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RFID navigational system for robotic floor treater

  • US 7,877,166 B2
  • Filed: 06/28/2005
  • Issued: 01/25/2011
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2005
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A system for navigating an automatic cleaning device within a location, the system comprising:

  • a radio frequency identification tag positioned within or adjacent a selected surface area comprising a percentage of total surface area within the location; and

    an automatic cleaning device including a controller for driving the automatic cleaning device within the location for a predetermined time period, the controller being in communication with a radio frequency identification unit which receives signals from the radio frequency identification tag indicating presence of the selected surface area,wherein the controller executes a stored program to drive the automatic cleaning device within the selected surface area for a modified time period greater than or less than a reference time period calculated by multiplying the predetermined time period by the percentage, andwherein the radio frequency identification tag is temporarily positioned within or adjacent the selected surface area for marking temporary conditions of the selected surface area, andwherein the temporary conditions of the selected surface area include (i) that the selected surface area has extra soil which causes the automatic cleaning device to clean for a longer time period near the radio frequency identification tag and (ii) that the selected surface area is too clean to need further treatment which causes the controller to be informed that dwell time near the radio frequency identification tag should be reduced or eliminated and (iii) that the selected surface area is an area in which the automatic cleaning device should spend no time, andwherein when the selected surface area is an area in which the automatic cleaning device should spend no time, the radio frequency identification tag is positioned in the center of the area in which the automatic cleaning device should spend no time, and the controller executes a stored program to avoid driving the automatic cleaning device within a predetermined distance of the radio frequency identification tag.

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