designated time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first receiver pair is configured to receive the first robotic device signal only during a designated time.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the boundary signal is transmitted only during a designated time.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

positioning at least one additional boundary component each having at least one additional receiver pair to receive the first robotic device signal substantially simultaneously from the first robotic device only when the first robotic device is positioned along at least one additional virtual boundary;

operating the first robotic device to move automatically within an area co-located with the at least one additional virtual boundary;

transmitting the first robotic device signal by the first robotic device; and

receiving the first robotic device signal by the at least one additional first receiver pair thereby indicating that the first robotic device is positioned along the at least one additional virtual boundary.

8. The method of claim 7, comprising:

a boundary device, wherein at least two boundary components are pivotally coupled therewith.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the boundary component comprises at least:

a first passage terminating at a first receiver; and

a second passage terminating at a second receiver, the first receiver and the second receiver forming the first receiver pair.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first passage and the second passage each further include a plurality of baffles positioned along first and second passage walls, wherein the plurality of baffles are angled toward openings of the first and second passage.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the passages are angled to physically prevent the first robotic device signal from substantially simultaneously reaching the receiver pair except when the first robotic device is positioned along the first virtual boundary.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

a third passage terminating at a third receiver for receiving the first robotic signal from the robotic device, wherein the third passage is located between the first passage and the second passage.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first robotic device signal is selected from the group consisting of:

infrared, laser, radio frequency, wifi, sonar, light, sound waves, global positioning signal, cellular communication device transmissions, and magnetic field signals.

14. A virtual boundary system for robotic devices comprising:

at least one robotic device each comprising,

a robotic transmitter for transmitting a robotic device signal,

a robotic receiver for receiving a boundary signal, and

a robotic controller for altering movement of the robotic device in response to receiving the boundary signal; and

at least one boundary device each comprising,

at least one boundary component having passages and a receiver pair, the receiver pair configured to receive the robotic device signal substantially simultaneously by each receiver of the receiver pair when the at least one robotic device is positioned along at least one virtual boundary, and

a boundary transmitter for transmitting the boundary signal in response to receiving the robotic device signal substantially simultaneously.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one boundary device comprises:

at least two boundary components pivotally coupled therewith wherein each of the at least two boundary components each establish a separate virtual boundary.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the passages are angled to physically prevent the robotic device signal from substantially simultaneously reaching the receiver pair except when the robotic device is positioned along the at least one virtual boundary.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one virtual boundary is established only during a designated time.

18. A computing device program product for utilizing virtual boundaries with robotic devices, the computing device program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium;

first programmatic instructions for operating a first robotic device to move automatically within an area co-located with a first virtual boundary, the first virtual boundary established by positioning a boundary component having a first receiver pair to receive a first robotic device signal substantially simultaneously by each receiver of the first receiver pair from the first robotic device only when the first robotic device is positioned along the first virtual boundary;

second programmatic instructions for transmitting the first robotic device signal by the first robotic device;

third programmatic instructions for receiving the first robotic device signal by the first receiver pair thereby indicating that the first robotic device is positioned along the first virtual boundary; and

fourth programmatic instructions for altering the first robotic device movement to avoid crossing the virtual boundary.

19. The program product of claim 18, wherein fourth programmatic instructions for altering the first robotic movement further comprises:

transmitting a boundary signal from the boundary device; and

receiving the boundary signal by the first robotic device.