Robot for marking an encoded surface

• US 7,358,697 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2007
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Yourlo, Zhenya Alexander, Lapstun, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Leykin; Rita
• Application Number:
  US11/754,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20070230772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 322 Days
• Field of Search: 319/568.11, 319/568.12, 319/568.16, 700/245, 901/1
• US Class Current: 318/568.11
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00826 Changeable playing pieces
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00643 Electric board games; Electric features of board games electric word or number games A63F3/0421; computer chess G06F; electric raffle games A63F3/081
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/28 for printing downwardly on flat surfaces, e.g. of books, drawings, boxes , envelopes, e.g. flat-bed ink-jet printers
• CPC Class Codes: B43L 13/00 Drawing instruments, or writing or drawing appliances or accessories not otherwise provided for stencils for surface decoration B44D
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45084 Service robot
• 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 1/0272 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

Abstract

A robot for marking an encoded surface is provided. The encoded surface has coded data identifying a plurality of locations thereon. The robot has an image sensor for sensing the coded data, and a processor for generating indicating data using the coded data sensed by the image sensor. The indicating data has data regarding a position of the robot on the encoded surface. The robot uses a communication means to transmit the indicating data to a computer system and receiving instructions from the computer system. A steerable drive system moves the robot over the encoded surface in response to movement instructions received from the computer system and a marking device selectively marks the encoded surface in response to marking instructions received from the computer system.

Claims

1. A robot for marking an encoded surface, the encoded surface having coded data identifying a plurality of locations thereon, the robot comprising:

an image sensor for sensing the coded data;

a processor for generating indicating data using the coded data sensed by the image sensor, said indicating data comprising data regarding a position of the robot on the encoded surface;

communication means for transmitting the indicating data to a computer system and receiving instructions from the computer system;

a steerable drive system for moving the robot over the encoded surface in response to movement instructions received from the computer system; and

a marking device for selectively marking the encoded surface in response to marking instructions received from the computer system.

2. The robot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the marking device is at least one pen, or the like, attached to or held by the robot.

3. The robot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the marking device is at least one printhead attached to or held by the robot.

4. The robot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the marking device is selectively moveable into and out of a marking configuration.

5. The robot as claimed in claim 1, wherein a characteristic of the marking device is determined by the robot decoding a barcode on the marking device.

6. The robot as claimed in claim 1, wherein a characteristic of the marking device is determined by the robot reading a value from a solid-state memory associated with the marking device.

7. The robot as claimed in claim 1, wherein a characteristic of the marking device is determined by a user activating a hyperlink on the encoded surface using the robot.

8. The robot as claimed in claim 7, wherein said characteristic of the marking device is the color of the ink in the marking device.

9. The robot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the robot is operable in a raster mode or a vector mode.

10. The robot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the robot is remotely controllable by a user.

11. The robot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive system comprises electronically driven wheels.

12. The robot as claimed in claim 1, wherein a computer application runs on said computer system, said computer application controlling the marking device and/or the drive system in response to the indicating data received by the computer system.

13. The robot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the robot has a unique robot identifier which for distinguishing the robot from other robots.

14. The robot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the indicating data is transmitted to the computer system by a wireless signal.

15. The robot as claimed in claim 14, wherein the computer system is configured for receiving the indicating data via a relay device in wireless communication with the robot.

16. The robot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the encoded surface is a netpage.

17. The robot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coded data also uniquely identifies the encoded surface.