Methods and systems for movement of an automatic cleaning device using video signal

• US 8,679,260 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2009
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Diversey Incorporated (Sealed Air)
• Original Assignee: Intellibot Robotics, LLC
• Inventors: Hillman, Henry L. Jr., Knuth, David M. Jr., Daly, Daniel M., Coffman, Vinton, McCann, Ralph, Herr, Stephen D., Thomas, Kevin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kornakov, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLEMAN, RYAN L
• Application Number:
  US12/616,577
• Publication Number:
  US 20110108064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,595 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 134/56.R
• 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 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

A method of cleaning an area using an automatic cleaning device may include receiving, from a video camera, information associated with an edge located on a surface, determining, by an automatic cleaning device, a position of the automatic cleaning device on the surface relative to the edge and using the received information to move the automatic cleaning device from the determined position along a path so that the automatic cleaning device cleans the surface along the path. The path may be substantially parallel to the edge, and the edge may be located a distance from a reference point on the automatic cleaning device during movement of the automatic cleaning device.

Claims

1. A system for cleaning an environment using an automated cleaning device, the system comprising:

an automatic cleaning device comprising a processing device and a computer-readable storage medium; and

a video camera in communication with the automatic cleaning device;

wherein the computer-readable storage medium comprises programming instructions for;

generating, by the processing device, a digital representation of a map of an area navigated by the automatic cleaning device,

sending, to the video camera, one or more instructions to search for a color in an area having a color value that is within a tolerance range,

receiving, from the video camera, information associated with at least a portion of the area that corresponds to the color value,

receiving, by the processing device, position data for the automatic cleaning device from one or more sensors associated with the automatic cleaning device,

comparing, by the processing device, each of the received information and the received position data to the digital representation of the map to determine which of the received information and the received position data has a least amount of error relative to a current position of the automatic cleaning device,

using the received information to adjust a current position of the automatic cleaning device if the received information has the least amount of error, and

cleaning at least a portion of a path along which the automatic cleaning device is navigated.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the programming instructions for receiving information comprise one or more programming instructions for receiving one or more of the following:

coordinates associated with a substantially center portion of the area;

coordinates associated with one or more corners of a rectangle that surrounds the area;

a number of pixels of the color within the area; and

a numerical value associated with a detected color.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the programming instructions for using the received information comprise one or more programming instructions for:

adjusting the path based on the received information in response to an amount of error associated with the received information as compared to the current position being less than an amount of error associated with the received position data as compared to the current position.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the programming instructions for using the received information to adjust a current position of the automatic cleaning device comprise one or more programming instructions for:

determining an estimated location of the automatic cleaning device;

using the received information to determine an actual location of the automatic cleaning device; and

if the estimated location differs from the actual location, moving to the estimated location.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the programming instructions for cleaning at least a portion of the path comprise one or more programming instructions for:

determining one or more characteristics associated with the portion of the surface;

determining a cleaning method based on the determined one or more characteristics; and

applying the cleaning method to the portion of the surface.