Autonomous coverage robot navigation system
First Claim
1. An autonomous mobile robot system for bounded areas, the system comprising:
- a navigation beacon with a gateway beacon emitter arranged to emit a gateway beam across a gateway between a first bounded area and an adjacent second bounded area with the beacon placed in the gateway on a floor surface, wherein the navigation beacon is configured to emit a marker indicating a proximity zone about the beacon that extends into the bounded areas, and wherein the navigation beacon further comprises a beacon emitter arranged to transmit an emission into the first bounded area indicating the direction of the beacon, with the beacon disposed within the gateway;
an autonomous coverage robot comprising;
a beacon emission sensor responsive to the gateway beam, the emission indicating the direction of the beacon, and the marker indicating the proximity zone, and configured to detect an encoded signal included in at least one of the gateway beam and the marker indicating the proximity zone, the encoded signal comprising a unique identifier associating the beacon with the first bounded area;
a drive system configured to maneuver the robot about the first bounded area in;
a cleaning mode, in which the robot is redirected back into the first bounded area in response to detecting any one of the marker indicating the proximity zone and the gateway beam, anda migration mode, in which the robot is configured to maneuver toward the beacon upon encountering the emission indicating the direction of the beacon and through the gateway into the second bounded area while avoiding collision with the beacon by detection of the marker indicating the proximity zone; and
a base station located in one of the bounded areas, the base station comprising;
a base defining a docking direction from which the robot may properly dock; and
a robot charger housed in the base.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An autonomous mobile robot system for bounded areas including a navigation beacon and an autonomous coverage robot. The navigation beacon has a gateway beacon emitter arranged to transmit a gateway marking emission with the navigation beacon disposed within a gateway between the first bounded area and an adjacent second bounded area. The autonomous coverage robot includes a beacon emission sensor responsive to the beacon emission, and a drive system configured to maneuver the robot about the first bounded area in a cleaning mode in which the robot is redirected in response to detecting the gateway marking emission. The drive system is also configured to maneuver the robot through the gateway into the second bounded area in a migration mode.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. An autonomous mobile robot system for bounded areas, the system comprising:
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a navigation beacon with a gateway beacon emitter arranged to emit a gateway beam across a gateway between a first bounded area and an adjacent second bounded area with the beacon placed in the gateway on a floor surface, wherein the navigation beacon is configured to emit a marker indicating a proximity zone about the beacon that extends into the bounded areas, and wherein the navigation beacon further comprises a beacon emitter arranged to transmit an emission into the first bounded area indicating the direction of the beacon, with the beacon disposed within the gateway; an autonomous coverage robot comprising; a beacon emission sensor responsive to the gateway beam, the emission indicating the direction of the beacon, and the marker indicating the proximity zone, and configured to detect an encoded signal included in at least one of the gateway beam and the marker indicating the proximity zone, the encoded signal comprising a unique identifier associating the beacon with the first bounded area; a drive system configured to maneuver the robot about the first bounded area in; a cleaning mode, in which the robot is redirected back into the first bounded area in response to detecting any one of the marker indicating the proximity zone and the gateway beam, and a migration mode, in which the robot is configured to maneuver toward the beacon upon encountering the emission indicating the direction of the beacon and through the gateway into the second bounded area while avoiding collision with the beacon by detection of the marker indicating the proximity zone; and a base station located in one of the bounded areas, the base station comprising; a base defining a docking direction from which the robot may properly dock; and a robot charger housed in the base. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An autonomous mobile robot system for bounded areas, the system comprising:
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a navigation beacon with a gateway beacon emitter arranged to emit a gateway beam across a gateway between a first bounded area and an adjacent second bounded area with the beacon placed in the gateway on a floor surface, wherein the navigation beacon is configured to emit a marker indicating a proximity zone about the beacon that extends into the bounded areas; an autonomous coverage robot comprising; a beacon emission sensor responsive to the gateway beam and the marker indicating the proximity zone, and configured to detect an encoded signal included in at least one of the gateway beam and the marker indicating the proximity zone, the encoded signal associating the beacon with the first bounded area; a drive system configured to maneuver the robot about the first bounded area in; a cleaning mode, in which the robot is redirected back into the first bounded area in response to detecting any one of the marker indicating the proximity zone and the gateway beam, and a migration mode, in which the robot is configured to maneuver toward the beacon and through the gateway into the second bounded area while avoiding collision with the beacon by detection of the marker indicating the proximity zone; wherein the drive system comprises an internal map and the drive system is configured to navigate from a first bounded area to second bounded area using the internal map. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. An autonomous mobile robot system for bounded areas, the system comprising:
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a navigation beacon with a gateway beacon emitter arranged to emit a gateway beam across a gateway between a first bounded area and an adjacent second bounded area with the beacon placed in the gateway on a floor surface, wherein the navigation beacon is configured to emit a marker indicating a proximity zone about the beacon that extends into the bounded areas; an autonomous coverage robot comprising; a beacon emission sensor responsive to the gateway beam and the marker indicating the proximity zone, and configured to detect an encoded signal included in at least one of the gateway beam and the marker indicating the proximity zone, the encoded signal associating the beacon with the first bounded area; a drive system configured to maneuver the robot about the first bounded area in; a cleaning mode, in which the robot is redirected back into the first bounded area in response to detecting any one of the marker indicating the proximity zone and the gateway beam, and a migration mode, in which the robot is configured to maneuver toward the beacon and through the gateway into the second bounded area while avoiding collision with the beacon by detection of the marker indicating the proximity zone; wherein the drive system is configured to maneuver the robot in a confined boustrophedon pattern. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. An autonomous mobile robot system for bounded areas, the system comprising:
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a navigation beacon with a gateway beacon emitter arranged to emit a gateway beam across a gateway between a first bounded area and an adjacent second bounded area with the beacon placed in the gateway, wherein the navigation beacon is configured to emit a marker indicating a proximity zone about the beacon that extends into the bounded areas, and wherein the navigation beacon further comprises a vectoring beacon emitter arranged to transmit a directed vectoring emission into the first bounded area with the beacon disposed within the gateway; and an autonomous coverage robot comprising; a beacon emission sensor responsive to the gateway beam, the vectoring emission and the marker indicating the proximity zone; and a drive system configured to maneuver the robot about the first bounded area in; a cleaning mode, in which the robot is redirected back into the first bounded area in response to detecting any one of the marker indicating the proximity zone and the gateway beam, and a migration mode, in which the robot is configured to maneuver toward the beacon upon encountering the vectoring emission and through the gateway into the second bounded area while avoiding collision with the beacon by detection of the marker indicating the proximity zone; wherein the robot is configured to remotely activate the directed vectoring emission of the navigation beacon and deactivate the gateway beam upon initiating the migration mode, and to remotely deactivate the directed vectoring emission of the navigation beacon and activate the gateway beam upon terminating the migration mode. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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Specification