ROBOTIC CLEANING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR LANDMARK RECOGNITION

• US 20160302639A1
• Filed: 12/19/2013
• Published: 10/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aktiebolaget Electrolux
• Original Assignee: Aktiebolaget Electrolux
• Inventors: Lindh, Magnus, Haegermarck, Anders, Forsberg, Petter
• Granted Patent: US 10,617,271 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0248 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

A robotic cleaning device having a main body, a propulsion system configured to move the device across a surface and an obstacle detecting device configured to detect obstacles. The device further includes a processing unit configured to position the robotic cleaning device with respect to the detected obstacles from obstacle detecting device output data, and further to control the propulsion system to move the robotic cleaning device across the surface. The processing unit is configured to identify a landmark and its position from the obstacle detecting device output data, to derive at least one characteristic from the landmark to create and store a generated landmark signature. The processing unit is also configured to compare the generated landmark signature with predetermined landmark signatures and to determine whether the generated landmark signature matches one of the predetermined landmark signatures or not and operate the robotic cleaning device based on the determination.

Claims

1. A method of operating a robotic cleaning device comprising the steps of:

recording an obstacle detecting device output data of a vicinity of the robotic cleaning device with an object detecting device;

identifying a landmark and its position from the image and deriving information from the landmark to generate a landmark signature;

storing the generated landmark signature;

comparing the generated landmark signature with predetermined landmark signatures; and

determining, whether the generated landmark signature matches one of the predetermined landmark signatures or not;

operating the robotic cleaning device on the basis of the determination.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the obstacle detecting device output data is in the form of an image recorded by a camera device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the landmark signature is based on a three dimensional (3D) characteristic of the landmark.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operating step includes navigating the robotic cleaning device on the basis of the determination.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of positioning and storing the generated landmark signature in a map, based the current position of the robotic cleaning device.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of deriving information relating to a 3D surface shape of the landmark.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of deriving information relating to the position of a mid point of a surface of the landmark.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of deriving information relating to a direction and/or angle of a surface normal of the surface of the landmark.

9. A robotic cleaning device comprising:

a main body;

a propulsion system configured to move the robotic cleaning device across a surface of interest;

an obstacle detecting device configured to detect obstacles;

a processing unit configured to position the robotic cleaning device with respect to the detected obstacles from obstacle detecting device output data and further to control the propulsion system to move the robotic cleaning device across the surface of interest,

characterized in that the processing unit is configured to identify a landmark and its position from the obstacle detecting device output data, to derive at least one characteristic from the landmark to create and store a generated landmark signature, the processing unit further being configured to compare the generated landmark signature with predetermined landmark signatures and to determine, whether the generated landmark signature matches one of the predetermined landmark signatures or not and the processing unit further being configured to operate the robotic cleaning device on the basis of the determination.

10. The robotic cleaning device according to claim 9, wherein the obstacle detecting device comprises 3D sensor system.

11. The robotic cleaning device according to claim 9, wherein the 3D sensor system comprises:

a camera device configured to record images of a vicinity of the robotic cleaning device; and

a first vertical line laser and a second vertical line laser configured to illuminate the vicinity of the robotic cleaning device;

the processing unit further being configured to derive positional data from the recorded images.

12. The robotic cleaning device according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined and generated landmark signatures comprise a three dimensional (3D) characteristic of the respective landmark.

13. The robotic cleaning device according to claim 9, wherein the operation includes the navigation of the robotic cleaning device by the processing unit.

14. The robotic cleaning device according to claim 11, wherein the processing unit is configured to derive information from the recorded image relating to a 3D surface shape of the landmark.

15. The robotic cleaning device according to claim 11, wherein the processing unit is configured to derive information from the recorded image relating to a position of a midpoint of a surface of the landmark.

16. The robotic cleaning device according to claim 15, wherein the processing unit is configured to derive information from the recorded image relating to a surface normal of the surface of the landmark.