Autonomous coverage robot
First Claim
1. A method of operating mobile floor cleaning robot, the method comprising:
- receiving, at a controller, a sequence of images of a floor surface from an imaging sensor in communication with the controller, each image having an array of pixels;
for each image, segmenting the image into color blobs, using the controller, by;
color quantizing pixels of the image;
determining a spatial distribution of each color of the image based on corresponding pixel locations; and
for each image color, identifying areas of the image having a threshold spatial distribution for that color;
tracking, using the controller, a location of each color blob with respect to the imaging sensor across the sequence of images;
identifying, using the controller, a location of an object on a floor surface away from the robot;
issuing a first drive command from the controller to a drive system of the robot to drive the robot across the floor surface to clean the floor surface at the identified location of the object;
determining, using the controller, whether the object persists on the floor surface; and
when the object persists, issuing a second drive command from the controller to the drive system to drive the robot across the floor surface to re-clean the floor surface at the identified location of the object.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A mobile floor cleaning robot includes a robot body supported by a drive system configured to maneuver the robot over a floor surface. The robot also includes a cleaning system supported by the robot body, an imaging sensor disposed on the robot body, and a controller in communicates with the drive system and the imaging sensor. The controller receives a sequence of images of the floor surface; each image has an array of pixels. For each image, the controller segments the image into color blobs by color quantizing pixels of the image, determines a spatial distribution of each color of the image based on corresponding pixel locations; and for each image color, identifies areas of the image having a threshold spatial distribution for that color. The controller then tracks a location of the color blobs with respect to the imaging sensor across the sequence of images.
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Citations
59 Claims
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1. A method of operating mobile floor cleaning robot, the method comprising:
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receiving, at a controller, a sequence of images of a floor surface from an imaging sensor in communication with the controller, each image having an array of pixels; for each image, segmenting the image into color blobs, using the controller, by; color quantizing pixels of the image; determining a spatial distribution of each color of the image based on corresponding pixel locations; and for each image color, identifying areas of the image having a threshold spatial distribution for that color; tracking, using the controller, a location of each color blob with respect to the imaging sensor across the sequence of images; identifying, using the controller, a location of an object on a floor surface away from the robot; issuing a first drive command from the controller to a drive system of the robot to drive the robot across the floor surface to clean the floor surface at the identified location of the object; determining, using the controller, whether the object persists on the floor surface; and when the object persists, issuing a second drive command from the controller to the drive system to drive the robot across the floor surface to re-clean the floor surface at the identified location of the object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A mobile floor cleaning robot comprising:
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a robot body defining a forward drive direction; a drive system supporting the robot body and configured to maneuver the robot over a floor surface; a cleaning system supported by the robot body; an imaging sensor disposed on the robot body; and a controller in communication with the drive system and the imaging sensor, the controller; receiving a sequence of images of the floor surface, each image having an array of pixels; for each image, segmenting the image into color blobs by; color quantizing pixels of the image; determining a spatial distribution of each color of the image based on corresponding pixel locations; and for each image color, identifying areas of the image having a threshold spatial distribution for that color; and tracking a location of each color blob with respect to the imaging sensor across the sequence of images. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A mobile floor cleaning robot comprising:
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a robot body defining a forward drive direction; a drive system supporting the robot body and configured to maneuver the robot over a floor surface; a controller in communication with the drive system and executing a control system; a cleaning system supported by the robot body and in communication with the controller; and an imaging sensor in communication with the controller; wherein the control system comprises a control arbitration system and a behavior system in communication with each other, the behavior system executing a cleaning behavior influencing execution of commands by the control arbitration system based on a sequence of images of the floor surface received from the imaging sensor to identify a dirty floor area and maneuver the cleaning system over the dirty floor area, the cleaning behavior identifying the dirty floor area by; for each image, segmenting the image into color blobs by; color quantizing pixels of the image; determining a spatial distribution of each color of the image based on corresponding pixel locations; and for each image color, identifying areas of the image having a threshold spatial distribution for that color; and tracking a location of each color blob with respect to the imaging sensor across the sequence of images.
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40. A method of operating a mobile cleaning robot having an imaging sensor, the method comprising:
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receiving, at a controller, a sequence of images of a floor surface supporting the robot from an imaging sensor in communication with the controller, each image having an array of pixels; for each image, segmenting the image into color blobs, using the controller, by; color quantizing pixels of the image; determining a spatial distribution of each color of the image based on corresponding pixel locations; and for each image color, identifying areas of the image having a threshold spatial distribution for that color; and tracking, using the controller, a location of each color blob with respect to the imaging sensor across the sequence of images; and issuing a move command from the controller to a drive system of the robot to move the robot with resect to at least one color blob. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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Specification